Local Area FCA Blog

Prayer Points

Fri, 17 Jan 2025 22:06:18 GMT

I was Encougraed by My Wife to Pray For...

We were maneuvering around our small kitchen, finishing up the evening chores before bed, when my wife turned to me and gently said, " Do you have people pointedly praying for you... or, rather, more specifically, us and our family?" Searchingly, my eyes slipped back and forth as I thought about her question. "No...I don't", I admitted "But, I will find some people. Right now". And I started this post.

For this season of life we are asking for four people to pray specifically for us and our family. For our children, Josie, Eden and Emmanuel. For our vocations... For Emily Scott Counseling and FCA Howard County. And for our marriage. I seems like only a few days ago it was just me and my girl... serving .... sleeping on Cold Weather Shelter floors together with our "Just Married" matching pillow cases. Those were good times... For now, would you pray for us? ... continually?.... specifically for us and our family. For our children, Josie, Eden and Emmanuel. For our vocations... For Emily Scott Counseling and FCA Howard County. And for our marriage. It seems like only a few days ago it was just me and my girl... serving .... sleeping on Cold Weather Shelter floors together with our "Just Married" matching pillow cases. Those were good times.

Faces In The Crowd

Tue, 24 Oct 2023 17:46:37 GMT

Titans Football Volunteers - Willing Hands and Giving Hearts Committed to Youth Lessons Through Sports

In the heart of every successful youth sports program, there are unsung heroes who contribute their time, energy, and passion to mold young athletes into not only better players but also better individuals. These volunteers, often hidden in the crowd, bring their willing hands, giving hearts, and a deep commitment to teaching valuable life lessons through the beautiful game of football.

The Unsung Heroes in the Stands

When you attend a Titans youth football game, you're bound to notice the excitement in the stands. Parents, grandparents, friends, and relatives all gather to cheer on their beloved young athletes. But if you look closely, you'll spot a few individuals who are there not to watch, but to guide and support. These are the Titans football volunteers, the real stars of the crowd.

Willing Hands and Expertise

Titans football volunteers come from all walks of life, but they share a common trait – a genuine love for the game and a desire to pass on their knowledge to the next generation. Many of them have played football at various levels, and they bring their experience to the field to teach the young players the nuances of the sport. Whether it's refining tackling techniques, perfecting a throwing motion, or imparting strategic wisdom, these volunteers are the mentors that young athletes look up to.

As the season progresses and young athletes grow and develop, the impact of Titans football volunteers becomes evident. These volunteers are not merely teaching the rules of a game; they are building character, instilling values, and shaping future leaders. The lessons learned on the field are lessons that will be carried throughout life.

Go Titans Football!

Learning Through Loss: Competing to the End of the Whistle - A Lesson in Brotherhood and Maturity

Mon, 23 Oct 2023 21:04:29 GMT

In the world of youth football, the Howard County Titans have always emphasized more than just the final score. It’s about developing young athletes into not only skilled players but also responsible and mature individuals. One vital aspect of this development is learning through loss, teaching our young Titans to compete until the end of the whistle.

Every game, whether it results in victory or defeat, is an opportunity for growth. It’s easy to cheer when you’re ahead on the scoreboard, but true character emerges when things don’t go your way. When our young athletes face defeat, they learn to appreciate the importance of perseverance and dedication. It’s not about the score; it’s about giving it your all until that final whistle blows.

But what sets the Howard County Titans apart is the sense of brotherhood that permeates the program. Every player, coach, and admin member knows that they are part of something more significant than themselves. Through the trials and tribulations of a game, they experience the profound bonds of camaraderie. When one Titan falls, others rally around to lift him up, both on and off the field.

Competing to the end of the whistle teaches valuable life lessons. It instills resilience, discipline, and a strong work ethic. These traits don’t just benefit our young athletes on the football field; they prepare them for life’s challenges. In the face of adversity, Titans are taught to persevere, no matter the odds.

Maturity is another crucial aspect of the Titans’ ethos. Through victories and losses, our players learn to take responsibility for their actions, to handle defeat with grace, and to celebrate victories with humility. Maturity is not just about physical growth but emotional and mental growth as well. It’s about developing young individuals who can face the world with confidence and integrity.

As the Chief Correspondent for the Howard County Titans, I have witnessed these values in action. Our young athletes are not just learning football skills; they are learning life skills that will serve them well beyond the field. The Howard County Titans program instills a sense of pride, camaraderie, and maturity in every participant, and I am excited to see these lessons shape the bright future of our young athletes.

