Discover how our Christ-centered academics, competitive athletics, and strong school community help students thrive.
The most important goal of the Lakeside Athletics program is to help student athletes develop a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ. During practice and athletic competition, opportunities arise for the athletes to apply God’s Word and His principles to their lives. Dedicated Christian coaches help the athletes relate the victories, hard work, and defeats experienced on the playing field to their daily walk with Christ. Coaches encourage players to do their very best for God’s glory. Lakeside Athletics also uses discipline and physical training to develop important values in the athletes’ lives. The core values taught to participants include commitment, unity, responsibility, discipline, respect, and integrity.
Lakeside Christian School’s competitive middle school, JV, and varsity teams include cross country, basketball, baseball, football, volleyball, softball, track, soccer, and cheerleading. Our elementary sports program offers six different sports for students in kindergarten through 5th grade, with sports rotating each quarter. Students practice during their normal school day and then compete against other local Pinellas County private schools on Saturday mornings.
Membership: Lakeside holds athletic membership with the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) and the Sunshine State Athletic Conference (SSAC).
Middle school is where many students begin to truly engage in athletics, and at Lakeside, participation is strong and consistent across these years. Each year, 60-80% of our middle school students participate in at least one sport.
With a wide range of sports and opportunities, students are encouraged to:
For many students, this is the stage where confidence grows and a love for athletics begins to take root.
Our high school athletics program offers opportunities for both competitive athletes and students who simply want to stay active and involved. Over 60% of our Lion students in 9th-12th grade students participate in sports each year.
Students benefit from:
Whether competing at the varsity level or participating for personal growth, students are supported by accomplished Christian coaches every step of the way.
Learn more about admissions, scholarships, and how to become part of the Lakeside family.
Varsity Volleyball: Todd Von Weyhe
tvonweyhe@lakesidechristianschool.org
JV Volleyball: Amelia Arthurs
aarthurs@lakesidechristianschool.org
Middle Schoool Volleyball: Allison Chichester
achichester@lakesidechristianschool.org
Varsity Head Coach: Dennis Vela
dvela@lakesidechristianschool.org
Varsity Assistant Coach: James Coffman
jcoffman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Middle School Football: Josh Norton
jnorton@lakesidechristianschool.org
Coach: Rick Sandman
rsandman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Coach: Fawn Norton
Varsity Boys Basketball: Mike Drummond
mdrummond@lakesidechristianschool.org
JV Boys Basketball: Nate Davis
ndavis@lakesidechristianschool.org
MS Boys Basketball: Rick Sandman
rsandman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Varsity Girls Basketball: Tom Eaton
teaton@lakesidechristianschool.org
MS Girls Basketball: Kim Guzman
Varsity Boys Soccer: Bryan Hodae
bhodae@lakesidechristianschool.org
Varsity Girls Soccer: James Coffman
jcoffman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Middle School (co-ed): Bryan Hodae
Varsity Baseball: Josh Norton
jnorton@lakesidechristianschool.org
Middle School Baseball: Rick Sandman
rsandman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Varsity Softball: James Coffman
jcoffman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Middle School Softball: Becky Schroeder
The Athletic Handbook is available for viewing and printing. Parents AND student athletes are required to read the handbook. It also includes the sports fees for the current school year. The last page has a link to the handbook agreement form that must be electronically signed by parents and each student athlete at the beginning of their 2026-2027 sports season. *Note: Home School Parents must pay their sport fee at the time of registration. Your student will not practice or play until the fee is paid at the school.
NOTE ON FORMS: All athletes must have a sports physical before participating in any sport. The physical form must be filled out by a doctor, and the Consent/Release form must be filled out by a parent. Both forms must be turned in to the Athletic Director.
Florida's "Second Chance Act" mandates that all public high school student-athletes undergo an electrocardiogram (ECG/EKG) screening before participating in Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) sports. This applies to all incoming 9th graders as well as 10-12 graders who have not previously played in the FHSAA.
Athletic Director: James Coffman
Phone: 727-461-3311 ext 307 Email: jcoffman@lakesidechristianschool.org
Athletics Operations Coordinator: Nate Davis
We believe that introducing students to athletics early fosters physical development, teamwork, and confidence. Our elementary athletics program is designed for K-5 students to explore a variety of sports, build foundational skills, and prepare for middle and varsity sports in a supportive, Christ-centered environment. Because Lakeside is a K-12 private school, our youngest Lion athletes benefit from a seamless transition as they grow, building skills and confidence that prepare them to excel in middle school and varsity sports programs.
Practices are held during the week, and games take place on Saturday mornings at Northside Christian School. This schedule ensures a balanced approach to academics and athletics while giving students valuable experience playing against other private Christian schools in Pinellas County, Florida. In recent years, elementary participation has grown significantly (over 20%), with more students discovering the joy of being part of a team at an early age.
Students benefit from:
We offer a variety of coed sports to keep our students active and engaged all year:
As a K–12 school, Lakeside students build skills and confidence from elementary athletics through varsity competition.
Current Lakeside families can register their child for our K-5 sports program.
Advertising your business with the Lakeside Christian School Athletic Department offers a unique opportunity to positively impact your local Clearwater community while supporting the development of student-athletes in grades K–12.
Your company’s custom banner will be displayed prominently on our campus throughout the 2026–2027 school year. It will be visible to hundreds of students, families, and community members attending school and church events. Additionally, we will recognize your business as a valued sponsor through our school’s social media platforms.
Cost:
Includes a full-color 3’ x 5’ banner featuring your company name, logo, contact information, and your choice of font color. The banner will remain on display on campus for the entire school year.
Proceeds from the banner program directly benefit all of our athletic teams, including: Football, Volleyball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Basketball, Soccer, Baseball, Softball, Track and Field, and our six elementary sports programs.
Our Lakeside Lion Sideline Store gives fans, students, and parents exclusive access to top-selling, personalized, school spirit wear from iconic brands, like Nike, Under Armour, Carhartt, TravisMathew, lululemon and more.
