This past Saturday, August 4th, the Soldiers For Faith team held a special men’s 3-on-3 tournament at Williamsburg Christian Academy called Katie’s Challenge. The event was planned to honor the spirit and faith of Katie Mausteller, a WCA graduate and star on the basketball and soccer teams, who died last October from severe brain injuries suffered during a long boarding accident in Harrisonburg.
The event started with a pre-tournament chapel from SFF’s Rich Garza, who is also the co-chaplain for the NBA’s San Antonio Spurs.
The tournament featured eight highly competitive teams made up of former and hopeful college players. The atmosphere was definitely electric as over 150 fans came to watch.
“The level of play was fabulous. It was a call-your-own game situation with no referees, and we’re proud to say that we all represented God well on the court. We had no major disputes and were able to resolve any disagreements over calls quickly and fairly,” says says Kelly McAndrew, Founder and President of Soldiers For Faith.
“We could not have pulled off this event without the support of a lot of people in community, and we want to specifically thank Williamsburg Christian Academy for hosting us here in their gym.”
After the tournament, Rich Garza came back out and held a post-tournament chaplain to what was still a strong crowd.
“We feel so blessed to have had such great support for the event. We had a fun day on the courts with some competitive teams and games. And most importantly, I think we honored Katie’s faith and spirit. It was so awesome to see her parents, family and so many of her friends here to spend time together, listening to Rich Garza’s chapel message and eating some good BBQ. We can’t wait for the event next year!” says Kelly McAndrew.
To see more photos from the event, please visit the Soldiers For Faith Facebook page.