The EMAK Report Barnes Island and the Jamboree August 31, 2016
The EMAK Report The EMAK Report: Volume 7 Issue 2 K I N G S H I G H S C H O O L F O O T B A L L B U I L D I N G C H A M P I O N S W H I L E P U R S U I N G C H A M P I O N S H I P S August 31, 2016 More than football, lives were transformed at Breakaway By Sam Roach It began with a request, perhaps not what one might expect to hear at a retreat for football players but not out of character for the King s Knights. In the middle of a serious team meeting, a senior simply asked, Coach, will you baptize me? Coach Shapiro performed the baptism and when he and the player came out of the water, there were others waiting as well with the same request. An hour later, after what had been an emotionally stormy evening, twenty three players were baptized. It was an appropriate end to the day. To truly understand what happened that day, and make no mistake about it, this event was unscripted and unplanned by everyone except God, one needs to go back to the beginning of the story. Here s the catch however, this story started much earlier than Sunday. It started in April. At the end of the 2015 season Shapiro had to do something he hadn t done in a long time. He had to replace half his staff. Due to family commitments and new jobs, four key coaches were not returning. To find competent replacements for them was a daunting task. The interview process was meticulous as the returning staff paid careful attention to detail. As part of this process they prayed and asked God to send candidates to fill the vacancies who not only exhibited solid football expertise but displayed exemplary Christian character as well. God honored that request and when practice started on August 17th, the staff was in place and God was ready to do the unexpected. Every year the Knights take all of the players grades 10 through 12, up to Barnes Island for what is known as Breakaway. The agenda at Breakaway is primarily one of goal setting for the season and team bonding. Along with Biblical and motivational teaching, games, chants, and skits are the main tools of choice and in that sense, Breakaway 2016 was no exception although, in terms of events, there were some noticeable differences. For example, on Saturday, as the second group was being shuttled to the island from Anacortes, the boat broke down, specifically, the engine caught on fire. Although no one was in danger as the fire was quickly extinguished, that boat wasn t going anywhere except back to port via a tow line for repairs and the caretaker of the island using a smaller boat, had to shuttle the passengers on that second trip to the island six players at a time. It was not a crisis however as two hours later, aside from dinner being late, things got back to normal. By Sunday morning, alternate arrangements had been made for the return trip and things were back on track. The Knights, divided into their four Breakaway teams, were hitting whiffle balls, throwing bean bags, and driving golf balls into Puget Sound. In addition, two of the new coaches, Tim Carter and Aaron Hanson, shared their stories in team meetings relating how they came to faith. Both men were honest and allowed themselves to be vulnerable as they talked. It was refreshing to hear but it was also more than that. Unbeknownst to anyone who listened to them, God was setting the tone for what He would do later that night, something He d been planning for months. After dinner, the team skits revealed several gravely serious character issues that had taken root in the team. Issues that, if left unchecked, not only had the potential to derail the season but could also damage the reputation and Christian testimony of the King s High School Football team. While this was unexpected, once it was exposed, the coaching staff knew it had to be addressed. Behind closed doors they met, briefly prayed and planned a course of action.
The EMAK Report More than football, lives were transformed at Breakaway: cont. Although they did not specifically know what they would say, they agreed that they would share honestly and they agreed on something else as well They were going to let God be God and do whatever He wanted to do. In the team meeting that followed, the staff displayed the same vulnerability that had been modeled earlier in the day and shared from their hearts as they addressed the issues. What followed was a display of honesty as God began the convicting process and 40 young men wrestled with the question of who they were both as a team and as individuals. While it varied from individual to individual, many players began to view life from a different lens, they began to agree with God in His assessment of right and wrong. For many, it was a display of true repentance. An hour later the meeting ended. Commitments had been made and a key component to the night s events had been a spirit of honesty and vulnerability. Ironically, the two men that God used to get that process started were Hanson and Carter, newbies on the staff, men who weren t on the staff when Shapiro and his coaches asked God to send the right candidates to fill the vacancies. In conclusion, God changed lives that night and He used a coaching staff that was just recently put together to do it. It was greater than any victory on the field during the Shapiro years and, in the broader scheme of life, it was an event that will never be forgotten.
The EMAK Report: Jamboree: Mountlake Terrace, Sultan and King s scrimmaged at Woolsey last Saturday By Sam Roach On Saturday afternoon, August 27th, the King s Knights entertained Sultan and Mountlake Terrace at Woolsey Stadium for what was a final tune up for all three teams before they open their respective seasons this weekend. The Knights will travel to Burlington to take on the Tigers this Friday, September 2nd. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Due to Labor Day Weekend, there will be no junior varsity game. The junior varsity schedule will start on September 12th. Photo by Cindy Brune
The EMAK Report: Father / Son 7 on 7 Tournament: The Story in Pictures
The EMAK Report: Standings Schedules and Results Cascade Conference Standings Around the Conference League Over-all W L W L King s 0 0 0 0 Cedar Park Chr. 0 0 0 0 ATM 0 0 0 0 South Whidbey 0 0 0 0 Cedarcrest 0 0 0 0 Granite Falls 0 0 0 0 Sultan 0 0 0 0 ATM Cedarcrest Cedar Park Chr. Granite Falls King s South Whidbey Sultan vs. Issaquah @ Liberty vs. Bellevue Christian vs. Shorewood @ Burlington Edison @ Coupeville vs. Evergreen Varsity Schedule Junior Varsity Schedule August 27 @ King s (Jamboree) Sept. 2 @ Burlington 7 p.m. Sept. 9 @ Lakeside (IHS) 6 p.m. Sept. 16 vs ATM 7 p.m. Sept. 23 @ Cedarcrest 7 p.m. Sept. 30 vs. South Whidbey 7 p.m. Oct. 7 @ CPC 7 p.m. Oct. 14 vs Granite Falls 7 p.m. Oct. 21 @ Sultan 7 p.m. Oct. 28 bye Nov. 6/7 TBD Sept. 12 TBD Sept. 19 @ ATM 5:30 p.m. Sept. 26 vs Cedarcrest 5:30 p.m. Oct. 3 @ South Whidbey 5:30 p.m. Oct. 10 vs CPC 5:30 p.m. Oct. 17 @. Granite Falls 5:30 p.m. Oct. 24 vs Sultan 5:30 p.m. The EMAK Report is a weekly publication that covers King s High School football throughout the season. It is a free publication and is available via e-mail. To receive weekly PDF copies of the EMAK Report send your request to sroach@kingsschools.org.