Before November 5, 2011, Mrs. Tina Reeder had a few titles—all recognizable by her CCA family: mother of CCA junior, Avery Reeder, Health and Home Economics teacher, cheerleading coach, CPR instructor, and even special friend. And on November 6, at precisely, 12:46 am, Mrs. Reeder added this new title to her name: Ironman.

If anyone knows anything about IronMan, let’s just say it takes a lot of work, commitment, and determination to see it through. The swim/bike/run training is intense and when you see an Ironman race you recognize how amazing those ironman people truly are.

Mrs. Reeder decided to train for the Ironman race after she completed her first triathlon in 2005 at Disney World. “It was at the finish line that God showed me that all I needed was Him,” Mrs. Reeder wrote in her blog, The Quest for the IM. There she explains how during her triathlon she got separated from her running partner, but she had Christ as her company and was able to finish the race.

This realization made her want to do the Ironman. She felt God had called her to run, bike, and swim with Him alone. And on November 5, she did just that. Her only brief disappointment was that Mr. James Reeder, who went to be with the Lord in March of 2009, was not there to share her happiness. The thought of him in heaven with God, who was also here with her, was all the strength she needed to move forward.

On her blog, she gives a full account of her entire Ironman experience– a journey that began way before the race and still had lasting effects afterward: “It’s 3am, 3 days after IronMan and I can’t sleep!  I think I am as excited right now as I was the moment I crossed that finish line and still wonder if it was all a dream.”

But it was definitely not a dream. On her blog she shares some of the toughest parts of the race, how she struggled and how God pulled her through it. As she tells it, at mile 20, of the 26.2-mile running portion, she realized that she had two hours to finish six miles. She explains her feelings as, “Nothing short of amazing.”

Through sweat, tears, and perseverance, God continually showed Mrs. Reeder His love for her. She shares her amazing experience and how God never let her down. He constantly reminded her of the task at hand and supported her all the way. “Just you and me Jesus, just you and me,” she said as she crossed the finish line. And as she did, she raised her arms to heaven. For an onlooker, she must have appeared just like another runner throwing their arms up in the air after a hard race. But Jesus knew better.

The CCA community was represented well. Students, parents, and staff filled the bleachers before the start of the game at 4 p.m., EST, but as the event went on, more and more dedicated and fully enthusiastic fans joined the crowd. Nearly 1,500 fans were in attendance, making this “white out” game one of the best in CCA history.

The “white out” idea was the concoction of a few of the football players, who wanted to christen the new field with great fanfare. Their strategy was simple: spread the word on Facebook. Once the Facebook fan page was created, hundreds of invitations were sent out. In a short time, 438 students were listed as “attending.” Enthusiasm grew as word of mouth spread out rapidly throughout the student body and the CCA community, creating a new kind of school spirit on campus.

The game was all that a fan would wish for. Quarterback, Javan Shashaty, threw 8 touchdown passes to receiver, Shawn Lashbrook and Gregory Mabin, to set a new single-game Broward County record. He was later honored as the “Player of the Week,” by the Miami Dolphins at their Monday Night game against the New England Patriots on September 12.

“It’s an incredible feeling,” Shashaty said. “It’s like a dream really because you don’t think about throwing that many touchdown passes in a game. It feels great, but the best part about it is the team winning.”

The Eagles (1-0) trailed the Knights (0-1) 20-7 early in the second quarter before Shashaty led his offense with five unanswered touchdown passes, capped by his 91-yarder to Lashbrook early in the fourth quarter. Lashbrook finished with 256 receiving yards on eight receptions. Mabin finished with three catches, all for touchdowns covering 3, 59, and 72 yards.

To say that this game brought hype and anticipation would be an understatement. The vibe around the school for the week prior was up-tempo and stimulating. When asked about the affect of the expectations, Lashbrook said, “It makes the players want to go out and put on a really great show for the fans that are out there to support us.”

