In 1978 we opened Clark High School, San Antonio, Texas. I had accepted Christ as Lord in 1977. In 1981 Scott Appleton, a former NFL player came by the school and talked with me about starting a Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) chapter at Clark. I told Scott I was planning on going to Abilene Cooper HS mostly because we haven't made the playoffs at Clark. Scott said I'll be praying for you! Abilene was picked to win state that next year and they had 7 D1 returners. Turned out there was power in Scott's prayer! Abilene's all state back moved to Cameron. Cameron won state championship; Abilene went 0-10, fired their coach and we made playoffs for first time in the school history.
So, we started a FCA at Clark. Our first meeting we had 200 kids show up during club period. The next day my principal kicked us off campus because of Jewish community concerns. Joe LaRocca, a parent offered us his house. The first meeting we had 7 players come to the FCA meeting but they were faithful. We got 14 guys to attend FCA camp that summer and the Lord provided money for all 14. The 7 new guys accepted Jesus as Savior and the next year we had 14 at our meetings. That summer we got 30 to FCA camp and the Lord provided the money for all 30. We rented vans and drove to Estes Park, Colorado for the camp. Again, most came back saved. We now had a houseful at the meetings and a couple years later we took 50 to FCA camp, and yes God provided the money for all 50.
Not only were we seeing a change in our school but the change carried over to the football field. The next 8 years we made it to regional finals and most of those years we were 10-0 regular season. As a coach I realized my purpose for coaching was influence. In 1990 the Lord gave me the head football job in Victoria, Texas. Our motto was GOD TEAM ME and FCA was our vehicle. Victoria HS had never won a playoff game in the history of school. We won 21 and had 7 undefeated district championships.
In 1999 I got the Plano West head job in Plano, Texas. I was told by the Athletic Director not to apply since they had already decided to give it to a Plano assistant. The Lord had other plans and I got the job. I was named NFL coach of the week twice but God had other plans. In 2003 I applied for the Cuero, Texas head coaching job, the school board gave the job to another coach, but the Lord had other plans; three days later he resigned and the superintendent called me to offer the job. The president of the school board later said he didn't know how I got the job because I was 5th on the list. I told him the Lord gave it to me. In the 7 years at we were at Cuero HS we never lost a district game, only lost 1 home game, the first one. We played for the state championship in our second year and went to semifinals 5 other times.
I took a college job at Texas Lutheran University (TLU) in Seguin, Texas in 2009 and my last year I spoke at the Minnesota High School Coaching Convention. I attended a FCA lunch at clinic with about 30 high school coaches. I had been given $500 speaking fee and plane ticket and hotel expenses to speak. I thought to myself this would be a good thing to support financially and at that moment the Lord said, well you have $500 in your pocket, so I endorsed the check and handed it to a guy going out the door. Later that night he came up and told me that the $500 paid off the luncheon to the penny and they had been praying about how to pay it. God has a better plan!
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:5-6
Mark Reeve
Mountain Home, Texas
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