MPCS Hosted Professional Athletes, Students and Neighboring Schools On Campus
Mount Paran Christian School (MPCS) proudly welcomed and hosted the 2026 Maxwell Football Club Leadership Challenge, an inspiring event that united high school athletes, coaches, and community leaders for a day of character-driven learning and athletic celebration.
MPCS Athletics Director Mike Walker and event planner Michele Beagle first connected in the fall when the Maxwell Football Club selected Mount Paran Christian School as the ideal host site for its 2026 Leadership Challenge. Held in MPCS’s state-of-the-art athletic facilities, the one-day program featured dynamic workshops, keynote sessions, and interactive challenges designed to build teamwork, resilience, and leadership skills. The event reflected values shared by both the Maxwell Football Club and MPCS — developing the whole student in mind, body, and spirit.
More than 200 student-athletes from MPCS and neighboring schools took part in the challenge, hearing from Navy quarterback Blake Horvath, NFL legend and former Falcon John Abraham, and Maxwell ambassador Shawn Wooden. Horvath, Navy’s starting quarterback since 2023 and recipient of the Military Service Academy Leadership Award, shared lessons on perseverance, duty, and leadership. Abraham,15-year NFL veteran and the inaugural recipient of the Maxwell Football Club’s Herschel Walker Award, urged students to lead from wherever they are. Wooden, a former Notre Dame defensive back, Super Bowl champion, and current Chairman of the Maxwell Football Club, emphasized hard work, discipline, and teamwork as keys to success on and off the field.
As a sponsor and partner, Mount Paran Christian athletics was featured prominently at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala, held that evening at the Coca-Cola Roxy at The Battery Atlanta, where MPC varsity football players and faculty joined NFL legends and award winners for a memorable evening of recognition.
During the ceremony, select participants were honored with Maxwell Football Club Leadership Awards recognizing outstanding character, sportsmanship, and service. Following the success
of this year’s event, the Maxwell Football Club has announced plans for expanded regional showcases in 2027, continuing to uplift young athletes and strengthen ties between athletic performance and personal leadership.
“This was a tremendous opportunity for our student-athletes to engage face-to-face with true leaders of the sport,” said Walker. “The lessons shared from these professional athletes about discipline, courage, and faith mirrored exactly what we aim to instill at Mount Paran Christian.”
