By Gary Curreri

The Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard program once again proved its supremacy on the sand.

The program finished second in the state and then had several standout performers at the 2018 United States Lifesaving Association (USLA) National Championships at Virginia Beach.

The team prepared for the national event by competing in the USLA Regional competition in Flagler Beach and nearly two dozen junior lifeguards made the trip to Virginia, which featured about 400 competitors from around the country.

Pompano claimed nine national championships and also earned a plethora of silver and bronze medals. Among the locals claiming national titles were Isabella Taylor, who successfully defended her Ironguard and Paddleboard national championships and added the Surf Swim Race championship to her resume.

Raphael Santos captured national titles in the Run-Swim-Run and the Surf Swim distance race.

Summer Schulte won a gold medal in the Run-Swim-Run event, while Grace Parnas won gold in the Board Race, and teammate Reese Andres won national championships in the C Division for the Ironguard and the Board race.

At the state competition, Santos, 15, led a 1-2-3 sweep for Pompano in the ocean swim event. He’s competed for the Pompano Beach Junior Lifeguard program for the past four years.

“I just started liking it a lot more,” said Santos, a sophomore at Pompano Beach High School. “It has helped me with ocean swimming in general. I swim in the pool, and in the ocean, it is like two different things. When I go to the junior lifeguard training, it is like a whole different environment and it is like better off.”

Santos said he likes to compete but added learning about the ocean is also a nice add on for the summer program.

“It is pretty interesting,” said Santos, who finished sixth at state last year in both of his events — 200 IM and 500-free during the high school season. “You can be swimming in a pool, but in the ocean, you can be swimming out and the next thing you know you are drifting past the buoy. You have to know how to swim towards the current a little bit to keep straight swimming. There are no lane lines out here or flags.”

Pompano Beach’s Alex Marquez, 16, was runner-up to Santos in the swim event. He is also a teammate of Santos’ at Pompano Beach High School where he is a junior. He’s been with the Pompano Beach Junior lifeguard program since he was nine. Marquez placed third in Ironguard at Nationals.

“I am a swimmer originally, so I like anything with swimming in it,” Marquez said. “This has helped me a lot, especially with discipline. It felt really good to sweep the event. It is nice to know when you are ahead. The top 10 people here are all on the same team, even though we might be on different teams at the swimming pool. It was kind of fun to swim against them. It is bragging rights for sure.”

Trio wins scramble golf event

Joel Englander, Bill O’Brien and Willie Smith took top honors with a 68 after a match of cards to win the three-man scramble for the Pompano Beach Men’s Golf Association at the Pines Course at Pompano Beach Municipal Golf Club.

Finishing second was Chuck Brown, Jim Foster, and Dave Dowling, also with a 68. They shot 36 on the back nine while the winning group carded a 34 for the back nine in the August 28th tournament. George Disch, Lee Hammer and Bart Valerio finished in third with a team total of 69.

Dennis Sejda struck his tee shot within 7-ft., 7 in. on the 15th hole to win Closest to the Pin honors.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach High School senior running back Jaylan Knighton said it came down to who wanted it more in the team’s game against the defending 3A state champion, Chaminade-Madonna.

“It was how bad do you want it?” said Knighton, a University of Oklahoma commit, who helped his team to a 13-10 victory. “They won a state championship last year and we are fittin’ to win it this year. We proved to them that we don’t care about none of that. We just are going to come out here and work.”

Knighton got things started for the Bucks with a 65-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter. Deajaun McDougle hauled in a 30-yard scoring pass just before halftime to give Deerfield a 13-3 halftime lead and they held on for the win.

Deerfield Beach coach Jevon Glenn said his team welcomes tough opponents.

“This is a measuring stick,” Glenn said. “We had a chance to win a powder puff game, but we don’t do that. We want to be better. When it is all said and done, we want to have wars like this so we may be in the same kind of war (this) Friday night in Lawrenceville, Georgia.

“It is all about repetition,” Glenn added. “When you get on a bike, you don’t think right pedal first and then left pedal…You just ride it because you have done it so many times. We have been riding like this for the last four years. We have guys who have been here for four years and they know and the new guys are feeding off the old guys, those veterans. We still have a long way to go, but I like our direction.”

