Athletic Testimonials at a Recent MRCA Sports Banquet
Haley Bauer, 8th grader at Mitchell Road Christian Academy, shared the following testimonial at the Spring Sports Banquet.
Hey guys, I am Haley Bauer and I have had the amazing privilege of being on the MRCA soccer team for 3 years now. Each year I have learned so much! This year, and this season especially, have been unforgettable. The Lord has taught me and the team so much, and so has Coach Lindamood.
Tryouts came so fast this year and I was so nervous about them. I had a sinus infection for over two weeks before tryouts. I had gone to the doctor and he said that I couldn’t run, or pretty much do anything. I was in tears. It was my eighth grade year and it would be my third year on the team, and I did not want to miss it. Coach Lindamood kept telling me not to worry but I was not quite sure how not to. Tryouts came and I could do some of the work, just no running and that was fine with me. We had all made the team which made me and all the girls quite happy! Then, it was iron week and I was talking to Coach Lindamood about how I was so said that this was going to be my last iron week and season at Mitchell Road. Right after I said this, Coach Lindamood straight forward told me that soccer was not something to be sad about, especially middle school soccer! And second, be happy that you have and have had this amazing opportunity to meet new people, and glorify the Lord while playing a sport that I love. That is so true. Mitchell Road soccer is so much fun because the score does not matter to Coach Lindamood rather it is the effort we put forth to play the game while we glorify and show Christ through our actions.
Coach O, Coach G and Coach Lindamood taught me to give my very best in absolutely everything. Whether it is in math class, running the mile in gym class, or playing a game against St. Joe’s. It does not matter what we are doing, we are doing it to show Christ through what we are doing. People know that we are Mitchell Road soccer players and they watch what we do! I have learned that we need to watch the way we talk and act because this will reflect the Lord and Mitchell Road. Colossians 1:29 says, “That is what we are working so hard at, day after day, year after year, doing my best with the energy God so generously gives me.” God has so generously given us energy to play this sport and obviously the talent to play it. We need to give our best because God decided to give us this gift. He could have given it to someone else, but, no, He gave it to us! I, especially, need to remember that because I do not do my best constantly and know that sometimes I could do better.
The last biggest and most important thing that I have learned is found in Ephesians 6:11-12 – “This is no afternoon athletic contest that we will forget about in a couple of hours. This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels.” Middle school soccer doesn’t really matter in life, and really, playing soccer is not the reason we are out there. We are out there to learn more about God and to share the love of God to other teams, coaches, refs, and fans. They see a difference in us, and as we leave Mitchell Road, we need to bring that with us.
Thank you to all our fans and especially our parents for supporting us. Coach O’Leath, thank you for being such an awesome athletic director. We could not ever thank you enough for what you do. Coach Rollins, you give life to every practice. Thank you so much for putting in so much of your time and talent. Coach Lindamood, there are not enough words to thank you for what you have done for us, so I will just say from the bottom of my heart, thanks. You have made me and everyone else that has played for you, a better soccer player and a better person. Thank you for pretty much dedicating your life to teaching us more about God’s Word. It has made a huge impact on my life. We love you so much.
Mitchell Road soccer has been so much fun. Even though I am sad to leave it, I am so happy to go somewhere new to tell and show everyone what I have learned. Thank you so much for teaching me all that you have taught me, Coach Lindamood.
Mason Rajaee and Mary Kate Richardson, 8th graders at Mitchell Road Christian Academy, shared the following testimonials at the Winter Sports Banquet.
Hey guys, I’m Mary Kate Richardson. I started coming to Mitchell Road when I was in 6th grade. I came from a public school and coming from a public school to a Christian school is a big difference. Some people take this school for granted…but I don’t. When I came here my life changed. It was a new start. I remember my first “meeting” I had here. They prayed for me before we started talking. That blew my mind. I had never had a teacher pray with me! When I came here everyone welcomed me so well and I feel like I have been here since K-5, but it’s only been 3 years. This school means so much to me!
For the past two years I have had the amazing privilege of being a part of the MRCA Lady Eagles Basketball team. As a basketball player I have learned many things. The first thing I have learned is to always give it your all and try your hardest. Two years ago I was running and badly injured my knee. I had to go through physical therapy and wear an awful knee brace for over a year. So, since then there are times when it hurts and I feel like giving up. But, I always had to remember to give it my all and leave it all on the court. I also constantly play my favorite Bible verse over and over in my head while playing basketball…Philippians 4:13. “I can do everything through Him, who gives me strength.” To me this verse is so encouraging. When you feel like you can’t go anymore and feel like giving up, or you’re tired, all you have to remember is that through Him you have strength. The second thing I have learned is to always trust God. When we lost a game I would feel sad and let down, like most of us do after losing or playing bad. But I have learned that everything happens for a reason and in the end God will work everything out for the good. So, when we lost a game I knew that everything was in God’s hands and all I had to do was trust in Him and know that He would do His will. The last thing I have learned is that God will never put you through anything that you can’t handle. Even when you are exhausted after running at practice just know that God is with you. Always.
