Tale of Two Christian Schools
Chances are, you saw the story out of Dallas about the Christian school whose girl's basketball team played a school for developmentally challenged kids...and beat them 100-0. The school is embarrassed about that now, but the damage is done; not only to the school, but to any Christian who believes compassion and respect are important qualities.
Texas prep hoops team might forfeit 100-0 win
I'd like to give you another story that shows a different side. This story is real. It was written by the talented Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated and it inspires me every time I read it:
High school football is big in America, but I suppose there is no place where it is bigger than in Texas. Friday nights there are legend.
The fans scream; the stands are packed; cheerleaders with pom-poms jump and sway to the beat of the school bandand everybody joins in the chants and stomps their feet on the metal stands until you are sure they will collapse.
This is the frenzy of Texas high school football.
But there is one football team in Texas that is a little different. When they play on Friday night, their stands are empty, no band, no cheerleaders, no mass of parents or townsfolk wearing the school colors and waving banners and flags. They take the field without anyone cheering them on. When they score a touchdown, which rarely happens, there is no wild celebration behind them… All of it seems hollow and muffled in contrast to the tidal wave of roars and drums and chants that come from the opposing side.
They are the Tornadoes of the Gainesville State School, a fenced, maximum-security facility. The young men who go to Gainesville State are there because they have made some major mistakes in their lives. But the players who are on the team are there because they have worked hard and have earned enough good behavior points that gives them the privilege to leave the facility and play football on Friday nights—always an away game for them—always a home game for their opponents—and almost always a loss. They don’t have a weight program or training equipment or high-paid coaches and assistants. They don’t have a large pool of players to draw from. The school has 275 boys, but many are too old or too young or can’t or don’t meet the “criteria” to play. And they don’t have the support of a town and a mass of parents and family and reporters and bands and cheerleaders.
That is, until November 7th. Something changed. They played Grapevine Faith Christian School.
A few days before the game, the Gainesville coach, Mark Williams received a call from Faith Christian coach, Kris Hogan, asking him if it would be okay if Faith formed a “spirit” line for his team when they ran on the field. Mark said, “Sure, that would be a real encouragement to the kids.” He thought that the line would consist of a couple of the JV cheerleaders, but when they took the field, there were a hundred people in it and it stretched to the 40-yard line, filled with Faith Christian parents, fans and varsity cheerleaders, complete with a banner at the end for them to burst through that read “Go Tornadoes!”. And then, those parents and fans sat in the stands behind the Gainesville players and when the Tornadoes broke the huddle and went up to the line they could hear people cheering for them, by name. When they got a first down, “their” fans erupted.
You see, coach Hogan had sent an email out to the Faith Christian parents and students asking them to consider doing something kind for these young men, many who didn’t know what it meant to have a mom and dad who cared, many who felt the world was against them, not for them. Hogan asked that they simply send a message that these boys were “just as valuable as any other person on earth.”
So half of the Faith Christian fans were now sitting on the visitor’s side of the field, cheering for the Gainesville team, and in some cases, against their own sons. –Cheering for a team decked out in mismatched old uniforms and helmets. –Cheering for boys who wouldn’t go home that night and have a smiling dad slap him on the back and feel his mom put her arms around him and say “I’m so proud of you son!” –Cheering for the underdog.
This was a Friday night like no other for the Tornadoes. In the locker room, the players were confused. “Why are they cheerin’ for us, coach?” “Because, men, they want to encourage you. They want you to know that they care about you…that you have value.”
Coach Williams said the boys were stunned. For many of these kids, it may have been the first time that anyone had shown them, so visibly, unconditional love.
They were down 33 to nothing at the half. Williams encouraged his team to set a goal for the second half: to score a touchdown against this vastly superior team. And when the boys from the State School took the field again, with their fans cheering them on, everything started to click. And they did score. Not once but twice.
And the fans went wild.