Play by Play…Game by Game…

September 2:  The Whiteout. It was the first home game on the new football field of the 2011 season. Senior, Alec Corbijn, came up with the idea to have the student body come to the game wearing all white. The boys beat Highlands Christian 55-26.

September 20: The Flood. Varsity Volleyball “flooded” Westminster Academy’s Gym with blue. Extreme fan, Senior Taylor Gushue, said “This was definitely the most people that I have ever seen going to a volleyball game; it was cool!”

September 30: The Gold Rush. The Varsity Football didn’t just rush yards, they also rushed gold against the Westminster Academy Lions. Taylor Heckocks and Andrew Lowe contributed to the rush by coming with drums to lead the student body in spirit.

October 6: The Blizzard. Varsity Volleyball “froze” the Westminster Academy Lions in their steps again, this time in our gym. The student body came together at lunch to decorate the gym with an abundance of paper snowflakes and signs. The team entered the gym with a chill, running in with a fog machine on and warming up to the CD player blaring. It was a cold night for WA.

On that evening, during the Miami Dolphins Monday Night Football game against the New England Patriots, Shashaty was recognized by The Miami Dolphins Organization as the High School Player of the Week for his record-breaking performance against Highlands Christian Academy, where he threw for over 500 yards, 8 touchdowns and only 1 interception.

 “It was a really cool experience,” said Shashaty, who got to go down on the field at the end of the second quarter, and remained there the majority of the third quarter, right next to where all the NFL players were.

These are the kinds of nights, one might wonder, that could make a young athlete prideful, even boastful about their accomplishments, but not Shashaty.  In fact, for him it’s quite the opposite affect. He never hesitates to give all the glory to God, giving credit where credit is due.

“God has really blessed me with all these platforms—that’s what I like to call them—it just presents some really cool ways to show how God has used me that it’s not just me personally, or what I am working for, but it’s all about what He’s been doing in my life.”

This athlete’s humility and seemingly never-ending success makes him a great role model and has caused him to receive respect on and off the field. When news broke on our campus that he had been honored at the Monday Night Football game, one of America’s favorite night during the fall and winter season, Shashaty had a new list of fans yelling his name at the next CCA football home game. But the Dolphins game was forever in-printed in his mind.

“It’s every high school athlete’s dream,” he added, as recalled the night—seeing himself standing on NFL turf, surrounded by thousands of Dolphin and Patriot fans. Was he thinking of the future? Was he imagining himself playing on that field one day? Regardless of what was going through his mind, we know this: he carries the weight of the award heavily on his mind, but not the way most people might think.

“I think it’s a really awesome opportunity and with that comes a lot of responsibility, knowing that everything you do is under the spotlight, and I’ve found that out from both sides. It’s just a privilege for me to have that kind of an influence on the student body and it’s something that I do not take very lightly.”

As colleges around the country comb South Florida high schools to find the next superstar, CCA’s football quarterback is looking to play his name game. His focus is clear; his determination to win even more so, but most notably is his heart, which is connected to God. That strength is driving him and his team to success.

]]> http://www.theccamessenger.org/top-stories/2011/10/04/miami-dolphins-honor-javan-shashaty-as-high-school-player-of-the-week/feed/ 0 http://www.theccamessenger.org/top-stories/2011/09/19/varsity-volleyball-is-spinning-to-the-top/ http://www.theccamessenger.org/top-stories/2011/09/19/varsity-volleyball-is-spinning-to-the-top/#comments Mon, 19 Sep 2011 21:17:19 +0000 maritzacg http://www.theccamessenger.org/?p=2863 The Varsity Volleyball team has a season record of 4-1.  On September 8, 2011, the Lady Eagles defeated Highlands in three games! Annie Harley helped the Eagles to victory with a record 3 digs and 2 kills.  Alexa Romagnolo had 8 digs and 5 service points, and Emily Taylor had 9 assists.

