For a history of FCA Home Team Banquets in Southern Illinois, including all of the guest speakers, visit our Banquets page.

Prior to 1993

• Huddles begun by Coach John Cherry from Carbondale and Coach Andy Gainer from Centralia.
• Huddles served by Branch Rickey FCA staff in St. Louis.
• No staff existed in Illinois outside of the Chicago area.

 1993

• Tim Johnson joined FCA’s staff in Champaign.
• There are 7 huddles across Southern Illinois.

 1994

• Tom Landry Banquets in four Illinois cities, including Carbondale.
• Roger Lipe attended the H.S. Leadership Camp at the FCA National Conference center before joining the FCA staff in a half-time position in August.
• 7 huddles.
• 16 FCA campers from the 28 county area.

 1995

• Golf Marathon in August enabled Roger’s position to become full-time.
• $90,000.00 in revenue.
• 12 huddles.
• 36 campers
• Roger served on High School Leadership camp staff.

 1996

• We held another golf marathon in the late summer.
• 30 huddles
• 55 campers
• Roger served on the staff of two FCA Camps.
• We hosted a game day with SIU Football for 450 students.

 1997

• We held another golf marathon in the late summer.
• 36 huddles.
• 40 campers.
• Roger served on the staff of two camps.
• We hosted another Game Day with SIU Football.

 1998

• We hold our first banquet in Mt. Vernon.
• Golf scramble held at Rend Lake Golf Course.
• 39 huddles.
• 43 campers.
• Roger was the Huddle Leader Coordinator at High School Leadership Camp.

 1999

• We held two golf scrambles in the late summer.
• Mark Kiesling joined our staff in August.
• 43 huddles.
• 62 campers
• Roger directed the High School Leadership Camp.
• Mark was the dean for Leadership Camp.

 2000

• Tanya Crevier conducted did several school assemblies for FCA.
• We held three golf scrambles.
• Branda Anderson joined our staff in August.
• 47 huddles.
• 55 campers.
• Roger directed the High School Leadership Camp.
• Mark served on the camp staff as dean.
• Branda served on the camp staff as Huddle Leader Coordinator and directed the FCA National Conference Center Athletic Camp.

 2001

• Kenn Kington conducted school assemblies in the area for FCA.
• Kyle Rote Jr. spoke, to an area Kiwanis Club, to the SIU Athletic Dept. and did a free soccer clinic.
• We held three golf scrambles.
• 51 huddles.
• 58 campers.
• Roger, Branda and Mark all served on camp staffs.
• The new FCA Day Camp in Carbondale served over 175 kids and included nearly 70 volunteers.
• We lost Branda Anderson to graduate school in Washington and due to a lack of funding.

 2002

• Former NFLer Pat Tilley spoke with the SIU Football team.
• Steve Fitzhugh spoke at six school assemblies and two rallies.
• Mark Kiesling made a move to part-time with FCA on June 3.
• 54 huddles.
• More than 60 campers, including eight from Carbondale Community High School.
• FCA Day Camp in Carbondale had more than 250 5th-8th graders plus high school and college athletes as leaders and included nearly 70 volunteers.
• We held a golf scramble on August 12 at Franklin Country Club.
• New huddle formed at Rend Lake College in Ina.
• During the fall, several new huddles began and a number of others were reorganized for better leadership and with stronger athletic focus.

 2003

• A record 119 Southern Illinois student-athletes and coaches attended FCA summer camps.
• Roger directed the Coed Leadership Camp at the National Conference Center.
• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• FCA Day Camp in Carbondale had more than 220 5th-8th graders.
• FCA Basketball Coaching Clinic in Pinckneyville on Columbus Day drew 40 coaches for talks by Coach Matt Painter of SIU and Coach Dick Corn of Pinckneyville.
• New huddles were formed in several communities in Junior High Schools and High Schools including Harrisburg, Thompsonville, Joppa and Carbondale.
• Roger attended the ACE 2003 conference with the International Sport Coalition in Athens, Greece during November.

 2004

• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• FCA Day Camp in Carbondale had more than 220 5th-8th graders.
• Roger directed the Coed Team Leadership Camp at the National Conference Center.
• Roger attended the first meetings of the Serving the People of Sport Council (International Sport Coalition) in Orlando during November.

2005

• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• FCA Day Camps were held in Carbondale and DuQuoin.  They had more than 300 5th-8th graders, plus high school and college athletes as leaders and nearly 100 volunteers.
• Roger directed the Coed Team Leadership Camp at Greenville College in Greenville, Ill.
• Year-long Devotional book, “Heart of a Champion” is published.

 2006

• FCA hosted the FCA / Saluki Football Coaching Clinic in April.
• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• Roger served as the Huddle Leader Coordinator for the FCA Coaches Camp in Black Mountain, N.C.
• FCA Day Camps were held in Carbondale, Marion and DuQuoin.  They had more than 480 5th-8th graders as participants, plus high school and college athletes as leaders and nearly 200 volunteers.
• Roger directed the Coed Team Leadership Camp at the National Conference Center.
• An updated version of “Heart of a Champion” is released with group discussion questions.
• “Transforming Lives in Sport – A Guide for Sport Chaplains and Sport Mentors” is released.

 2007

• FCA hosted the FCA / Saluki Football Coaching Clinic in April.
• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• Robby Speer and Mallory Martin served as Summer Camps interns.
• Roger and the interns served on the staff of the FCA Coaches Camp in Black Mountain, N.C.
• FCA hosted a national FCA Golf Camp at Stone Creek Golf Club in Makanda during early July.
• FCA hosted the FCA / Saluki Football Camp in June.
• FCA Day Camps were held in Carbondale, Marion and DuQuoin.  They had more than 480 5th-8th grade campers and more than 200 volunteers, including high school and college athletes.
• Roger directed the Coed Team Leadership Camp at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Ill.
• Eric Lam joined our staff in the fall, serving four counties.
• Roger attended and made presentations at the ACE 2007 conference with the International Sport Council in Thailand during November.

 2008

• FCA hosted the FCA Softball Coaching Clinic at Rend Lake College in January.
• FCA hosted the FCA / Saluki Football Coaching Clinic in April.
• FCA hosted the FCA / Saluki Football Camp in June.
• Golf Scramble at Franklin County Country Club in August.
• Robby Speer and Michelle Thorne served as Summer Camps interns.
• Roger and the interns served on the staff of the FCA Coaches Camp in Black Mountain, N.C.
• FCA Day Camps were held in Carbondale, Marion and DuQuoin. Attendance totaled more than 450 campers and 200 high school, college and adult volunteers. 
• Roger directed the Coed Team Leadership Camp at Lincoln Christian College in Lincoln, Ill.
• Roger conducted chaplain training workshops in Jamaica in July, in Australia during October and in Singapore during January of ’09.
• New huddles are begun in Christopher, Grayville and Chester.
• Eric Lam left our staff after a year of service to pursue full-time employment with benefits.