Coach Williams was asked what the bus ride was like on the way home and he laughed and said that they were all asleep—their bellies were full. That’s becuz after the game, the parents brought a whole bunch of food over to the guys: hamburgers, fries, candy, sodas…and included in the meal sack was a Bible and a personal letter of encouragement from a Faith Christian player. But then, he said, they formed a line for us out to the bus. And the parents patted them on the back and said, “Nice game” and “Look forward to seeing you guys next time.”
As they left the field that night, Coach Williams grabbed Coach Hogan and said to him: “You’ll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You’ll never, ever know.”
Texas prep hoops team might forfeit 100-0 win
I'd like to give you another story that shows a different side. This story is real. It was written by the talented Rick Reilly of Sports Illustrated and it inspires me every time I read it:
High school football is big in America, but I suppose there is no place where it is bigger than in Texas. Friday nights there are legend.
The fans scream; the stands are packed; cheerleaders with pom-poms jump and sway to the beat of the school bandand everybody joins in the chants and stomps their feet on the metal stands until you are sure they will collapse.
This is the frenzy of Texas high school football.
But there is one football team in Texas that is a little different. When they play on Friday night, their stands are empty, no band, no cheerleaders, no mass of parents or townsfolk wearing the school colors and waving banners and flags. They take the field without anyone cheering them on. When they score a touchdown, which rarely happens, there is no wild celebration behind them… All of it seems hollow and muffled in contrast to the tidal wave of roars and drums and chants that come from the opposing side.
They are the Tornadoes of the Gainesville State School, a fenced, maximum-security facility. The young men who go to Gainesville State are there because they have made some major mistakes in their lives. But the players who are on the team are there because they have worked hard and have earned enough good behavior points that gives them the privilege to leave the facility and play football on Friday nights—always an away game for them—always a home game for their opponents—and almost always a loss. They don’t have a weight program or training equipment or high-paid coaches and assistants. They don’t have a large pool of players to draw from. The school has 275 boys, but many are too old or too young or can’t or don’t meet the “criteria” to play. And they don’t have the support of a town and a mass of parents and family and reporters and bands and cheerleaders.
That is, until November 7th. Something changed. They played Grapevine Faith Christian School.
A few days before the game, the Gainesville coach, Mark Williams received a call from Faith Christian coach, Kris Hogan, asking him if it would be okay if Faith formed a “spirit” line for his team when they ran on the field. Mark said, “Sure, that would be a real encouragement to the kids.” He thought that the line would consist of a couple of the JV cheerleaders, but when they took the field, there were a hundred people in it and it stretched to the 40-yard line, filled with Faith Christian parents, fans and varsity cheerleaders, complete with a banner at the end for them to burst through that read “Go Tornadoes!”. And then, those parents and fans sat in the stands behind the Gainesville players and when the Tornadoes broke the huddle and went up to the line they could hear people cheering for them, by name. When they got a first down, “their” fans erupted.
You see, coach Hogan had sent an email out to the Faith Christian parents and students asking them to consider doing something kind for these young men, many who didn’t know what it meant to have a mom and dad who cared, many who felt the world was against them, not for them. Hogan asked that they simply send a message that these boys were “just as valuable as any other person on earth.”
So half of the Faith Christian fans were now sitting on the visitor’s side of the field, cheering for the Gainesville team, and in some cases, against their own sons. –Cheering for a team decked out in mismatched old uniforms and helmets. –Cheering for boys who wouldn’t go home that night and have a smiling dad slap him on the back and feel his mom put her arms around him and say “I’m so proud of you son!” –Cheering for the underdog.
This was a Friday night like no other for the Tornadoes. In the locker room, the players were confused. “Why are they cheerin’ for us, coach?” “Because, men, they want to encourage you. They want you to know that they care about you…that you have value.”
Coach Williams said the boys were stunned. For many of these kids, it may have been the first time that anyone had shown them, so visibly, unconditional love.
