Area football coaches offered their thoughts on the upcoming football season while promoting the value of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes in their lives and to their respective programs Thursday night at an FCA fundraiser held at the Cannon Centre.
Funds raised from the event and the FCA Football Jamboree on Jan. are to be used to help pay for a full-time position that would serve Greer, Blue Ridge, Eastside, Riverside and Wade Hampton high schools in addition to Greer Middle College.
"As a ministry, we'd be able to get into the schools and minister to the coaches and to the athletes," said Travis Dix, FCA area representative for Northeast Greenville County. "It will allow us to build relationships with those players and coaches off the field as well as on the field."
Dix has served in a volunteer position at Greer High School with the FCA for the past several years.
The FCA is seeking to raise funds totaling $85,945 to fund the position that will serve Northeast Greenville, beginning this coming school year.
"These coaches – their hands touch a lot of lives," said first-year North Greenville head football coach Jeff Farrington, a former Greer High letterman and Furman assistant. "It will be invaluable to have people who will serve and create FCA huddles."
Farrington said he learned of the "huddles," sharing circles employed at FCA camps and meetings to help bring coaches and athletes closer to their faith, while attending FCA sports camps.
Farrington was the event's keynote speaker. Greer head coach Will Young, Blue Ridge head coach Shane Clark, Riverside head coach Phil Smith and Wade Hampton head coach Kent Haltiwanger also spoke briefly about their respective teams and the role FCS has played at their schools and in their lives.
The FCA Jamboree schedule, scheduled at North Greenville University Aug. 10, was announced. Tickets are $6 at the door.
Eastside vs. St. Joseph’s, 5:30 p.m.
Riverside vs. Christ Church, 6:30 p.m.
Halftime presentation of Coach of Influence Award
Greenville vs. Woodmont, 9 p.m.
Greer vs. Wade Hampton, 10 p.m.