Men’s Prayer Fosters Community in Athletics Program

by Tationa Trice

Men’s Prayer brings Concordia’s male athletes closer together and closer to God.  The prayer sessions allow the men to come as they are and not be afraid to connect with each other to share what is on their hearts.

Defensive Coordinator Patrick Daberkow founded the group in the end of February.

“We try to do some type of Bible study, and…I was bouncing some ideas off of (Mark Geary), and he said, ‘Why don’t you guys get together and just pray?’ I thought this would be something a little bit different,” Daberkow said.

Daberkow hopes that the group can help Concordia athletes in the way they interact with God.

“The purpose is that we could all come together and recognize that we’re all flawed and broken people and that we have stuff going on in our lives that we can’t really figure out on our own and just coming and praying about it,” Daberkow said. “It just kind of says, ‘Hey, I don’t have all the answers. I don’t have everything figured out,’ but we all know where to find those answers.”

Men’s Prayer meets every Tuesday in the men’s football locker room. Prayer sessions every week allow for the athletes to get away from the stress of college life, work and sports and to know they can put their trust in God.

“I think that anytime you go through something with one of your teammates it builds a little commentary and community,” Daberkow said. “The harder the thing you go through the more community is built.”