BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Over 30 years ago, in 1992, the first All-City Soccer Tournament in Battle Creek, MI was held. Every year since the beginning of the tournament in 1992, games have been played on Saturday with most of the city teams participating in the bracket (Lakeview, Harper Creek, Pennfield, Battle Creek Central and Calhoun Christian).

Thirty-two years ago, the Tigers athletic program at BCA began. However, there was no soccer team until 2018. This soccer team was born from a desire among many students at BCA who held soccer as a family passion and community bonding activity. The Tigers soccer program began at the middle school level. In 2018 and 2019 there were highly successful middle school soccer teams on the field at BCA. In 2020, the first year of high school soccer began at BCA. That first year was a challenge on the field. In addition to that, the added challenge of dealing with COVID-19 made it even more difficult, but it was the foundation for this upcoming 2023 season.

During the first year of high school soccer at BCA, team captain and freshman at the time, Daniel Mung, asked Athletic Ministry Director Shadrach Grentz about joining the All-City Soccer Tournament. Daniel was one of the first students to ask for a soccer team to be started. Mr. Grentz said, “when I found out that Daniel and many of our student athletes wanted to play in the All-City Soccer Tournament, I wanted to help make that possible while they were attending our school and holding strong to their belief in the Sabbath.” 

The first year (2020) that Daniel asked, we were not able to play in the tournament. The next year (2021), Mr. Grentz began email correspondence with the city athletic directors. At the time, our program had not yet participated in the MHSAA tournament and there was no openness from the city athletic directors to move the date from Saturday. That spring (2022) Mr. Grentz met the Harper Creek Athletic Director, Mr. Ed Greenman, at the Athletic Administrators Conference. There a conversation occurred that led to Mr. Grentz receiving an invitation to join the city athletic directors meetings that happened about quarterly in Battle Creek, MI. Mr. Grentz said “I felt that conversation with Mr. Greenman was inspired by God. Mr. Greenman seemed open to moving the All-City Soccer Tournament and wanted me to be included in the discussion about this matter.”

In the fall (2022), the first All-City Athletic Directors Meeting occurred with every athletic director from the city present. This meeting went well, but the All-City Soccer Tournament date had already been set in the spring for the fall of 2022. Mr. Grentz said “when I went to the next meeting in November, I knew the tournament would only be moved if it was God’s will and He opened the door.” At that meeting in November (2022), there was more discussion about moving the tournament and it seemed more ADs were open to it then before. Mr. Grentz said “during the meeting, I was very thankful for the opportunities to answer questions about the Sabbath and share how we believe in honoring God by resting from sundown Friday through sundown Saturday. Several of the athletic directors at the meeting seemed intrigued and asked more questions about what we believe as they had never heard of Seventh-day Adventists before.”

Throughout the winter, Mr. Grentz had individual meetings with city athletic directors and started drafting different possibilities for an All-City Soccer Tournament format that was not on a Sabbath. After preparing this, Mr. Grentz sent an email to all of the city athletic directors. In February (2023) another All-City Athletic Directors Meeting was held. At this meeting it was agreed that the All-City Soccer Tournament would take place on Friday, August 18, 2023. MHSAA rules allow for multi-game tournaments to only take place on a Friday or a Saturday and this was the only Friday that was not during football season. 

As we prepare in the next few weeks for this beginning of the season tournament, we ask for your prayers. Prayers that the weather will allow for the tournament to be played on the one possible date that all schools agreed to during the fall that is not a Sabbath. Prayers that our team will be physically, mentally and spiritually prepared for the season, but most importantly, prayers that our interactions with the schools in our city will be a witness for God. This is our first opportunity to share what we believe in this venue. This is a great opportunity to show that we are different in the way we treat each other and that Christ is living in us.