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July 16, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Parent Corner #27 – What's the Point?
"If I'm not willing to live to what I wrote, then what's the point?"
— I Play Rocky A few days ago I heard a quote from the upcoming movie I Play Rocky that hasn't left me. "If I'm not willing to live to what I wrote, then what's the point?" The more I thought about it, the more it felt less like a quote...and more like a mirror. Because if I'm honest, I've been guilty of words. Fancy words. Encouraging words. Words I've written. Words I've spoken from a stage. Words I've shared in these Parent Corners. But I've also spoken impatient words. Broken words to my wife. Frustrated words to my daughters. Words I wish I could take back. As I sat with that quote, I realized something. It's possible to know the right words...without living them. The Greatest Lesson As parents, we spend so much time teaching. Be kind. Tell the truth. Work hard. Respect your coach. Trust God. All important lessons. But what if the greatest lesson our children will ever learn...isn't what we say? What if it's what they watch us live? Because whether we realize it or not... Our kids are reading us every single day. Our patience. Our forgiveness. Our marriages. Our reactions. Our integrity. Long before they remember our words...They'll remember our example. Jesus understood this. He didn't simply tell people how to live. He lived among them. He served. He forgave. He loved. Then He said, "I did this as an example for you. So you should serve each other just as I served you."
(John 13:15 ERV) Jesus didn't just preach the message. He became the message. The Dream That quote challenged me in another way too. God has written dreams on every one of our hearts. Some of us are nine. Some of us are forty-one. Some of us are eighty. Age doesn't erase purpose. Maybe God has been asking you to take a step. To forgive. To apologize. To serve. To start. To trust. To finally become the person He's been shaping you to be. If we're not willing to live what God has written on our hearts...What's the point? Meet Ray Ray loved talking about being a great teammate. He knew all the right things to say. Encourage others. Work hard. Stay positive. Then one day his coach pulled him aside after practice. "Ray," he smiled, "You already know what a great teammate looks like." Ray nodded. His coach continued, "Now go become one." That conversation stayed with Ray. Not because he learned something new. But because he realized the difference between knowing...and becoming. Takeaway Maybe this week isn't about learning something new. Maybe it's about living something you already know. Showing more patience. Offering forgiveness. Choosing encouragement. Taking one courageous step toward the life God has been inviting you into. Because our kids won't remember every speech we gave. But they'll remember the life we lived. We are all one thought...One word...One action... Away from a totally different life. Maybe this week...The action is simply living what we've already said we believe. More than a league. It's a mission. Win The Day, Troy Farley FCA Sports Leagues Director
July 8, 2026 • 6 Minute Read
Volleyball Rules
FCA Volleyball Game Rules & Regulations REGULATIONS: Each team will have a 10 minute warmup before their match 4 minutes shared for ball-handling/stretching 2 minutes each full court to themselves (team serving first for the match will get the first 2 minutes) 2 minutes shared serving. All divisions will be based on time. For the first two sets, the team to the left of the scorekeeper will serve first. If match is tied 1-1, a coin toss will determine which team serves first in set 3. The winner of the coin toss may decide on serve/receive or side. If the winner of the coin toss chooses serve or receive, the loser of the coin toss will get to choose which side they play on. If the winner of the coin toss chooses which side they play on, the loser of the coin toss will get to choose whether their team serves or receives first. If first two sets are won by one team, a 3rd set can be played if time permits. Skip a coin toss, teams can stay on the same side, and the team down 0-2 may serve first. Matches will end after 60 minutes. If a set ends with less than 8 minutes left on the clock, a new set will not be played. If there is about 8-12 minutes left on the clock, teams can play an abbreviated set to 11 points, cap at 11. This just allows for opportunity to play. There will be one (30 second) time out per team, per set. Unused timeouts will not carry over to new sets. Rally scoring will be used for every game. Teams must win by two (2) points, with a cap of 27 points for the first two sets and 17 for the third set. Teams will get a minute and a half (90 seconds) between sets, whether they