The first time I heard Bellevue Christian football coach Greg Schneider speak to his team, I was shocked.

It was during the team’s first spring practice and Schneider wasn’t talking about open field tackling or sustaining blocks downfield.

He was talking about love.

Hearing Schneider tell his players they would need to play with love and faith instead of anger and zeal let me know at some point, I needed to take a deeper look.

There is so much more to a football program than gameplans and statistics. To get to know the Vikings better, I decided to see if I could tag along for an away game. Athletic Director Mark DeJonge, who is as connected to the student body as any school administrator I’ve ever been around, made sure everything went off without a hitch.

During the game instead of roaming the stadium alone, DeJonge was front and center near the BCS bench, pleading with the defense to come up with a critical third-down stop. The look on his face made it completely clear just how much he cares about not only BCS athletics, but BCS athletes.

On the hour and a half bus ride north, Schneider talked candidly about his own playing days. He told the story of Taft College, located in a California town of the same name where during his time there were racial tensions that spilled from the football team to the community at large and back onto the gridiron.

Eventually, the success of the once downtrodden program, with the talents of many black players playing a pivotal role, helped curb some of the hatred. Schneider spoke with pride about how the town became galvanized behind him and his teammates, no longer blinded by skin color but willing instead to see the potential in a person regardless of race. Schneider went on to play at San Diego State before injuries derailed his career but it’s evident his passion for the game and what it can do in a community lives on at Bellevue Christian.

The game itself is exciting, disappointing and inspiring all at the same time. Austin Razor returned the opening kickoff (and another later in the game) for a touchdown and the Vikings made enough plays on both sides of the ball to keep things close until the end. But too many mistakes and too much physicality from the more experienced, deeper Braves took its toll.

The message after the game from Schneider was to be thankful for the opportunity and eager for the next. He doesn’t sugarcoat his displeasure with the team’s lacking energy level, but he also doesn’t let his frustration go to a negative place. It’s a fine balance and he treads it without falter.

And it isn’t just the coach who makes himself heard.

After the assistants say their piece, the players are allowed to point out teammates who contributed an outstanding effort. Razor tells them “I didn’t have to do anything,” on his two kick returns, citing the blocking from the rest of the return team.

Clearly, Schneider’s message is sinking in.

There’s no telling how the rest of the inaugural season will go for the Vikings and I’m not going to proclaim they will become the state’s next great football program. But there’s no doubt that if they do, they will do it with love.

And I for one won’t be shocked.

“For the love of the game” is a Bellevue Reporter sports column written by sports reporter Josh Suman.