With a shaved head balanced by a long salt and pepper beard on a deeply tanned face and a muscled frame, it’s no surprise that Brent Ho is a football coach. But in addition to being a football coach, Ho is also a man rooted in God’s Word who is passionate about equipping coaches and athletes alike in Kingdom truth.
Born and raised in Boise, Idaho, Ho grew up on the sports field. Married for 28 years to his high school sweetheart Christy, they raised two kids as Ho worked as a career firefighter while coaching football at Mountain View High School in Meridian, Idaho. Invested in the community for more than 30 years, he intentionally sought out ways to serve and connect.
In 2012, a football coach at a neighboring high school told Ho about FCA Camp in Nampa. Intrigued, he went to check it out. Every year for the past 11 years he’s returned.
“I was thinking, ‘Where has this been? Where have I been—with my eyes closed? How have I not seen this before?’" Ho said.
After he retired from the fire department in June 2020, God pressed on his heart something new. In March 2021, he and Christy packed up and moved to Logan, Utah, to be part of a church plant.
A lifelong sports lover, Ho looked for a way to use the platform of coaching in his new community so he did an area search and reached out to the administration of the first high school he found. They connected him with the head football coach. After an initial email, Ho found his way into the office and walked out with an opportunity to coach the freshman team at Green Canyon High School. Now at Mountain Crest High School, Ho has stayed focused on his influence as a coach.
“How we react with our students, how we react with our athletes, how we react with our families, how we react with our community—that's how the Gospel message gets across,” he said. “It’s my prayer that we become what we need to be so that we may win those to Christ.”
After years of attending the Nampa FCA Camp, Ho was deeply invested in the ministry. That’s why he has made an effort to be involved in FCA in both places. In Logan, he engages, equips and empowers freshman players as their coach. At the Northwest FCA Sports Camp hosted in the Nampa area, Ho prioritizes serving at camp, and he has also led devotionals for the Coaches Huddles.
“It’s for the kids, coaches, the fellowship, having fun with the kids and getting them to know God’s Word, even if it’s just at the elementary level,” he said. “Give them little things, put away technology, be around other people who think similarly, immerse in God’s Word and allow these coaches who have been around for decades to speak into them and see transformation happen and see God work.”
Laser focused on understanding the why behind the what, Ho has deeply leaned into the motivation of what God has given him to do: engage, equip and empower the next generation of coaches and athletes. He knows coaching can be hard, but it’s not unbearable when he remembers the why. FCA has given him the tools, encouragement and outlet to live out his passion and calling as a coach.
“If I am doubtful, if I am struggling, if I am having a bad day, God's in control; He's got it. John chapter 10 speaks of it directly where Jesus says, ‘My sheep are in my hand. The Father's hand is around mine. God will not let go of you.’”
Ho recognizes the privileged position of coaching and whether he is at FCA Camp with a local school’s football team, his purpose is the same.
“We have the ability to do some amazing things for athletes,” he said. “Somebody poured into me, somebody answered my questions. Somebody was there to listen to me; someone was there to build me up.”
And all throughout Idaho, Ho is there to pass it on.
Want to deepen your coaching skills for more meaningful interactions with your team? Head over to 360 Coach and take care of your mind, body and spirit as you reflect Jesus to your players and make a Kingdom impact on their lives.
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