are switching sides or not. AGE DIVISION REGULATIONS Age Division Net Height Game Length Ball Size: 8-9: 6’8 | 2 out of 3 (25-25-15) or 60 minutes | Volley Lite 10-12: 6’8 | 2 out of 3 (25-25-15) or 60 minutes | Volley Lite RULES SERVING All players should strive to successfully serve from behind the end line (it may not happen during the season). The server may not serve until the referee has blown the whistle. Overhand and underhand serves are allowed. All serves should be progressive until service line is reached. Any serve that contacts the ceiling, net, or basketball backboard (and doesn’t go over) is an automatic side out. However, there are accommodations for this league (see below). Serving by Age divisions: In the 8-9 y.o. division, players may step 10’- 15’ into the court as needed for player success. If a player is able to serve the ball over the net, then 10’ in is preferred. The 15’ line is for novice players that need the additional help. Be gracious. In the 10-12 y.o. division, players are encouraged to step forward no more than 7’ into the court (about 3 steps). Please be gracious if a player needs a few more steps. When the serving team wins the rally, the player who served on that point serves again. For the 8-9 y.o. division, if the server wins 3 points in row, the opposing team rotates one position and gains the serve. The opposing team does NOT receive a sideout point. For the 10-12 y.o. division, if the server wins 5 points in row, the opposing team rotates one position and gains the serve. The opposing team does NOT receive a sideout point. After the whistle, the server is allowed to commit tossing errors (letting the ball bounce without hitting it or catching the ball after tossing it up for a serve) per serve. Be gracious to opposing players, but encourage players to progressively work on only getting one re-serve. For every new service turn, all players are allowed a second service attempt, if their first attempt did not cross over the net. Should first serve clear, or go over the net, it is in play even if going out of bounds. A second attempt will NOT be allowed. For the 10-12 y.o. division, we will strongly encourage players to attempt their first serve overhand. If this first attempt does not clear, their second attempt can be another overhand try, or they may switch to underhand. If the overhand serve is successful, that player will have to take a step back per each successful serve until behind the service line (Coaches are to enforce this rule). GENERAL RULES Each team will have three (3) hits to return the ball. On a volley, if the ball contacts the ceiling, hoop, or anything attached to the ceiling, it still may be played as long as the ball comes down on the side of the court of the team who caused the contact, and that team still has one or more hits remaining. If the ball hits the ceiling and goes over the net, the ball is considered out of bounds. Side walls/backgrounds are at no time playable. All serves can be received with open hands. Serves may not be blocked or spiked. Centerline: a player can cross the centerline on a return or block if the player does not touch the net or interfere with the opposing player. Net violations will be called as a safety precaution following the same protocol, or while making an attempt on the ball. If any object disrupts a point, the whistle will stop play and a replay will be issued. Standard Volleyball Rules Reminders If two players contact the ball at the same time it is considered one hit. Either player may make the next contact. A ball hit over the net must cross between the two antennas. Players may run out of bounds to hit a ball back into playing area for other teammates to play. If any portion of the ball contacts a line it is considered “in”. SUBSTITUTIONS/ROTATIONS For the 8-9 y.o. and the 10-12 y.o. division, each team will start the game with six players on the court. The remaining players will rotate into play when a side-out is called. Players will sub in and out in the substitution zone between the 10-foot line and center line. Everyone on the team will serve. Looking forward, we will strive to get the 10-12 y.o. division doing standard substitutions. Each team will start the game with six players on the court. The remaining players will rotate into play using the NFHS/USAV high school substitution rule (coaches, please use the honor system). A player may only enter the set in one of six rotational positions. The player may not enter the court until the official signals to come in. Coaches, please be fair in giving as many players as possible the chance to play “all-around” and having their turn subbing in and out. Please be sure all players are getting a chance to serve.
July 6, 2026 • 4 Minute Read
Parent Corner #26: The Moments That Matter Most
"The chance to re-live the moments that meant most."