During pre-game devotions the team discussed perfection; its ultimate goal being to practice it in the way we represent Christ. Varsity Captain, senior Jennifer Wilkie stated, “Even though we all strive for perfection, we need to realize we don’t want to worry about it more than we worry about progress.”

On September 9, the Varsity girls also defeated PineCrest, once again in just three games. The scores were 25-22, 25-20, and 25-15. With this strong start, senior Gaby Pyle has said,  “ I really think this is our year! We have such a great team and we’re all so close I really feel that will take us a long way!”

As the Varsity team has grown in number and in their faith, they have begun exhibiting a family likeness. Head Coach Marci Barboza has told the girls, “Having a bond with the team is one of the most important things about being on a team.”  Many people can see how close they are, because they are always together. Almost every game day you can find the whole team eating lunch together in the Commons area.

The Lady Eagles are off to a great start this season, and hopefully will continue on, achieving their goal of winning states. With hard practices, dedication, and the support of the fans, they can go all the way. Your support is appreciated. Come cheer for your Lady Eagles next Thursday, September 22, in the Gym at 7pm.  Go Eagles!

“Well the construction is being done in three phases,” explained Fred Gushue, Director of Facilities. “The primary phase was to number one, identify useable space for the Facilities Department. We took our Facilities Department and relocated it upstairs at what was known before as the 6290 Building.”

“The second thing we did was move the Wrestling area, because they don’t have enough room for their events, and they need a little bit more secured space.” And lastly, the skate park will be re done so its, “configuration wouldn’t be so impeding” as Mr. Gushue explained.

Well, you might be thinking, what about the Weight Room? According to Mr. Gushue, this is going to be relocated to where wrestling was, and that’s a good thing, as it is going to be much larger, with two separate areas.

“Essentially, what we’ve done is shrink the amount of storage in the building and increase the amount of athletics space in the building,” said Head of School, Pastor Mark Davis, who oversees the facility planning.

The Weight room is going to be replaced with two new locker rooms for football. This whole building will be completely changed, hopefully having all three phases of this project done by summer of 2012.

But, not only is this building used for CCA sports; it’s also used to reach out to the community. “Trent Gamble oversees the Sports Ministry for Calvary Chapel Fort Lauderdale, and there’s a men’s workout there that happens every morning at 6 am. There’s also a women’s fitness program that operates out there almost daily, and so we are reaching out into the community,” said Mr. Gushue. “There’s also an MMA outreach that’s just happened as a part of Love Out Louder, and Pastor Steve Williams has a club out there.”

While all CCA students are rushing to get to school, to beat the bell on the way to homeroom, men and women are working outside as being a part of CCA ministry. Another type of outreach at CCA is the skate park. “The skate park is really almost total outreach, most of the people that go there are from the community,” said Mr. Gushue, who sees it as more like a commuity place and no so much a CCA skate park, although many of our students hang out there. “The cool thing is that the community kids get get to hear the gospel all the time while they are there, so yes we’re going to use it even more!”

That is why this building will no longer be called the ‘6290 Building’ but it will now be known as the ‘Sports Outreach Building.’

Not only will the new “sports ministry building” be under construction, a new track and a new field for soccer and football will be rolling out soon, “ said Mr. Gushue.

The goal is to get that done this summer, and have that open by next fall. The sports outreach building will provide lockers and bathrooms and sport space for the football facility.

A lot is in store for CCA sports, and our CCFL ministry that will bring more and more people closer to God through things many students at CCA like to do, such as …sports, of course!

“They get to hear the gospel all the time out there, so yes we’re going to use it even more!”

—Fred Gushue, Director of Facilities

Running back, Dominick Pierre received a scholarship from Dartmouth, which was the first ever from Calvary to be accepted into an Ivy League school. Pierre scored 14 touchdowns and rushed for 1,086 yards last year with an average of 8.17 per carry. Our key offensive and defensive lineman, R.J. Barnett, received a scholarship to the University of Richmond, a top division 1A school. He solidified the offense and defense greatly and was a key factor to a successful 2009-2010 season. Last but not least, Kyle Whitely, last year’s star receiver, received a scholarship from St. Thomas out of Minnesota. He had a total of 1,323 receiving yards and13 touchdowns.

