Congratulations Doug Nelson! 2021 Fred Zamberletti Award Winner

Shelley Pearson • July 20, 2021

Congratulations to the 2021 winner of the Fred Zamberletti Award, Doug Nelson!

Doug is an FCA alum and longtime supporter of The Fellowship of Christian Athletes and has served as an athletic trainer for over 45 years. The award is named in honor of the late Fred Zamberletti who was the first athletic trainer for the Minnesota Vikings. It is awarded to an athletic trainer who has made a significant contribution in Minnesota.

Doug is the current athletic trainer at Burnsville High School and has also served at Eastview and Brooklyn Center High Schools in his 26 years as a high school athletic trainer. Before that time, he worked for the Minnesota Twins and his alma mater, Augsburg University.

The Award

Doug received a call earlier this spring informing him that he had won the award. While Doug is not big on recognition, it does mean a lot to him because he was nominated by his peers and he personally knew Fred Zamberletti: “He was a wonderful guy, very soft spoken, very nice person but great mentor and leader for the group.”

Doug remembers a time back at Augsburg where a roommate came back after a coaches meeting and told Doug the coaches couldn’t believe how hard Doug worked. Doug said, “I’m not doing it for them but for God. Where’s my focus? It’s doing what God’s given me and using that ability to do the best I can. It’s been my thing when I worked with the Twins, we don’t want to see our name in the paper, we just want to do the best we could.”

His focus remains on God through everything, and the award confirms for Doug that he continues to do what God has called him to. Daily he lives out Colossians 3:23 which says, “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men.”

The Early Impact of FCA

Doug’s history with FCA goes back even further. He was first involved in FCA when he started college at Golden Valley Lutheran College and then got involved in the Augsburg College FCA when he transferred there. While at Augsburg, he was chosen to be the collegiate representative on the Minnesota FCA board. He got to know the first state directors like Ron Hess, Lu Gronseth, and Dan Larson and was an integral part of the ministry in those early years.

Earlier this year we did a story on the late Bob Williams, the first black player for the Minneapolis Lakers. Doug also had the opportunity to work with Bob. He remembers when they drove to Sandstone to do a weekend ministry to the prisoners. “Here were people without hope and here we could bring the light of God to them,” Doug said, “and it’s the same with high school – so many kids are lost.”

Doug stays involved in the ministry today because of the impact he sees FCA having on young people who need Jesus and because he has experienced firsthand the impact FCA made on his own life. The relationships he built during his years of FCA continue today.

We also shared a story this spring about Randy Jensen, who is celebrating 40 years on staff with FCA. Doug was Randy’s athletic trainer at Augsburg.

Doug tells a story that touched him. He was traveling to a funeral and stopped at the school where one of his old friends taught. He visited with him between classes and was still there when the next class began. His friend said, “The true friendships are the people you will meet who make a difference.” That really touched Doug because, he says, “A friendship rooted with Christ is stronger than a friendship rooted in the world. To me, that’s what’s meant a lot with FCA is those lifelong friendships.

Continuing Fruit Today

A decades-long commitment to FCA continues today. Randy Jensen said this about Doug: “He has always been a caring and thoughtful person and relationships matter to him, but at the top of that list is his relationship with God. His ongoing support and interest in FCA show through his generosity financially as well as his involvement and staying connected through the years with his FCA friends and teammates.”

Doug supports Randy today because, he says, “I believe in what he is doing and God has chosen him for that spot. I’ve seen what He’s done in Randy’s life. This spring I was at a baseball game and here comes Randy. He’s mentored a lot of our coaches at Burnsville. That’s why I like to keep supporting Randy.”

He also supports Joy Gardner, FCA Collegiate Representative because, “I see how FCA keeps growing and bearing fruit. I look back to when FCA first started with only Ron and Marie in the state office and then three and four more and I look at the staff today and don’t even know who half the people are, but it’s more people to do the work and reach more people.”

Jesus, Identity, Relationships, and Leadership

Why FCA? Doug grew in his walk with Christ through FCA and learned that his identity is in Christ, not what he does or how he performs which has freed him to faithfully serve as an athletic trainer for over 45 years. He built lifelong relationships with amazing people, many of whom he remains close to today, and he learned valuable leadership skills that have helped him succeed in life. That is why FCA has raised up so many Christ-centered leaders over its nearly 70 years of existence.

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