|
|
 |
|||||
|
|
MC Square | Search | |
||
|
|||||
|
April 2007 Parents Progress Archives Planning to Visit?
|
|
A parent’s reflection By Steve Kasiguran A little less than 30 years ago, I first walked across the covered bridge to a soccer match at Messiah. The soccer field was near where the tennis courts are now, Layton Shoemaker was the coach, and I was playing for the opposing team. Although I was certainly impressed by the natural beauty of the venue, what really stood out to me was the competitiveness and character of the Messiah players. Still, I am sure that at that time I had no idea that my son would one day be a Falcon. Quite a few years later, I returned to Messiah through my coaching association with Ben Belleman, the Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio) coach who was taking his team to the Messiah summer camp. Dave Brandt was coaching by this time, and as it happened, Ben and I were housed at the Brandt home in Camp Hill. And what gracious hosts they were! Diane made sure there was a big breakfast every morning, and Dave made sure we knew where all the soccer channels were. Dave’s passion for the sport was immediately evident, and I felt a kindred spirit. It is Dave’s resolute commitment to understanding the game, combined with his clear desire to use soccer as a vehicle for shaping the character of Christian young men, that drew our attention to Messiah when it came time for our oldest son Kai to make his college decision. Although it took Kai some time to come to the conclusion that his mother and I had come to rather early in the process, he quickly realized that he had chosen the right “family” to live, work, and play with for his college career. Kai has flourished in the soccer culture that Dave Brandt has developed, an environment characterized by faithfulness to the higher priority of Christian testimony, where dedication to preparation is a way of life, where devotion to the team and teammates is a happy necessity, and where truly “iron sharpens iron.” The recent successes of the team certainly exceeded our wildest expectations. But beyond the victories on the pitch, our family has been wonderfully blessed as we have gotten to know Dave, Diane, Alex, and Danny. It is an unexpected joy to see the real closeness that has developed between our families. They are not simply “the coach and his family.” They are our friends. I think that relational component that we have experienced is what sets Messiah soccer apart. From the coaches, to the players, to the parents of the players, even to the fantastically loyal soccer alumni, everyone considers everyone else “family.” We are grateful to the Lord that He led Kai to Messiah College and the Messiah soccer family, and we love the fact that every fall there are multiple family reunions up on the hill, just a short walk across that covered bridge. Steve Kasiguran is the father of Messiah students Kai and Kaelie. Kai has been a stand-out on the men’s soccer team and has enjoyed three national championships with the team. Steve is a member of Parent’s Council and a junior high school administrator at Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy. The Kasigurans reside in Oakwood, Ohio. |
|
|
