Ryan Beadle

I have been playing with the Crusaders since the 7th grade, and I have enjoyed every minute of it. Being a homeschooler, I would never have had the chance to play football, but the Crusaders have provided that opportunity.

One of the strongest aspects of the program is the team chemistry. We have players from all over Central Ohio and from many different schools, yet the team chemistry is strong because we all have the common bond in Christ. The coaches are not only very knowledgeable about football and how to play it, but they are also very strong in their faith. They truly model the acrostic of being a man of CHRIST.

Through my years with the Crusaders I have learned many valuable lessons, some of which are: commitments really matter, you get right back up after being knocked down, and that you need to persevere even when the going is tough. These lessons apply not only to football, but also to life. These are just some of the things I will be taking with me down life’s road.

Shelvonna Green

My name is Shelvonna Green and although I haven't cheered in six years, being a part of the Columbus Crusaders has been an amazing experience and blessing to my family and I. The combination of cheerleading and fellowship has given me a new outlook on life and has helped me spiritually. My coaches have been amazing and I appreciate their dedication. I am happy to be on a team that recognizes and glorifies the Lord in everything we do. Thank you.

Cameron Heasley

Growing up around a football family I often dreamed of being able to play at a competitive level. However, my school did not have a program. It was not until fifth grade that I had that chance with the Crusaders, which at that time didn’t even have a varsity program. Eventually, I became captain on the middle school team, as well as a starter on the varsity team for four years of high school. Now I am a co-captain with two guys I have gone to battle with each of those years.

Crusader football has taught me the fundamentals, the discipline, and the love of the game. However, I would count all of that as just the surface. Crusader football is much more than just a football program to me. It is where I have learned how to live my life to honor Christ. This program shows us young men how to approach and react to situations in our lives today, as well as in years to come. I have learned valuable lessons through the experience of teamwork and perseverance as well as leadership and encouragement. I’ve also learned priceless lessons from our weekly chapels. Coach Stanley’s Manhood in Action series has truly been a blessing as he shared what a man of C-H-R-I-S-T is. As life goes on, I will always know that I have a firm foundation for what to do when no one is looking and when someone is.

Words won’t plainly express what my experience in Crusader football means to me. It is neat to see how God has always provided for the program whether in material possessions or a new coach and just shows that this program is truly a tool God is using to further His kingdom. The coaches each bring something unique to the program. They have each touched me in one way or another. We always joke around with them about the huge salaries they make (all coaches are volunteer). And so it is so neat to know that each one of them are here to make sure us players have an experience to play football, but more importantly to teach us to live as real men, godly men. It has also been a blessing to know what sacrifices they make just to invest their time in us.

I thank God for the Crusader program. It is like a second family to me and has given me a chance to showcase the talents God has given me in football. Before the Crusader program, I would never have had a chance. It’s amazing how fast time has gone. I will miss every single part of this experience. Thanks.

Michael Hassey

The Columbus Crusaders has been one of the most positive influences in my life. I have been with the program since they first started a fifth and sixth grade team and have played ever since. Along with football they teach the players how to be a true man, a man of God. They teach principles of commitment, honor, responsibility, initiative, service and truth. They don’t only teach it, they live it, and all the players know that if they ever have a problem, the coaches will always be there for them. I’m so grateful for the men that started the program to give guys like me, who go to schools without football teams, the chance to play the great game of football. This season is going to be a great opportunity for all the seniors to show great leadership and character. Let us always show that we don’t play for ourselves, but for Christ!

Justin Hutchinson

The Crusader football program has given me the opportunity to play the sport I love. I played all through public school, but when I decided to leave my freshman year and attend a Christian school, I no longer had the privilege to play football. I went through my freshman and sophomore year without football. The summer before my junior year, I heard about the program from my uncle who attended a coaches’ clinic. I then found out a young kid from my school was also going to play on the junior high team. So I gave it a shot. I didn’t know what to expect, but everyone made me feel welcome. The Crusader Football program gave me the chance to play football again.

Not only did it give me the chance to play football, but it also has helped me mature spiritually. I definitely did not expect the program to be such a blessing to me. It showed me how to live my life and become a man of God. The coaches and other players are always there for you. This football program is a great outreach ministry and has impacted my life forever.