Matt Petrosky, former football alumni, for CCA, gave us a clear picture of who the key players will be this season. “Javan Shashaty, Greg Mabin, and Shawn Lashbrook are the key players to watch. They played great last year and have been stepping it up this 2010-11 season.”

Last Season, Javan threw 203 complete passes, 3,283 total passing yards, and 38 touchdowns. Mabin had a total of 906 receiving yards with 10 touchdowns and Lashbrook with 318 total receiving yards, with 5 touchdowns. As sophomores, they played a key role for the Eagles last year.  Now juniors, the three are expected to lead this team on and off the field. So far, Javan’s name has been in the news. Earlier this month, he was honored at the Miami Dolphins home game against the Patriots, as the “Player of the Week,” for his game against Westminster Academy. His also in contention for “Broward County’s All-time” passing yards in a career. “He was beyond his years. Very poised,’’ Coach Doug Byerts was quoted in a Sun Sentinel artcile that ran on August 28, 2010, when he was still coaching Westminster’s team last year and had his first running with Javan. “You don’t want to face guys like him week in and week out.’’

Now that Coach Byerts has joined the CCA team, he’s glad he has Javan on his side. His team started the season off with a loss to Pine Crest, 42-6, but came back strong and defeated Champagnet Catholic, 34- 22 in their second game of the season. After this victory, it pumped up the team, and came out strong to get their second win of the season, defeating St. Andrew’s, 44-27.

On  Friday, September 24th, the Eagles battled off on the gridiron against long time rival, Westminster Academy.  With their last win, they gained
momentum and rolled over W.A. 35-0. The next opponent the Eagles took on was King’s Academy. The Eagles prepared for a tough battle, but did not prevail. They lossed 42-7. After this tough loss, the Eagles came back and didn’t give up. They held thier heads up high, and defeated their next opponet, Pope John Paul 11, 28-27. Even though the CCA Homecoming game against Benjamin on October 22, didn’t end as expected, the players walked off the field with great spirits.

Passing the Passion

Each girl in the team brings a certain skill and strength. Barboza, as the head coach and former player who has also coached club and high school volleyball in the South Florida area, brings the technique expertise of the game. “I expect to help my players become better, not only at their volleyball skills and level of play, but also in the way they encourage others,” says Barboza, who even though may have the final word on plays, substitutions and practice schedules, she is willing to pass her passion to her players, pressing them forward to see what God will do.

It Takes a Thinker
Golf  is a sport not many people care for, but it’s mostly because no one ever takes the time to understand it. We hear about all these famous golfers, like Michelle Weis and Tiger Woods, but rearely do we take the time to watch them play. If we did, we will know how challenging and how much concentration goes into playing this sport.  Mr. Groeneveld, the CCA girls’ golf coach, knows all about the thinking and work it takes into playing this sport. “It takes a thinker,” says Mr. Groeneveld. Golf has been his favorite sport for 15 years and he has a real passion to play and to coach.  Now he is passing down the clubs to his youngest daughter Shelby, a 7th grader who has already competed in regional competitions. But she is not the only key player on this team, 10th grader Allison Ridenour is also. Mr. Groeneveld believes they will be his two key players this season.

The team practices three times a week, perfecting their swing and staying fit to walk to every one of those 18 holes. But most of the girls practice outside of school practice because they have a passion for the game; so do all their fathers. Each one of them enjoys golf, and now their daughters are enjoying it as well. With this, it will hopefully accomplish Coach Groenevelds goal of having this young team improve physically and spiritually one at a time just like Jesus did in this verse, “And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.” Luke 2:52

CCA’s #1 Fan
Fans screaming and cowbells ringing: that’s a typical football game at CCA. Watching the football soar through the air in a perfect spiral as players run to meet it is enough to send a fan in the upright position on any given game day.  You cheer, you yell, you try your best not to shout at the referee after he’s made a signal that puts your team back five yards.  You think you are CCA’s football teams’ number one fan, but you’re not.  Our CCA cheerleaders are!

