First of all, I would like to apologize for not keeping this blog updated. One of the promises I made to my supporters was to keep them aware of my situation and ministry here in Prague and I haven’t followed through. For that I apologize.
This post will be mostly information regarding the set up here with Athletes in Action, both at the University and within the Prague Lions football team. The AIA team here consists of Billy and Adrianne, Zach, Jenny, and myself. We work within the larger framework of Campus Crusade for Christ in the Czech Republic, but we are largely independent.
The university that we work at is Charles University School of Physical Education and Sport (FAKULTA TĚLESNÉ VÝCHOVY A SPORTU in Czech or FTVS for short). They teach everything from sports marketing to athletic training to coaching. Our work at FTVS is winding down, considering we are nearing the end of the school year here. At FTVS, we teach conversational English classes here in an effort to engender communication with the students. The classes have ended now that finals are upon us. We are now hosting a study break every Wednesday afternoon at 14:00 (2pm). We will host these all through finals month. Finals work differently here. As I understand it, you can take them over the course of a month, with three chances to pass them. I could be wrong, but think that is how it works.
Sports here are not connected with any high school or college, so everything is a club sport. I play and coach for the Prague Lions American Football Club. They are in the highest league in the Czech Republic. I play and coach on the senior team (ages 18+). We are in the midst of our season right now. We have two games left, plus the playoffs. We have not won a game in two years. Right after I left Prague the first time two years ago, the coaching staff at the time did not like some of the changes that were taking place with the Lions, so they told some lies and manipulated a lot of people into leaving the team and forming a new team. That left us with almost no experienced senior team members. We are still a team of boys playing in a man’s league. At times, we look like we are on the right track during games, but our youth an immaturity inevitably wins out. Our future is bright, however. Despite our recent lack of success, I see real improvement both in the personality of the players and in their play. Our junior team (high school aged) plays in the fall like we do in America and they have won the last two league championships, and it’s because of our superior coaching as compared to the other teams. Eventually, that success will work its way up to the senior team as players we have developed mature further and integrate themselves into the senior team.
Zach is the offensive coordinator for the seniors and head coach of the juniors. The split a few years ago really affected him because a lot of the guys that he had built into for years were some of those who were manipulated away to another team. As painful as that was for him, in the long run I think God’s will has become apparent in that we are able to be apart of a new beginning for the Prague Lions, as well as have the opportunity to affect a new group of people. Zach’s efforts over the last two years here are very evident to me because the guys on the team are much more open to me than the guys on the team two years ago. This has a lot to do with the culture on the team that Zach is working towards, we as well as the fact that the a lot of the guys are simply closer to my age. These first three weeks of getting to know the guys has been a lot of fun.
I think this is long enough for a first post from Prague. Over the next few days I hope to introduce you to some of the guys I play with, as well as get some pictures up from both football and the city of Prague. I appreciate all of your prayers as I have made this transition. Please continue to pray for me and my ministry.
Micah
