Ethan White
 

If it’s on the football field or the medical field, former Christ Prep Patriot Ethan White is always looking to make a difference.  White, a 2010 graduate of CPA who went on to Greenville College to continue his football career, is now stationed in Fiji on a 23 month humanitarian mission with the Peace Corps.

Ethan is working under a new initiative, which is a joint effort between the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Youth and Sports, and the Ministry of Education.

Fiji, an island nation located in the South Pacific, is currently undergoing a health crisis and the Peace Corps are aiming to put a stop to it. ‘Almost 50 percent of Fiji is under 35, which is qualified as youth, and Fiji is ranked as one of the highest obesity rates in the world,’ White explained. ‘We are working in schools and in our host village to advocate for healthier youth lifestyles.’

Even though he isn’t playing football anymore, the values he learned on the field with the Patriots are still serving him today. ‘Football taught me to be mentally tough,’ he said. ‘It taught me the value of brotherhood and core values.’

While he didn’t have any trouble appreciating what a special program Christ prep is, his Junior College experience highlighted just how special his time at CPA was. ‘My junior college experience was very different from CPA with no brotherhood, no team cohesion, and no coaches that cared about me as a person.’ After leaving Highland Community College, he enrolled at Greenville College in Greenville, Illinois. That program, White said, was more like what he wanted college football to be.

“Greenville took the values that I had learned as a Patriot and expanded them into a tangible list of qualities to pursue in my growth as a man.”

Though he played for multiple college level programs, Ethan said he would never forget his first practices for CPA. ‘Spring ball, my first year.’ He said with no hesitation. ‘I was a nervous kid, and befriended a very quiet, and very talented, Josh Bowls. He looked un-athletic and nervous, so I fit in with him. We lined up against each other for a walk through, and my confidence in my new friendship vaporized when he literally knocked me back 5 yards and onto my butt.’

‘It was a humbling experience, and the beginning of a deep respect for the quiet and ferocious leader.’

Elisha Stegner
 

Elisha Stegner, 2005 graduate, spent a large part of his adolescent life in the athletic world. He played college football for three years after leaving Christ Prep and even joined the cheerleading team his senior year. These days, however, Stegner spends his time pursuing another type of athlete.

Stegner lives and works in Los Angeles where he helps run a ministry called ‘Calling all Skaters.’ They started with the vision of discipling young people in the skate culture, most of whom come from very broken homes and live in an extremely dark environment. ‘Our mission is to call all skateboarders to know and follow Christ.’ Stegner said he and his team are currently focusing on the hubs of the skateboarding world in Los Angeles, Barcelona, Spain and Southeast China.

In the day to day, Elisha is in charge of the pastoral care of the staff around the world as well as serving as the CFO of the non-profit area of the ministry. He also serves as a life coach to the leaders in and around the ministry.

Even though skateboard and football don’t seem related, Elisha explained how he uses what he learned on the football field in his ministry. ‘Coming from a homeschooling background without a lot of social interaction, playing CPA football taught me a lot about the importance of strong relationships in life as well as helping me to discipline myself to grow in the things that I need to both physically and spiritually.’

One aspect about Christ Prep Stegner says he loved was the care the coaches showed for the young men, ‘I knew that the coaches cared about me as a person and not just as a football player,’ he said. ‘This inspired me to give my all and really want to excel rather than being content with my skill already. With most other programs I was in, it was all about your performance on the field and if you didn't perform well the coaches wouldn't give you the time of day.’

A recurring theme with former players is how much they loved the hard work. Elisha’s case is not any different: ‘I think my best memory was our early morning off-season workouts at Mid America Nazarene University. A group of us would carpool across town to get there and though we were always tired, that was where I really became friends with the other players,’ he said. ‘Something about the extreme difficulty of the work made us come together in a way that is extremely difficult to manufacture.’

Jared Nield,
 

One aspect many former Patriot players cite as a draw to the team is the team itself. Guys learning how to care for their teammates and learning what it means to be part of something bigger than themselves. For some players, like Jared Nield, that value really sunk in.

‘When I played football for CPA I really learned the value of brotherhood and a strong community being at your back,’ he explained. ‘While our western culture values individuality, it is far more valuable to live with brothers and sisters who have our backs and support our life and faith in Christ.’

Like many Patriots of his era, Nield will say his fondest memory comes from the time the team spent in Tennessee his junior year. ‘We spent almost a week there in the mountains before we finally played. We spent that time soaking in God's presence and bonding before this last game of the season,’ Nield said. ‘It remains one of my fondest memories of playing for any team. The camaraderie we experienced served to strengthen our bond when we played, and beyond when we all went our separate ways.’

After graduating, Nield went on to play at Southern Baptist University.  After leaving the program, he became involved with the school’s ROTC training program and is now a commissioned officer in the United States Army. He currently lives in Denver, Colorado and is a 2nd Lieutenant Candidate in the U.S. Army. He plans to become a fully commissioned Champlain after he attains his Masters Of Divinity from the Denver Seminary.

Having served in the military and played football at the next level, Nield says his time spent as a Patriot helped cement the values he holds true today. ‘Playing for CPA was much more rewarding than any other program I've been a part of,’ he said. ‘not only did I have the opportunity to play on a home school team, but I received quality coaching from godly men who were committed to making me a better player and man after God's heart.’