Ely Coach Randall gets Hall nod

Blanche Ely boys basketball coach Melvin Randall will be inducted into the Broward County Sports Hall of Fame this fall. The ceremony will take place Oct. 23 at the Greater Broward County Convention Center.

Randall, who has won 553 games in his 25-year career, has also captured a record eight state championships.

“The announcement threw me a little bit,” Randall said. “I am excited about it. I feel very, very blessed. Getting in the Hall of Fame means a lot to me.”

Randall has won multiple state championships at different schools, which puts him in a category by himself.

Randall led Deerfield Beach to its only boys basketball state titles in 1997 and 1999. He then turned Ely into a dynasty, winning four state titles in a five-year span from 2012-2016.

“I am not going to relax and expect anything to come to me,” Randall said. “I’m always looking to get better. I still have that energy to work hard and get those kids ready for not just basketball but the next chapter in their lives.”

By Gary Curreri

Host Deerfield Beach rallied from an early 5-0 deficit to pull out a 10-9 victory over Ft. Lauderdale and capture the District 10 Little League Junior Division Championship last week.

The Deerfield Beach Mets started their comeback with two runs in the bottom of the third and added four runs in the bottom of the fifth to take a 6-5 lead as Lorenzo Feliciano, Brock Buerosse, and Janelle Calvet all contributed in the big inning with RBIs.

After Deerfield added another run in the bottom of the fifth, Ft. Lauderdale rallied to take a 9-7 lead in the top of the six with four runs. Undaunted, the Mets pulled ahead for good, scoring three runs of their own and Feliciano broke the 9-9 deadlock with a fielder’s choice that scored Maxwell Thompson from third with what proved to be the winning run.

“It’s my first championship and it is really cool,” said Deerfield Beach Little League Junior Division manager Jason Siracusa, who also took over this year as the league president. This is his third year as an All-Star manager.

“It was like a six day a week, seven day a week ordeal between coaching a team, running the league, and also coaching T-Ball, I was all over the place.”

“In the end, it was worth it,” Siracusa said. “We made a lot of changes to the league and the league is shaping up and ending the year with a championship is pretty special.”

Calvet, who went 3 for 4 at the plate and threw out a runner stealing second to get the first out in the top of the seventh (her cousin is Colin Calvet), plays on an all-girls travel baseball team in addition to the All-Stars. Buerosse had two hits and a walk for Deerfield Beach.

Keanu Siracusa went 4-1/3 innings and allowed five runs – just two earned – on two hits while striking out seven for the Mets. Gio Caffro and Neile Thomas came on in relief and closed the door on the Indians to win the championship.

Manager Siracusa said the Junior Division tournament featured teams from Deerfield Beach, Parkland, Coral Springs and Ft. Lauderdale. Deerfield Beach had 12 players on its roster but played the final with just nine players due to conflicts.

Deerfield Beach opened district play with a 1-0, extra-inning win over Ft. Lauderdale and then cruised past Coral Springs American, 12-2, before falling 7-4 to Ft. Lauderdale to set up the winner take all matchup last Friday night.

“We had better depth in pitching,” Siracusa said. “It was really an across the board team effort.”

“ We had a team of players that have played together for several years and they all back each other up,” Siracusa added. “They have a want-to-win mentality. We dominated the league this year going 13-1 with the only loss to Ft. Lauderdale 13-1. We outscored our opponents, 179-24. Our pitching super dominated everyone. Obviously, it can’t get any better than this. From here on, the rest is icing on the cake.”

Deerfield Beach will next play in the Sectional competition on July 20 in Tallahassee.

By Gary Curreri

Deerfield Beach’s Jim Eddy doesn’t appear to be slowing down anytime soon. Eddy, 52, who plays shortstop for the St. Louis Cardinals team, is a perennial Liberty Hardball Coral Springs Men’s Baseball League all-star and has been a member of the team for about a decade. Eddy is hitting .437 with two home runs, seven RBI’s and 14 runs scored.

“One time a week is all I can get and that is all I need,” said Eddy, who is an athletic trainer at Highlands Christian Academy in Pompano Beach. “I still go to tournaments and stuff, but I still love playing ball and I still can. That’s the key. I am still healthy and able to run and throw and all of that stuff.”

Eddy has played in the league for nine years.