Go Titans Football

Q1Nov / Dec - Suffer then Grow

jscott@fca.org (Jason Scott) — Fri, 11 Dec 2020 16:39:48 GMT

Have you ever wondered what a marathon runner thinks about on the 14th mile of a 24 mile training run? Or, how a 10 week boxing training camp might be different from just training in boxing? Or, what sports and daily life have to do with each other? Maybe it's just me.

Author, keynote speaker and business consultant Rasmus Ankersen wrote the book above called The Gold Mine Effect: Crack The Secrets of High Performance . He has written another book that I briefly discussed in my October blog called Innovation and Pivots . Today I want to disclose some comparisons and observations that I am seeing come to life today in the midst of our current situation. As I write this, COVID, an extremely infectious disease is still wrecking havoc around the world. To date 67,781,393 people have contracted the virus, 437,000,000 people have recovered, and 1,548,516 have died. One could look back through history to find other pandemics that have dramatically impacted the world but I want to talk about what might be produced on the other side of these trials, hardships and catastrophes.

In his book, The Gold Mine Effect , Mr. Ankersen outlines what goes into uncovering the next high performance superstar. Some examples given of past "diamonds in the rough" include now Brazilian soccer legend Ronaldo, six - time NBA finals champion and Chicago Bulls Hall of Famer Michael Jordan, six - time Gold medalist sprinter Asafa Powell and many others. The list of achievers is not limited to sports phenoms, it also includes businessmen, musical prodigies, billionaire entrepreneurs and coaches. Normal people that have achieved the heights of success and acclaim. Three overarching takeaways from the book were:

Good Talent Is Not Necessarily Right Talent
What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get
Never Overrate Certificates and Never Underrate Character

There is an amazing video online where Rasmus gives a short lesson on the takeaways listed and goes a little deeper into his findings. If you are a business owner or leader, coach, teacher, parent, or athlete I would highly suggest you check out the video here .

What You See Is Not Necessarily What You Get

The second and third overarching takeaways deviate from objective metrics and plunge into the internals of potential high performers. Numbers can only tell you so much of the story behind a person's performance but if you look deeper in their story you may find the real reason behind their success. It is here that, although the words are not used, the soul and spirit are implied. The mind, the will and the emotions play a huge role in achieving future success. However, often overlooked is the "fuel" that keeps them going. Much of the time, the fuel used is actually heartache, hardship and suffering. Ask any athlete, business owner or coach when they learned the most about themselves and the majority will tell you that it wasn't when things were pleasurable but when they were in the midst of suffering - justly or unjustly - but suffering nonetheless. From the outside we may never see it but on the inside some people are dealing with intense suffering that is now very much a part of who they are. And for some high performers, it is the thing that drives them.

A phrase from Scripture that encapsulates this point comes from the story of Jospeh. The line from the verse says, ... "And after he [Joseph] shaved and changed his clothes he went in and stood before Pharaoh". For some context - Joseph had been sold as a slave by his brothers, falsely accused of rape by his boss' wife and left in prison for somewhere between 8 - 12 years. Imagine with me, the day that that man emerged from his prison cell, and stepped in front of a mirror after a hot shower to shave his now bearded face.The eyes staring back out of that mirror hardly resemble those from twelve years earlier. Joseph has changed. Yes, some on the outside, but on the inside... Joseph would go on to become what we might call the prime minister of Egypt under Pharaoh.

Have you ever asked a marathoner-in-training what they think about on their long run training days? Maryland is beautiful in the fall, with its rolling hills and scenic landscapes; but ask a runner and they'll tell you, "I try NOT to think about anything (especially my burning lungs and aching legs). I go somewhere else in my mind and focus on one thing at a time." One step, one tree, one breath, at a time. While we may see a "runner" in training and possibly say to ourselves, that person looks to be running, which we would be correct when observing, we don't have the slightest idea of the mental, emotional and spiritual torment that "runner" is, right then battling against. Yes, I said torment. Yes, I said battle.

Click here to see for yourself.

1 Peter 1:13 (a) says, Therefore, prepare your minds for action.

Im not seeing any comparisons here, Scott. What does high performance have to do with COVID?

I'm getting there.

COVID has done many things but one thing it has done for sure is squeeze people. Restrictions, postponements, closings and deaths for seemingly months on end has produced a level of discomfort and suffering that some people have never felt before. What I am comparing is the torment of all that this pandemic has imposed on people and the torment that is imposed on the high performing person. But not just that, more importantly what comes out of those trials and hardships. I believe that what is produced on the other side of suffering is far more important than the suffering itself. I believe clarity and gratitude are two byproducts . You learn what really matters, and what is really important, while at the same time learning what you might have taken for granted. They're sober lessons, but ones we won't be sure to forget because of their cost on our persons.