— Matt Haig, The Midnight Train A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to spend the week at kids camp with Faith Tri-Cities and NW Kids. On the surface, it looked like I was simply helping at camp. But something much deeper was happening. This wasn't just any camp. It was the same camp where I spent my summers beginning around eleven years old. The same camp. The same lake. The same chapel. The same places where God quietly began shaping the direction of my life. Places where I learned to trust Him. Places where I began hearing His voice. Places that helped shape who I am and what I still do today. God began shaping my life as an eleven-year-old. And this summer, I had the privilege of watching my own daughter experience that same place. Almost the exact same age I was. As I watched her from a distance (because let's be honest... having Dad at camp is both cool and not cool), I realized something. I wasn't just watching my daughter at camp. I was getting the chance to relive the moments that have meant the most. Standing outside the same chapel where God first began stirring my heart. Jumping off the high dive with Vail—something I had done decades earlier myself. Watching kids worship. Hearing laughter echo across the camp. I couldn't help but look back over my own life. I saw God's fingerprints everywhere. Prayers I didn't even know He was answering. Doors He opened. Miracles I couldn't have planned. The calling He slowly revealed over years—not days. And for a moment, it all came rushing back. The Long Game As parents, we spend so much time thinking about the next game. The next season. The next team. The next opportunity. But what if God is playing a much longer game? What if He's far more interested in shaping hearts than schedules? One of my deepest prayers isn't that my daughters become great athletes. Or successful adults. Or even accomplish big things. My greatest prayer is much simpler: That they would learn to recognize the voice of God. Because when you know His voice...Everything changes. Listening One of my favorite moments in Scripture comes from a young boy named Samuel. God called his name during the night. At first, Samuel didn't realize who was speaking. Finally, Eli told him: "If God speaks to you again, say, 'Speak, Lord. Your servant is listening.'"
(1 Samuel 3:9, ERV) That simple prayer has shaped generations. Maybe it's one we need to pray more often too. Speak, Lord. I'm listening. Meet Ray Camp was always Ray's favorite week of the summer. One night after chapel, he sat on a bench overlooking the lake. Everyone else had already headed back to their cabins. His counselor walked over and sat beside him. "You okay?" Ray nodded. "I think so." After a long pause he finally said, "I think God might be trying to tell me something." His counselor smiled. "What do you think He's saying?" Ray shrugged. "I don't know yet." His counselor nodded. "That's okay." "Keep listening." Years later, Ray wouldn't remember every game he played. He wouldn't remember every trophy. But he'd remember that quiet bench. Because sometimes the moments that change our lives don't happen in front of a crowd. They happen when we're finally quiet enough to listen. Takeaway As parents, we all chase moments. First steps. First games. First home runs. First championships. They're all wonderful. But may we never miss the moment that matters most. The moment our children begin to recognize the voice of God. Because I truly believe: We are just one thought, one word, or one action away from a totally different life. And sometimes...That one word: Is His. More than a league. It's a mission. Win The Day, Troy Farley FCA Sports Leagues Director
June 21, 2026 • 5 Minute Read
Parent Corner #25: Presence over Perfection
Parent Corner #25 – My Hero Today is Father's Day. And when I think about Father's Day, I think about my Dad. I think about a father who played catch with me. A father who showed up to every game he possibly could. A father who taught me what hard work looked like. A father who introduced me to Jesus. A father who extended grace in seasons of my life when I didn't deserve it. And now, years later, I watch him do the same thing for my daughters. He's still showing up. Still encouraging. Still loving. Still teaching. Still present. As I've gotten older, I've realized something. Many of the most important things my dad taught me weren't taught through words. They were