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A Marriage of Excellent Academics and Athletics
Meet the Williams Family
For Robert and Tameka Williams, few things are more important than helping their three sons figure out who God has called them to be.
“Our kids discovering their purpose is huge, and the less time they have to spend figuring that out, the better,” said Robert.
His wife agrees — so much so that their family sought out Ambassador Christian School, where their sons will participate in a program designed to help them find their calling and have access to outstanding academics and top-notch athletics.
“My goal is to help them reach their goals,” Tameka said. “I want them to be productive, amazing men of God. I know whatever avenue they want to pursue, Ambassador will help them achieve that.”
The Importance of Excellence in All Things
Their three sons — Tyler and Tyson, both entering 11th grade, and Trendyn, who is entering 10th grade — are interested in everything from studying engineering and kinesiology to learning to build cars and participating in student government.
And all three are stand-outs on the football field.
“They all have athletic dreams and desires,” their dad said. “They’ve been identified as having potential collegiately, and I don’t want to put them in the wrong position. I want to help them achieve all of their goals.”
That’s why transferring to a Christian school that offered excellence in all areas was worth it to the Williams family, even with two juniors and a sophomore.
But they wanted more than just wins and passing yards. They wanted a coach and school leaders they could trust.
The Value of Trust and Alignment
“We are very particular about who is around our sons,” Robert said. “Teachers and coaches become part of our village. We don’t want to have to unteach what they’ve learned at school. We want school to be an extension of what they are already learning at home.”
For Tameka, seeing Jay Poag, the athletic director and head football coach, interact with her sons put her at ease right away.
“He built a rapport with them in such a short amount of time,” she said.
Then, he prayed with their son.
“That’s different,” Robert said. “That’s THE difference.”
The Significance of Being the First
Each time the Williams family attends an event or meets with school leaders, they notice progress at the campus and within the school’s planning. And they notice a pattern of pushing for better.
“I want the boys to be pushed,” their mom said. “We know they are leaders, and we want a school that challenges them to step up. The boys already served as ambassadors during an open house. They were nervous, but the admissions team helped them know what to expect. The school is already pushing them in ways.”
And both Tameka and Robert want their sons to understand what a unique opportunity it is to lead at a brand-new high school.
“This is their opportunity to put their thumbprint on something,” Robert said. “Twenty years from now, they will have been the first. They will set the standard and create the culture of the school and of the athletics department. They get to help shape it and build it.”
Tameka said the boys are excited, and their youngest even wrote his own school theme song.
“When I saw how much they wanted it, I knew this was the right school.”
“If parents are thinking about applying, they should pray about their decision and get all their questions answered. We had a lot of questions. We may have asked more than the norm, but the admissions team was always available. They wanted to make sure we were comfortable. “
– Tameka Williams, one of the first parents to enroll students at Ambassador Christian School