Hmm, so you're saying there is more than meets the eye with some folks? I agree. I'm pretty sure Ronaldo grew up poor, MJ had father issues and Powell was a late bloomer ...

I am saying what you think you see is only a shell of what is really there. Behind the eyes lives the spirit and soul - the only place where you could ever find that "thing" that pushes people through suffering to the other side to character growth. I propose the best soil for authentic gratitude and clarity is suffering.

And what about this, "never overrating certificates and never underrating character" business?

What do you think about it?

Q1Oct. 100% Personal

jscott@fca.org (Jason Scott) — Mon, 26 Oct 2020 12:07:57 GMT

When everything goes online what then?

You go 100% virtual and 100% personal!

Leaders

It's October. The weather is getting cooler and the leaves are starting to change and that means that huddles around the county are getting up and running. At our first high school huddle leader training we had representation from five out of 12 Howard County High Schools: Mt. Hebron, Centennial, Glenelg, Oakland Mills and River Hill. We went over the basics. How to get a huddle started on a campus, how to properly plan, who will take what role, and many of the other administrative tasks needed for a huddle to be effective. Not sure what a huddle is? Click the Campus Huddle Link here. This is my my third year on staff with FCA Howard County and there have been some great accomplishments so far; but what fires me up most can be best understood through the picture above. They are photos of leaders. Real, live, breathing young leaders.

One day, many years into the future, they will be like you and I - seasoned, tried and matured by life and its experiences. But today, they are what gives me a great sense of pride and purpose in the vocation that I've chosen; they are young leaders. Now, indulge me for a moment. What character traits or motivations might be present in a high school student athlete that chooses to lead an FCA huddle on their campus in front of and for their peers? Willingness? Opportunity? Camaraderie? Selflessness?... Their reasons and motivations are many but this question runs on repeat in my mind. I find myself continuously inspired by them.

Resolved to Lead Self

At the beginning of this month I attended our annual FCA Staff Conference at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, PA. Spooky Nook is a special place if you are a coach or an athlete. The facility is almost indescribable so it is a real treat to go up each October. The theme for the conference was Resolved: Purposeful, Determined, Unwavering. In my last article I wrote about what I learned over the summer and the importance of innovation and pivoting in business. How some leaders fail to move or make adjustments until the platform they are on bursts into flames. Another lesson that I learned while reflecting at the conference was how innovation and pivoting are closely connected to organizational survival.

This year was different though. I rarely gave thought to the idea that a person's time serving in a ministry could end. Once you got in, it was like a marriage, "...until death do you part". That is not the case. While many staff members Zoomed in virtually, shrinking our in-person numbers, we also experienced higher levels of turnover this year due to the shaky climate COVID had produced. I became acutely aware of the reality that not all will make it to the finish. One side note, our Mid-Atlantic Leadership Conference for high school huddle leaders is held here every year as well. Take a peek at Spooky Nook Here.

What also meant a lot to me this year at the conference was our time to pray, worship and fellowship with each other . My wife is a social worker. She has worked with the prison population for quite some time so naturally she has stories. One observation that she has made has to do with the psychological effects of solitary confinement on the incarcerated. I am not arguing treatment or policies but simply looking at the psychological and spiritual effects of being away from the presence of other people. How torturous it actually can be and how life giving it can also be when we are together. I am reminded that our relationships with other Christians are described in the New Testament as koinonia, a Greek word often translated as “fellowship.” It means that we as Christians have communion with one another and participate in life together.

Leadership Lunches

Towards the end of October I started Leadership Lunches with our high school leaders. The lunches happen via Zoom and it gives me the opportunity to check in with huddle leaders and do a little ongoing leadership training with them in a relaxed setting. We meet for an hour with a simple agenda of 20 minutes for fellowship and the rest of the time devoted to their development as leaders. These lunches run on the first and third Tuesdays each month from 11 - 12a.

Are you interested in attending FCA Howard County Leadership Lunches? Email me at jscott@fca.org. You can find more information about our Leadership Lunches on instagram @howardco_fca and @fcahoco_ .

The first resource that I chose to go through with them is a little book by Ken Blanchard and Mark Miller called The Secret: What Great Leaders Know and Do. For our first lunch I focused on what the first priority of a leader is: Seeing the future. I focused on working through a combination of two main questions, "where do you want to go as a leader and do you have a vision for what that looks like?" Wilde Lake High huddle leader, Meredith, and Glenelg huddle leader, Audrey both responded with a clear vision for where they would like to be in the future and the path to get there. But before Meredith or Audrey came off mute, Emmy, also a huddle leader at Glenelg, asked "Is this question about FCA or us personally?"

