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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- March 23, 2004
CONTACT: Jason Mucher,
Director of Athletic Communications (585) 567-9648
ATHLETES USE SOCCER TO REACH OUT TO AREA CHILDREN
HOUGHTON,
N.Y.
– Four friends at Houghton College have found a unique way to blend their love
of soccer with their love for God.
 Varsity
men’s soccer players Steve Cox, Philip Cabildo, and Mike Wheelhouse, along with
friend Tim Stanley, have created their own organization, called Cross-Footed
Ministries, to teach children about the game of soccer, as well as
sportsmanship and cooperation, while sharing the Word of God.
The group, which
held its first clinics last fall at Eastern Hills Wesleyan Church in Buffalo,
reached out to 15 area elementary students for the first Houghton clinic on
Saturday.
Each clinic
features soccer drills, games, and a short time of testimony, where the
student-athletes can share what God is doing in each of their lives.
“We all saw
clearly how valuable sports can be in showing our personal relationships with
Christ to children,” said Cox, a junior goalkeeper from
Markham,
Ontario, Canada. “At Cross-Footed Ministries we seek to show kids that through
fair-play, hard work, and leadership, soccer can be used to worship the God
that we serve.”
The desire to
begin the ministry stemmed from the opportunities Cox, Cabildo, and Wheelhouse
had to participate in soccer ministry last summer. Cox helped conduct camps and
outreaches with Athletes in Action (AIA) in
Vancouver,
while Cabildo (a junior from
Puebla,
Mexico) and Wheelhouse (a senior from
Grand Falls,
New Brunswick, Canada) participated in camps and a missions trip to Japan with
Push the Rock Ministries in
Pennsylvania.
“I think athletes
are on a platform and have an awesome opportunity to share Jesus with people,”
said Cox, who plans to work with AIA again this summer. “It’s crucial to build
relationships with kids and make a difference in their lives.”
Two more clinics
at Houghton are planned for later in the spring. For more information, call
585-567-9500 ext. 9822 or email crossfootedministries@yahoo.com.
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