Olympic rower teaches FCA coaches and athletes how to handle disappointment and loss
‘It’s time for coaches and athletes to know they are incredibly valuable to God outside of sport, and they were created for a much bigger purpose’
KANSAS CITY, Mo.— Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA, www.fca.org) has been dedicated to leading every coach and athlete into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ and His church for more than 68 years. One crucial lesson many coaches and athletes are forced to learn is how to handle disappointment after losses.
Olympic rower Sarah Chaudhery only got involved in the sport in college when she walked onto a university team. A natural athlete, Chaudhery landed a spot on Canada’s National Team that later qualified for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. After giving their all, the team took fourth place. Though disappointed, Chaudhery has found her identity in Christ and calling to sports ministry through these losses.
Hans Ostrem, FCA’s Divisional Vice President-Canada, stated, “If you have competed in sports at any level, you have experienced disappointment! Perhaps a missed goal, an accidental double-dribble or simply a loss by mere points or seconds! But no matter in or out of a sports environment, it is in these times of disappointment that our true character is demonstrated.
“Sarah’s story reflects her true character, that even in a moment of great disappointment on the Olympic level, we are to stay faithful to God’s plan and purpose. As a member of the FCA Canada National Advisory Counsel, Sarah continues to demonstrate and teach this to coaches, athletes and even our staff.”
Chaudrey stated, “After the Olympics, God started me on (what seems to be) a lifelong journey of sharing about what it means to overcome disappointment. I fought it for a few years, but this has been how He has used me. God used the absolute and complete breakdown of my heart, mind and body through sport to bring me back to Him. I understand now that God chooses to use disappointment, because like 2 Corinthians 12:8 says, ‘(His) power is made perfect in weakness. Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.’ Disappointment that leads you further into the power of Christ in your life is always worth it.”
On how her life has intertwined with FCA, Chaudrey stated, “FCA came to Canada to partner with some of the local churches and run sports camps around the Pan Am Games. They were an amazing addition to the ministry going on, and this sparked a bigger flame for FCA to establish itself in Canada. FCA brings key elements that are different from, and compliment, the other movements involved with sports ministry in Canada.
“I love that FCA does ministry to ‘engage, equip, and empower’ the coach. We are in a coaching crisis in sport right now. All kinds of physical and emotional abuses are coming to the surface. We are finally addressing the fact that coaching shouldn’t be about breaking the athlete’s will or bringing them to a breaking point over and over and over again, where only the strongest survive. It is more important than ever that we redeem not only coaches through Christ, but change the whole conversation in sports. Both coaches and athletes need to know their worth is not based on results, but on who they are in Christ. It’s time for coaches and athletes to know they are incredibly valuable to God outside of sport, and they were created for a much bigger purpose. I am so excited to be a very small part of FCA, because I know this is at the heart of the ministry.”
FCA’s theme for 2022 is Every, based on Ephesians 1:3: “All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ.” FCAreminds Christian coaches and athletes that they already have everything they need in Christ and encourages them to seek Him both on and off the field.
After extensive growth, FCA has reached millions of people with the Gospel. View a timeline of FCA’s 68-year history here, including videos, quotes, articles, leader profiles, Camp themes, photos and more.
Read more about Fellowship of Christian Athletes here, visit FCA’s website at www.fca.org, its Facebook page at www.facebook.com/TheFCATeam or its Twitter feed https://twitter.com/TheFCATeam.
Press release posted as a service to the FCA by Zennie62Media, Inc.