taught through presence. By simply being there. The Gift of Presence One of my favorite quotes about fatherhood comes from author Clarence Budington Kelland: "My father didn't tell me how to live. He lived, and let me watch him do it." The older I get, the more I understand that. Because kids are always watching. They're watching how we handle adversity. They're watching how we treat people. They're watching how we respond when things don't go our way. They're watching what matters most to us. And whether we realize it or not, we're painting a picture of life for them every day. Not through perfection. Through presence. A Better Picture of God One of the greatest gifts my dad ever gave me was introducing me to Jesus. Not because he had all the answers. Not because he was perfect. But because he pointed me to the One who is. Every good father reflects a piece of God's heart. His love. His patience. His grace. His faithfulness. And while earthly fathers will always fall short, God never does. One of the things I've come to appreciate most about my dad is that he showed up. At games. In hard seasons. In moments when I needed encouragement. In moments when I needed grace. And as I look back, it reminds me of Jesus. In John 21, Peter had failed Jesus. Three times he denied even knowing Him. Peter thought the story was over. So he went back to fishing. But Jesus wasn't finished with him. Jesus showed up on the shore. He didn't show up to shame Peter. He didn't show up to remind Peter of his mistakes. He showed up to make breakfast. He showed up to restore him. He showed up to remind Peter that failure wasn't the end of his story. Looking back, that's one of the greatest gifts my dad has given me: Not perfection. Presence. The kind of presence that keeps showing up even when life gets messy. For some of us, Father's Day is a celebration. For others, it's complicated. Maybe your father wasn't present. Maybe the relationship is strained. Maybe there's hurt. The good news is that our story doesn't end there. Through Jesus, we discover a God who never stops pursuing us, never stops loving us, and never gives up on us. Meet Ray Father's Day always felt a little different for Ray. His parents were divorced. Some weekends looked one way. Some weekends looked another. Sometimes he found himself comparing his family to everyone else's. One afternoon after a game, Ray sat quietly in the car. His dad noticed. "What's up, buddy?" Ray shrugged. "I wish things were different." His dad sat for a moment before answering. "I do too sometimes." Then he smiled. "But different doesn't mean bad." Ray looked over. His dad continued. "One thing I want you to always know is this: no matter where you are, whose house you're at, or what life looks like, I'm your dad and I love you." Years later, Ray would remember that conversation. Not because it fixed everything. But because it reminded him of something important. Love shows up. Love stays. Love keeps coming back. Takeaway This Father's Day, take a moment to thank the people who showed up. The dads. The grandpas. The coaches. The mentors. The men who invested in us. Not because they were perfect. But because they were present. And if you're a father reading this, remember: Your kids won't remember every score. They won't remember every lesson. They won't remember every speech. But they will remember your presence. Because sometimes the greatest gift a father gives isn't perfection. It's showing up. Dad, thank you for showing up. I love you. Happy Father's Day. A Final Thought Over a year ago, I had the opportunity to sit down with my dad on my podcast for an episode of Inning Intermissions. We talked about life, faith, family, sports, and many of the lessons that helped shape me into the person I am today. If you'd like to learn more about the man behind this story, I invite you to listen to that conversation and celebrate a life that continues to impact not only me, but now my daughters as well. Watch or listen to the episodes below Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 More than a league. It's a mission. Win The Day, Troy Farley FCA Sports Leagues Director
June 14, 2026 • 3 Minute Read
Parent Corner #24: The Thermostat
Championship Sunday This weekend I spent time watching my daughter's softball team compete in a tournament. Saturday felt different than Sunday. Saturday was relaxed. Parents laughed.
Coaches coached.
Umpires made calls.