“I don’t feel it (being sore) after playing on a Sunday morning unless it is really hot or a game with 20 runs and you are running a lot,” Eddy said. “I probably get more sore lifting weights.”

If the St. Louis Cardinals are going to win a sixth straight baseball championship, and eighth in the past 10 years, they will have their work cut out for them. The defending league champions struggled out of the gate, starting off with a 3-3 record, but have since caught fire winning four consecutive games to move to a league-best 7-3 record. They have outscored the opposition 85-37 on the season. The league has made a few subtle changes to the rules and one in particular has stymied the team in the early going.

“They went to a wood bat league,” said Cardinals manager Jeff Young. “We used to average 30 home runs a season and that is going to be way down this year. Another thing they did was allow up to five players under the age of 28 per team. They allowed three players under 28 last season.”

The Cards return most of their core players from their title years. The team started their championship run in 2009 and then in 2011. The Cards then began their streak of five in a row in 2013 and haven’t tasted defeat in the league championships since.

Crockett camp moved to July 7

Zack and Henri Crockett will host their 13thannual football and cheerleading camp a little later than usual. The free camp was originally slated for this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Moore Center, 901 NW 10 St. in Pompano Beach. The field is not ready yet, so the event has been moved to July 7.

Henri Crockett, 43, who played linebacker for the Atlanta Falcons, Denver Broncos and the Minnesota Vikings, along with his brother Zachary, 45, a former fullback for the Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Oakland Raiders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Dallas Cowboys, are expecting between 300 and 400 local children to attend.

Both men grew up in Pompano Beach, and graduated from Blanche Ely High School, before they both played at Florida State University in their path to the NFL.

The free clinic is designed to introduce children, ages 4-16, to football by teaching basic skills in a fun and energetic environment and is supported through a grant from the NFL Foundation. The camp includes T-Shirts and autograph signings from the professional athletes.

When you discover that nearly 80 percent of NFL players are either bankrupt or in a financial hardship within three to five years following their career playing football, and that 70 percent of lottery winners become broke, it’s only natural to wonder what happened? While it may seem that a proverbial straw broke the camel’s back, the truth is, whether financial ruin, a plane crash or even an overnight success, it’s never just one thing. Compounded factors, often the little things, added over time become that final piece of straw.

For the NFL players it begins in high school — if not before — as special treatment erodes personal responsibility. Similarly, lottery winners are statistically poor money managers prior to their windfall. It’s a poor decision hours before the crash or the years touring in dive bars and on college campuses before the breakout hit trends on iTunes. We know this, and in “the real world,” we accept and plan for this truth.

Yet, for many, as it applies to matters of faith, we’re waiting for some big, miraculous moment to launch us into action. We gaze longingly at the doers vastly impacting the kingdom and we think they must be special — confusing capacity for faithfulness. And so, we wait upon the Lord neglecting to do our part.

That’s not to say that there aren’t legitimate times to be patient. However, we can’t use spiritual sayings to justify inactivity. In doing so, we’ll miss the powerful and unique ways God wants to use our lives to complete His plan.

For me, my move to Texas was a culmination of little decisions to be faithful — and it didn’t even start with me. I have my family to thank. Because of their faithfulness, I learned to seek and nurture a relationship with God, one that would provide the confidence needed years later to depart my profession as an airline captain and begin working full-time with students. I had to embarrassingly choose to miss a friend’s wedding for financial reasons, but doing so led to chance encounter with an athletic director and school administration who hired me as a coach and teacher. In the classroom I felt called to start a youth ministry.

Then, a choice had to be made: stay as a teacher or go accept a full-time ministry position. God called me to the latter. And in a season of assessing my own personal ministry impact, God revealed a new direction that would draw upon my leadership as a captain, communication skills as a national itinerate speaker, content development and facilitation of such as a teacher and decade of mentoring — [to leave the church at Deerfield Beach as Youth Pastor] and to serve at a thriving church in Lubbock, Texas.

Even in my abbreviated tale, it’s apparent that I did not gather my life and spontaneously decide to move west on a whim, but again, years of a faithful pursuit and obedience led me to do so.

