Five partners and supporters of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes will be inducted into its Hall of Champions later this year.
Leah O’Brien Amico, the late Dale Haralson, Bill Hawkins, the late Neil Marthedal and the late Jon Randles worked tirelessly to further the FCA vision: to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes. FCA Hall of Champions honorees over the years have been made up of a mix of coaches, athletes and volunteers who serve the ministry, including sports greats such as Bobby Bowden, Tony Dungy, Tom Landry, Tom Osborne and Roger Staubach, just to name a few.
“It’s an amazing time of year when the Fellowship of Christian Athletes welcomes a new class into the Hall of Champions,” said FCA President and CEO Les Steckel. “The five members of the Class of 2016 are wonderful examples of servant-leaders whose commitment to impacting coaches and athletes for Jesus Christ continues to shine through. We are so thankful for what Leah O’Brien Amico and Bill Hawkins have done and will continue to do, as well as all that Dale Haralson, Neil Marthedal, and Jon Randles gave of themselves toward the success of this ministry, even as they are now at home with the Lord—all in an effort to help change lives through sports, FCA and God’s unending power."
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Leah O’Brien Amico is a three-time Olympic gold medal-winning softball player who uses her powerful platform and influence as a decorated and accomplished athlete to bring countless lives to a saving knowledge of Jesus by speaking at FCA events across the country.
On the softball diamond, the southpaw plays first base and in the outfield and took home Olympic gold in 1996, 2000 and 2004. Amico is a two-time World Champion, a two-time Pan-American Games Champion, three-time NCAA National Champion while playing at the University of Arizona and was named in 2006 to the NCAA Division I Softball 25th Anniversary Team. She holds the Women’s College World Series Record for batting average in a single tournament, hitting .750 in 1994. Amico was also a three-time First-Team NFCA All-American in 1994, 1995 and 1997, and a three-time First-Team Academic All-American.
Amico hosts the Christian sports show, “More Than Conquerors,” on Trinity Broadcasting Network, has been an ESPN softball color commentator, instructs at numerous camps and clinics, and coaches a USA softball team that travels internationally.
Other FCA involvement includes speaking at women’s ministry events, staff events, banquets, clinics, camps, tournaments and fundraisers. Amico has also given her time and talent to promote FCA women’s resources, including the “Bold and Beautiful” team study, and has written devotionals for FCA publications.
Amico also serves on the Athletes In Action Women’s Board of Directors and was inducted into the Athletes In Action Hall of Faith in 2008. She and her husband, Tommy, have three boys and live in Corona, Calif., where she is active at her church and serves the homeless in her community.
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Dale Haralson served on FCA’s National Board of Trustees for many years, and his faithful service and commitment contributed to the success of FCA. He was also a long-time, faithful servant for many years locally, including as chair of the Tucson and Arizona boards for FCA. He passed away in December 2015 at the age of 78.
The Texas native was a nationally known lawyer who grew up on a farm and was an active student leader at Hardin-Simmons University, where he received an ROTC commission as a U.S. Army 2nd Lieutenant, eventually joining the Arizona National Guard and obtaining the rank of captain.
Haralson served numerous associations and boards, including as president of the Arizona Trial Lawyers Association and as a member of the American Board of Trial Advocates, the Trial Lawyers for Public Justice Board of Governors, the Civil Justice Foundation Board of Trustees, the Board of Governors of the Western Trial Lawyers Association, the University of Arizona Arthritis Advisory Board, the Tucson General Hospital Trustees, as a trustee for Hardin-Simmons and on the board of elders of Canyon del Oro Baptist Church.
Over his lifetime, he received numerous awards and honors, including being recognized by the Arizona Association for Justice with the Lifetime Advocate of Civil Justice Award for his 47 years of outstanding advocacy of the civil justice system.
He and his wife, Betty, had two daughters and five granddaughters. A licensed pilot, Haralson and his family enjoyed flying, scuba diving and skiing.
