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Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy has hired Ricarlo "Rico" Bell to serve as the school's athletic director.
Bell joins CVCA after serving with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and in management and sales positions before that.
"We are blessed to be a part of such an enduring heritage in the community of CVCA," Bell said in a prepared statement June 23. "I am humbled and honored to lead as the new Athletic Director as we continue to develop Christ-like character as ambassadors for Christ through competitive excellence.
"I am extremely passionate about advancing Christ's kingdom through sports. I eagerly await galvanizing this community around this mission and spurring on coaches and student-athletes into a deeper relationship with Christ. I look forward to building upon such a storied legacy! Go Royals!"
Bell replaces Jon Young, who left CVCA at the end of the 2025-26 school year to be director of athletics at Indiana Wesleyan University. Young served as CVCA's athletic director for 14 years from 2012-2026.
Bell is native of Washington, D.C., and graduated from Jeb Stuart High School in 2010. He attended Shepherd University in West Virginia before playing football for and graduating from Malone University in Canton. He played tight end, defensive line and linebacker at Malone in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and earned a degree in exercise science.
Bell also played professional football in the CFL and AFL.
"We are thrilled to welcome Rico Bell to our community as CVCA's new Athletic Director," CVCA President Jason Spodnik said. "Rico is a proven leader with deep experience who understands that athletics is one of the most powerful platforms we have for our mission. He views the field, the court, and the locker room as labs for spiritual formation.
"His passion for equipping coaches to be mentors and transforming student-athletes into disciples is contagious. This unwavering passion for mentoring and intentional disciple-making aligns perfectly with our school's mission. Under Rico's leadership, we aren't just looking to build championship-caliber programs – we are looking to build champions for Christ who will impact the culture for generations to come."
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy also announced Christy Mitchell is the school's assistant athletic director. Mitchell is CVCA's girls lacrosse coach, with two years of experience leading the Royals.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the CVCA Athletic Office staff," Mitchell said in a prepared statement June 23. "For nearly 30 years, God has used sports as an opportunity for ministry in my life, teaching me while also allowing me to serve athletes and coaches from youth sports through the collegiate level. While I love competition and the lessons that come through athletics, my greatest passion has always been helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus, and getting to do both together as a career is an absolute gift!
"I love the vision and mission of CVCA, and serving through the athletic department alongside the staff is an incredible opportunity. It is a privilege to use sports as a tool for discipleship, and I am excited to see how God will work through the relationships and opportunities ahead at CVCA! GO ROYALS!"
Mitchell played lacrosse at Hudson High School and Bowling Green State University, graduating in 1996 and 2000, respectively. She was head coach at Sylvania High School from 1998-2000, Kent Roosevelt High School from 2001-2012, Walsh University from 2013-2018 and the University of Akron from 2018 to 2023.
"With numerous highly competitive high school and middle school programs, bringing in someone with Christy's experience and heart is a game-changer," Spodnik said. "While her years of college coaching experience give her incredible athletic credibility, it is her profound passion for disciple-making that makes her a difference-maker for our community. Christy understands that a locker room is a mission field and a practice is an opportunity for spiritual formation. She is uniquely equipped to mentor our female coaches and walk alongside our young women, teaching them to hold fast to their identity in Christ both on and off the competitive stage."
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy hires Rico Bell as athletic director
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Bell joins CVCA after serving with Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and in management and sales positions before that.
"We are blessed to be a part of such an enduring heritage in the community of CVCA," Bell said in a prepared statement June 23. "I am humbled and honored to lead as the new Athletic Director as we continue to develop Christ-like character as ambassadors for Christ through competitive excellence.
"I am extremely passionate about advancing Christ's kingdom through sports. I eagerly await galvanizing this community around this mission and spurring on coaches and student-athletes into a deeper relationship with Christ. I look forward to building upon such a storied legacy! Go Royals!"
Bell replaces Jon Young, who left CVCA at the end of the 2025-26 school year to be director of athletics at Indiana Wesleyan University. Young served as CVCA's athletic director for 14 years from 2012-2026.
Bell is native of Washington, D.C., and graduated from Jeb Stuart High School in 2010. He attended Shepherd University in West Virginia before playing football for and graduating from Malone University in Canton. He played tight end, defensive line and linebacker at Malone in 2013, 2014 and 2015, and earned a degree in exercise science.
Bell also played professional football in the CFL and AFL.
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"We are thrilled to welcome Rico Bell to our community as CVCA's new Athletic Director," CVCA President Jason Spodnik said. "Rico is a proven leader with deep experience who understands that athletics is one of the most powerful platforms we have for our mission. He views the field, the court, and the locker room as labs for spiritual formation.
"His passion for equipping coaches to be mentors and transforming student-athletes into disciples is contagious. This unwavering passion for mentoring and intentional disciple-making aligns perfectly with our school's mission. Under Rico's leadership, we aren't just looking to build championship-caliber programs – we are looking to build champions for Christ who will impact the culture for generations to come."
CVCA names Christy Mitchell assistant athletic director
Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy also announced Christy Mitchell is the school's assistant athletic director. Mitchell is CVCA's girls lacrosse coach, with two years of experience leading the Royals.
"I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to join the CVCA Athletic Office staff," Mitchell said in a prepared statement June 23. "For nearly 30 years, God has used sports as an opportunity for ministry in my life, teaching me while also allowing me to serve athletes and coaches from youth sports through the collegiate level. While I love competition and the lessons that come through athletics, my greatest passion has always been helping people grow in their relationship with Jesus, and getting to do both together as a career is an absolute gift!
"I love the vision and mission of CVCA, and serving through the athletic department alongside the staff is an incredible opportunity. It is a privilege to use sports as a tool for discipleship, and I am excited to see how God will work through the relationships and opportunities ahead at CVCA! GO ROYALS!"
Mitchell played lacrosse at Hudson High School and Bowling Green State University, graduating in 1996 and 2000, respectively. She was head coach at Sylvania High School from 1998-2000, Kent Roosevelt High School from 2001-2012, Walsh University from 2013-2018 and the University of Akron from 2018 to 2023.
"With numerous highly competitive high school and middle school programs, bringing in someone with Christy's experience and heart is a game-changer," Spodnik said. "While her years of college coaching experience give her incredible athletic credibility, it is her profound passion for disciple-making that makes her a difference-maker for our community. Christy understands that a locker room is a mission field and a practice is an opportunity for spiritual formation. She is uniquely equipped to mentor our female coaches and walk alongside our young women, teaching them to hold fast to their identity in Christ both on and off the competitive stage."
Akron Beacon Journal sports writer Michael Beaven can be reached by email at mbeaven@thebeaconjournal.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy hires Rico Bell as athletic director
Continue reading...
