“If not us, then who, if not me and you? Right now, it's time for us to do something. If not now, then when will we see an end to all this pain? It's not enough to do nothing. It's time for us to do something.”
The sentiment of these words, sung by contemporary recording artist Matthew West, is what drives Coach Tom Milbrandt as a math teacher, football coach, and FCA huddle coach at Valley City High School in North Dakota. He doesn’t want to take life for granted for even one moment, and he knows God has him at Valley City to bring the light of Jesus to every student and athlete he meets.
Five years ago, he made a transition from Maple Valley High School to Valley City. He says, “I never thought I’d end up in a bigger school. I was nervous about going from a smaller, class B school with two hallways to a bigger city and class A school, but it’s my opportunity to reach more kids.” Coach Milbrandt has a positive impact on 500 kids every day, from those he coaches in 7th grade football, to his math students, to every student he passes in the hall, and to the FCA huddle members.
Coach Milbrandt is driven by what Christ has done for him. He says, “I serve because that’s what I feel led to do. I love the Lord and want people to see that. It doesn’t mean I’m perfect – I fail – but my sins are covered, and I want kids to know that. Knowing Christ, the world’s going to look different to you and you will look different to the world, and even your everyday language will look different. If I can model that to kids, what better place to do that than in a public school?”
On the Field
Coach Milbrandt has been coaching since he returned to his hometown of Hankinson, North Dakota, during the summers while he was in college. It was during that time that he was moved toward a career in education and coaching. He says, “You have much different relationships when you coach. It’s on a more personal level and makes a greater impact on your athletes’ lives.” He knew even then that he wanted to have an impact on as many people as possible, and he knew that coaching and teaching was a great way to do it.
That daily 90 minutes on the field adds up to dozens or even hundreds of hours in one season and is the reason FCA puts such an emphasis on its strategy of “to and through the coach.” When the coach is living out his/her walk with Christ on the field or on the court hour after hour, the impact is immense. Because of this, Coach Milbrandt is intentional about how he lives every moment in front of his athletes.
Through the FCA Huddle
When God opened the door for an FCA huddle at Valley City four years ago, Coach Milbrandt, three other staff members, and several student leaders were ready. One of the greatest benefits he has seen in the huddle is the way it gets kids talking about their faith and reminds them they aren’t alone. He says, “If you are a believer and having a bad day, knowing who is in your walk with you, you are able to approach those people. Being able to do it in a public setting is huge.”
So often kids think that because they are in a public school they can’t talk about faith, but FCA helps them know how to live out their faith in public and empowers them to influence others. Coach Milbrandt says, “It’s about being the light in a darkening world. We talk about that all the time. What better chance to show a light than when the world is getting darker?” If kids can understand this and if they can get in the Word, it makes such a difference in their lives and the lives of those around them.
The Support of FCA
Coach Milbrandt is so thankful for the support he receives from FCA staff. Whether it’s Bibles (they’ve given out around 120), resources, or just an encouraging word, he knows he can count on FCA staff member Nate Safe to respond. That support equips Milbrandt to continue the work and reminds him that just like the Christian students at his school, he isn’t alone either.
Consider what a difference we can make in our spheres of influence if we respond to life like Coach Milbrandt. Where might God be calling you to step up? To coaches God is tapping to step up, Coach Milbrandt has some words of wisdom: “It’s easy to push it off and say someone else will do it or we’ll do it next year, but looking at starting FCA - what a gift to others! Even if it starts small, with two kids, that’s who God has there. It’s not about the numbers, just like the scoreboard. If you feel led to do it, absolutely, jump in. It’s overwhelming at first, but if you feel led to do it, it’s so rewarding.”