Here’s the kicker: I’m not special. while I might have different gifting and skills, or capacity, they aren’t better or worse than yours. We each can find joy and contentment knowing that we experience game-changing momentum toward reaching the capacity of our calling by abiding in the little things faithfully. God has an incredible plan and purpose for your life just as He does for mine, and they’re both equally exciting and Kingdom-altering because, in the end, it’s not about us. However, the difference will be in the choices we make: whether to treat faith like a lottery, hoping for that big break, or by deciding here and now to live a life worthy of our calling by investing in the seemingly insignificant spiritual disciplines that give power to our prayers, bring wise counsel into our presence and give us the assurance of God’s trustworthiness.

I sign off with this challenge: What is God calling you to today that has the potential to manifest itself into something unimaginable later, to become your Texas? No matter how small it might seem, never underestimate God’s ability to use the ordinary for the extraordinary. Say, “Here I am, Lord,” listen, then go do in faith.

Once the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach, C.J. Wetzler is currently the student pastor at The Message Church in Lubbock, TX. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and considers himself a fast food connoisseur. For questions or comments, connect with him on social media: @thecjwetzler.

By Gary Curreri

Ben Koos couldn’t have been happier with the recent charity beach volleyball Pro/Am Tournament on Deerfield Beach.

The Embrace Life Children’s Foundation teamed up with Dig the Beach Volleyball and raised more than $5,000 to go towards helping children in the community and those proceeds went directly to helping the Salah Foundation Children’s Hospital at Broward Health.

“The event was a good start to hopefully an annual event,” said Koos, the tournament organizer. “We had over 100 players come out between Saturday and Sunday, which made for great viewing for the fans and a great time for the players.”

The inaugural event featured two days of competition, including Men’s/Women’s Doubles for both professional and amateur players, while Sunday included Junior Boys/Girls 12-18 and Co-Ed Doubles.

Several community sponsors joined in, including Jersey Mike’s Subs and Harmless Harvest Coconut Water, who fed and hydrated the players. Other local businesses supporting the event included Rox Volleyball as a Title Sponsor, Pediatrix, Island Water Sports, Hypower Electric and International Union of Police Associations.

Koos’ wife, Carolyne, who helps run the charity, also deemed the event a success.

“We ended up with 100 players, which wasn’t bad for the first time,” she said. “With the funding we received, we have been able to outfit the NICU and Pediatric Unit with some much-needed items on their wish list and also pay for transportation for the sickle cell pediatric patients to Camp Boggy Creek, so those patients can forget their medical issues and just have fun for a bit.

“We just had a Spring Fling visit filled with bunnies, chicks, and spring goodie bags and toys for all of the pediatric patients from oncology, peds floor, to PICU and NICU,” she continued. “It is a joy and a blessing to help these families with whatever they need from help with medical bills to fun group outings with patients to shows, or tickets to events, funding for medical research, or day-to-day needs, like clothes, or computers.”

Carolyne Koos said the organization does what they can to try and improve the lifestyle. She and her husband started the non-profit charity organization after their 2-year old son, Christian, passed away recently after a long battle with a rare neurological disease. His genetic disease, known as Leukodystrophy, can affect anyone from a newborn baby to an elderly person.

“Whatever makes their life a little easier while they work on getting better, we are happy to do,” said Carolyne, who would bring gifts to the Broward General Medical Center and Miami Children’s Hospital during her son’s stays “just to see a smile on a child’s face.”

Carolyne speaks with the child life advocates at each hospital to find out the needs of the children and to find out how they can help.

“As always,” she continued, “being 100 percent volunteer driven with no administration costs or salaries, you can tell our heart is in what we do. It truly is a beautiful gift to be able to work with and help these families…I have to say from my point of view all the players, organizers, promoters and supporters were nothing short of a huge blessing to me and the families.”

For more information, visit www.embracelifechildrensfoundation.com.

As a parent desiring to train up your children with a biblical world view, be encouraged by the responses given by young people from varying ages, schools, socioeconomic status and nationality in the following areas:

NFL protest

Colin Kaepernick told NFL Media that he started the national anthem protest by taking a knee because he was “not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” While Kaepernick may have desired to raise awareness of a serious social issue, the students like Lucas, 12, a Deerfield Beach Middle School student, had this to say, “I feel like you should be able to express your first amendment rights, but not in such a way that’s disrespectful to the citizens and the country.” Katie, 16, a Deerfield Beach High School student added, “There’s people out there literally dying because they love this country.” Overall, among this group of students, the protest failed to convey its message.

