Wednesday mornings in room 271, students gather at 7:30 a.m. to start their day at Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Joe Youngbauer, teacher, describes, “FCA is a group of Christian athletes that come together to dive into the word and grow their faith. Kids come together with fellow athletes, fellow peers, and friends. That is a huge part of it, we are in it together.” Youngbauer is one of several staff advisors of FCA. Although there is faculty involved, FCA is often lead by some of the students who attend.

Each meeting is filled with faith, fellowship, and food. Each week students bring in breakfast to share with others as they start their mornings off growing in their faith. Youngbauer mentions, “Anybody is welcome, there are all kinds of definitions of an athlete. You don’t have to be an athlete on a team here at Pleasant Valley. There are tons of ways to be active and athletic, so anybody that is interested in learning about their Christian faith or already is a strong Christian, the door is open.” FCA welcomes anyone that would like to participate and never turns anyone away.

Students who attend say they grow not only in their faith, but also in their abilities to lead. Michael Showers, senior, is one of a few senior leaders at FCA. Showers says, “I started coming my sophomore year and each year I have gotten more and more involved. I come to FCA to learn more about faith and God, to be with a great group of kids, and it’s a great start to the morning. Anyone can come, there are all sorts of athletes here and you don’t have to be an athlete to be involved.”

FCA has been a large part of some students’ lives over the course of their high school careers. The staff members who run the club encourage students who are interested in growing their faith and fellowship to join fellow peers on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 a.m. in room 271.