Students win big at Sun Life Stadium
Christ Church School is proving to be the little school that could.
The Fort Lauderdale elementary school had great success at the National Football League’s Punt, Pass & Kick competition, where six of their students qualified for the Miami Dolphins Team Championship competition and walked away earning two championships.
Christina Paschal, of Pompano Beach, took home the top prize in the Girls 6-7 age division and was joined by schoolmate Cole Sinclair, of Lighthouse Point, who won the Boys 6-7 division. Fallyn McNamara, from Lauderdale by The Sea, and Pompano Beach’s Adam Elkott took third place in the 8-9 Girls and Boys division.
Success is hardly unknown for the school. In 2014, Christ Church featured three champions at the competition.
For over a decade, the school has seen at least one student-athlete qualify for the Dolphins Team Championship, but this year all six students got the opportunity to showcase their skills on the field just before the Miami Dolphins vs. Baltimore Ravens game on Dec. 6. The Punt, Pass & Kick competition began in 1961 and had thousands of kids compete nationwide over the years.
It’s also no coincidence that the school has seen success since physical education instructor Carl Salladae arrived on campus 14 years ago. The longtime Cardinal Gibbons High School football coach and former Youth Sports Coordinator for the Fort Lauderdale Parks and Recreation Department incorporated the disciplines of punting, passing and kicking into the school’s curriculum, and the students have responded with outstanding performances.
“We had a new first this year, with all six of our kids qualifying to compete at Dolphins stadium,” Salladae said. “We go over the fundamentals of punting, kicking and throwing the ball, and it’s mandatory for their PE curriculum. This is a great exposure for our kids and for a small Christian school like ours.”
The first competitions began at the school level. From there the top finishers competed in the sectional round at Sabal Park in Coconut Creek. The top four boys and girls in each of the five age brackets then advanced to the Dolphins Team Championship, where they were allowed one punt, pass and kick during the competition. Those with the highest accumulated scores were judged on accuracy and distance.
Paschal was competing for the first time in Sun Life Stadium and seemed unfazed by her surroundings. The 7-year-old is in the second grade and attributed her success to having a lot of support in her corner.
“This was my first time, and it was a lot of fun and pretty cool,” Paschal said. “I practiced a lot with my dad and mom. I’m glad it’s over, and I did the best I could, but I really wasn’t nervous at all coming into [the] stadium.”