Athletics is a tool to help us develop Christian character in our students. In our personal and team preparations, we will always strive for excellence and give our best effort in a quest to win. However, winning as a goal is secondary to conducting ourselves in a manner that glorifies our Savior and enhances our witness to others. Maintaining a strong Christian testimony before, during and after competition is a foundational principal for all involved.
Philosophy of Christian Athletics
The mission of the Fairfax Baptist Temple is to glorify God and evangelize the world. This purpose carries through to all of our ministries, including the Fairfax Baptist Temple Academy (FBTA), and as such extends to our FBTA athletic programs. Athletics is a tool to help us develop Christian character in our students. In our personal and team preparations, we will always strive for excellence and give our best effort in a quest to win. However, winning as a goal is secondary to conducting ourselves in a manner that glorifies our Savior and enhances our witness to others. Maintaining a strong Christian testimony before, during and after competition is a foundational principal for all involved.
The basic tenets of our athletic programs are:
- All interested students will have an opportunity to try out for the team, but only those who exhibit the best character and skill will make the team.
- PLAYER PARTICIPATION—Just as we strive to prepare all for success in the classroom, we will strive to prepare all for success in competition. With that in mind:
a. Junior Varsity players—All students who make the team, if healthy and eligible, will be provided the opportunity to play in every game. While all team members can play in every game, the length of playing time will vary based on the student athlete’s
demonstrated skill level and the coach’s discretion.
b. Varsity players—To encourage and instill an atmosphere where all players feel included
and a valuable part of the program, the goal is to play as many athletes as possible
without diluting the objective of winning the contest. - All student athletes will be taught the fundamentals of the sport they are playing and the
importance of the various roles within a team concept. - All involved from coaches, assistants, student athletes and volunteers are to be selflessly
motivated by how their attitudes, words and actions affect the team and reflect on FBTA. - We will strive never to lose our strength of character when facing a loss and never to humiliate an opponent in the course of victory.
- We will seek to develop servant leadership in our student athletes and select our team leaders based on the Christ-likeness they model on and off the playing field. All students realize that they may be removed from a game or from the team for the remainder of the season if they display ungodly behavior either on or off the playing field. This decision would be based on the coaches’ and/or the Athletic Director’s discretion.
The parallels between life and athletics are abundant, and the manner in which we participate speaks volumes about our relationship with Christ. The focus in our FBTA athletic programs on developing character traits, such as dedication, commitment, self-sacrifice, humility, integrity, discipline and perseverance, should, if properly rooted, impact our student athletes for the remainder of their lives. After all, we are preparing them for a battle far greater and longer than any they will encounter in an athletic competition. We are preparing them for a life actively engaged in the battle for people’s eternal souls. May God be glorified through all we do!
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