Conway, SC – Welcome back to The Armada Quarterdeck! Week three brought incredible energy, high-level competition, and significant administrative progress across Armada Athletics.
 
From board presentations to rain-soaked road games, our coaches, student-athletes, and staff continue to raise the standard for Atlantic Collegiate Academy.

Department Headlines & Program Leadership

• Head Baseball Coach Announced: We are thrilled to officially announce Chad Schildt as the new Head Coach of our ACA Baseball program! Check the athletics website for the official press release.
• Board of Trustees Presentation: I had the privilege of presenting to the ACA Board of Trustees this week. We are aligned around our shared goal of providing a safe environment, rigorous academics, and elite athletic opportunities for all student-athletes.
• Coaching Opportunities: We are actively accepting applications for Head Coaching positions for both Girls Golf and Boys Golf. Please spread the word to high-caliber leaders who want to build these programs.
• Football Stadium & Facility Updates: Details are being finalized for our football team to play on October 10th at a major local venue where you can practically smell the salt air of the Atlantic Ocean! Additionally, we are near finalizing agreements that will bring us to three total home contests for our program this season.

Game Recaps & Competition Highlights

• Football at Mullins: After a slow start, the team looked dominant in a decisive performance on the road! Coach Rivens and his staff are high-level leaders and fantastic role models for our young men. (A special thanks to the parent who supplied insect repellent to save me from what felt like South Carolina cousins of Maine black flies!)
• Football at Marlboro County: Traveling with the team on the bus to Marlboro County was a great experience despite the outcome. The squad battled through torrential downpours and lightning delays that certainly brought back memories of my Florida coaching days. Coach Rivens had the team well-prepared, and our players gave maximum effort against an elite opponent.
• Volleyball vs. Oceanside: The environment in the gymnasium for our match against Oceanside was top-tier. Our student section was electric, and both teams played an elite-level match that could very well be a playoff preview down the road.

Student Life, Spirit & Media Operations

• Teacher & Staff Support: It was awesome seeing so many teachers and staff members in the stands for volleyball. The genuine excitement and smiles on our student-athletes' faces when they recognized their teachers in the crowd was priceless.
• Student Digital Ticketing: A reminder that ACA students receive free admission to all regular season home events! Students must register through Hudl, download the app on their phone, and scan their QR code at the gate.
• Cheer Team Energy: A huge shout-out to our cheer team for bringing incredible spirit and enthusiasm to campus this week! As we fine-tune these new spirit pop-ups, we want to ensure instructional time remains protected. Moving forward, all future cheer pop-ups will take place strictly in the Student Center and adjacent outdoor areas between sessions. We love the team's high energy and look forward to seeing them keep the school spirit rolling in those designated zones!
• Enhanced Media & Social Platforms:
  • We have integrated Boxout to streamline our social media graphics across all athletic channels. Follow our accounts for game schedules, results, and sport-specific strength and conditioning information.
  • Media storage for action shots has been centralized via Google Drive to allow seamless photo access across multiple staff departments.
  • Huge shout-out to "Three Good Guys" for their outstanding coverage of our programs. We have also instituted post-game student-athlete interviews to give our players hands-on experience with public speaking and media relations.
  • Tuesday's volleyball match was successfully live-streamed on our YouTube channel for fans unable to attend in person.

Looking Ahead

• August Student-Athlete of the Month: Be on the lookout for the release of our very first Student-Athlete of the Month award dropping on Tuesday, September 1st!
• First Student Athlete Council Meeting: The Student Athlete Council will host its inaugural meeting this week, led by Coach Santuan and Coach Mikey alongside representatives from all sports.

Thank you for your ongoing commitment to Armada Athletics. Go Armada!

#GoArmada #AnchorDown

Douglas Leichner
Director of Athletics

About Atlantic Collegiate Academy: Atlantic Collegiate Academy (ACA), located in Conway, S.C., serves high school students in a safe, small and family-centered setting. Our students seek the opportunity and challenge of rigorous curriculum, high academic standards and elite athletics while also earning up to two years of college credit. ACA serves students in grades 9-12 using an honors curriculum in 9th and 10th grades with a dual enrollment curriculum in 11th and 12th grades.