GOOD SPORTS: Chatham Academy's Joe LeVan receives top award

Longtime Chatham Academy coach and athletic director Joe Levan has been named the 2011-12 First Down for Fitness Teacher of the Year.

The award recognizes teachers from around the state who contribute each year to the health and wellness of their students.

Levan, who has taught at the small non-profit private school for special-needs students at the Royce Center for more than 14 years, was chosen out of a pool of 191 fellow teachers. Catherine Vaughn, a teacher at the school, nominated Levan for the award. Besides teaching, Levan also coaches every sport during the school season ? soccer, baseball, volleyball, flag football and basketball.

?No students are ever turned down. If their desire is to play and have fun, all are welcome,? Levan said.

Every one plays during each game, he said.

?Our teams may not have won many games over the years, but with coach Levan?s keen leadership skills (and) excellent coaching, every player, parent and fan has had great times during the games,? said Vaughn.

Levan encourages parents to help their children get involved in athletics that interest them.

?If it was not for coach Levan, then our students would not have been able to participate in traditional and organized school sports,? Vaughn added. Levan also conducts a ?2 Mile Day? for all students every Friday during the school year. He teaches physical education, which is a daily activity that provides the students with 60-120 minutes of exercise.

Levan often spends his own money on equipment.

Levan, a longtime NFL Flag Football coach and director, has guided both 12-14-aged girls and boys NFL Flag Football Teams to numerous regional and national championships held in Atlanta, Jacksonville, Fla., Orlando, Fla., and Baltimore, Md.

Chatham Academy soccer team roster

Here are the 17 Chatham Academy Dolphins middle school soccer team members who recently wrapped up their 2012 SPAL season: Miles Alexander, Dazia Akkerman, Logan Baker, Andrew Bratton, Trevor Cribbs, Chip Dekle, Wesley Deloach, Laina Farr, Brandon Grissette, Blair Hanton, Cody Lee, Will Mingledorf, Hoyt Powell, Sheel Patel, Daniel Ruddy, Brighton Sandt and Dre Waldron.

Adult coed flag football team opens season with 3 wins

?Ball So Hard,? a coed adult 8v8 flag football team from Savannah kicked off its 2012 season with three wins. The team won by scores of 24-23, 35-6 and 17-0, and were to have played again this past Thursday.

The team fields 15 players and plays on Thursday nights. It is sponsored by the Congress Street Social Club.

The league, which also has several other teams playing, is under the affiliation of the Savannah Adult Recreation Club and guided by director Andrew Jones.

?Ball So Hard? team members include Michael Anderson, Mike Barbour, Craig Beese, Thomas Dunlop, Jimmy Ririe, Josh Stokes, Elby Hairston, Jill Misuraca, Crystal Stewart, Brad Welling, Jamie Gallegos, Casey Halton, Alisha Smith, Brian Lunsford and Patrick Simmons.

Coastal Reds
youth baseball
team wins again

The inaugural ?Mother?s Day Mash? USSA-sanctioned youth baseball tournament held at the Pooler Recreation & Sports Complex was a success, especially for the 12-and-under Coastal Reds team. The squad, composed of players who attend various schools in the area, has notched titles in a couple of other tourneys and has qualified for a World Series berth.

The Reds, who were to have played this past weekend in the ?Triple Play Classic? tournament held at Mill Creek Regional Park in Statesboro, were one of seven teams in the 11U division. After an opening game loss, the Reds powered their way back to win the next four games to advance to the championship. A close win in the semifinals over the Effingham Outlaws vaulted the Reds into the finals where they had to face-off with the tough Metter Bomb Squad. After trading runs over the first several innings, the Reds broke out to a commanding 8-3 lead and never looked back on their way to winning the title. The team is coached by Dave Kindred.

Team members include Garrett Bradley, Mark Carlson, CJ Chewning, Trey Fesperman, Zach Fussell, Jeffrey Hodge, Carter Hutton, Joshua Kindred, Ashley Pinckney, Grayson Spendiff and Caden Thomas.

Other tourney winners were:

12U - Crush ?n? Run; 13U - Chain Aggies

14U - Chain Dirt Dawgs

Calvary recognizes middle school spring athletes

The middle school spring sports athletes from Calvary Day School were recognized and honored with various awards during the school?s annual end-of-the-season athletic banquet.

Award winners included:

(6/7) softball

Coaches Award: Jodie Weathers

Cavalier Award: Catie Thomas

(8th) softball

Coaches Award: Taylor Rice

Cavalier Award: Jillian Kramer

Golf

Coaches Award: Tony Paleta

Cavalier Award: Gabrielle D?Alessandro

Track & Field Coaches Award: Joshua Martin

Contact Mark Beasley with all of your local sports news at markbeasley.goodsports@yahoo.com.

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