Table-toppers the Charlotte Eagles will be on a mission from God when they take on the Bermuda Hogges at the National Centre tonight.
The Eagles, champions in '05, are more than just a football team. They are also a Christian Mission, where converting people is more important than converting goals.
The Eagles have been to third world countries like Rwanda to coach football and pass on the Christian message.
And coach Mark Steffens believes their higher purpose helps serve the team well on the pitch as well as off it.
The Eagles are one of the few teams in the United Soccer League that manages to retain its players, year after year, which Steffens cites as one of the main reasons for their success.
"We have a good core group of guys that have been with us for four or five years which is real important when you are trying to put a team together. The guys know each others' strengths and weaknesses, they know how we play. That has been a big factor in our success and I think being a missionary organization is one of the main reasons the guys like to stick around.
"I've been here 11 years and we have seen other teams chop and change their players on a regular basis, I think the fact that we don't do that, has helped us be successful."
Steffens said the Eagles' Christian ethic extended to the way they played the game, with his squad picking up the Fair Play award almost every season since they joined the league.
"In all sports there's a lot of gamesmanship - pulling the shirt on the other side of the referee, standing in-front of the ball on a free-kick, little things like that, that do not belong in the game.
"We try to be very organized and play the game the way it should be played."
He said the spirit of fair play did not extend to giving the opposition an easy time.
"We may have won the fair play award most of the years we have been in the league but that does not mean we are a soft touch.
"We believe God calls us to excellence. We want to be well prepared and play hard but be as fair as we can."
Steffens said the Eagles looked to hook up with churches on their away trips and do work in the communities, something he hopes they can do on their next trip to Bermuda.
As well as the overseas trips - this year they will go to Nigeria - they run summer camps in Charlotte that mix bible study with soccer skills.
"Soccer is our platform. As somebody else might use their gift or ability to evangelize we do it through soccer."
Posted: Thursday, July 23, 2009
Comment by:
michael zerniak
I am interested in using soccer as a tool to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I am particularly interested in the central portion of Africa--Uganda and Kenya. Please forward any leads which will facilitate the process you used to get started.