They were down 33 to nothing at the half. Williams encouraged his team to set a goal for the second half: to score a touchdown against this vastly superior team. And when the boys from the State School took the field again, with their fans cheering them on, everything started to click. And they did score. Not once but twice.
And the fans went wild.
Coach Williams was asked what the bus ride was like on the way home and he laughed and said that they were all asleep—their bellies were full. That’s becuz after the game, the parents brought a whole bunch of food over to the guys: hamburgers, fries, candy, sodas…and included in the meal sack was a Bible and a personal letter of encouragement from a Faith Christian player. But then, he said, they formed a line for us out to the bus. And the parents patted them on the back and said, “Nice game” and “Look forward to seeing you guys next time.”
As they left the field that night, Coach Williams grabbed Coach Hogan and said to him: “You’ll never know what your people did for these kids tonight. You’ll never, ever know.”
42 Comments
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Comment by Ask 3 Guys on January 23, 2009 at 7:41am - That is amazing. Sometimes, all the is necessary for growth is a little sunlight (i.e. attention) and a little water (i.e. love). In a management book, I read that people need their buckets filled. So often, we focus on the flaw of people, which, basically, puts holes in their buckets. By filling their buckets with compliments, affection, and even attention, people grow so much more.
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Comment by chris on January 23, 2009 at 8:09am - This is such a wonderful story!! I am sure any parent who ever had a son play on a football team will cry when reading this. Coach Hogan is a true Saint!!
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Comment by Jamie on January 23, 2009 at 8:14am - Thank you Kidd.
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Comment by Jami on January 23, 2009 at 8:17am - This is so touching and encouraging, it's nice to see evidence of the power of unconditional love. Thank you for posting this!
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Comment by APoetess on January 23, 2009 at 8:17am -
Thanks for sharing the private school story(ies). Seems I tuned in at the right moment. Feeling ashamed that all I was thinking was: I've missed FTF (my favorite part of KKITM) cuz I slept late! Had a rough day yesterday.
I've been in the private and public sectors...and sports has always been a controversial topic. Personally, I believe many private coaches push their kids past the good sportsmanship limit and cast their testimonies to the wind at game time.
Can't tell you how many kids have sat across my desk and cried (grown 6'5" guys) saying, "If I don't make the grade, I can't play...and Coach is gonna hate me".
I always did what I could to encourage and help but never compromised a grade. I wasn't popular at faculty meetings either...but I could sleep at night and cheer the kids on at game time with a clear conscience.
Thanks again for sharing the story...
AP ~
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Comment by bumpaj on January 23, 2009 at 8:42am - This is a story to share!! My boys attend Greenville Christian School and I have emailed the story to all the coaches. Good pick for the morning show and KIDD...it's okay for big boys to cry!
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Comment by Erica on January 23, 2009 at 8:47am
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i was listening this morning when i heard this.
im putting it on my myspace blogs & e-mailing it out.
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Comment by miswoo on January 23, 2009 at 8:52am
- Kidd - thank you so much for reading and posting this story. My husband works with the boys at the Gainsville State School and gos to some of the games with them. He says they always lose, but are so happy to be playing even with the circumstances the way they are. These kids are the forgotten ones and I think we all need to step up and do a little more for them. I have forwarded this story to my husband since he is at work now, because it's not only the kids that need encouragement - it's the staff too!
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Comment by lara on January 23, 2009 at 8:54am - I just went through the annoying process of signing up just so I could comment on this. I'm a crybaby by nature, let's just be honest, so this story had be sobbing 30 seconds in. What a beautiful thing Coach Hogan and the entire Faith Christian community did for those boys. Thanks for sharing. The version they have up on espn.com didn't pull at the heartstrings in quite the same way.
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Comment by Lisa Jackson on January 23, 2009 at 8:55am
- This is a great story! I cried all the way to take my daughter, who is on her high school drill team, to school. It was very uplifting to both of us!
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