I am certain there are schools with equal or greater accomplishments.  And there are those who would taint the success of such schools by alleging untruths about their programs.  These critics focus their negativism on how a school builds a successful program.  To us, the important question is not how it is built, but rather why it is built.  The answer is simple.  At Robert Toombs Christian Academy, we do it for Christ and His kingdom.

We recognize that there are many coaches with a much greater knowledge of football than that of our coaching staff.  We also know that there are many programs with more talented athletes.  We firmly believe our success in the Crusader football program is due to God's blessings.  Our priority then is to encourage players and coaches to have a closer walk with God, giving Him glory in all things.

Our focus is simple but powerful--Christ first in all we do.  Our weekly routine is built around this focus.  We give the first part of the week to God in prayer, attending a team prayer meeting on Mondays.  The team engages in prayer and sings the Doxology, pouring out our hearts to God in praise.  The following three days of the week, the team has daily Bible study, with each member taking turns reading the scriptures. 

On game day, the team and the cheerleaders visit local nursing homes and spend time with the residents.  This is as much a blessing to us as it is to them.  The visit is followed by the team meal with senior team members serving the meal to the underclassmen.  We believe that in order to lead their teammates, our seniors must humble themselves by serving others, just as Christ led by serving others.  After the meal, everyone gathers in the assembly room to hear testimony by a team member or coach.  The team then picks the four most important issues of the week and each class huddles to pray for these issues.  The session ends with the entire group praying and extending the right hand of fellowship to all.

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been instrumental in the success of our program by its unwavering support.  The resources the FCA provides are unlimited and our FCA sponsor, Matt Walker, has been a wonderful blessing and a great Brother in Christ.  We highly recommend the Fellowship of Christian Athletes to any school that wishes to put God first in all dimensions of school life.

For those who ponder the reason for our success, the answer is unmistakably clear.  God blesses young men and women who put Him first.  Many teams work hard, but hard work without God is fruitless.  The flesh (ego) desires victory and the glory that goes with it, but the spiritual man or woman must stay focused on the course and keep the faith.  To preserve this thought uppermost in our minds, our team has adopted a creed from the apostle Paul--I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith (II Timothy 4:7).

I pray that each of you may also keep the faith.