Ben Barlow

The Crusader Football program has had a great impact on my life. All through elementary school, my dream was to play NFL football. Since I attended Worthington Christian School, which had no football program, this dream seemed impossible. Although playing in the NFL is still probably not a possibility for me, I have had the opportunity to play high school football and to have a great time in the Crusader program.

It has been an incredible experience to be part of a program where I am not only receiving the best possible training for football, but also the best possible training for life. The coaches have told us many times that they will not be able to judge how well they did their job until they see our lives ten years down the road and what kind of men we have become. They have taught us through chapels and their own lives, to be young men of integrity, responsibility, and honor - and above all else, men of God.

I have grown as a young man as a result of playing football for the Crusaders. The physical training has better equipped me to play other sports at Worthington Christian. The character training has made me a stronger Christian and in general, a better man due to the lessons I've learned through the game and the coaches.

Tim Bartley

This football team has meant a lot to me. It has changed my life completely. If it weren't for this team, I would have gone to a public school in order to be able to play football. At the school I attended instead, I recommitted my life to Jesus Christ. That would probably not have happened in a public school. I also made better friends on and off the team because of this program.

I love this sport, and I love playing for this team. I love the coaching I received here because it helped me to become a better man. The coaches made me always try as hard as I could and do my best.

The Christian discipleship part of this program has helped me to stay strong in Christ. And, this team gave me the chance to go out and hit people - which I love to do.

Jamie Kresge

I always dreamed of playing football. I grew up watching and loving it. I hadn't had a chance to play organized football, and it seemed that the opportunity would slip away because I attended a small private school without a football program. Last year, I seized the opportunity to play for the Columbus Crusaders. The Crusader Football program has done more than offer me a chance to play football; it has given me a foundation for biblical manhood.

Some people may assume that because the Crusader program is not school-sponsored, it is second-rate, simply offering a chance to play football to young men who couldn't make it in real programs. That is simply not true. The Columbus Crusaders is a program filled with commitment. It has a history of winning; with coaching, equipment, and with facilities equal to or better than comparable varsity programs. It has given me a football experience that equals that of my friends who play for school-sponsored varsity teams.

The Crusader program has also given me something no public school program can: spiritual training with an emphasis on living as a biblical man. Its Christian worldview is especially encouraging. I know that touchdowns, tackles, and wins aren't they only stats that matter in life. What is of real importance is my relationship with God.

Javier Perez

The Crusader Football program has allowed me to become the man I need to be; a man of commitment, honor, responsibility, initiative, service, and truth. These are character traits that I am trying to apply to my every day life. I can talk about my belief in God without persecution from my fellow teammates. All my teammates respect and look out for one another. Not only is this program a ministry, but it is also a family in its own unique way. As teammates, we feel at home with one another. All the coaches have been a tremendous example as they proclaim Christ as their Savior and walk the talk.

Not only has this program helped me spiritually, but also physically. All the coaches have shown me how to be a better football player. We know they care about us when they sacrifice their time to coach us both individually and as a group. We feel the coaching staff really cares about us because of their sacrifices; including financial ones. The coaches check up on us all the time. As Coach Stanley always says, "If we're yelling at you, that means we care about you". They have taught me the aggression, the precision, and the mind I need to perform well. Crusader football wouldn't be Crusader football without the coaches, players, parents, managers, fans, and especially Jesus Christ.

Adam Walton

Throughout my middle and high school years, Crusader Football has been a light. In seventh grade, the program gave me more than just knowledge of football; it gave me knowledge of life and how I should act in the face of adversity. It has been a blessing on my life and the lives of many others.

Allowing me to attend a Christian school is a gift and may be one of the smartest decisions my family and I have made. But, Worthington Christian did not have a football team. This was disappointing, but God provided insightful men the inspiration to create the Columbus Crusader program. It emphasizes Christian values, and teaches discipline and what it means to be a man of God.

Many young men mentored through this program have become strong friends - friends that go to battle and support each other when it really matters. I will miss them very much when this season is over. My relationships with the coaching staff have also been a blessing. One of the most unique assets of this program is the way the coaches taught, mentored, and befriended me as a Crusader football player. The relationships I have formed in this program will provide me with some of the greatest memories of my high school career.

I thank everyone involved in the Crusader football program, and most importantly, God, for making this all possible. I am proud to have been part of such a great program.

Philip Wise

In the fall of 1999, I joined the Columbus Crusaders Football program as a homeschooler with no other options to participate in the sport. I've seen the program promote spiritual growth in my life, in the lives of my teammates, and in the lives of almost everyone associated with it. It is a blessing.

All I wanted to do during my freshman year was to make one big hit in a practice. Instead, I became the starting center. After my first scrimmage, my dad told me that I got to play more football in one scrimmage than most freshmen do all year.

For the next two years I loved playing the center position, but before my junior season, I got sick with several viruses that left me physically disabled. During my junior year, I spent many days sick; watching from the sidelines or sleeping in the barracks. I lost my position.

Through the Crusader program, I learned a lot about character, discipline, honor, responsibility, service, truth and perseverance. Through my disappointment, I learned that just because something is good and we love it, it doesn't mean it's God's will for us. I also learned that when something is from God, we should stand for it - whatever the cost. I know that the Crusader program is from God and that He has a place for me there. Whether it's on the field or on the sidelines, I'll always support God's Columbus Crusaders.