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How About Those Falcons!
Apr 11, 2015 10:49AM
● By Elena Hutslar
College Park Falcon's Varsity Baseball TeamTop row (L to R): Coach Derek Petrak, Coach Kevin Stanley, Joe Demers, Noah Burnham, Trevor Larnach, Head Coach Andy Tarpley, Jack Downing, Josh Nelson, Nick Oar, Coach Kyle Gross, Coach Martin Soares. Middle row (L to R): Manager Carter Hocom, Willie Maciver, Christian Encarnacion-Strand, Sam Behrens, Ian Maciver, Chris Brown, Tommy Hammil. Bottom row (L to R): Hank Dare, Jeffrey Mitchell, JR Santiago, Davis Ellington, Evan Gravenmier, Spencer Louis.
By Russ Carroll
Only Ego is Lacking on this Star-Studded Team
The College Park boys varsity baseball team is gearing up to defend their 2014 NCS title. And based on preseason rankings, they are well on their way to doing so. Every high school poll I could find has them ranked in the top two teams in the state. Baseball America has them ranked #1 -- not just in the state, but also in the country! Are you kidding me? College Park High School? From our little town of Pleasant Hill? Yep. That's who I am talking about!
This team is loaded with star players - all local kids. Seven seniors have been offered (and accepted) scholarships for Division 1 colleges. That's ridiculous. I think my high school (another local school) has had 7 baseball players go D-1 in 50 years, let alone one year. Most of this team has played together since they were very young. Many of them played Pleasant Hill Baseball Association and started in-house. Some moved on to travel ball, and then several played together at Lamorinda Baseball Club. This is a unique group of very talented kids. Other than their raw talent, their most unique quality may be their lack of ego and genuine appreciation and affection for each other.
I recently met with head coach Andy Tarpley and talked about the team, the chemistry, the past and the future. When asked, "What makes this team special?" his response was simple and quick: "When you're around these kids, you would never know that any of them are stars until you watch them play. These guys truly play as a team and not as individuals. There are no egos here." I asked him, "Why College Park?" I knew with his background and past successes that Andy could have taken other head coaching jobs, probably for more money, better facilities and a tradition of success. His response was again simple and quick, "I knew these kids. I knew how good they were. I sensed that something special was going to happen here and it has. There is a sense of community here that does not exist at many other schools. The camaraderie here is unbelievable." Turns out that coach was right.
In his first season with CP they were 20-5-1. Last year they were 27-3, with an NCS championship. During this meeting, two things were consistent and concise: special group and special community. I found myself being very proud to be part of the community he was referring to. I asked coach what the future looks like next year after the loss of 7 D-1 players and was pleased to hear his response. He expressed his excitement over many of the underclassmen. His quote: "We'll be fine." He said his seniors are always helping the younger players. There are many stars on this team. Shining the brightest is probably Joe Demers -- arguably the best player in the state, if not the country. Coach said that you would never know that by being around him. He is always willing to help younger players. Most players of his ability would be focused purely on themselves. Not Joe. He's always supportive and helpful.
College Park was recently invited to play in the National High School Invitational Tournament in North Carolina. I can only hope that the championship trophy will fit in the overhead compartment on the plane ride back to Oakland. My suspicion is that this tournament will be the first of many victories for this very special group of kids & coaches this season. I know that I will be attending many of their games this year. If you like baseball and want to witness something special, you should come out as well.
Go Falcons!
Upcoming Home Games
4/2 CP vs Berean Christian 4pm
4/16 CP vs Concord 4pm
4/21 CP vs Northgate 4pm
4/30 CP vs Ygnacio Valley 4pm


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From A to Z: Letter R/
Perhaps one of the well-known stories in the Bible is the story of the Moses and the Red Sea crossing. I've heard it so many times that it seems a little "normal."
Yep. Just a huge group of people standing in front of a gigantic body of water and a huge army at their heels. Then, God parts the sea, the people walk through it, and they are rescued from the Egyptians.
When you really think about this story, it is astounding and miraculous. The Israelites had no hope--they were truly in a lose-lose situation. But God. He rescued them--in a way that could only point to Him.
Maybe you've had moments like that in your life--you were in a hopeless or sticky place. But God. God provided a way out that only He could provide. The best example of this in all of our lives is that we were hopelessly separated by God because of sin. But God provided a way out through Jesus (the greatest Rescuer of all time). Isn't that the best news?!
The letter R is for God is our Rescuer. This is such a sweet truth to teach our children (and remind ourselves). He is the superhero of all superheros :)
This lesson focuses on the story of the Israelites escape from Egypt and kids might get a little messy with some water and wind sensory play. My favorite is teaching them the song "Pharaoh, Pharaoh"--actions included (anyone else remember singing that at Bible camp?)
Ps. Another fun thing to do this week could be to talk about the Passover and make unleavened bread or do an entire seder passover meal (that's family-friendly)
Have a good one friends!

subset: commoncrawl


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The Dragons of Lyndaria
Who doesn't love dragons? If you're a lover of fantasy, chances are you love dragons as well. I adore dragons. In fact, I have a fantasy romance series called "The Legends of Mynos" at Samhain Publishing. The first two books are available now in eBook, and you can find out more about them here:
I love this series, and the BIG reason is because of the dragonlore. While it's true, my fantasies might not bring anything "new" to the table, I like to think my dragonlore is what makes them unique. Dragons are very complicated beings in my world. Very intelligent, very ancient, very astute magic users. I'm currently writing the third book in this series, THE WOLVERINE AND THE FLAME, and even now, the dragons of my world are still revealing things to me.
Things I've learned from the dragons of Lyndaria:
They have a heirarchy. It's not a dragon free-for-all.
They don't hoard jewels. My dragons have better things to do. lol
Depending on their color, they have different temperments.
They can shift into humans, yet they don't look quite human, still bearing the coloring of their scales on their skin and in their hair, with slits for pupils.
The fire they breathe isn't "normal" flame. It's a magical flame with special properties.
If they are consecrated after they die, the dragon's body will turn into "pure magic", becoming a gem the color of their scales. This gem is a "blank slate" to be enchanted with any power the wielder sees fit, thus becoming a powerful magical talisman.
This is just some of the things I've learned from my dragons. Their relationships are almost as complicated as the main characters. I love my dragons. In fact, Mynos is my favorite character out of all my books. He's ancient, wise, benevolent, and yet, still playful. He's the "glue" that holds my series together, and he ignited my love of dragons.
If you get a chance, I hope you get to know Mynos as well. In fact, he has a gift for you: a free read. Come and fly with him in the skies of Lyndaria. You won't be disappointed.


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