INFLUENCING THE INFLUENCERS…
Thanks to a Netflix documentary on the East
Mississippi Community College (EMCC) Lions 2015
football season, there aren’t many people unfamiliar
with EMCC and Head Coach Buddy Stephens. The
final game of the 2015 season ended with his team
clearing the bench in retaliation for a late hit on one
of their players. It was an all-out brawl that led to a
year-end suspension of Coach Stephens and his
team from the JUCO playoffs.
EMCC Head Football Coach - Buddy Stephens
Weeks after tempers cooled, Coach Stephens was
forced to examine his program and his heart. After
making inquiries, Coach Stephens found that most
people saw his players as troublemakers and
disrespectful, but worse, thought he and his staff
were arrogant and too concerned with winning.
There was a definite need for change!
Despite having attended church most of his life,
Coach Stephens realized he had been wearing a
mask, hiding the truth of the condition of his
heart. Several key moments over the summer
led to him giving his life to Christ and accepting
Jesus as his Savior and Lord! Through the
encouragement and support of several FCA staff,
Coach Stephens has taken steps to grow in his
faith and learn how to be a husband and coach
led by God.
EMCC and MS Delta CC meet on the 50-yard line for prayer.
Now, an FCA chaplain travels with the team, leading Coach Stephens
and his team in devotions. When EMCC met that same rival mid-way
through the 2015 season, both benches cleared again, but this time it
was to meet on the 50-yard line to pray for each other.
For more details on this story, visit: mississippifca.org/2016
Coaches Time Out is a weekend event designed for coaches
of any sport, age or gender; married or single. We
know that a coach’s influence is powerful.
In 2016,
More than anyone else, high school
135 Coaches
and middle school coaches
are forming and informing
and spouses
the youth in this country. CTO is a
attended
conference that gives these coaches
the opportunity to recharge their spiritual
Coaches Time
batteries, connect with their spouses and
Out
peers, and sharpen their tools for both coaching
and ministry. CTO exists to invest in the lives of coaches
so they can, in turn, invest in the lives of their athletes.
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