General | 8/5/2022 1:33:00 PM

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – What is Authentic Community? Cornerstone athletics participated in their second annual Friendship Sports International (FSI) Leadership trip to Yellowstone National Park where a group of 12 students and five staff strived to answer that question. 
 
"The first step and biggest piece I will take away from this trip is implementing what it means to be an apprentice," said sophomore track & field athlete Faith Kurtz. "In order to lead we must first be a learner. This trip taught me the importance of being more intentional in spending time with Jesus daily in order to be filled, so that I can pour into others."  
 
Being an apprentice was day one of a six-day study led by FSI representative and Cornerstone professor Matt Wallace and Athletic Director, Aaron Sagraves. The other four daily focuses to build authentic community that were studied were: community, communication, culture, servant leadership, and recognizing limitations vs. potential. 
 
While studying these topics, FSI President Jim King led the team on hikes all throughout Yellowstone country and the Cody, Wyoming area. The goal of the trip is to not only study together but do so in part of God's beautiful creation that many of these student-athletes have never been able to experience before. 
 
Men's soccer student-athlete Christian Galloway stated, "For me the hikes up and down the mountains was some of the most impactful time on the trip. I had the opportunity to have powerful conversations with other men's and women's Cornerstone athletes I had not really gotten to know before trip. These hikes allowed me to analyze myself and both give and get advice from others on how to lead a great group of men on the soccer team both in their sport and in the next steps of life to come." 
 
These unscripted authentic conversations between student-athletes were the highlight for many as women's soccer sophomore Arianna Rau added, "I learned so much about the different teams on campus and got to understand a bit of their perspectives which was super beneficial. Learning that on top of experiencing hikes like Bear Tooth Pass where we were surrounded by God's beauty with other athletes I know can call good friends is something I will never forget." 
 
Other opportunities these athletes had were white water rafting, which women's soccer junior Hannah Luurtsema shared was her favorite experience, going to the Cody Rodeo, exploring Cody, Wyoming and the small towns surrounding, swimming, and spending time at the house eating delicious meals, playing euchre, and building community through sport. 


 
Assistant Athletic Director, Jesse Campbell added that one of his favorite experiences as a leader on the trip was, "seeing the athletes take an initiative to not only share their story during the devotional and small group time, but to see them come together without the direction of leaders to talk further about how they can impact the Cornerstone community during their time. Cornerstone has a special group of athletes and we are so excited to see what our collective group of student athletes on campus for the 2022-23 year can do to impact their world for Christ." 
 
Athletic Director Aaron Sagraves and the Cornerstone athletics staff is so grateful to all those that participated in faithful prayer and giving to support the second annual FSI Yellowstone Leadership Trip. Those gifts given on Give Gold Days this past spring all contributed to allowing these athletes the opportunity to go on this special trip. The Golden Eagle athletics office has a vision to "DEVELOP an intentional and transformational athletic community where students are EQUIPPED as Christ followers. We exist to BUILD authentic leaders who PURSUE excellence both on and off the playing surface." Our hope and prayer as a staff is that the FSI Yellowstone Leadership Trip sets a strong base for that vision as we head into the 2022-23 year here at Cornerstone University. 
 
 
Athletics Contact: Jesse Campbell 
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