Gender dysphoria

Gender dysphoria, as defined by Andrew Walker in God and the Transgender Debate: What does the Bible Actually Say About Gender Identity, is when “someone experiences distress, inner anguish, or discomfort from sensing a conflict between their gender identity and their biological sex.” While the students expressed compassion for those experiencing such distress, when it comes to children “it should not be encouraged,” says Anna, 16, Highlands Christian Academy student, “they’re not old enough to make that decision.” Julia, 18, also a Highlands Christian Academy student, agrees, citing the example of a young boy wanting to be a girl because he was envious of his parents’ affection toward his baby sister, mistaking their attention being related to gender.

Same-sex marriage

Author Andrew Walker also notes about a post-Christian nation, “With declining [Christian] influence, greater opportunity emerges for different value or ethical systems to displace Christian morality as the widely accepted norm.” As such, Wilson says acceptance is growing for gay and lesbian relationships. However, even though both gay and straight individuals possess the “same inherent dignity,” these teens, again, while open to compassion and embracing the person, affirm the Biblical view: God’s design and purpose for marriage (is between one man and one woman).

Abortion

With the advancements in biology, which have shaped science curricula, students like Julia, were able to clearly articulate the stages of birth and intelligently argue against the choice for abortion. While the group predominately favored the pro-life stance, due to the complexity of the issue, some students did wrestle with how to respond should a young girl become pregnant due to circumstances beyond her control. Based on responses, greater awareness and how to respond is needed.

#metoo movement

Students were not aware of this movement.

Illegal immigration

When it comes to the topic of illegal immigration, the students concluded the following: 1) Quicker, and simplified, path to citizenship is needed for those seeking a better life and are here working. 2) Illegal immigrants who choose to consume from entitlement programs without any contribution should face deportation. 3) The United States should use federal dollars in support of citizens in need within the border. 4) There is need for an intentional conversation leading to viable immigration reform over simply saying, “build the wall.”

Gun control

The night I conducted this interview was the eve of the Douglas Stoneman shooting. Many present shared their personal connection to the school, from having friends there to having graduated from the school.

When I asked the question about gun control, one student said, “Guns don’t kill people; people kill people,” followed by applause from the group. Yet this impassioned response, which included voicing support for carrying a firearm for protection, included being in favor for smart gun regulations — such as exploring new methods to prevent weapons from being smuggled into the country.

They also expressed their concern for a more effective method to address mental health issues.

In summation: students engaged in a growing relationship with Christ tend to predominately reject relativism, and when faced with situations that challenge universalism, avoid generic talking points and search for real solutions.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and considers himself a fast food connoisseur. For questions or comments, connect with him on social media: @thecjwetzler.

[Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect views of The Observer].

When I was a 20-something, I knew there were two things that must not be named: Voldemort and the phrase “I quit” — because conventional wisdom commanded we follow the perseverance of Navy SEALs, who during training never “ring the bell” — never quit — because in the words of one commencement speaker, if “you want to change the world, don’t ever, ever ring the bell.”

What if that’s the worst advice. What if the only way to live a life worthy of your God-given calling is to quit? If you’re experiencing frustration, burnout and hopelessness, may I suggest ringing the bell in these seven ways?

1. Quit worrying about what people think of you. Lecrae, a Christian rapper, recently tweeted, “If you live for people’s acceptance, you’ll die from their rejection.” You can’t make everyone happy, so quit trying to please everyone and live a life worthy of your calling.

2. Quit investing in bad habits. I hate jogging, but I do it regularly — mostly so I can continue to eat all the Chipotle I want. I know that if I come home after a busy day and hit the couch, the only marathon I’m participating in is binge-watching The Office on Netflix. However, the advice Rory Vaden, author of Take the Stairs: 7 Steps to Achieving True Success, which is posted on my front door, reminds me daily that success requires doing the necessary things even if I don’t feel like doing them. It’s not a quick fix, but a lifestyle change.

3. Quit taking yourself so seriously. A general aviation magazine wisely noted that professionalism has less to do with a paycheck and more to do with your attitude. Flying passengers was definitely a serious job, but that didn’t stop me from having fun — I once threw a party for my passengers while sitting on a taxiway awaiting departure clearance to LaGuardia.

