HSU Insider

Inspiration and Perspiration: HSU Hosts Leadership Camp for Two Decades

• By Janlyn Echols Thaxton
• Posted June 11, 2009 4:23 PM
• 0 Comments

Josh Willard rolls out of his Anderson dorm room bed every morning at 6:45 sharp. When asked if that isn't just a little early for a student during summer break, he replies with a chipper, "It's time to start another day," his eyes twinkling as a grin spreads across his face.

Willard is a football player from Austin's Cedar Park High School who is attending the Fellowship of Christian Athletes Leadership Camp at Hardin-Simmons University this week.

The camp has been coming to the campus for 22 years, and each year brings around 400 high school and middle school students from every part of the state of Texas.

Josh is part of a group of guys from central Texas, Medina Valley, Austin, and San Antonio who did not know each other before this week. Acting like old pals, they applaud, high-five, and make running tunnels outside the gym for students headed to the 10 a.m. games on the playing fields.

Josh, who will be a junior this coming school year, says one of the things he likes best about the camp is getting to meet new people. Teasingly he says, "Some call me the motivator." Suddenly, he raises his arms and grants a high-five to a line of passing middle school students. Josh says this is his third year to attend the leadership camp. "Every year I come I get closer to God," he says.

Josh casually takes a book out of his backpack and begins flipping through the pages. God's Plan, the Athletes Bible, is given to each of the campers as they arrive. He points randomly to a topic and uses it as an example. "Suffering Like Jesus," he reads aloud and then explains, "This Bible illustrates examples of stories like this one...so the topics are easier to study and relate to."

Eric Perruca is the director of the FCA camp. He says this is one of the most successful camps in the nation. Giving the credit to HSU, Perruca says he's been working at the camp for 10 years and "it's obvious that Hardin-Simmons takes great care of us. Our needs are always met. We're not exactly making the school lots of money or anything, but that doesn't seem to matter. We are always put first."

When asked if there is anything the camp is doing differently this year, Perruca says, "We are giving the students more free time. Over the years, free time has been eroded, but this year we are giving it back. I think it's an important time for the students to grow spiritually. It's also a good time to connect with the college athletes here."

The theme of the camp is Inside Out, which Perucca says comes from Romans 12:1-2. "We want to be transformed from the inside out. We break up into what we call huddle groups. There are 34 of those groups with college athletes as leaders. In those, students get a chance to talk about some of the common problems they face and how to solve those problems. It really is a week of inspiration and perspiration," Perucca says with a laugh.

For Josh, and several hundred other campers, the evening will wrap up with an overview of the day in Behrens Auditorium. Snacks around the gazebo at the campus pond are enjoyed before the huddle sessions begin in the dorms. Lights go out at 11 p.m. Josh will be up again just before 7 a.m., ready to start another day.