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William “Bill” Hawkins first partnered with FCA during his coaching career and began an FCA presence at many high schools where he coached football. Now, 50 years later, he has also served in FCA leadership at the local level for three decades. He endowed an FCA scholarship fund for the North Central Alabama area, has regularly sponsored student-athletes for FCA Camps and encouraged his church to do the same.
A high school athlete himself, Hawkins coached for 25 years at seven different high schools in Alabama. Although retired for 25 years, his work at schools in the state has had lasting impact.
A resident of Gardendale, Ala., Hawkins has two daughters and six grandchildren.
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Neil Marthedal served FCA in many capacities on the local and national levels. He died in February 2015 at the age of 63. In California, he served as Central Valley Board Member, as Chairman of Central Valley Local Leadership Board and as an FCA Huddle Leader. Additionally, he served on FCA’s National Board of Trustees for six years. His wife, Nancy, is also a strong FCA supporter and has volunteered as a softball clinician at FCA Sports Camps.
Marthedal earned an engineering degree from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo and was the president of the successful business, Marthedal Solar Air & Heating. He was actively involved in his church and community, and was well-respected in the Southern Baptist Convention and the Fresno Leadership Foundation. He also served on the boards of the Fresno Rescue Mission and Easton Southern Baptist Church.
Together, the Marthedals became involved with FCA in 1988, when they started the FCA Booster Club at Washington Union High School in Fresno, Calif. Four adult children and one grandson complete the family.
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Jon Randles led hundreds of NCAA chapel services for schools such as Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech, Arkansas, Oklahoma and LSU—just to name a few. Randles also served as a much-sought-after FCA Camp pastor, sometimes booked five years in advance, and spoke at numerous FCA Fields of Faith events, where students gather on hundreds of athletic fields across the country to pray, worship and encourage one another to read the Bible. Randles passed away in April 2015 at the age of 58.
Throughout Texas, especially in the Lubbock area, Randles made great strides for FCA. He began his own journey with Christ at an FCA meeting in high school. By the mid-’70s, Randles was teaching discipleship as a college student to several of the high school athletes at his alma mater. He went on to pastor two churches in Lubbock, and during both stints, served as the “unofficial chaplain” for the Texas Tech Red Raiders football team.
Randles left Lubbock for 20 years, from 1994 to 2014, to serve as an evangelist, and these two decades were perhaps his most impactful for FCA. During football season, he was booked every weekend to lead team chapels all over the nation, and on Sundays, he sometimes led NFL chapels as well. During the week, he spoke at revivals and to local junior high and high school assemblies.
Randles helped build the Fields of Faith presence in his region, organizing the first event in Lubbock in 2011, when 3,500 attended. Shortly before his death, Randles spoke to a Fields of Faith crowd of 11,500 at Texas Tech’s Jones Stadium in October 2014.
Just three days before his death, Randles was inducted into the first class of the Greater South Plains FCA Hall of Honor. He also served on the South Plains FCA Leadership Board and mentored Greater Dallas FCA staff in leadership development and spiritual growth.
Randles was married to his wife, Kelly, and they had two sons, one daughter and four grandchildren.
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FCA’s Hall of Champions members serve to fulfill FCA’s vision, mission and values: to see the world impacted for Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes; to present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church; and through relationships that demonstrate steadfast commitment to Jesus Christ and His Word through integrity, serving, teamwork and excellence.
The Class of 2016 will be honored with a photo and biography at the newly redesigned Hall of Champions at FCA’s National Support Center in Kansas City. A special glass plaque will be presented to honorees or members of their families later this year.
The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Hall of Champions was established in 1991. There are now 96 godly coaches and athletes plus board members and volunteers who have received this special tribute. They make up a group of FCA servant-leaders who have faithfully served Christ through the avenue of FCA. Their commitment to the Lord’s work has impacted millions over the years. They are a body of teammates in Christ who have demonstrated a consistent commitment to the support of FCA, nominated by staff and board members and elected by a selection committee.
Click here to view a complete list of previous Hall of Champions inductees