“You really have to like it [cheerleading],” says Varsity Cheerleading Head Coach, Ashly Kershner, who loves the sport and has been cheerleading since her sophomore year in high school.

According to her, not only do you have to like it, you need to have the heart to cheer for your team when the odds are against them. And just like any other sport, you have to stay flexible and in shape to do well in it!

Best friends, Alicia Pagan and Nichole Reyes are varsity cheerleaders who love to cheer for their team. “I like encouraging our football players, and stunting is so much fun!” says Pagan. “I like our team unity,” adds Reyes, who finds confidence and comfort in her squad.

Cheerleading has earned a spot on the pyramid of sports. And like any other sport, it takes lots of time to master it. But unlike most sports, its selflessness is what draws  a crowd. Our CCA cheerleaders are sweet, intelligent and excited to use their gifts. And their year-round routine consists of more than just jumps, tumbling, and splits. Their goal is to be CCA’s football players #1 fan, and to set good examples in their walks with God, because they know the world is watching.

Cross Country’s Sweat Pays Off
Imagine running three miles for two hours, up and down hills on different terrains, and in South Florida, no less! where the harsh sun beats down on the top of your head like a drum and great drops of sweat drip down your face like drops of rain. CCA’s cross-country team knows that scenery all too well, but they also know that sweating pays off.

Danny Talpesh, better known on our CCA campus as our high school economics and personal finance teacher, also coaches both Girls and Boys Varsity Cross-Country teams. Being that he is local to South Florida, he understands its hot climate and what it takes to run here. He ran cross-country for two years in Sheridan Hills Christian High School, and now has a passion to coach CCA runners, making them strong, inside and out.

Coach Talpesh hopes that his team wins districts this year, and for some of his runners to go to States. The two key players this season are 7th graders Noel Pichinich and Chaney Hewitt. Pichinich got honorable mention in the Sun Sentinel as a 6th grader and now, another year older, hopefully she can accomplish even bigger things.

“But you, be strong and do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded!” 2 Chronicles 15:7.

This is their team’s verse and applies well to this sport. Even though you’re running in the heat for two hours up and down different terrains, it will be rewarded because you’re doing it for the glory of God. Now can you imagine?

“The best part is when you come off the field after a touch down,” says Javin Shashhatty, varsity football quarterback, who like most CCA athletes, has experienced that high. The kind that society tries to manufacture, while God gives it freely and naturally. High energy is fueled by hard work, determination, perseverance, and a willingness to do everything for the glory of God.  And Calvary Christian Academy athletes know that high well.  They train hard and pray harder. So, it’s no wonder that Coach Kaiser says,  “The future looks bright, they continue to get better.”

On May 11, CCA varsity athletes came out dressed in their best attire to celebrate together a great season. The Eagle Award, an honor that’s presented by a coach to the best athlete of the season in his or her sport was presented to: Avery Reeder, Lena Pettingell, Stephanie Nonnemacher, Noal Picinich, Dominick Pierre, Isaac Hoza, Spencer Saliba, Austin Veith, Adam Ridenour, Hannah Oilver, Jeri-Nichole Kendall, Emily Taylor, Matt Crilly, Danel Read, Andrew Boynton, Nicholas Read, Meagan Kreisel, Michelle Giambrone, Shelbye Fink, Sarah Hallas, Vin O’ Hare, Juan Fajardo, Carli Deibel, Claudio Conte, Ben Delez, Emilio DeSilva, L.j. Dutton, Sam Cudmore, Amanda Romagnolo, Allison Blaz, Caleb Couvertier, Isabela Umana,  Kyle Whitley, and Kelsey Thomas.