Our team verse is Colossians 3:23, “Whatever you do, work at it with all of your heart as for working for the Lord and not for men.” This verse means that whatever we are working at we need to work at it wholeheartedly and work to please God and no one else – not your coaches, the crowd, friends, or parents…just God. It doesn’t matter what any of those people think of you and how they think you played…all that matters is if you worked to please God. Whatever the outcome of the game is…you need to stop and think “did I please the Lord?”
Win or lose a game we always need to praise God. We always pray before games and ask God to help us through the game, but do we ever stop and thank God. Thank Him for giving us the ability to go out on the court and do what we love, and giving us the ability to play basketball, even if we lose a game. And if we win a game you need to stop and thank Him for letting us win and letting us go out there and play basketball. Without Him we couldn’t do any of it. God gets all the glory for everything!
Next year I will be going to Eastside, and so that means I will be going back to a public school. Everything that I have learned here at Mitchell Road I will put into use at high school. Once again, I will have to rely on God and trust that He will give me strength in everything that I do. I will never forget my years here at Mitchell Road and all the friends I have made. Coming to Mitchell Road has been such a blessing!
Mason Rajaee shared the following: In my three years of MRCA athletics, I have noticed a difference in our teams and the teams of other Christian schools. We haven't always been the best team in the conference, but there was still something I can tell was different. We play for Christ, as I'm sure many other teams would say they do. We all recognize that God, our creator, gave us each individual gifts. Some of us he has blessed with intellectual ability, some with musical ability, and still others with athletic ability. We as Mitchell Road athletes, but foremost as Christians, remind ourselves before every game who we play for and why. Each time we step onto the field, or court, we know that if we haven't given every ounce of hustle and hard work that we have in us, than we not only fail our teammates but fail our creator who handpicked our team, and gave us the unbelievable opportunity to play with and in front of Christian and non-Christians alike. That is our chance to make a difference.
A few weeks ago my youth pastor said that sometime the reason we don't get huge opportunities is because we are too prideful to take advantage of the small ones. We play for a small middle school team, in a small middle school conference in Greenville, South Carolina. Still, God tells us that he placed all of us here for "such a time as this." That's what it means to be a Mitchell Road athlete you take hold of the witness opportunity given to you every time you are on the court. Throughout the season, we will face some kind of adversity, and that is our chance to show what we're about. When the call doesn't go your way, when the other team is talking trash, and when you're down by twenty points. That is when people are paying the most attention to your character, that’s your chance to represent your Lord and Creator Jesus Christ. An MRCA athlete is the one who looks forward to trials and difficulty because they know that, that's when he will be able to show Christ the most.
We set a goal for every game. We want the crowd, the refs, and the opposing team to see that there is something different about our teams. We want them to notice the way we play together, the way we don't stop working hard even if getting the win seems impossible, and the way we carry ourselves during the game. As Christian athletes we don't want to be the team that talks for hours each season about representing Christ in our attitude and actions, and proceeds to step on the court and fall apart under pressure. We don't want to be the team that blames the refereeing for our loss. We've never had a perfect season. There are always times that we do slack off, and times when we don't honor God in our play. Even though we go to Mitchell Road CHRISTIAN Academy, we are sinners and we do make mistakes, but the thing that separates us from other schools is that after we mess up we are disappointed. Not because we lost, or didn't play well, but because we didn't represent our school, or our savior well. We are a school whose coaches aren't always satisfied with just the win.
We are players and coaches that play for more than a trophy or a banner. This season after our play-in game against Spartanburg I didn’t feel good about the game. We won, and by a decent amount of points, but I knew that I personally, and we as a team didn’t play our best, and as a result didn’t bring the maximum glory to God. I wondered why I couldn’t be happy with the W and move on. I realized that the feeling was something that Mitchell Road athletics have created in me, a drive to do my best and to honor God through it. This same drive that brings mostly joy also brings me discomfort when I know that my goal was not accomplished. I am extremely grateful to all of my coaches who gave me these values. These values that I know I will carry with me as I leave Mitchell Road. Every year I am reminded by every coach that there is always somebody watching me, and that they associate my attitude and effort with the MRCA on my jersey, but especially the C. This is my motivation every time I perform in front of a crowd, whether it’s big or small, to give my absolute 100% best and this is what MRCA athletics are all about. Thank you.