Final Preparations For South Africa!

God's people have been so encouraging in these last couple weeks.  If you are reading this, you have encouraged us.  Two weeks ago I saw a MOUNTAIN in front of us.  It was the burden of raising and earning funds for this trip.  The guys on the team have been anxious to see how the Lord would provide.  Well, He has provided in really cool ways.  Just two days remain before we fly out.  Many of the guys are working and earning a lot of their funds, and they have seen checks of $10 to $20 trickle in...and add up.  The fact that many of you made a decision to give to one of the guys on our team is no small thing.  We want to honor your investment in us.  We desire to serve people while we are there.  We want to put your money to good use.  We want to brighten peoples days and build friendships.  We represent Grace College.  We represent the USA.  Our chief goal is to represent the Lord well, and to make Him famous.  Please pray that we do just that, and that we will have humility, boldness, and courage to share the Gospel.  Truth and Grace. Please pray that God will use this time to give direction and even purpose to many of our guys lives.  So, the financial mountain is almost in the past...and now, God willing, we will be standing atop Table Mountain in the Worlds Most Beautiful City.  God bless you!

Recent Alumni Travel To IWU

On Saturday, April 27, about 13 of our recent alumni traveled to Marion, IN to play against Indiana Wesleyan University.  This was a great time of fellowship!  Our Alumni Office at Grace College also treated us to dinner at Pizza Hut following the game.  It was fun catching up with these recent grads!

38 Years Later...Still Training Together.

Three Grace College Men’s Soccer Alumni immediately after the Colorado Springs Christian School  "Tim Tebow Event" on April 13^th.  Jeff Cahill, Paul Henning, and Roland DeRenzo - about 38 years after meeting each other in Winona Lake in 1975 J.  This picture speaks louder than words.  It shows us that playing soccer together for four years is really about so much more than soccer.  Soccer is just the platform that brings us together.  It is also a platform to clearly and loudly proclaim the name of Christ - for life.  Who better to do that than teammates?  Or, better yet, brothers?  For more information on the special events that have been held at CSCS, check out this link...http://www.cscslions.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=173&Itemid=315.  

Grace Men's Soccer Team South Africa Mission Trip 2013!

Pictured from left to right: Alwin Arendse, Chris Ross, Lucille Ross, JC Ross, and Coach Hotchkin

On May 13-23, the Grace College Men's Soccer Team will be traveling to Cape Town, South Africa to work with Pastor Chris Ross and his family.  We will
be practicing sports ministry, running soccer clinics, playing games against pro teams.  This will be the trip of a lifetime!  We will keep you updated right here on our team blog.

Psycho Head-Doctor Working with the Backline

Well yesterday was an interesting practice...Coach Matt Miller, Alum from the 1990's, and current director of Health and Wellness at Grace College, worked with our defenders on our ability to gain an edge on the opponent.  Some would call these techniques "gamesmanship".  The techniques work on immature and undisciplined players and teams - and for a while, they worked on our offense.

Matt is a liscenced clinical psychologist, trained at Michigan State University, and from there went into the Airforce - training fighter pilots to adapt to adverse circumstances, say for instance losing engines on a $113,000,000.00 F-35 Joint Strike Fighter while screaming towards the dirt. 

We take the field again today at 3:45pm for another session...our goal is to "Play In The Future"...i'll explain that a bit more in a future post.

Latest Web Story 8/26/11 - Check it out!

http://www.grace.edu/athletics/mens-sports/soccer/soccer-stories

The New Dudes Hit the Pitch and the Foreigners Hit the Mainland!

Our incoming class is blending and challenging our team!  Trent Smith gives us unflappable work, Joey Hickerson gives us speed and size, Austin Altimus gives us keen finishing, Ben Cahill gives us size and desire to "prove it", Christian Temby gives us speed and a quality strike, Tyler Snow gives us strong technique and a tremendous work ethic - a future leader for sure, Jacob Cole gives us size and a commanding presence in the goal, Shane Barthuly gives us speed, quickness, and a little bit of a chip on the shoulder. Nikola Blazic from Zrenjenin, Serbia has already arrived on campus at Grace!  He is a crafty attacking-midfielder that will really give us some needed creativity in the front.  Gift Sibukome from Lusaka, Zambia is registered and set to arrive any day now.  Gift is another midfielder that will continue to add to our ability to "play in the future".  We have already seen positive movement in the speed of our thinking and intellect.  How nice it is to act, rather than react!  It is now time to be the AGGRESSOR.