Emmy's question was a simple one but I found it profound with deep implications for those of us that call ourselves leaders. In the book the author stated that as leaders we are responsible for creating a compelling vision that communicates to everyone who we are, where we are going and what will drive our behavior. What struck me about Emmy's question was her differentiation between a person's individual vision and having a vision for the organization they lead. I wondered, could a person answer in the affirmative for one while simultaneously having no vision of the future for the other? I think, yes.

Unfortunately, a person can have a vision for the organization they serve in and no personal vision for themselves or their family and vice-versa. I am thankful that she asked the question because it allowed me, as a leader to not only answer but finally synthesize the two. If I am working toward one clear personal goal as a husband and father while having no clear goal set for Howard County FCA I would be creating a mental fragmentation that would leave my work incomplete. Therefore, I have resolved that this is my vision as an FCA leader.

To equip everyone in my circle of influence to be strong physically, strong spiritually and strong emotionally.

Did you know that 17th century American revivalist preacher, philosopher, and Congregationalist Protestant theologian, Johnathan Edwards wrote an essay entitled Resolutions ? Did you also know that these were the catalyst for my wedding vows ? There is a special place in my heart and mind for people that confess to be resolved in a thing.

Q1Sep. Legendary Pivots and Innovation

jscott@fca.org (Jason Scott) — Sun, 04 Oct 2020 19:18:49 GMT

Pivots and Innovation

The ministry season started with a bang. First, camp season was canceled. For the first time in 45 years, FCA Camps were canceled due to the COVID19 global pandemic. Campers and staff members were forced to sideline what is potentially the most impactful part of our ministry. But all was not lost. Two words that I got a better understanding of this summer were pivot and innovate . The word pivot is a mechanical term that means the central point, pin, or shaft on which a mechanism turns or oscillates. In basketball, it happens when the player with the ball stops and uses one foot as an anchor point and moves his or her body around that anchor point. When I think of the basketball pivot I always remember Michael Jordan using it to set up his next attack. He could go in any number of different directions and the best or worst part, depending on who you are rooting for, was watching the defender, knowing he stood very little chance of successfully stoping MJ from scoring.

In business, to pivot means to make a significant change due to factors that make the original business model unsustainable. Steve Blank, Silicon Valley serial entrepreneur has said "... the rapid shift in the business model is what differentiates a startup from an established company. Pivots are the essence of entrepreneurship and the key to start-up success. If you can't pivot or pivot quickly, chances are you will fail". Can't you just see MJ in that statement?... "If you can't pivot or pivot quickly, chances are you will fail" . Well, over the summer FCA didn't fail but pivoted and innovated; and while it wasn't the same summer camp ministry as in past years, we were able to run our next best option: FCA Legends Experience.

The Legends Experience was an online camp option that ran for the entire month of July. Athletes from all over the Mid-Atlantic were outfitted with camp apparel and bibles as well as an online component that included the conferencing platform, ZOOM. Now, I know what you're thinking, online summer sports camp...? Yep, online summer sports camp! At the time of my writing this the FCA Legends Experience is long gone but what I learned was the importance of pivoting and the second word: Innovating . It seemed as if all summer the phrase that continually rang in my mind was "Innovate or Die". Innovate means to make changes in something established, especially by introducing new methods, ideas, or products. COVID mixed with massive closings were, and to a major extent still are, taking so much from the normalcy in people's lives. What continually came up in conversation was how do we deal with it. Personally, I researched the past to find out how people and organizations handled major setbacks and difficulties akin to what we are facing today. What I found was that people and organizations that are able to pivot and innovate, while facing extreme adversity and hardship, gain so much in the end.

What I gained over this summer was more valuable than just another camp experience. It was more valuable than another camp T-shirt or even new relationships made at camp. What I gained was perspective. That is what makes every relationship, every camp season, every business leader and every decision-maker that much more important to me and to FCA.

Rasmus Ankersen is a bestselling author, entrepreneur and speaker on performance development and a trusted advisor to businesses around the world. He wrote a book in 2016 called Hunger In Paradise: How to Save Success from Failure and spoke about what he learned at the Global Leadership Summit in 2018. What caught my attention was when he said, "we (leaders) hesitate to improve until we have a burning platform". Summer of 2020 was a burning platform moment. One in which we grieved and lamented but also learned the importance of pivoting and innovating. For that I am thankful.

If you interested in seeing how we pivoted and innovated this summer check out our facebook page at Howard County FCA . I had the privilege of connecting with a local business owner, Jake Harp of See it Through Performance to create online workouts for athletes all over the MidAtlantic.