4. Quit asking the easy questions. Adam Grant, in his recently released book Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World, shares how corporate cultures that welcome individuals with dissenting opinions are more creative and make the greatest impact on society. Quit asking the easy questions like “What makes me happy?” and start asking “How do I quit being a comfortable consumer and become a risk-taking producer?”

5. Quit being so easily offended. David McCullough Jr., in his 2012 commencement speech to Wellesley High School, tells graduates that contrary to what little league trophies, exceptional middle school report cards, or even doting family members suggest, “You are not special … even if you’re one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion, there are nearly 7000 people just like you.” Same is true for you and me: We aren’t any more special than the next, and that’s okay.

6. Quit taking pride in being busy. Senior pastor of Life.Church, Craig Groeschel, writes in his book Chazown: Discover and Pursue God’s Purpose for Your Life, “Everyone ends up somewhere, but few people end up somewhere on purpose.” Why? Because it’s easier to say, “I’m busy” — which sounds like we’re important, than it is to discipline yourself and live your values and priorities consistently. Schedule time this week to reflect on what matters most to you. Remember Andy Stanley’s advice that a “yes” is a “no” to something, which conversely is true.

7. Quit living your dream. Mark Batterson, author of Chase the Lion: If Your Dream Doesn’t Scare You, It’s Too Small, talks about how our dreams are tied into the dreams of those before us, up-line, and the dreams of those that come after us, down-line. His point: to honor both those before and after us we must quit our wimpy personal dreams and act upon the desires God has placed deep within our hearts — dreams that require divine intervention to be accomplished.

From this day forward, quit the status quo — the safe and predictable life — while chasing the purpose God has for your life (which is anything but safe and predictable). Begin to pray and seek wise counsel so that you’ll be able to quit the “right” wrong pursuits and behaviors limiting your God-given capacity as a person and leader. Then ring the bell.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before being able to accept his God-given calling, C.J. had to completely trust God and quit being a commercial airline pilot. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and considers himself a fast food connoisseur. For questions or comments he can be reached at cj@dfb.church.

By Gary Curreri

The Deerfield Beach High School girls basketball team looks poised to make a deep run in the playoffs this season under new coach Tami Vaughn.

She has also coached at Boyd Anderson, Pompano Beach, Northeast and was an assistant at Florida Atlantic University (2006-07). She also played overseas in Europe (England, Spain and Ireland).

“They are very disciplined and work together as a team,” said Vaughn, who still has former coach Portia Williams on the staff. Williams stepped down from her head coaching duties due to health issues.

“I enjoy coaching this group of girls. We are trying to rebuild the tradition here,” said Vaughn, whose fiancé is Jevon Glenn, the varsity football coach. “We also have Shuteamia Brayboy on the staff and she won state here. She is able to tell the girls what it means to be a Lady Buck and coach Williams is still here. The tradition is big here with girls basketball and I am very honored to be a part of it.

“I was an assistant for three years and this is my first year as head coach,” Vaughn said. “We have everyone back from last year.”

One of the returners is sophomore guard DenAsia Mitchell, who tore her anterior cruciate ligament at the end of the last season and has helped the team get off to an 18-2 start, including key wins over District rival Douglas High School.

“Losing her last year was very tough because we had some high expectations,” Vaughn said. “With her going out with the ACL, it put a damper on things. This year, with her back, we are on a roll. We are excited.”

Vaughn said they play more as a team this year and they have been listening more.

“I think we can make a run for it if everybody stays healthy and we are praying that everybody stays healthy,” Vaughn said. “We need to play in bubble wrap. Beating Douglas this year shows they are ready and they are focused. Everything we have been doing is helping us for down the road.”

Vaughn said Ashley Shell and Mitchell have been two of the catalysts this season and said a pleasant surprise has been freshman Aaliyah Reid.

“She’s been a rebounding machine,” Vaughn said.

Altieri takes fourth at nationals

Deerfield Beach’s Lucas Altieri, a member of the Florida Panthers Figure Skating Club, recently took fourth in the Novice Men’s Division at the 2018 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating National competition in San Jose, Calif. Altieri, 16, a North Broward Prep School sophomore, had hoped for a first place finish. He was fifth last year.