Nick Kirk

I was in the eighth grade when I was introduced to the great Columbus Crusaders football program. I didn’t know much about the Lord and church until I chose to listen and open up to the people who wanted to teach me. It wasn’t just about football to the coaches; it was about making you a better player and a better man.

This program has filled a big hole in my life. It has showed me how to be a team player and do everything to honor and glorify Christ. I entered this program as a little boy and now I will leave a man. I owe it all to Coach Stanley and the rest of the coaching staff.

Thanks! #4

Andrew Mensah

Crusader football means a lot to me. The friendships I have made with players and coaches will last for years to come. This is my 4th year in the program, and I have had the time of my life.

I came to the Crusaders my freshman year because my brother, who was a senior at the time, wanted to play. The Crusader program has influenced me in so many ways. Every week there is a chapel where we talk about being men of C.H.R.I.S.T. That is being men of; Commitment, Honor, Responsibility, Initiative, Service, and Truth.

The Coaches are such a blessing to see, because they take time from their jobs and families to mold us into biblical men, but they not only tell us how to be men of Christ, they show us how by living it also. Not only are the coaches living for Christ on this team, but the players are as well. Some of the best examples of teenage boys living for Christ I know are on this team. And it is being around men like this that causes me to strive to live my life as close to Christ as I can.

Leesa Myers

Crusader Cheerleading has been an exciting experience for me. I followed Lisa Bauman from Dublin Schools to create a new Crusader Varsity Squad. The three years cheering with coach Bauman were wonderful, full of laughs, and have opened the doors for my journey through life. I will miss Lisa as a coach and a friend. I am looking forward to this coming season with our new squad and coaches.

Avante Roberts

My name is Avante Roberts and although this is my first year as a Crusader Cheerleader, I am so excited to be surrounded by all of these amazing fellow athletes. I am even more excited that we all share in the same faith. As this is also my senior year, I thank God it will be the best yet as a result of this great opportunity I have been given.

In His love,
Avante Roberts

Peter Stafford

This will be my first year playing for the Columbus Crusaders. I have played almost every other sport in a league besides football. This program is giving me an opportunity to play a sport I love, and I would not be able to play football without it.

The program has already been a blessing to me and I am sure it will continue to be. There is godly instruction from both the coaches and the players. The coaches continually stress upon us the need we have to be men of Christ. This program is about glorifying God in all we do, and I am very thankful that I can be a part of it.

Matt Studer

Being a first-year senior, I wasn’t sure what to expect. When I first came to some of the off-season weight-lifting sessions, I was very impressed. The other players weren’t cold, but were very willing to encourage me by getting in my face and screaming to push me harder. But, what really impressed me and struck me the most was that the Crusaders were about more than football. I was able to see, even in the off-season, the importance of raising up young men, strong three-fold: Physically, (weight-training, running), Mentally/Emotionally, (focusing on the mental aspect of toughness, and passing on knowledge), and most importantly, spiritually, (prayer before and after practice, chapels, opportunities to get saved/baptized and a Christ-centered focus on football. Jesus would knock you down hard, pick you back up, and hit you harder the next time. I was also blessed with an opportunity to serve my Lord Jesus Christ a la Luke 9:48. I was able to pick up a young man who had nowhere else to play football and because he has a working single mom, had no ride to practice.

All in all, Crusader football blesses me tremendously. I have learned a lot about service, the character of Christ, the importance of communion and fellowship, and of course football.

Randy Wire

I started out in the Crusader program in 6th grade. At that time we had no home field, no barracks, and no locker facilities. We played our games at Thomas Worthington. Now, we have a home stadium field available to us, locker room, weight room, and meeting facilities, which goes to show how much the Crusader program has grown.

Last year was the first time I have played since 8th grade; I had forgotten how much I missed being a part of not only the team, but the game as well. I go to Worthington Christian and without the Crusaders I wouldn’t have a chance to play football so I feel privileged having that opportunity.

The best part of Crusader Football though is the message of Christ that they have not lost sight of. From praying before and after practice, to chapels explaining how to be biblical men, I think it is great to have a bond with my teammates where we can be that close and openly profess our beliefs about God. This past year really had a big impact on my life in shaping my path for the future. I’m glad I can say the Crusaders were the biggest part of that.