VINEMONT — When it comes to high school athletics, leadership is very important to a team’s success.

But having positive role models provide leadership isn’t only important on the playing field. It’s also a pivotal part of life.

According to members of the coaching staff at Vinemont High, having a positive work environment can help athletes become stronger leaders. So when Cullman-area athletic trainer Steve Johnson said he could create that type of environment, the Eagles’ coaching staff let him take the reigns.

Throughout the years, Johnson has built a reputation as one of the top strength and conditioning coaches in the Cullman area. During the summer months, Johnson typically holds a series of team-based speed and agility camps for high school athletic programs. But this summer, the Cullman-area trainer decided to add a new twist.

As a person that’s very vocal about his faith in Jesus Christ, Johnson decided that he wanted to devote his summer speed and agility camps to Jesus Christ. And according to Johnson, that was possibly one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

“We had Christian-based speed and agility camps at Vinemont, West Point and Susan Moore high schools,” said Johnson, who is best known as the personal trainer for former Alabama football star Wesley Britt. “Every one of those camps were great, and the athletes loved it. These weren’t school-related camps, and it was the kids’ decision to participate. But at every camp we held, we had great turnouts. And best of all, everyone that participated grew stronger spiritually because of it.”

The general idea of the camp was to create a positive environment for Vinemont’s athletes to train. But in the end, the camp turned out to be an event that helped influence four young men to make a decision that they believe will change their lives forever: Being baptized in the name of Christ.

After soaking in the information that was provided by the guest speakers at Vinemont’s speed and agility camps this summer, Cody Copeland, Isaac Yarbrough, Trevor Yarbrough and Anthony Pace all decided to realign their priorities and devote their lives to Christ through baptism.

“It’s the greatest decision that I’ve ever made,” said Copeland, who is a member at Faith Baptist Church in Vinemont. “Honestly, this was something I had been fighting for a long time. I knew what I needed to do, it was just the matter of doing it.

“But one afternoon we had a guy from Daystar (Greg Davis) come up here and speak. And what he said really hit home. After I thought about what he had said, I went and spoke with our youth minister (Scott Carpenter) at Faith Baptist. That’s when I decided it was time to make that change.”

Powerful Words

At this summer’s speed and agility camp, Vinemont’s athletes would open and close each session with a prayer. The Eagles also gathered twice a week for a devotional that usually featured a guest speaker, such as Davis — who is the youth minister at Daystar Church.

Davis said he doesn’t remember the exact conversation he had with the athletes at Vinemont, but what he does remember is how he felt after leaving the school that afternoon.

“What they were doing out at Vinemont this summer was special,” Davis said. “The message that I wanted to get across is that there’s more to life than athletics, sports are just one of the many joys we have in that time of our lives.