Metro Detroit FCA Coaches Kairos Retreat 2026 Adds Alumni!
Restoring, refreshing, and reinvigorating coaches for the season ahead.
“Sometimes the best thing a coach can do for the people they lead is to take time to strengthen the person doing the leading.”
They are leading athletes through cultural challenges, family struggles, mental and emotional pressure, questions of identity, and an increasingly demanding sports environment. At the same time, coaches are trying to lead their own families, care for their health, remain grounded in their faith, and remember why they began coaching in the first place.
We believe this may be one of the toughest times in the history of sports to be a head coach.
That is why Metro Detroit FCA created the Coaches Kairos Retreat.
Alumni Return to Strengthen the Community
A meaningful addition to the 2026 retreat was the involvement of Coaches Kairos alumni.
Former participants were invited to return for an afternoon reunion session and the opening-night dinner. This allowed them to reconnect with one another and welcome the new group of coaches and athletic directors. Alumni also reached out personally to first-time participants before the retreat began.
This is more than adding another activity to the schedule. It is about building a lasting community.
Coaches need people who understand their calling, their pressures, and their responsibility. By bringing alumni back into the experience, we are creating stronger relationships and a growing network of coaches who can encourage, challenge, and support one another long after the retreat ends.
Sunday Afternoon and Evening: Welcome and Looking at Your Aim
The retreat officially began Sunday evening after dinner with alumni and an overview of the experience.
Michael Massucci led the first session by asking, “Are we fit to lead in anxious times?” Each coach and athletic director shared about coaches who had made a difference in their lives and the qualities those leaders possessed. Great leaders have a way of helping others see more in themselves.
When we think about excellence in coaching, we need to think big. We need to set God-sized goals and commit to a process. Coaches must be devoted to the vision the Lord is giving them.
This session gave participants practical language for understanding themselves, building stronger staffs, and leading with greater purpose.
Tuesday Morning: Abiding in Love for One Another
Tuesday began with another morning devotional on the deck before breakfast.
During the final session, Matt led the coaches and athletic directors through one final study in John 15.
John 15:10-17 — We Have Joy When We Obey
· How do we abide in His love? We obey His commandments. Abiding means obeying His command to love one another. If you want joy in your life, love others as He loves you.
· Many people think first of the fruit of the Spirit—love, joy, peace, and patience. But Jesus also speaks of fruit that remains. This points us toward new disciples and the exponential growth of lives transformed through Christ.
A Time to Restore, Refresh, and Reconnect
“Kairos” refers to a meaningful or appointed moment in time. This three-day, two-night retreat is designed to give selected Metro Detroit coaches the space to step away from the demands of the season and focus on the person behind the position.
Coaches are three-dimensional people, just like the athletes they serve. They need opportunities to grow in body, mind, and spirit.
Held in July on beautiful Harsens Island, overlooking the South Channel of the St. Clair River, the Coaches Kairos Retreat combines leadership development, personal reflection, spiritual renewal, recreation, and honest conversation. We are grateful to FCA Metro Detroit Board Member Jim Lambrecht for hosting this event and adding so much value to the experience.
Participants are provided lodging, meals, enrichment sessions, time for reflection, and opportunities to build relationships with other coaches who understand the weight of leadership.
The goal is simple: to help coaches return home restored, refreshed, and reinvigorated for the season ahead.
Monday Morning: We Become What We Pay Attention To
Monday began with devotional time on the deck as the sun rose over the St. Clair River. With the water in the background, coaches opened God’s Word and reflected on their identity, leadership, and relationship with Jesus Christ.
After breakfast, Massucci continued the conversation by challenging participants to remind their brains about the best version of themselves. The right brain captures the vision; the left brain helps build the process to get there.
The schedule also included intentional free time. Coaches could fish, paddleboard, enjoy the property, rest, or simply have an unhurried conversation. These moments often create some of the most meaningful connections of the retreat.
Monday Afternoon and Evening: Learning to Abide
The afternoon and evening sessions introduced coaches to the process of abiding in the Lord. Matt Trombley, pastor of Life of Purpose Church, co-led the sessions with Tim Morton.
John 15:1-4 — Abiding Is Cleaning and Pruning
- Abiding is not optional. It requires the Holy Spirit.
- Jesus is the true vine. He did what the people of Israel could never do and fulfilled His Father’s plan to redeem us.
- Our Father in Heaven is the vinedresser. He lifts us up, prunes us, and does what is necessary to produce fruit in us.
John 15:5-9 — Abiding Is Asking in His Name
- We abide in Jesus, and He in us, only through the Holy Spirit—the life-giving sap that runs from the vine to the branches. When the Holy Spirit flows, the fruit grows.
- We are called to abide in agape love. This is freeing: we do not need to earn God’s love. God loved us first for His reasons, not because of our efforts.
A Special Invitation to Metro Detroit Coaches
The Coaches Kairos Retreat is a special, invitation-based experience for head coaches in Metro Detroit who we believe will appreciate the format, contribute to the conversations, and add value to the growing community.
We are looking for coaches who are willing to step away, reflect honestly, invest in relationships, and consider who they are becoming—not only as coaches, but as leaders, spouses, parents, friends, and followers of Jesus.
Retreat Facilitators
Tim Morton · FCA Southeast Michigan Director
Matt Trombley Pastor · Life of Purpose Church in St. Clair Shores
Michael Massucci · AEO Leadership, LLC
Jim Lambrecht · FCA Metro Detroit Board Member
We believe coaches carry tremendous influence. When a coach is healthy, grounded, and leading with purpose, that impact reaches far beyond the scoreboard. It reaches athletes, families, schools, and entire communities.
The Coaches Kairos Retreat gives coaches permission to pause, reconnect with their purpose, and prepare for the season ahead.
Know a Metro Detroit coach who would benefit from this experience?
Metro Detroit FCA Blog
