The High School Basketball Camp has been canceled next week. The Junior High camp will be run at its scheduled time.

I am sorry if this has caused any inconvenience.

Donnie Brake

We are changing the dates and times of the high school basketball camp as follows:

June 15-18 1-4PM Cancelled
June 22-25 1-4 PM Cancelled

New camp

June 22-25 9-12 AM at the Mac in Lewisville.
This camp will be coached by our own high school coaches, Victor Lemley and Bernard Scott.

Please contact me at dbrake@coramdeoacademy.org to register for the camp.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Summer athletic camps, sponsored by Coram Deo, will begin June 8 at the Mac in Lewisville. We are offering two volleyball camps and one basketball camp for grades 2-8. If you are interested, please view our schedule at  http://www.coramdeoacademy.org/content/pages/CDA%20Summer%20Brochure.pdf  for a complete listing.

These camps are not only a lot of fun, but they provide the campers with techniques and skills that will help them improve their play. These camps are filling up quickly, so register now to reserve a spot.

If you have been by the Flower Mound campus lately, you may have seen the two newest editions to the CDA "fleet" of vehicles. We purchased two buses from the Winston School last week to help us transport our athletic teams to and from practices and games next year. These vehicles are in great shape and will be a welcomed addition to our program. We will be adding the CDA logo and name to them this summer and do some minor cosmetic work to the interior. They will be very helpful next year.

This was all made possible because of the hard work and fundraising efforts of the Athletic Development Team and the Lion's Pride. Over $60,000 was raised last year by these groups and we are thankful to them for their commitment to helping us improve the program. Without their efforts we could not have purchased these new vehicles for our students.

31-2 . . . a season record unlike any other in the annals of Coram Deo sports; a season where “Team First” meant just that; a season where 13 young women faced every challenge without fear; a season where love crept in; and a season that will stand as a seminal moment in the history of CDA.

In Waco, in the TAPPS 3A State Semi-Final game, the Lady Lions’ magical season came to an end at the hands of a seasoned, highly-skilled Waco Reicher team, 14-3.  After falling behind 3-0 after three innings, the Lady Lions rallied for three runs of their own in the top half of the fourth inning, to tie the score, 3-3.  However, in the bottom of the fourth inning, the Lady Cougars unleashed a withering offensive that propelled them to victory and a berth in the State Final game against Galveston O’Connell.  In defeat, the Lady Lions, our daughters, displayed their high character, competing to the bitter end - with dignity.  And, so it was, on the coveted green grass of Waco, that these Lady Lions disembarked, smiles of pride and fighting through the tears, ready . . . ready for anything!

In a society where winning is often more important than good character, I saw a true victory yesterday at the Final Four TAPPS softball tournament. While the Lady Lions quest for a state title came to an abrupt halt, they gave me a glimpse of the true definition of winning.

Before the game, I was standing at the side of the dugout talking with a dad about the upcoming game, when I looked over at the other end of the dugout. I saw all thirteen of the softball players huddled around one of the mothers listening to her read something to them. I could not hear everything from where I was standing, but I heard enough to know, that she was sharing a short devotional from one of the Psalms. When she was done, one of the senior girls continued the devotional conversation, concluding with a team prayer. As I looked at these girls, arm in arm, praying to our Lord, I knew we had won! I did not know if we were going to win on the scoreboard, but I knew that these thirteen girls were winners. They understood what was really important in life.

The loss of the game will hurt for a little while, but the character these girls showed, will last a lifetime. Coach Whitby and staff should be honored, not only for their on the field victories, but for the character they have helped develop in these girls. I was proud to be in the dugout with these girls and know that God has a special plan for their lives.

Thank you to all the coaches and parents that made this a great season!

Coram Deo Academy Lady Lions’ catcher Bailey Newlan gunned-down the

tying run on a two-out steal attempt, to end a spirited seventh-inning

rally and secure a Lady Lions victory, 7-6, over the Lady Eagles of

Frisco Legacy Christian. The TAPPS 3A Regional victory was the 24th

consecutive for the Lady Lions and secured their first-ever appearance

in the TAPPS State Final Four. While the Lady Lions’ defense struggled

throughout the day, strong performances from Newlan and pitcher Alex

Whitby prevented the Lady Lions from succumbing to the relentless Lady

Eagle pressure.

Whitby yielded just one earned run over seven innings,

while striking out ten, en route to her 30th victory of the season. With

the score tied at 3-3 after five innings, the Lady Lions pushed across

three runs in the sixth and one run in the seventh, then held on for the

victory, withstanding two late Lady Eagle rallies. The Lady Lions’

offense, which has outscored its opposition 372-60 this season, was lead

in the game by Senior Liz DeOtte, who had two hits, including an RBI

triple.

On Thursday, May 14th, the Lady Lions take on perennial power

Waco Reicher Catholic High School, in one of the TAPPS 3A State

Semi-Final games. The first pitch is scheduled for 2:00 pm, at Waco

I.S.D.’s Field #1.

Amidst the swaying pine trees of The Woodlands, the CDA Lions were eliminated from
the TAPPS 3A baseball playoffs by The Woodlands Christian Academy Warriors, 17-2. The
loss brought to an end the most successful season in Lions Baseball history. It was a season that
resulted in an overall record of 16-8 (7-5 in District play) and a season that was
punctuated by the Lions’ first-ever playoff appearance and playoff victory.

The loss also brought to a close the careers of Seniors Bret Hawkins and Cooper Newlan.
Hawkins and Newlan did not merely earn five varsity letters each during their time on
the diamond for CDA. Rather, these two young men represented the first wave of CDA
players truly dedicated to the game of baseball. Fittingly, in consecutive at-bats,
Hawkins doubled and Newlan homered in the fourth inning of their final game, to score
the Lions’ only runs. These two always were committed to the “program”, serving as its
quiet leaders, bringing a tough-minded approach that helped a young, inexperienced
team weather “some” growing pains. Clearly, this tough-minded approach has, now,
been passed on. However, the history of the Hawkins-Newlan baseball tandem pre-dates
their CDA play. Before donning the CDA uniform, these two styled together as Expos,
Dodgers and Brewers, all while toiling in the rec leagues of Flower Mound. That toiling,
in part, served to forge a friendship, a remarkable friendship, a friendship that overflows
and benefits those around them – and there is nothing greater than that.
To them, we say, “Well done . . . Thanks . . . and You are Loved.”

The Lady Lions will play Legacy Christian at the University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) on Saturday, May 9, 2009. Game time is at 1:00 PM and the winner will qualify for the Final Four in TAPPS 3A with a trip to Waco next week.

Please join us and root for the Lady Lions in this playoff game. The address for UTD is 800 W. Campbell Rd., Richardson, Texas 75080. There will be an admission charge of $5.00 for adults and $ 1.00 for students. TAPPS cards will be accepted.

I look forward to seeing you all there.

Coram Deo won its first playoff game 3-1 over Brookhill in Bullard, Saturday afternoon. In their first playoff game ever the Lions pulled off the upset. Jacob Sagert threw a complete game and gained the victory. Luke McKee was fantastic on defense in the outfield.

A more complete summary to come....Congratulations to Coach Ashby and his team!