Liberty Life Fall 2009.indd - Liberty Christian School

“mountaintop experience.”
“It makes coming back to the valley more
special,” Price said.
Camp Copass is also physically demanding,
to say the least.
“I had to get them ready for the season, so
that when they played, they played healthy,”
said Bowles.
“The book of James in the Bible says to
consider it pure joy when we face trials
and hardships – tough times do produce
perseverance,” Bowles said.
Bregg said that there is a depth and a
toughness that comes out of Camp Copass,
so that when difficulties come during
a game, the boys can say to each other,
“Remember Copass.”
Liberty father James Hollingshead said,
“Copass is a place of beginnings, where
new players and new families come to
understand what it really means to be a
Warrior.
“It is more than a place to learn football
plays; it’s a place to learn to be a team.”
Hollingshead added, “Copass is a place of
sacrifice, where the coaches take time away
from their families to pour their talents and
energies into helping young men become
better athletes and to model for them what
it means to be a godly man.
Hollingshead continued, “Copass is a
place of finishing strong, when the seniors
take that last walk around the field on their
last day of Copass and get a small taste
of knowing what it means to hear ‘well
done.’”
Liberty father DeeWayne Cullum said
that Camp Copass to him is the boys
seeing Christ modeled by their coaches and
mentors, as well as seeing the boys push and
encourage each other to finish strong.
Cullum said that it is great to see parents
and siblings serving the players and
encouraging them to work hard for a goal
that is larger than themselves.
“Camp Copass is a model for all that is
good in a Christian community,” Cullum
said.
“Camp Copass teaches that life is not
easy, but that the rewards of service,
encouragement, fellowship and prayer are
what make life worthwhile at the end of the
day,” he said.
He added that no boy would ever go
through Camp Copass by himself, but
with his friends, coaches and family, he will
thrive and finish.
There is also a lot of fun at Camp Copass,
including showing movies and going
swimming. Skit night is held each year by
grade, and coaches are also a part of the
jesting.
“Seniors make fun of the coaches and vice
versa,” Bowles said.
“What happens at skit night stays at skit
night, for good reason,” Bowles joked.
Price added, “We lighten the mood – you
have to laugh.”
Another tradition that began at Camp
Copass was Dad’s Day.
Jeff Loch has attended as a dad and said it
was a time where he could cheer for his son,
run with him, take water to him, and be a
part of his life at Camp Copass.
He said it was great to see the coaches
display a Christ-like nature to the boys by
encouraging, motivating and nurturing
them.
“Camp Copass is hard to describe – you
have to experience it. There is a spiritual
aspect and a love that develops between the
boys,” Loch added.
Dad’s Day is also a day to be a part of their
time in seeking the Lord, having lunch with
them, and even running a play in their son’s
position, Loch said.
Hollingshead said that his first experience
at Camp Copass was 10 years ago when his
older son was a sophomore. He said that on
an end-of-the-day run, his son was tiring on
the final leg of his run, and the entire team
joined him and literally carried him over the
final leg in front of the dorms.
“I was crying like a baby,” Hollingshead
said. “I had never witnessed such heartfelt
camaraderie and genuine friendship.”
For Liberty father Darcy Anderson, he
said that it was not easy sending his sons
to Camp Copass, but he knew they would
learn from the hardship, blood, sweat and
tears.
He said his sons dreaded Camp Copass
every year but always came back with
added self-confidence and a feeling of
accomplishment.
He said his oldest son Corbin recently
finished six weeks of cadet basic training
at West Point, which is one of the toughest
training experiences for any cadet,
both physically and mentally.
But Corbin said, “Cadet basic
training was really tough, but not as
hard as Camp Copass.”
In the end, Camp Copass has
brought together the best of both
worlds in preparing young men to be
great at Liberty Football and great in
the Lord’s Kingdom.
It’s a Christian camp to build
strong Warriors – at Liberty and
beyond.
Fall 2009 Page 9