Following that was the Scholar Athlete Award, which is given to the athlete with the highest Grade Point Average (GPA) in his or her team. The winners of the “Scholar Athletes Award” were: Brittany Vasquez, Brittany Pendley, Thomas Ferrari, Daniel Middlebrooks, Hannah Oliver, Jenifer Wilkie, Andrew Anderson, Allison Ridenour, Alison Taylor, Gregory Bartos, Rebecca Urutia, Nathan Sherrer, Tyler Middlebrooks, Suzi Trick, Jason Day, Isabela Gomez, Josh Rich, and Allsioin Ridenour.

To finish off the night, the Athlete of the Year Award was presented to a female and male athlete nominated by a their coach and either the Sun-Sentinel or the Miami Herald.  The winners of this award were: Deborah Gordon for the girls and Dominick Pierre for the guys.

The night turned out to be a stellar occasion as CCA students, parents, teachers, coaches, and administration sat down together and enjoyed a delicious dinner at The Grill, treasuring funny and memorable stories that had God’s thumbprint all over them.  We heard the buzz all around the room—it was an amazing season, and indeed it was.  “Awesome,” it’s how Director of Athletics, Dana Ridenour described it. “The opportunity and the relationships with the kids and parents was a privilege, and to share excitement of wins and lose, as students rally together and mature spiritually and athletically…to God be the glory!”  What else is there to say?

The baseball team certainly went to bat this year, including an 18-5 overall record thus far, and a number one seed heading into this year’s district tournament. Leading the Eagles are Luke Jackson, who is a perfect 7-0 while pitching, and Taylor Gushue, whose 11 homeruns place him at the top of the country. Head Coach Greg Mucerino has high hopes for the team going into District playoffs. “We have excellent players, and every one of them has the ability to contribute to a win every single game.” If the Eagles continue to use their various strengths from pitching to base hits, they definitely have the ability to fly further in post-season play.

The track team also has gained a reputation, sending 22 athletes to Regional’s Thursday, April 22. The softball team, with a 13-8 overall record is competing in the District championship game, led by pitcher Katie Gottfreid. Also, Emily and Shelby Groeneveld won the district championship in doubles tennis, and are set to play in the Tennis State tournament.

“Making disciples through athletics is measured by the growth of a team’s character, not by the number of wins,” said Ridenour. Our preparation, our attitude, our response to adversity, our commitment to excellence, and our humility in victory need to reflect Christ at all times!”

The baseball team huddled together with their coach. Looking down and raising his voice up to heaven, he started the game off with a word of prayer, encouraging his team to give God the glory no matter what the results would bring. With a nod of their heads, each player proceeded to run to their positions on the field, ready for whatever the opposing team would throw at them.

In addition to being the sophomore Bible teacher at CCA, Coach Bill Schott also coaches baseball at Douglas High School. He started playing at age five, and after coaching for a total of 16 years—Fort Lauderdale High, Coral Springs Christian, Coconut Creek High, Calvary, and Douglas—he still enjoys the game today.

Through coaching, he has been able to share the truth of the gospel by simply being a light on the field. Being a Christian is part of who he is, and his players know and appreciate that, especially in times of trouble. They know that their coach is also a mentor, a man whom they can trust and go to for advice about things about on and off the field.

Not too long ago, Coach Schott led the captain of the team, Steve De Matties, to the Lord. Another student on the team has been cleaning up his act and is well on his way to knowing Christ as well.

When the boys on the team wanted a “unity day,” so Coach Schott took them to see, “To Save a Life.” He was a little anxious at how they would react, but they thanked him with much enthusiasm to his surprise. “That movie opened a door to help me speak to them about God,” explained Coach Schott, who considers himself blessed to be able to work with these boys. When asked where he sees himself in the next five years, he replied, “I still see myself in the exact same place I am now.”