Fellowship off the field

Cars line both sides of the street for more than a block outside Paul and Mary Wenino's home in Eagan. Neighbors peer from their windows as more than 150 Burnsville High School students funnel into the house, leaving a heap of sneakers and flip-flops in the front entry.

Laughing and yelling, they squish together on the floor of the family's finished basement. Five boys squeeze onto a sofa. Then, they pray.

"We're not here by accident, God. You brought us here for a purpose," says Clynt Reddy, a 2005 graduate of Burnsville High and a volunteer for the school's Fellowship of Christian Athletes group.

As disillusionment grows with the sometimes-cutthroat atmosphere of youth sports, young people in Minnesota are increasingly turning to an organization promoting a faith-based approach to athletic competition.

In Burnsville, the seven-year-old group normally had 60 or 70 students; this year, it now regularly draws more than 150 to its weekly meetings. Statewide, the number of "huddles" is growing from about 130 now to an expected 150 by the end of the school year.

"It's not really something that we're creating, it's just happening," said state director Randy Jensen.

Eden Prairie, Woodbury and South St. Paul high schools have new chapters, and Blaine and Coon Rapids are looking into starting them.

"There is a tremendous dissonance between what a secular world tells you to be and do in sports, and what your Christian values tell you to be and do in sports," said Diane Wiese-Bjornstal, an associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Minnesota who specializes in sports psychology. "The world tells you you're sort of foolish if you don't take whatever means necessary -- ethical or not -- to be the best athlete you can be."

Even the group's website, which shows intense-looking young athletes playing their sport, describes the group as "The heart and soul in sports." And the "TeamFCA" creed for athletes encourages a healthy attitude: "My attitude on and off the field is above reproach -- my conduct beyond criticism."

Jensen, who has plans to triple the staff at the state level -- says the organization is teaching student-athletes to play for the higher power.

"It's good for kids to have someone tell them, 'You can play hard but not be angry, you can go and do your best and leave the results up to God,'" he said. "You're still giving it your best shot, and you're learning in the process."

Alienating others?

But the group's growth also raises questions about maintaining the separation of church and state at school, and whether the organization's popularity might leave others feeling shut out.

Weise-Bjornstal speculated that even if the programs are voluntary, there's a chance that students of different religions, or those with other reasons for staying away, can feel alienated from their teammates.

"They need to be careful that it doesn't turn into 'group think,' and that anyone who isn't connected with us is an outsider," she said.

When two staff members approached South St. Paul Principal Butch Moening this fall about starting a chapter, he said he kept a watchful eye over the proceedings.

"You have to be a little careful when it comes to things like this, with the separation of church and state and all," he said. "The school's involvement was just to make sure that everything was proper. You can't go and be blatant about what you're doing."

In Eden Prairie, some members of the ninth-grade football team are meeting on the field after each game to pray with each other. Jensen said it's optional for the players, much like the chapel time that football teams such as Lakeville North and Minnetonka hold on Thursdays or Fridays before games.

At Blaine High School, Athletic Director Neil Fletcher has told some coaches that he would be open to some of them starting a chapter at the school.

"It's a great way to foster relationships with kids and share my faith," he said. "Because of my position, I can't recommend it, but I also don't want to discredit it, because it is another way to valuably connect with kids."

Friends and faith

For Burnsville's FCA members, Monday night huddles provide a chance to spend time with friends and learn about God in their own way. And despite the group's name, you don't need to be an athlete to attend.

Darrin Hall, a Burnsville senior who plays football and runs track, said FCA has helped him learn to open up to everyone about his faith. "When I first got to high school, I didn't know what I could say to who," he said. "But now that I'm older, I've realized that I can tell anybody about my walk with God."

After the opening prayer at a recent meeting, students played a get-to-know-you game, and one student gave a testimonial about his faith journey.

The group meets in a different member's home every week -- the location is spread word-of-mouth and on MySpace.com, another possible reason for the growth.

Burnsville's group, like many others, is also finding a way to get its message across in other settings. Some of the members take part in a prayer service in the gym foyer before school on Wednesdays.

For the Burnsville students, increasing numbers are "cool," but not what really matters.

"Our main goal is to help others to be excited about Christ," said senior Sara Wheeler. "We want to make sure people are getting something out of it."

Emily Johns • 612-518-9294

Emily Johns • ejohns@startribune.com