JHS Young Athletes

06/07/2026

"Let all that you do be done in love."
1 Corinthians 16:14

Yesterday was our 2nd Annual JHS Young Athletes Fishing Tournament, and what an incredible day it was! 🌞🎣

We had 68 kids registered and fishing the lakeside, along with parents, siblings, volunteers, and supporters who helped make the day so special. Last year, we had 38 kids signed up, so seeing participation grow so much in just one year was truly incredible and a blessing to witness!

The turnout was amazing, but even more amazing was seeing so many smiling faces, families spending time together, and memories being made all across the lake. ❤️

Thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and supporters, every child went home with a raffle prize, and 9 young anglers even took home cash prizes!

A huge thank you to JB's Custom Crappie Jigs for helping keep the tournament running smoothly from start to finish. Thank you to Paradise Pitstop Ministries for keeping everyone fed, hydrated, and taken care of throughout the day. And thank you to our incredible volunteers who spent hours untangling lines, baiting hooks, encouraging kids, and serving wherever needed.

Because of our generous Event Sponsor, Braungardt Ag Services, along with the many individuals who donated and supported this event, we raised enough funds to provide two and a half college scholarships for local student-athletes!

Days like yesterday remind us why JHS Young Athletes exists.
It's about more than fishing tournaments, scholarships, or prizes. It's about investing in kids, bringing families together, creating lasting memories, and showing young people that their community believes in them.

Most of all, we're thankful to God for His continued blessings and for allowing us to honor Hunter's legacy in a way that continues to impact lives. 🤍

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you to everyone who attended, volunteered, sponsored, donated, and supported this event. We couldn't do it without you.
We are already looking forward to next year!

Please share any pics you may have taken at the tournament in the comments!
Let our community see those catches!! 🐟🎣😃

Heavenly Father,

Thank You for blessing this event beyond what we could have imagined. Thank You for every child who came, every family who participated, every volunteer who served, every sponsor who gave, and every supporter who helped make this day possible.

Thank You for the laughter, the memories, the friendships, and the joy that filled the lake yesterday. Thank You for a community that continues to rally around our youth and invest in the next generation.

We are grateful for the opportunity to serve others in Hunter's memory and humbled by the way You continue to use JHS Young Athletes to make a difference in the lives of local kids and families.

Please continue to bless every family represented, guide us as we move forward, and help us always remember that everything we do is ultimately for Your glory.

In Jesus' name we pray,
Amen.

06/06/2026

06/06/2026

All week long we've been watching the weather forecast and praying. 🌞
Our God is SO GOOD!! ☺️
Come join us!! 🎣🐠🐟

06/05/2026

We've received multiple inquiries about rules and tournament location.

Below are tournament rules followed by a Google Maps link.
Hope this helps!
We're so excited for tomorrow morning!!
🎣

Thanks to our generous Sponsor and Volunteers, this event is 100% free!

No preregistration is required. Sign up upon arrival.

Who Can Participate: Participation is limited to individuals 18 years of age or younger. Parents are welcome to assist.

Participants over the age of 16 must possess a current and valid fishing license.

Participants 16 years of age or younger are not required to have a fishing license; however, they must be accompanied by an adult who possesses a current and valid fishing license.

Participants who possess a valid fishing license may use no more than three (3) fishing poles.

For participants 16 years of age or younger without a fishing license, the supervising adult may operate a maximum of three (3) fishing poles total on behalf of the participants they are supervising.

This is a strictly catch-and-release event.

No live animals may be taken from the event. This includes fish and any form of live bait (no trapping or removal of live bait).

Boats are not permitted during this event.

UTVs, ATVs, and all off-road vehicles are prohibited.

All vehicles must remain on public, marked roadways at all times.

More details on fish categories and tournament specific rules will be shared tomorrow morning—be ready!

Google maps link 👇

https://maps.app.goo.gl/uSRvEzmZiD7M3uS18?g_st=ac

Jesse Brown Tabetha Brown
DeeDee Martin Kelsi McCrory Stribling Jacklyn McNatt Goad Wendy Williams Jimmy Stribling

06/04/2026

We went shopping last night and loaded up on prizes and giveaways for Saturday's tournament!!

We've got fishing poles, tackle boxes, tackle, fishing hats, multi-tools, tumblers, outdoors folding chairs, a magnet fishing kit, and a whole lot more!

We're excited to see everyone Saturday morning for a great day of fishing, fun, and making memories!! Thank you all for your continued support!
💙🎣🐟🐠💙
https://www.facebook.com/share/1HBhdmJLjv/

Taylor Braungardt Addie Braungardt
Jesse Brown Tabetha Brown
Erin Tate Ronnie Tate Brenda Firkus
Jacklyn Goad Jimmy Stribling Wendy Williams DeeDee Martin Kelsi McCrory Stribling

06/01/2026

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we lay down tonight, we just come to You with thankful hearts for our kids and the blessing it is to watch them grow through sports.

