SCA golfs to power athletic growth
Published 10:35 pm Friday, June 20, 2014
Suffolk Christian Academy has experienced substantial growth in its athletic program within the last year, and it enjoyed support to sustain it from its staff, alumni and the community on Friday at the Nansemond River Golf Club.
SCA’s second annual golf tournament brought in a little more than $6,600, with the proceeds going to subsidize the school’s athletic program.
Suffolk Christian Academy’s 2014 valedictorian Noah Nickert competes in the school’s second annual golf tournament to benefit its athletic program. Nickert played baseball, basketball and golf while a student at the school.
“It makes a huge difference for the school, because athletics is expensive, especially for a small school,” said SCA’s interim headmaster Tamra VanDorn.
“Today went really well,” Suffolk Christian athletics director Steven Milner said. “It wasn’t as large as what we had last year, but it turned out really well. The weather cooperated very nicely with us this year.”
Last year’s golf tournament was held in November, with most of the $11,000 raised going toward team uniforms. Milner said all of them have now been purchased, except for home jerseys for the girls’ soccer team. Athletes also lent their individual sales efforts to the cause.
The funds raised this year will be more generally applied to the operating costs of the athletic program, which expanded during the 2013-14 school year to include a co-ed tennis team, a middle school baseball team and re-established junior varsity boys’ basketball and baseball teams.
“Also, this tournament will help the addition of cross country in the fall,” Milner stated in a text message.
Friday’s golf tournament featured 44 players, including recent graduates like Caroline Atherholt-Brown and Noah Nickert.
Nickert, who won the putting contest held prior to the tournament, said his father taught him how to play golf three years ago and the two have made a habit of playing for charity since.
“It’s a fun way to spend time between me and my dad,” he said.
Both he and Atherholt-Brown noted they wanted to continue supporting SCA’s athletic program.
Nickert said while at a public school his athletic options might have been harder to come by, Suffolk Christian’s program “gave me the opportunity to have fun playing the sports I like to play.”
Prior to the golf tourney, SCA’s event featured an auction. It included sports-related items and was led by local auctioneer A. Barry Cole.
