Mondays with Mike: Student-Athletes’ Winter Sports Highlights – Part 1
As winter break begins, I wanted to take a moment to let you know I am thinking of you and praying for you. I know many are enjoying warmer weather down south, while others are embracing the cold on the slopes skiing or snowboarding. Some are staying local, finding rest and renewal close to home. Wherever you are, I’m praying it’s a time of refreshment for you.
Please also join me in praying for our missions team, which just left for Puerto Rico at 2AM on Saturday. You may remember hearing from them on last week’s podcast—they’re now in the field, serving and sharing the love of Christ.
This week’s podcast is a deep dive into how God has been working through our winter sports teams, both on and off the court and in the pool. I hope you’ll take a few minutes to listen and be encouraged by their stories.
On a personal note, Christy and I are deeply grateful for the love and support we’ve received as we welcomed our first grandchild this past week. It’s been a joy to be close enough to support our family during this special time—thank you for celebrating with us!
Read more below, and as always, go Eagles! 🦅
PCA Athletes: Faith, Resilience, & Teamwork
Welcome to Mondays with Mike! Today, I’m excited to share a conversation with some of our incredible athletes from PCA’s basketball teams and swim team. You might not have known this, but yes—we have a swim team! It’s been an exciting season, and I can’t wait for you to hear how these students have grown, how they’ve seen God at work, and how they’ve experienced both joy and challenge on the courts and in the pool. Stick around to learn more and be sure to cheer on our basketball teams as they head into the postseason this week. I look forward to bringing you an in depth with our Winter Track team, which also had a very strong winter camptaign.
Podcast Summary
Key Takeaways from the Winter Sports Podcast
In this episode of Mondays with Mike, we heard from some of our incredible PCA athletes, highlighting not only their achievements but also the character, resilience, and faith that define them.
🏀 Basketball Highlights:
- Both the Varsity Men’s and Women’s teams are heading into the postseason, earning home-court advantage thanks to strong seasons.
- Ava shared about their thrilling overtime win against Farmington, a testament to teamwork and determination.
- Cai highlighted how the team embraced the theme of “Handle Hard Better,” learning to stay mentally tough and push through adversity, even when momentum seemed against them.
- Isabella expressed gratitude for her dad coaching her since seventh grade, teaching her to glorify God, work as a team player, and keep her head up in challenging moments.
- Landon reflected on how faith helped him through a tough ACL injury, trusting God’s plan even when the reason wasn’t immediately clear.
🏊 Swim Team Spotlight:
- Emma and Josie celebrated qualifying for states together in a memorable last-chance meet, showcasing perseverance and camaraderie.
- Josie, new to PCA this year, shared how stepping into a more competitive swim environment helped her grow in time management, resilience, and faith.
💪 Faith and Growth:
- Many athletes spoke about how their faith has been central to their growth this season, both in victories and setbacks.
- Louisa shared how her identity in Christ has fueled her leadership, while Ava spoke about how personal injuries shaped her desire to become a physical therapist.
- Emma reflected on how embracing challenges, even the pain of competition, built resilience: “You know the pain is coming—you have to embrace it and not let it overtake you.”
🙌 Gratitude and Encouragement:
- Across the board, students expressed gratitude for their teammates, coaches, and families who supported them throughout the season.
- The athletes encouraged younger students to stay resilient, work hard, and focus on glorifying God through sports, not just results.
Upcoming Events:
- Both basketball teams compete in postseason play this week—come cheer them on! 🦅
- Our swimmers now enter the club championship season, continuing to represent PCA with excellence.
We hope you’ll take a moment to hear their stories and be encouraged by how God is working through athletics at PCA.
Go Eagles! 🦅
Eagles in Action
A special thanks and acknowledgement to Michael Griffin who has faithfully and expertly photographed PCA athletes this year. Michael is a parent of a PCA Alum and also has his own photography business. You can find these photos, and more at his website HERE. He also has a gallery of all PCA Winter Sports HERE. Thank you, Michael!
PCA Swimmers in action! Emma J. and Josie D., both freshman, make PCA history in competing as a team at the Division II state meet!
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