Virtual Junior Sports Camp

Shelley Pearson • June 17, 2020
You have likely become tired of the word, “CANCELED.” Or maybe numb is a better word to describe it. Events no one thought would ever be canceled have been canceled: professional sports games, concerts, school. Even the State Fair has been canceled, so is there anything that is still going on? FCA has not been immune to all the cancellations, and even though many of FCA’s in-person junior sports camps have been canceled or postponed, we are excited to offer a virtual online sports camp for the first time ever! 

Every year, there are dozens of FCA junior sports camps serving around fifteen hundred students around the state of Minnesota. Like most people, we are disappointed to lose the opportunity to hold many of these camps, but we are excited about the potential to reach many more youth than ever before with our first-ever virtual sports camp. This camp is geared toward 3rd-8th graders, is open to an unlimited number of campers, and is free to those who participate.


The camp will be held over four days and can be accessed from any device that connects to the internet. Each day will consist of a large group component where campers will be greeted by emcees Josh and Ashley and do a 10-minute dynamic warm up with performance trainer and former FCA coach Matt Yegge. 

Campers will then hear a message from FCA Field Ambassador and Pastor Maurice Staley. He will be addressing this year’s camp theme of 100% based on Mark 12:30 which says, “You should love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.”  Pastor Staley will address one topic each day including Sacrifice, Surrender, Surround, and Serve.


After this short message, campers will choose between two sports each day and head into a virtual room to learn skills from solid coaches. Sports include basketball, football, tennis, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. Every camper will have the opportunity to learn about four sports over the course of the four-day camp. While it will not be the same as being in-person, we are excited to have some highly skilled coaches that would not normally be at a junior sports camp.


After this short message, campers will choose between two sports each day and head into a virtual room to learn skills from solid coaches. Sports include basketball, football, tennis, soccer, volleyball, lacrosse, baseball, and softball. Every camper will have the opportunity to learn about four sports over the course of the four-day camp. While it will not be the same as being in-person, we are excited to have some highly skilled coaches that would not normally be at a junior sports camp.

Sometimes events take months or a year to plan. This event was planned over just a few weeks, in part because the team was so motivated to provide an event that would reach kids in a fun and meaningful way. James Bolin, Southeast Minnesota Area Director, said he wanted to be part of this because he usually has three junior sports camps in his area every year. “I am most excited about the potential opportunity to actually reach many more youth than in previous years with it all being accessible virtually. Also, the opportunity for families and neighborhoods to have their own little FCA camp with the parents engaged is also very exciting!”


Robin Knudson is an Area Rep for Marshall, Minnesota. “I’m actually super excited to watch it all come together. I got to video tape the volleyball portion yesterday and the coaches and athletes were so excited to serve. The planning we’ve done over the past 6 weeks has really come together well and I think it is going to be a great “Plan B” for anyone who participates.”


When Jeff Tarras, Multi-Area Director for NW Wisconsin heard what Minnesota was doing, he asked to join a planning meeting to get ideas. “Initially I was listening in on the planning meeting to see what we could do in our area and was then asked to wrap up one of the days’ trainings with a brief closing and invitation to the next day of camp.” That’s all it took. Now Wisconsin is all-in, and this camp has the potential to reach many more kids.


Brent Voight, Area Director for the East Metro, has been thrilled with how the pieces have moved. Everyone has taken their tasks and run with them, and there is great unity among the planning team, coaches, and everyone else involved. We know that God is doing this work, and we are so excited to see how he will transform the hearts of the young people who attend this camp.


Click the link below to register!

Virtual Sports Camp

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