CHRIST CENTERED VISION OF ATHLETICS PROGRAM

We desire our athletics program to look drastically different from the world around us.

Both our foundation and our goal are vastly opposed to the culture of secular athletics. Foundationally, we see athletes as made in the image of God and, as such, they have supreme value and worth given to them by God, rather than by their abilities on the field or court. Viewing athletes in this way completely changes the relationship between a coach and player and provides the opportunity for spiritual development to take place in athletics. Additionally, our goal for our athletes is to glorify God in all they do, from the level of intensity they bring in practice or in a game, to their interaction with teammates and opponents, to even how they respond to the calls of a referee regardless of whether they agree with it or not. Athletics provides a remarkable opportunity to show the world that the Creator is of supreme value in all things, including the sports that we play.

With a different foundation and goal in mind, we see how God can redeem sports in a way that our athletes, coaches, and parents can glorify Him in our sports competitions. We desire not to value success by wins and losses, although we certainly want to compete with intensity to the best of our ability and even to win games, but instead our success is measured in the intentionality of relationships that we establish on and off the court. Athletics provide a chance to create community in such a unique way. We desire to use our athletic program at Providence to create a community that is commited to bringing glory to God at every level. There is something beautiful about the way our kids are raised, even in sports, to be men and women of God. The environment it can create gives families the opportunity to encourage one another, cheer on our athletes, and build life-long relationships as parents and grandparents sit by one another in the stands throughout the sport season.

To help create this vision for athletics, our coaches gather early on Friday mornings for a Bible study with Dr. Williams to help them live out their walk with Jesus in integrity and to show our athletes that their values are properly aligned with Jesus Christ at the forefront. We believe that for students to do the same, they must see faith lived out from their coaches. The time is right for our local culture to see a school that plays and competes at an elevated level, that respects their peers and opponents, and that respects the authority of referees all as an act of worship to God. It is a vision that must be embraced at every level, from the administration of the school to the coaches, to the players and families, and we believe that it is a vision worth embracing.