October Halftime Report - The Hornish Family

The Hornish family has been at Christ Church Episcopal School since 2011, and it’s probably safe to say that in the twelve years since, parents Angela and Ryan have been to a game, match, or meet for close to every sport offered at CCES. Between their four children – Blake ’20, Meryl ’22, Payne ’25, and Mills ’28 – they have cheered on football, wrestling, lacrosse, volleyball, basketball, and soccer teams. But even as the kids started to focus in on one sport – wrestling for Blake, volleyball for Meryl and Mills, and soccer for Payne – Angela and Ryan have remained committed to supporting Cavalier Athletics and graciously giving their time to the school community. 

 

Angela and Ryan both have backgrounds in competitive endeavors so it makes sense that all four of their kids have gravitated towards athletics. Ryan played a number of sports growing up, but pursued golf in high school and played collegiately for a year at St. Edwards University in Austin, Texas. Angela was a serious ballet dancer who danced across the country and internationally, a pursuit that required extensive time, discipline, and training. She considered a professional career as a dancer, but ultimately decided she wanted to pursue a range of interests and experiences in college and beyond. Despite her upbringing in the fine arts, Angela says she was always a “rabid golf and football fan,” so meeting and marrying Ryan was the perfect match. Ultimately, Blake, Meryl, Payne, and Mills chose sports that were a little less familiar, but Angela and Ryan were committed from day one to learning on the go, volunteering in any way that was needed, and to always being in the stands cheering.

 

Blake and Meryl saw their high school athletic careers come to an end over the past few years as they graduated from CCES and started new chapters – Blake at the University of Maryland and Meryl at Clemson University. But when all four kids were still at home, there were many years that Angela and Ryan just had to “divide and conquer,” balancing all the different athletic schedules, both at school and with travel teams in the off-seasons. However, overall, the two make every effort to both be present whenever possible. Ryan describes that season for their family as “stressful,” but says he wouldn’t trade it for anything – watching their kids compete in the sports they love.

 

The four Hornish kids speak with great admiration and much gratitude for all the ways their parents have contributed to their athletics careers. Blake started with football in 7^th grade and while he did not stick with it in the long-run, he appreciates all the sport taught him. He says, “I appreciate the friendships I made, and my coaches instilled life lessons that have continued to help me work through many hard situations in college.” While there were many positives to come out of his time playing football, one of the very best was having his dad announce games. He says, “I know [my dad] is a busy guy, and I really do appreciate him taking the time to announce games.” When Blake shifted his focus to wrestling, his parents were always there – Ryan was often on the mic for matches, and Angela became known with the team for her famous peanut butter and Nutella sandwiches. Blake says, “CCES Athletics has contributed extensively to who I am today, and both my mom and dad had a huge part to play in that.” 

 

Similar to Blake, Meryl views her time at CCES, specifically as a student-athlete, as extremely influential in developing her into who she is today. She played volleyball at CCES for six years and was a starter on the varsity team for five, as well as playing travel year-round, a decision she credits her mom for. Meryl says, “I’m thankful my mom pushed me because volleyball became one of my favorite things I’ve ever participated in.” As she reflects back, she is grateful for the many lessons playing at CCES taught her – patience in rebuilding, being a leader for younger players, and appreciation for being part of a team. Meryl does not take her parents’ involvement for granted – Angela being the team mom or volunteering in concessions, and of course, Ryan announcing games. Meryl says, “None of this would have been possible without my parents. It was such a unique experience to play a sport for CCES, and I’m so thankful my family got to share that experience together.”

 

It can be hard to appreciate special memories while still in the moment, but both Payne and Mills, current CCES students, have an awareness and deep sense of gratitude for how their parents serve and are always present. Payne has played basketball at CCES for the past few years, but has pulled back to focus solely on soccer. He has fond memories of his dad coaching his soccer teams growing up and says that "inspired" him to keep playing. He still gets to hear his dad’s voice during games, even louder than before as he announces from the press box, which continues to push him when he's on the field. Payne won a state championship with the CCES Boys Varsity Soccer team in 2022 and the team fell just short of defending their title last season. He’s seen the ways his older teammates poured into him over the past two years and is looking forward to putting what he learned into action as he shifts into more of a leader for his junior season in the spring.

 

Mills just finished her JV Volleyball season, and played a large role in the team winning most of their matches. She originally tried volleyball because of her older sister and has grown to love it for herself. Mills currently plays year-round as well, but says the team at CCES is special. She says, “I love the program – the coaches and the players. It is such a good community to be a part of.” Mills looks forward to carving her own path on the Varsity team in the next few years and will do so with her mom volunteering behind the scenes and her dad at the announcer’s table, a family tradition she considers an “honor” to experience.

 

While it was a learning curve to navigate volleyball and wrestling, two sports that were originally unfamiliar to Angela and Ryan, they have both grown to greatly appreciate the skills required and how they’ve seen three of their kids grow through them. Although none of the four played golf competitively, Ryan says they have all spent time out on the course or at the driving range over the years. Out of the kids, Payne has spent the most time with his dad on the course, playing as often as his schedule allows. Ryan says the two played Pebble Beach together in the spring during spring break, a course he played with his own father over 17 years ago. It was a special memory for him and he hopes that over the years to come, he’s able to enjoy more golfing with all of his kids.

 

During the past 12 years, Angela and Ryan’s presence in supporting athletics at CCES has grown from cheering on their kids and serving those specific teams, to now, very generously, contributing at a much larger scale. Angela currently serves in a wide variety of ways throughout the school, including on the CCES Booster Club, and Ryan’s booming voice can be heard on Friday nights as the “voice of the Cavaliers” from Carson Stadium. What started as a small favor for the D-team in 2013, filling in for Jacob Mann at the time, has turned into a full slate of CCES games – to date, Ryan has announced for wrestling, volleyball, basketball, soccer, and baseball, while also helping with other special events like senior nights, awards banquets and Hall of Fame inductions. From day one, his goal was to be professional, be fair, and to inject humor whenever possible. Of course, Cavalier fans have much love for Ryan’s announcing, but some of his favorite compliments have come from opposing teams’ parents and coaches. He says, “When they go out of their way to thank me for doing a good job after a game, even after defeat, that lets me know I’m doing it the right way.” Both Angela and Ryan are quick to give each other credit for making their respective paths of serving possible – they truly are the dream team!

 

Angela and Ryan both view their joy and willingness to serve around the school as a reflection of the gratitude they have for the role CCES has played in the lives of their children and their family. Angela says, “I’m so grateful to be a part of the CCES community and to be able to see my children do what they each love.” Ryan says, “it takes a village” to support all students’ academic and athletic endeavors, and is grateful to all the CCES parents who help with concessions, tickets, tracking stats, running the scoreboard, providing food for after games, and so many other things.

 

Angela is confident she speaks for the both of them when she says, “Our family treasures CCES.” It is safe to say that that feeling is mutual. CCES and Cavalier Athletics treasures the Hornish family and is so grateful for all they’ve done in support of the school community over the past 12 years as well as the years to come. Something tells us that even when Mills graduates in 2028, they’ll still be around, helping out when they can, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.