FCA Huddle Podcast

In today's podcast, I had the opportunity to visit with Coach Jarod Davidson - Head Baseball coach at Pine Tree High School in Longview.  Coach Davidson will be entering his 3rd year at the helm this season.

In this segment, we get to hear about his small town upbringing and how this led him into coaching.  During our time together, he shares about his family, family values, and how both come together when God is placed first.  Coach Davidson has been an active huddle leader in FCA for several years and he talks about why this platform is an important part of his coaching.  I always enjoy visiting with Coach Davidson at school and I hope you will enjoy this conversation we were able to have this morning.

In today's podcast, I sit down to visit with Coach Damon Holmes of Pine Tree High School.   Coach Holmes is the Defensive Line coach for the Pirate football team. He arrived at Pine Tree in the summer of 2023.

During our time, Coach Holmes shares his testimony and talks about his struggles and addictions that kept him from living out God's plans for his life.  Now he is a coach that lives for the Lord and wants to use his platform of coaching as a ministry to share the Gospel. We get to hear what it's like to play at SMU after the "Death Penalty", coach with a former player, and what the last two seasons have been like coaching the Pine Tree football team.  This was a fun conversation with a coach who is making a difference with our youth.

In today's podcast, I get to visit with my oldest son, Peyton Lee.  Peyton is in his 6th year coaching and his first year at Central Heights High School.  Also, my wife, Gaylynn, sits in with us to be a part of this podcast.

Our time today is spent a lot on how God has been using Peyton to grow spiritually and use it to glorify Christ with his players and coaches.  He shares about his growing up years as a coaches son and how that has led him to this crazy world of the  coaching profession.  He opens up with his testimony of how God started to work on him in college and seeing more growth as he has taken the opportunity to minister to his players.  As we concluded our conversation, he tells us his advice for young coaches and how they can make a difference.  This podcast is a little longer, but a good one to listen to.

In this latest podcast, I get to visit with Coach Lacy Dennis of Pine Tree High School in Longview, TX.  Coach Dennis is a coach who is pouring into her girl athletes more than sports.  She is sharing her heart and love for Jesus Christ in how she coaches with all of her players.   She has been leading a team FCA Huddle with her volleyball girls for the past 4 years.  There has been tremendous growth there, not only in numbers staying for the weekly meetings after practice, but in the players that want to lead the talks at the meetings.  

Coach Dennis talks about the coaches who made a spiritual impact in her life which led her to wanting to teach and coach.  She shares about her journey in life when she was running from God only to realize she needed to run to Him, thus seeing all God had in store for her.  And don't miss out on her advice for young coaches.  It's worth a listen.

In this latest episode, I had the privilege to sit down and talk with Pine Tree ISD Athletic Director Jacob Holder.  Coach Holder has been the AD at Pine Tree the past 2 years where he was previously the Defensive Coordinator.  A product of Rowlett, Texas, Coach Holder shares his testimony of how a 8 year old kid would accept Christ as his Savior and start to realize, as a 16 year old, what changes God was about to do in his life.

Coach Holder tells us how God used coaches in his life to guide him and develop him into the leader he is at Pine Tree.  Through his journey, Christ has been at the center of it all building him into the coach, Athletic Director, and family man we see today.   All young coaches will benefit from his knowledge of growing as a coach and the process it takes to move up the coaching ranks.

In this podcast, I get to visit with Shawn Copeland, Athletic Director at Spring Hill ISD in Longview, Texas.  Coach Copeland is starting his 23rd year as a coach and his beginning his 4th year in Spring Hill, and his 3rd year as Athletic Director.

Coach Copeland is as solid as they get when it comes to coaches who view their job as a ministry.  He shares his testimony as he struggled with his faith and through some tough adversities early in life.  As a coach, he has had the opportunities to coach in Texas, as well as Arizona, where he has led his teams to be successful on the field and off the field.

Enjoy the conversation with Coach Copeland and listen to his great advice for coaches, young and old.  

Today's guest is retired coach Jim Manning.  Coach Manning retired in May of 2023 after 43 years of coaching.  His last coaching job was in Pine Tree where he coached 15 years.  He has been a faithful huddle leader of FCA since 1984.  During these years, Coach Manning has poured into the hearts of his players and planted many seeds with the Gospel.  I hope you enjoy our conversation as we talk about his growing up in New Jersey and how he came to Texas to coach.  He shares a powerful testimony how God rescued him from a life of alcoholism.  Together, Let's Makes a Difference!!!