Lord, we lift up every young athlete. You know each one by name. Watch over them and protect them from injury. Give them strength in their bodies, confidence when they doubt themselves, and peace when the pressure feels heavy. Help them to enjoy the game, to keep learning, and to grow through every win and every loss.

Father, we also lift up the parents. You know the late nights, the early mornings, the long drives, and all the unseen sacrifices that come with it. Give them patience when things get stressful, wisdom in the moments that matter, and peace when worry tries to creep in. Help them to be steady encouragement for their kids and to speak life over them in every situation.

Lord, more than anything, we ask that You use this time to build character in our children. Teach them humility, respect, discipline, and perseverance. Help them to compete hard but still honor You and others in how they play and how they carry themselves.
Bless this community, Lord. Keep it full of encouragement, respect, and support for one another. Let this always be about more than just sports. Let it be about growing good kids into good people.

As we close out this day, we place every athlete, every parent, and every family in Your hands. Give them rest tonight and be with them through the upcoming week.

In Jesus’ name we pray,
Amen.

05/28/2026

We want to take a moment to recognize and thank some amazing local businesses and families that are helping make our 2nd Annual Fishing Tournament possible.

What makes this even more special is that each one of these businesses supported this tournament last year too!
Their continued support means more to us than words can say. It says a lot about the kind of people they are and the kind of community we are blessed to live in!

Braungardt Ag Services made an incredibly generous donation that is covering the event insurance, a lot of the prizes and giveaways, and even enough funding to provide two college scholarships!
Their support is not only making this tournament possible, but it is also helping create opportunities for young athletes that will last far beyond one day at the lake. We are beyond thankful for their generosity and belief in what JHS Young Athletes stands for.

JB’s Custom Crappie Jigs has been absolutely instrumental in making this event happen!
They have invested an unbelievable amount of time, effort, planning, and fishing knowledge into every part of this tournament.
They have also generously provided prizes for the event as well.
We love fishing, and we love seeing kids outdoors making memories with family and friends, but honestly… we know just enough about fishing to be dangerous lol.
Without JB’s Custom Crappie Jigs leading the way, this event would probably be a disaster lol.
Their passion for fishing, the outdoors, and helping kids experience it is something really special, and we are incredibly grateful for everything they’ve done behind the scenes!

Paradise Pitstop Ministries is helping make sure nobody leaves hungry or thirsty!
They’ve been putting a ton of time and effort into preparing their food truck, getting stocked up, and making sure they’re ready to serve everyone attending the tournament.
Their willingness to serve our community in this way means more than we can say, and we appreciate the heart they have for people!

We also want to thank all of the individuals and families in our community who are supporting, participating, volunteering, donating, and helping spread the word about this event. It takes a community coming together to make something like this possible, and we truly believe we have one of the best communities around!

We feel incredibly blessed by the support surrounding this tournament and by the people who continue to invest in our youth and their future.

Please help us thank these amazing businesses, families, and community members for supporting local youth, families, and the next generation.

We can’t wait to see everyone at the lake!
https://www.facebook.com/share/1Hn4zVCjme/

DeeDee Martin Jimmy Stribling Wendy Williams Jacklyn McNatt Goad Kelsi McCrory Stribling

05/27/2026

ONLY 13 OPENINGS LEFT!!!
GET YOUR YOUNG ATHLETES SIGNED UP!!

We believe that the health and safety of young athletes will always matter more than wins, losses, stats, or trophies.

That’s why we were honored to help support this FREE heart screening event for local kids and young adults ages 8-25. ❤️

This event is especially meaningful as it is being done in memory of DJ Chastain, who tragically passed away after collapsing during basketball practice because of an undiagnosed heart condition. His story is a powerful reminder of how important heart screenings can be for young athletes.

Many heart conditions can go completely unnoticed during routine sports physicals. Events like this can literally save lives!

We strongly encourage parents of young athletes to take advantage of this amazing opportunity.

Huge thank you to Devon’s Beat, My HeartCheck, and Billie Stahlschmidt for making this available to our community!

📍 Pike-Lincoln Technical Center
📅 Saturday, June 27, 2026

Appointments are limited and spots will fill quickly, so please don’t wait to sign up.

Schedule here:
https://myheartcheck.org/

Click “Schedule Now” and follow the prompts for the Saint Louis Region.

PLEASE SHARE to help us spread the word and protect our young athletes! ❤️