GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — The NorthPointe Christian Middle and High School gym was packed for one person: Chip Huber.
The soccer coach and Bible teacher had won the Making A Difference On AND Off The Field Award, an honor bestowed to those who change lives through the "power of sport," but he didn't know it. He didn't know his students and family had filed into the bleachers while he was kept busy in a meeting.
When Huber walked into the gym, somewhat unsure as to why the school's athletic director had led him there, the crowd erupted.
"I had no idea, right? So unexpected, so grateful," Huber said after the surprise ceremony.
"Today's a red letter day for the Huber family, said Terry Huber, Chip's dad. "It's pretty special when you get a chance to see some of your input [as a parent]."
The man who Terry raised to integrate his faith "into everything" has taught Bible at NorthPointe Christian for the past four years, also serving as the director of student life and activities.
"I love when students learn," Chip Huber said. "Thinking about the big questions in life and finding truth that can actually give them hope, transform their lives."
"He's so passionate," said Stella Oviatt, a freshman. "When he teaches, he tells us all these stories. You can just tell that it's more than just a Bible story for him. It really connects to his life."
The faith that Huber takes into the classroom has also taken him to Zambia, Africa, where he's led soccer teams on service trips.
"It's the heartbeat of God," Huber said about serving others. "It's what we're created to do."
In 2012, he published The Zambia Project, writing about "the story of two worlds flipped upside down."
"It's super cool to see how a small school like NorthPointe Christian can have such a big impact on a community across the world," said Drew Losee, the athletic director.
Closer to home, Huber is the founder of Night of Nets, a sports-based campaign to supply countries in Sub-Saharan Africa with mosquito nets. Over the years, they've collected tens of thousands.
"We're blessed to be a blessing," Huber said. "That's our opportunity."
The Making A Difference On AND Off The Field Award, presented by the nonprofit Buddy's Helpers, comes with two tickets to an arts or sporting event of the winner's choosing and a check for donation to a local charity. Huber says he'll probably pick a soccer game. As for the charity, there's "a bunch of different options."
"I think one of the most incredible opportunities I have in my life is to coach young men around a sport we all love together," Huber said. "Then we use it to impact the world."
