Dear Fellow Athletic Directors and Coaches:
I am excited to share with you how the Lord is blessing the Texas Christian Athletic League.
Over the past four years, the Lord has done great things in our organization. When my small school (Tribe Consolidated) came into TCAL, we were number 6 in the football division. TCAL was definitely in a valley. The good news is God is faithful in taking us to the mountaintop! With prayer, counsel, and the hard work of many, TCAL now serves over 6000 students statewide. With the addition of home school programs and charter schools, we are now on our way to the top; we have grown from 6 to 80 schools.
Being the largest is not what's important. Reaching people for Christ while providing a heathy sports environment is what's important. Our goal is to support every school to the best of our ability, to have a personal relationship with each school. To be an organization where no school is just a number.
With our current enrollment, TCAL will now be able to restructure areas that have previously been lacking. For example, TCAL now has District Alignment and Rules Committees (DARC) for the three major sports (football, volleyball, and basketball). These committees are comprised of coaches from every type of program and classification. The Football DARC has been successful in putting together a structured "Football Plan" that will help our league be much more organized in the pre-season, regular season, and post season. Feel free to request a copy; I will be happy to send an attachment via email. Our Basketball DARC is now at work on the basketball plan. The goal is for each sport to have a specific plan using an established template.
The New Vision: Over the past two years, we have had several requests to start an 11-Man football program. My first response was...learn how to play 6-Man, the greatest game around! Since then, the Lord has revealed to me the great need for a Christian 11-Man League. We currently have two schools who play 11-Man and several that have 11-Man numbers. All of these schools, with the exception of one or two, agree that we need to serve the 11-Man program.
In all reality, we know that schools are not lining up to join TCAL to play 11-Man Football. However, there are several in TCAL that will commit in the next few years and share in the new vision. These schools will commit to at least a two-year commitment, if not more. I truly believe the Lord will grow 11-Man from the inside out. When the inside grows out, others will see the Lord's hand and join us for 11-Man Football. This will take the same, or more, perseverance that we have had the last few years. But, the Lord is faithful if we seek Him for the wisdom needed!
This letter is not to try and lure anyone away from any other organization. We realize that TCAL may not be for everyone. This letter is only to share God's goodness and inform those who are considering 11-Man to prayerfully consider sharing in our vision. May God bless your organization and football program.
For Jesus' Sake! 2 Cor 4:5
Billy Helm
Associate Athletic Director
Texas Christian Athletic League
God's Standard is Excellence!
I am excited to share with you how the Lord is blessing the Texas Christian Athletic League.
Over the past four years, the Lord has done great things in our organization. When my small school (Tribe Consolidated) came into TCAL, we were number 6 in the football division. TCAL was definitely in a valley. The good news is God is faithful in taking us to the mountaintop! With prayer, counsel, and the hard work of many, TCAL now serves over 6000 students statewide. With the addition of home school programs and charter schools, we are now on our way to the top; we have grown from 6 to 80 schools.
Being the largest is not what's important. Reaching people for Christ while providing a heathy sports environment is what's important. Our goal is to support every school to the best of our ability, to have a personal relationship with each school. To be an organization where no school is just a number.
With our current enrollment, TCAL will now be able to restructure areas that have previously been lacking. For example, TCAL now has District Alignment and Rules Committees (DARC) for the three major sports (football, volleyball, and basketball). These committees are comprised of coaches from every type of program and classification. The Football DARC has been successful in putting together a structured "Football Plan" that will help our league be much more organized in the pre-season, regular season, and post season. Feel free to request a copy; I will be happy to send an attachment via email. Our Basketball DARC is now at work on the basketball plan. The goal is for each sport to have a specific plan using an established template.
The New Vision: Over the past two years, we have had several requests to start an 11-Man football program. My first response was...learn how to play 6-Man, the greatest game around! Since then, the Lord has revealed to me the great need for a Christian 11-Man League. We currently have two schools who play 11-Man and several that have 11-Man numbers. All of these schools, with the exception of one or two, agree that we need to serve the 11-Man program.
In all reality, we know that schools are not lining up to join TCAL to play 11-Man Football. However, there are several in TCAL that will commit in the next few years and share in the new vision. These schools will commit to at least a two-year commitment, if not more. I truly believe the Lord will grow 11-Man from the inside out. When the inside grows out, others will see the Lord's hand and join us for 11-Man Football. This will take the same, or more, perseverance that we have had the last few years. But, the Lord is faithful if we seek Him for the wisdom needed!
This letter is not to try and lure anyone away from any other organization. We realize that TCAL may not be for everyone. This letter is only to share God's goodness and inform those who are considering 11-Man to prayerfully consider sharing in our vision. May God bless your organization and football program.
For Jesus' Sake! 2 Cor 4:5
Billy Helm
Associate Athletic Director
Texas Christian Athletic League
God's Standard is Excellence!
