The following student report was submitted by Ambassador League Agent Jack H. during the 2008-2009 League.
Mission: Action - Interview a Local Leader #3
Roger Schafer: Married, 6 kids, works as a framer for Schafer Framing, founded the St. Johns Warriors for Christ Basketball Team in 1991, He is the Varsity head coach, and the Athletic Director.
1. What motivated you to seek your current position?
There was a need. Originally, he and his wife, Rosanne, did not want their kids to play sports, but they came to the conclusion that since sports was such a big part of our culture, they needed a way to participate in sports that kept God at the focus. Their original desire was to grow closer to their own kids, but has resulted in a program that has ministered to many young men in the St. Johns area
2. What training do you think is important to prepare for you position?
For Mr. Schafer personally, he had a lot of administrative experience before starting WFC, which included organizing fundraisers for the PW football team, heading up an annual ping pong tournament with several hundred players and creating an amateur basketball league in Westphalia. All these programs that happened before he was saved helped to prepare him for starting the Warriors for Christ. He also added that Marrying the right person was essential to being able to handle the workload for the Warriors for Christ.
3. What are the greatest rewards of you job?
Seeing young men become men of character. To know that what the work he does for Warriors for Christ has an effect beyond basketball, an eternal reward. During practices and devotions he often reminds the teams that if all you are learning is basketball, then it is not worth it. He constantly is trying to teach the young men in his program lessons and tools that they can use through out life, not just on the basketball court.
4. What are the biggest challenges?
Finding ways to create group participation and involvement, to get all the necessary work completed. Getting people to chip in. Also finding the time to do all the paper work and administrative duties alongside coaching.
5. What role, if any, does your faith play in your profession?
"Ultimately that is the purpose [for starting the Warriors for Christ], if it wasn't for the desire to influence young people, I wouldn't be doing any of this." It is the driving force behind wanting to work with youth and draw them into the kingdom of God.
6. Did you ever imagine the Warriors For Christ becoming as big as it is today?
"I didn't even want it to." Mr. Schafer never imagined being able to put together a team that would be able to compete with public schools, and at a national level when he started WFC. "God has blessed it."
Mr. Schafer has done a remarkable job in turning something as simple as basketball to reach out to the St. Johns area. His constant reminders that basketball is just a game gives perspective about what is really important in the long run. The lessons that are learned from participating on the Warriors for Christ basketball team will last much longer then the years we spend playing basketball.
