With the Mathena Student Center now completed, the undergraduate arm of Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Mo., has hired a head coach, Philip Parker, for the team to be called the Knights.
At present, Spurgeon College has scheduled 11 video games, starting in mid-November. Parker said he hopes to have 15-20 video games for the inaugural season.
In April, Midwestern’s trustees received plans to field sports activities teams at Spurgeon College. On May thirteen, the National Christian College Athletics Association formally usual the college as a member.
“Many elements have come collectively to make university sports a possibility,” MBTS President Jason Allen said, “and we depend on it as another reminder of God’s type providence and blessing upon our institution.”
Allen voiced gratitude to the NCCAA “for their partnership in bringing intercollegiate athletics to Spurgeon College.”
“We appreciate the focus in their venture, which is the advertising and enhancement of intercollegiate athletic opposition with a Christian angle,” Allen stated. “This falls absolutely in line with what we are hoping to accomplish via sports activities packages at Spurgeon College — to be noticeably competitive and win championships but to do so in a manner that glorifies God and develops younger human beings for a future of Christian ministry and towards expanding and strengthening Christ’s Kingdom.”
According to the enterprise’s website, the NCCAA is an association of Christ-targeted collegiate establishments whose challenge is to use athletic opposition as an essential education, evangelism, and encouragement issue. The NCCAA serves its contributors with the aid of putting association requirements, developing communique assets, supplying nearby/countrywide competition, and partnering in outreach to the collegiate communities and the arena. They also are dedicated to equipping scholar-athletes and coaches to make a fine impact for Christ.
Parker involves Spurgeon College after a five-12 months stint at Calvary University in Kansas City, wherein he commenced as a student assistant and labored his manner to go, assistant coach. He helped lead the rebuilding squad from a 1-20 file to a near-.500 document -– including a second-vicinity end inside the Midwest Christian College Conference regular season for the duration of the 2018-2019 season.
“Even before being taken into consideration for this function,” Parker stated of Spurgeon College, “I was well privy to the increase and development of the faculty, and to now be a part of it’s far actually a dream come actual.”
Parker stated he is recommended by using the excitement and energy about this system around campus and that it’s going to offer an improved enjoy for college students, school, and body of workers.
Allen said Parker embodies what Spurgeon College was seeking out in a head coach. “After engaging in a radical look for the right guy for this function, it becomes clear that Coach Parker possessed all of the attributes we desired in main the group. He is a young guy with superb strength, the know-how of the game, and management skills; however, extra importantly, he desires to lead a group of younger guys to grow to be passionate and effective fans of Christ. He sees basketball as an environment that is definitely conducive for discipleship.”
During its initial campaign, the team will play what quantities to a junior varsity timetable. Even although there could be a varsity roster, a majority of the group’s competition can be nearby NAIA JV squads so that the Knights can benefit revel in, work on improving logistics on and off the courtroom, and prepare for the second yr when they may be part of the NCCAA in Division II.
Parker stated he is currently purchasing devices, getting ready for the health club to be game-ready, and working on obtaining a clothing contract. He has also been spending time formulating the values and framework for the crew so that the players and assistants will understand why they do what they do and how they are to do it.
From a recruiting angle, Parker stated he is researching Christian excessive colleges and calling coaches. In June, he will be journeying appreciably, carrying out home visits and meeting with coaches.
“We will be pronouncing quickly the signing of scholar-athletes who have committed to the program,” Parker stated. “There also are numerous recruits touring campus in the coming weeks and months. Through speakme with excessive college coaches, we also have numerous sophomores and juniors that we are able to be preserving our eyes on.”
In addition to guys’ basketball at Spurgeon College, there is the capability to feature teams in other sports.
“Our desire and aim for the destiny are to feature a ladies’ group next,” stated Sam Bierig, dean of Spurgeon College. “The route this may go would potentially be toward volleyball, basketball or maybe cross u . S . A. Additionally, as we upload sports groups, we would like to discover the capacity for men’s soccer. Regardless of which direction these choices take us into the destiny, the start-up of guys’ basketball portends exciting matters to return for our campus network.”