“I skated my best so I am happy with it,” Altieri said. “When I first started, I wanted to be a speed skater and there is not much of that in Florida, so the coaches told me to try figure (skating) and I really liked it.

“On the ice, I love it when I am skating really fast and it is fun when you are landing all of your jumps really well and you know everyone is watching you,” he said. “It is awesome. When you fall, you just get back up. I do get really frustrated, but I try and think that if I reach my goals, it will be worth it. If not, I will have other chances to do well.”

Meet Kevin and Sandy Chapman, parents of four boys and a recently adopted daughter. They were high school sweethearts who have, at various times in the last five years, fostered 15 different girls.

Life is busy. Kevin and Sandy both work while juggling church activities, four different sports schedules, helping with the boys’ homework and caring for an infant.

“It’s a struggle at times,” says Kevin, as they work to model for their children a life surrendered to God, and pray other families will follow suit. In their pursuit of intentionally investing in their children’s spiritual lives, the Chapmans will tell you that it doesn’t come without its challenges.

Sandy says, “We’re not perfect by any means… It’s okay to mess up; it’s all a learning process. Ask for forgiveness; know what you did and make right of it.”

Find solace in knowing that building and modeling a lifestyle centered upon God — a lifestyle your children will hopefully adopt as adults — won’t materialize overnight (but is nonetheless, still mandatory). Yoda says, “Do or do not. There is no try.” So disciple you must.

Yet, an increasing number of church-going parents are choosing “do not,” expecting the church to fill the void. In his book Youth Ministry: What’s Gone Wrong and How to Get It Right, David Olshine calls this approach to discipleship “payroll entitlement,” which is the hiring of professionals to care for and shepherd youth apart from disconnected parents. As such, youth ministry “has often-times unknowingly contributed to the breakdown of parents’ role in the discipleship of their children” by accepting the role of the primary disciple-maker. This is a problem.

Deuteronomy 6:6-9 instructs parents to impress upon their children God’s commandments—to talk about them at home, in the car and even while eating at Chick-fil-A. To feed and shepherd the flock God has given them… “to be the primary nurturers of their children’s faith,” Olshine writes.

To what end? According to John Piper, it’s a faith that allows for complete satisfaction in God, a faith that is “captured by the Gospel of Jesus,” authentic, sustainable and non-pursuant of behavior modification, and “churchy experiences.” It is faith that changes the heart because Jesus has become their “one, overriding hope and their greatest love,” writes Jack Klumpenhower in Show Them Jesus: Teaching the Gospel to Kids. And this begins when parents, like Kevin and Sandy, believe and live as though following Christ is life-changing and “better than anything else.”

Parents, show your children Jesus. Model for them a surrendered life in everyday interactions — exemplifying what it means to love God and love others. Your example is leading your children toward or away from Christ.

To do this, you won’t need skinny jeans or Snapchat. Start with what’s doable for your family and be consistent, and have some fun. Aside from their regular devotional times, Kevin recently gathered the family for a night of listening to and the singing of worship songs. Hugs, tears and forgiveness followed as the Chapmans realigned themselves with God’s priorities.

In addition to impromptu nights of worship music, Sandy encourages parents to keep a prayer journal for their kids. Because every child struggles differently, replace generic prayers for specific ones that address the child’s exact needs, she adds.

Consider sponsoring a child overseas and involve your children in the letter-writing process. Expose them to the realities other children endure; spend time as a family packing and distributing kits for the homeless, talk about how to responsibly engage in social issues; encourage your children to share their faith at school or through the context of their sports — even if they attend a private Christian school; or catch a movie and discuss its message afterword.

It takes work, but even the most regular activities, like driving to school, can be repurposed as discipleship opportunities.

The Chapmans agree that no parent will regret the intentional time spent disciplining their children. They’ll see how God used those moments to stir within their child a longing for Him and His commands.

Their children will have aspired beyond being “good adults,” and instead, by the grace of God, become saved adults who themselves, make disciples.

C.J. Wetzler is the NextGen pastor at The Church at Deerfield Beach. Before transitioning into full-time ministry, CJ was a commercial airline captain and high school leadership and science teacher. He loves to mentor the next generation of leaders and considers himself a fast food connoisseur. For questions or comments, connect with him on social media: @thecjwetzler.