East St. Louis Wins State Title!!!

The Flyers won the Illinois 7A Championship Saturday afternoon. I was so excited to be able to watch the game on television. These are the young men we'll be sharing our lives with in just a few months! If you'd like to read an article or watch the highlights, there are links below:

http://www.bnd.com/409/story/559996.html

http://myfoxstl.varsitynetworks.com/default.aspx?hierarchy_id=Media-Details&media_id=419000&media_type=V

Football Plays for State Championship!

East St. Louis won it's semi-final game this past Saturday, and plays this weekend for the school's first state title in almost two decades. I think team's success this year really confirms that coaching will be a great way for me to enter into relationships with these men.

East St. Louis: In Focus #3

The East St. Louis Flyers are a perennial athletic powerhouse, especially in football. Many kids escape the life of the streets by playing sports. The simple pleasure of athletics gives them a break from the harsh reality that often threatens their existence. Football is so highly regarded in the city that there are a significant number of players in the program. This is part of the reason I plan to use volunteer coaching as my entry into the community and into the lives of these youth. It is our hope that this "natural in" would allow me to move quickly into relationships and begin to build trust. This would then provide me with opportunities to share the hope of Jesus Christ with those who have little reason to hope in anything around them, and so many of whom have no idea what true hope is.