Hometown: Lutherville, Md.
Class: Senior
Position: Midfielder
Notes:
• All-ACC Academic Men's Lacrosse Team (2011, ’12, ’13)
• Father, Frank Kelly III, is a member of FCA’s Hall of Champions
“Make your own ambition that of Christ Jesus, who, existing in the form of God, did not consider equality with God as something to be used for His own advantage.” –Philippians 2:5-6
A strong lacrosse pedigree allowed Lutherville, Md., native Frankie Kelly to pursue collegiate athletics. While at North Carolina, the senior midfielder has grown in humility and developed a heart towards leadership, both of which have been nurtured through FCA in the footsteps of Christ.
FCA: What do you love about the game of lacrosse?
FK: I love that it takes a little bit of everything. And I love it because it’s a family affair. I’ve had a stick in my hand for as long as I can remember. My dad and uncles all played, so I grew up watching a lot of their games. And I play with my brother Stephen and cousin Patrick here. It’s been great to see my grandparents, uncles, aunts and parents every weekend when they come down for games.
FCA: How have you been involved with FCA?
FK: I played on the FCA Lacrosse team in Vail (Colo.) heading into my freshman year at UNC, and the last few summers I’ve coached there with the U19 team. I grew up going to the Gettysburg (Pa.) FCA Lacrosse Camp and I remember really looking at my counselors as the coolest guys. Growing up, they acted as great role models for me, seeing the way they did things and that these were guys playing for major colleges who were also living differently. I’m very grateful for FCA and FCA Lacrosse, for the amount of time and energy they’ve poured into my life and allowed me to pour into others.
FCA: Why is it important that you be a Christ-following role model?
FK: I was always a pretty good kid. I didn’t break a lot of rules, I didn’t mess around with the wrong crowd. What I’ve learned is how that can feel really old - just doing the right without loving the right way. It wasn’t about doing all the right things, but having a heart change, really asking God to change and shape the desires of my heart and dwelling on the gospel every day to help change that and help refocus me.
Being very conscious about the way you speak, the way you act, and thinking about how that can alter a way someone will act. So I’m trying to be that for those younger guys, help teach them the things that I wish I had understood more clearly in middle school and high school and show them that there is another way to do things, and that’s through the life of Christ.
FCA: What does it mean to live in humility?
FK: It’s a posture of the heart and state of mind. People start to recognize it because it’s different than most people act or feel. My favorite Bible passage is Philippians 2:5-7, where Paul talks about being like Christ in humility. Jesus was God and He didn’t even think of that as something to be boasted about and used to His own advantage. He was the ultimate servant and the ultimate guy in humility.
FCA: What do your accomplishments in lacrosse mean compared to your relationship with Jesus Christ?
FK: It’s real easy to get caught up in the world of the locker room like it’s all there is- playing time, wins and losses and stats. The highs might make you feel good for a little bit, but eventually they don’t satisfy. And the lows will leave you real low, especially if you’re banking on them being highs. Understanding that there’s something more constant and unconditional out there through a relationship with God, I’d rather invest my hope and time in something that’s not going to end after the season and isn’t going to get shaken after a loss. I’m very grateful for lacrosse and I love it, but it’s not even close to getting to have a relationship with God through Christ.
FCA Staff Quote:
“Frankie's love for the Lord and his desire for everyone to know Him is revealed in every single thing he does. He recognizes he has been given a platform and he wants it to be used to further the gospel of Jesus Christ. His willingness to go where God calls has allowed him to share the gospel day in and day out with his teammates and other athletes.”
-Scott Hodgson, Men’s Director, FCA Lacrosse
Originally published: April 2014
Photos courtesy of UNC Athletic Communications