Game of Strength
Saturday, Sept. 21
1 p.m. – Women’s soccer vs. Northwestern
5 – 9 p.m. – Gathering at Bottle Rocket Brewing Co.
Follow Fritz & Friends on Instagram: @fritzandfriendsdmd
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A 2011 graduate and former Concordia women’s soccer player, Phoenix, Arizona, resident Sarah (Hoffmann) Krieger is coming back to campus. Alongside her will be her husband Bryant (also a Concordia alum) and their children, Hans, Otto, Fritz and Ingrid. This will not simply be a vacation for the family of six.
Those who read about the Krieger family in the summer edition of The Broadcaster already know a little something about what makes its situation unique.
“There’s some nostalgia for sure,” Sarah said of returning to campus. “That’s where our family started. That’s when I met my husband. We were so involved in athletics. Just to get back to a place that meant so much to us and a place where we spent so much of our time is really awesome. I’ve been back before but this holds so much more power because of the message we want to share with this next generation of kids at Concordia. Soccer and all the sports are fun, but the thing that has outlasted even a diagnosis like Duchenne is the friendships that we made.”
The Kriegers want you to know that “strength is more than muscle.” That thought has become somewhat of a battle cry ever since Feb. 9, 2017, the day Sarah and Bryant had their faith tested. Their son Fritz, now three years old, was then diagnosed with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. In a YouTube video in which she recalled that unforgettable date, Sarah couldn’t stop the tears from welling up. Their lives would never quite be the same.
In the time since then, Sarah and Bryant have begun and have maintained a nonprofit organization called Fritz & Friends. The stated purpose of the organization is to raise awareness, raise funds for research and to teach and share about “true” strength.
The entire Krieger family will be present on Saturday afternoon when the Bulldog women’s soccer team hosts Northwestern (kickoff at 1 p.m. CT). The Kriegers will be recognized with a presentation and will also have a chance to meet the team and deliver a devotion prior to the game. The Concordia players will be wearing warmup shirts and other gear to honor and promote Fritz and the Fritz & Friends organization. After the game, all fans and supporters are welcome to join the family at Bottle Rocket Brewing Co. in Seward from 5 – 9 p.m.
Previous head coach Greg Henson learned of the Kriegers through a former assistant coach and ex-teammate of Sarah’s, Annika Uden (Concordia’s bookstore manager). The idea to invite the family back to campus to meet with the team seemed perfect. The Kriegers want to tell their story and make people more aware of Duchenne. This also provides an opportunity for members of the Bulldogs to grow in their faith as they listen to the testimony of Sarah and Bryant.
“We were physically on our knees and sometimes even yelling at God. Why would this happen to a perfect, innocent little boy?” Sarah said. “Especially our little boy. We really wrestled with this idea of what strength was. We talked about wanting to raise strong kids. We wanted to look at Fritz and say that he’s strong – but how can we do that when he literally has something that takes away his strength? God kind of whispered this idea to us that strength is more than muscle.
“Through the dark days that we didn’t want to face, we realized that Jesus never showed strength in a physical sense, but he was considered strong. The way he showed strength was by sharing kindness.”
Sarah says that she and Bryant hit “rock bottom” the day they found out about Fritz’s diagnosis. Why is such a diagnosis so devastating? The facts about Duchenne are grim. It is the most common fatal genetic disorder diagnosed in children and there is currently no cure. The disorder is associated with progressive muscle weakness that causes heart and lung problems. Boys with Duchenne typically require a wheelchair by their mid-teens and typically do not survive their mid-twenties.
In some of the videos that are displayed on the Fritz & Friends website, it may appear that Fritz is just a regularly functioning young boy. However, Sarah noticed signs that something was amiss even when Fritz was just an infant. His movements and his actions were different from what his older brothers had exhibited at the same age. These signs convinced the Kriegers to seek a diagnosis. Today, Fritz regularly visits a specialized doctor in Ohio.
“It’s obvious even though he’s three years old that his movements are very delayed,” Sarah said. “He can’t really run. He can’t really jump, but he can walk fine. Because the muscle is all inclusive in the body it effects his brain. He doesn’t really have any speech. He doesn’t have language yet at three. Other than that he would appear very healthy. Typically the decline really kicks in at age five.”
There are undoubtedly some challenging moments ahead for the Kriegers, but they know they won’t go through them alone. They have received overwhelming support from their community in Phoenix and from Concordia connections around the country.
“The Concordia community has totally come through for us and they’re all over the country,” Sarah said. “When we started to see strength in this different light, we had this new hope that we could help Fritz be strong and we could be strong – strength is so much more than muscle.”
That message is sure to be a theme this weekend in what will be billed as a “Game of Strength” for Concordia women’s soccer. It will be a chance to not only share a powerful message, but also to share fellowship with former teammates and supporters. Sarah says many of her former teammates remain some of her best friends today and have continued to reach out with prayer and support.
For those who are inclined, donations can be made to the Fritz & Friends organization by visiting its website at https://www.fritzandfriendsdmd.org/. Sarah stresses that all donations go directly to the cause, for research and for the hopes of improving the quality of life for children diagnosed with Duchenne. The Kriegers are not asking for donations to the family.