Mondays with Mike: How God Shaped Our Students This Fall
Through Sports, Grit, and Community
Dear PCA Community,
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I want to share something that goes far deeper than wins, scoreboards, or tournament brackets. This fall, God used athletics at PCA to shape our young men and women in powerful ways—through grit, leadership, humility, friendship, and courage.
Yes, we celebrated a state championship. Yes, we saw record-setting performances and underdogs surprising the entire division. But beneath all of that was something richer: teams learning to give thanks, to persevere, to care for one another, and to use their gifts to honor the Lord. This, I believe, led to the fruit we saw across the Middle and Upper School.
In this week’s Mondays with Mike, I sit with a remarkable group of student-athlete leaders from soccer, volleyball, and cross-country. Even if your child is not on a team, I hope you will listen.
Their stories reveal what kind of young men and women we are forming together at PCA—students who compete with joy, encourage their teammates, serve other schools with compassion, and see athletics as one place where faith becomes lived and visible.
If you are short on time, scroll to the key takeaways below or skip to the last five minutes (29:30–34:45) to hear what these students most want our community to remember about this fall.
I think you will walk away grateful for what God is doing in your kids and others like them. I sure am!
Mike Runey
Head of School
Portsmouth Christian Academy
““No matter how small of an impact you think you have… give it your all. It will inspire the people around you.” – Lily, Volleyball
“We’re known as the underdogs… but we can do it.” (State Champions) – Lauren, Women’s Soccer
Key Takeaways
- Every role matters—on a team and in the Kingdom. Lily (volleyball) reminds us that even cheering from the bench shapes a team’s courage and unity. PCA athletics formed young people who know how to contribute, encourage, and serve.
- Underdogs can do more than surprise people—they can reshape expectations. From girls’ soccer entering the season with one goal in mind, to volleyball pushing a #2 seed to five sets, to boys’ soccer upsetting a perennial powerhouse, our students showed grit, resilience, and joy.
- Spiritual leadership emerged everywhere. Students prayed at the starting line, wrote Bible verses for an opposing team that was grieving, hosted team devotions, and talked openly about honoring Christ with their abilities.
- Small teams—sometimes patched together—produced big outcomes. Women’s cross-country creatively rallied across teams to field a full (and talented) roster. They leaned on athletes from soccer, basketball, and even eighth grade, finishing Division III runner-up for the first time in PCA history! Amazing generosity and teamwork!
“This is the reason I play volleyball. It’s not just about the game or the competition.” – Volleyball athlete reflecting on writing Bible verses and bringing roses to Trinity
- Character grew alongside physical strength. Rebuilding years, tough losses, injuries, night races in the dark, and long seasons built perseverance, humility, and spiritual maturity. These stories reflect who we hope to cultivate in every PCA student—whether they compete or not.
- History was made—again and again.
- First ever girls’ soccer state championship
- JV volleyball finishing state runner-up
- Boys’ cross-country with the best finish in program history
- Christian Barnes (PCA Class of ’26) earning PCA’s first All-New England honor as a male runner
- Gratitude was the theme that kept rising to the surface. Over and over, students expressed thankful hearts—for teammates, coaches, community support, and the gifts God gave them. Their voices reveal an school culture marked by humility and joy.
“We couldn’t have done this without each other.”
– Hannah, Women’s Cross-Country (D3 Runner-Up)
“God gave us these abilities. Let’s go out there and use them to honor and glorify Him.” – Christian, Men’s Cross-Country (All-New England)
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