I hope you all enjoy this as much as I did! Willow
Basketball champs refuse to play on Sabbath
League winners skip tournament, say 'Experiencing Christ' better than to 'Take state'
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Posted: February 20, 2008
1:48 pm Eastern
© 2008 WorldNetDaily
The mission statement for Campion Academy, a Seventh-day Adventist Church school in Colorado, is painted on the outside of the gymnasium, "Experiencing Christ in a Learning Environment." It isn't, "Take State."
So there have been virtually no serious complaints when the school's basketball team, winning the Northern Front Range League title in Class 2A basketball competition with a 13-1 record this year, again will not be participating in the Colorado High School Activities Association's state competition.
The team, the league champion for the fourth year, instead, is playing at a tournament for Seventh-day Adventist schools in Nebraska, according to a report in the Denver Post.
The academy's athletic director and basketball coach, Troy Beans, said he knew starting out the school was "academic-oriented."
"Sports aren't at the top of the list by any means," he told the newspaper.
The 101-year-old academy teaches strict adherence to the Ten Commandments, including the 4th, which is "Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy." It defines the Sabbath as the traditional Jewish day from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
The result? No games on Friday night or Saturday.
The state association had agreed to work with the school, and allow the Cougars to continue to compete as long as their opponents were flexible on the scheduling of games.
But the members of Campion's faculty voted against moving forward.
Beans disagrees, respectfully, with that decision, as do some players.
"I think it would be a good opportunity for our team to show who we really are, and be a good ministry for our school and our religion," starting center Nathan Lorenz told the newspaper.
Michael Beans, the coach's son, is a senior guard and scores 16 points per game.
He told the Post it's "frustrating" that recognition such as a championship is available for the school, but the team won't have that opportunity.
But his opinion couldn't be described as rebellion.
"I love this school, and I love this atmosphere," he said.
Many of the 155 students in grades 9-12 board on campus and work in various positions at the school, which only joined the state activities association in 1997. Troy Beans' father and grandfather also attended, but the three were able to participate only in intramural athletics.
Another Seventh-day Adventist school, Mile High Academy in nearby Denver, also has sports teams but the school doesn't hold a membership in the state organization.
Principal John Winslow said there's really no reason to change the school's priorities.
"I think of it in this realm: With all we have here, it's difficult to extend our season … We want to have good seasons, and then we're going to our local kind of church playoffs … and we're going to call it good," he told the newspaper.
"We're just trying to keep a balance," he said.