I have talked many times about the blessings our local athletes can count. Whether it’s the great support of the community, the caring coaches, or the incredible facilities; most of our local athletes have plenty to be thankful for.
In my opinion, one of the greatest blessings our young athletes have is Brian Mitchell. Brian is the area representative for South Central Missouri Fellowship of Christian Athletes.
The FCA national website states that the groups vision is to “see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.” Well, hard to imagine anyone working harder to see that vison become a reality than Mitchell. Nearly every day he is on the road in the wee hours of the morning, headed to a coaches’ bible study or school huddle event. Most everyday hitting multiple schools. At night you will find him at a College of the Ozarks event or a high school game.
Coaches successes are often gauged by wins and losses. As a Christian myself, I can tell you that its hard to imagine a much greater victory than leading someone to Christ. But that’s the kind of thing that Mitchell seemingly does on a daily basis. Even more, he helps students and coaches find ways to lead others to the Lord.
I have lost count of the number of times I have been to games over the past couple of seasons where I see the two teams gather (either before or just after a game) for student led prayer. Can you attribute this directly to Mitchell? Maybe not, but the this is the exact kind of “leaders” he is helping to influence all around this part of the state.
Overall, Brian Mitchell is such a blessing to the area. I am so very grateful our area schools are so receptive. I am proud that I can consider Brian a friend and a brother in Christ.
