?The benefits of pursing a God-honoring blend of athletics and faith aren?t being discussed at the national level, not even among Christian colleges,? said Lawrence Ressler, vice president of academics and student development. ?Tabor College has an opportunity to fill the void that exists.?
According to a news release from the college, friends of the college liked the idea of a faith and athletics conference so much that they committed $25,000 for a feasibility study and up to $50,000 for the event.
?This has the potential to be a significant event and I am delighted that Tabor is in a position to take the lead on an issue that by many people?s account is long overdue,? Ressler said. ?With the strength of athletics at Tabor, it seemed we should be providing national leadership.?
The conference will be geared toward coaches and administrators at schools affiliated with the Council for Christian Colleges & Universities, an association with 105 members in North America and 75 affiliate institutions in 24 countries. The CCCU has indicated its interest in such a conference.
Possible topics of discussion at the conference include instilling Christian character in players and helping them under??stand how faith impacts competition; recruiting in a way that contributes to the Christian culture of the campus; finding common ground between coaches and administrators on how to handle discipline issues; and how to incorporate athletes from different cultural and economic backgrounds into a campus community.
The decision to hold the conference will be madeonce a feasibility study led by longtime coach and athletic administrator Don Brubacher has been completed.
