Kyla Hart-Perron unites Christian student athletes

When tourism, hospitality and event management major Kyla Hart-Perron, a junior, first arrived at the university, she said something was missing. Between practices, classes and games, she struggled to find a space where her faith could grow alongside her athletic life. 

A year later, Hart-Perron leads one of the fastest-growing student groups on campus: the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Known as FCA, the national organization brings together athletes and students who want to connect through faith, worship and community. 

“God kind of just put it on my heart to start this here,” Hart-Perron said. “We didn’t really have much community for athletes here, and I kind of felt isolated and didn’t have much Christian community. So, one of my teammates and I started it about a year ago.” 

The university chapter held its first meeting at the end of last fall semester. About 20 students showed up, and attendance stayed consistent throughout the year. When the group met again a few weeks ago for its second meeting of the new semester, more than 50 students filled the room. 

“It just makes my heart so happy to see how the Lord has grown and how He’s moved through FCA on this campus,” HartPerron said. “Everyone’s just super excited to be in fellowship together.” 

FCA is open to all students, not just athletes, but many of its members compete on the university sports teams, including field hockey, football and volleyball. The group meets every other Thursday for large Bible studies and also hosts team-specific sessions. 

Last year, they organized their first social event — an evening of pickleball at Pickleville — to help members connect outside of their studies. 

“A lot of people ask if this is just for athletes, but it’s absolutely open to anyone interested,” HartPerron said. “Most of the people who come are on sports teams, but Jesus is bigger than that. We want to keep the door open to everybody.” 

Since launching FCA, Hart-Perron said her confidence and leadership have grown in ways she never expected. Before starting FCA, she did not do public speaking. She said she would not have imagined leading groups of 25 to 50 students. 

“The Lord has totally turned that around for me,” Hart-Perron said. “I even had the opportunity to speak at a missions convention in front of 200 people. A year ago, I would’ve been so nervous talking in front of 10.” 

With membership expanding, finding space has become FCA’s biggest challenge. Their usual meeting spot in the Moore Field House no longer fits the crowd, so Hart-Perron and her team are looking for larger rooms on campus. 

Despite the growing pains, her mission remains the same: to give students a place to grow in faith and friendship. 

“We’re just a bunch of people trying to chase after Jesus,” Hart-Perron said. “It’s not always going to be perfect or easy, but when we have this community, we can help each other grow and stay on the right path.”