Kids played. Nobody seemed overly concerned with the outcome. Then Sunday arrived. Single elimination. Lose and go home. The thermostat changed. Voices got louder. Coaches became more intense. Parents became more invested. Every call felt bigger. Every mistake felt heavier. And if I'm being honest, I felt it too. The pressure was real. Which got me thinking. Why do I have so much grace for other people's young athletes but not always for my own? Why do I allow the title of the game to change the way I view the game? Fred Rogers once said: "Who you are inside is what helps you make and do everything in life." Championship Sunday reminded me how easy it is to focus on outcomes while forgetting what may be happening inside our kids. After all, it was still softball. The bases didn't move. The rules didn't change. The girls were still kids. But somehow the stakes felt different. And when the stakes felt different, my perspective started to change. The Real Opponent Maybe the biggest challenge in youth sports isn't the team in the other dugout. Maybe it's what pressure does to us. Pressure has a way of shrinking our perspective. Instead of seeing growth, we see mistakes. Instead of seeing effort, we see results. Instead of seeing kids, we see outcomes. And when that happens, we begin evaluating moments differently than God does. What if God isn't nearly as concerned about the scoreboard as we are? What if He's paying attention to something deeper? Character. Courage. Perseverance. Joy. Teamwork. The things that last long after the tournament bracket is forgotten. Jesus and the Pressure One of the things I love about Jesus is that pressure never seemed to change Him. Crowds got bigger. Opposition got louder. The stakes got higher. Yet Jesus continued to see people. He saw individuals where others saw outcomes. He saw hearts where others saw performance. He extended grace when others expected perfection. As parents, that's the challenge in front of us. Can we continue to see our kids the way God sees them, even when the pressure rises? Meet Ray Ray's team found themselves in a championship game. The gym felt different. Everyone knew what was on the line. Late in the game, Ray made a mistake that led to the other team scoring. Immediately his shoulders dropped. The drive home felt long. Finally, Ray looked over and said, "I cost us the game." His dad paused before responding. Then he asked a simple question. "Is that what you'd tell one of your teammates if they made the same mistake?" Ray thought for a moment. "No." "What would you tell them?" "I'd tell them it's just one play." His dad smiled. "Then maybe that's what you need to tell yourself." Takeaway The title of the game shouldn't change how we view the game. Whether it's pool play or a championship. Whether it's a practice or a playoff. Whether they win or lose. They're still kids. They're still learning. They're still growing. This week, when the pressure rises, ask yourself: Am I seeing my child through the lens of performance? Or through the lens of grace? Because one day they'll forget most of the scores. But they'll remember how we responded when the thermostat changed. More than a league. It's a mission. Win The Day, Troy Farley FCA Sports Leagues Director
June 10, 2026 • 2 Minute Read
2026 Summer Volleyball Roster/Schedule Release
FCA Volleyball Families, Summer Volleyball is here! Rosters and schedules have now been released. You should have received a separate email from TeamSnapONE inviting you to join your team. Once connected, you'll be able to view your schedule and begin communicating with your coach. Dates To Know Practices begin the week of June 22nd. Week of July 6th Games Begin Season Concludes August 13th Picture Day Details coming soon As you review your schedule, please pay close attention. Our league continues to grow, and with that comes the use of multiple facilities. This summer, practices will take place at both Bethel Church and Tri-Cities Calvary Chapel. We are incredibly thankful for our church partners who provide places for our athletes to play, learn, and grow. The Team I'd also like to introduce you to the team behind FCA Sports. Throughout the season, you'll see these names helping support our athletes, coaches, and families: Troy Farley — Director of FCA Sports, overseeing leagues and programming year-round across the Tri-Cities. (tfarley@fca.org) Amber Lewis — Engagement Lead, helping oversee schedules, games, and league administration. (amberlewis@fca.org) Hannah Fiocchi — VIP Specialist, assisting with volunteer onboarding and FCA requirements. (HFiocchi@fca.org) Zach Lewison — Game Day Coordinator, helping practices and games run smoothly. (zlewison@fca.org) Michael Groth — FCA Volleyball Specialist, helping with rules, league structure, and coaching best practices. (mgroth@libertychristian.net) One additional resource we'd love to point you to is our subscription page. By subscribing, you'll receive Parent Corner resources, league updates, registration announcements, and other FCA Sports news directly to your inbox.Subscribe Here: News & Updates Season Theme Also, stay tuned for next week's email as we introduce this summer's FCA Sports theme. Throughout the season, athletes will participate in weekly chapel and huddle experiences centered around this theme as we seek to engage, equip, and empower them both on and off the court. Thank you for being part of the FCA Sports family and for choosing to invest in your child through our leagues. We are looking forward to a great summer season together! Win The Day, Troy Farely FCA Sports Leagues Director
