Our Coaches

The St. Louis Christian Homeschool Knights offer competitive and developmental basketball teams for homeschool boys and girls ages 8-18. Competitive teams play a robust schedule full of MSHSAA public and private schools each season along with competing against the best homeschool teams across the nation. Track, Cross County, Cheer and Dance teams provide opportunities for middle school and high school homeschool athletes.

'23-'24 Boys Basketball:

Coach bios are being updated!

'23-'24 Girls Basketball:

Coach bios are being updated!

2023 Track

Mark Forbes - Head Coach
Although new to the Blue Knights Track Team, Coach Mark Forbes has been involved with students for most of his adult life. Mark has been involved in Education as a Teacher or Administrator for 34 of the last 35 years. For the majority of those years, Mark taught Social Studies specializing in College Credit and Advanced Placement World, European, and US Histories. He also worked as a Curriculum Coordinator and Data Strategist. Mark retired from full-time work in 2019 and is currently a part-time PE teacher. Mark is thankful for God's faithfulness, patience, and grace. He says, "God has been so good to me and has blessed me in so many ways. I am thankful He wants a relationship with each of us and does not grow weary in pursuing His kids." In his spare time, Coach enjoys staying active with his wife Dawn and their 4 adult children. This usually means some activity revolving around swimming, biking, running, hiking, kayaking, or traveling to do one of those things outdoors. Mark and his family have also hosted a number of international students over the years and he has met people from over 50 different nations.

Tijuanna Bryant - Assistant Coach
Coach Bryant is a native of Charleston, South Carolina. Her track and field career began at the age of 13 when she began running for her local high school, Summerville High School. During her junior year at Fort Dorchester High School, she became the state champion in the long jump and placed 2nd in her senior year. She still holds the meet record in long jump at the Outback Track and Field Classic. Coach Bryant received a full athletic scholarship to the University of South Carolina - Columbia where she continued to improve in her speed and long jump abilities, placing 8th at the NCAA Track and Field sectional championships. In 2006, she was inducted to Fort Dorchester’s Athletic Hall of Fame. She currently resides in St. Charles, Missouri with her husband and 8 children. She continues to run in various 5k’s and half marathons and loves weightlifting as well. Coach Bryant has been a track and field coach with the St. Louis Blue Knights for 2 years and is excited for the growth of the program and the excellent student athletes she is able to coach. She credits the Lord Jesus for any athletic ability that He gives to His children and sees athletics as another way of glorifying Him.

Jane Criswell - Assistant Coach
Coach Criswell was born and raised in Indiana and moved to St Louis in 1997 with her husband, Scott. She started running in middle school track and XC and has been running ever since. Over the years, she has been known to spread this love for running to many others in her life, to include her husband and many other close friends. Her two children, Lynn and Grant, also run for the middle school Blue Knights track and XC teams. Jane coaches the long distance runners for track and assists in coaching XC. She is excited to give back to the homeschool community by sharing her passion for running through coaching and helping others achieve their goals. She still enjoys testing her own limits in local 5ks, 10ks, Half and Full Marathons.

Alyssa Ward - Assistant Coach, Track Events
Coach Ward is originally from Burlington, Vermont. Alyssa has been active in dance since the age of two, Varsity Cheerleading for eight seasons (both basketball and football) in high school, and four years of Varsity Track and Field. In high school she primarily competed in hurdles and javelin. However, Coach Ward was trained in all three throwing events and has competed in shot put, javelin, and discus. Alyssa lives in Lake St Louis, Missouri with her husband and six children. She was a Cheerleading coach for three years at Lutheran High school south. She was in the leadership position in the homeschool gym program from 2013-2017, as well as being the director from 2016-2017. Alyssa has also held other coaching positions throughout the St Louis region over the last two decades. She believes in looking for the strengths that each child has already been gifted from God and helping them achieve their goals!

2023 Cross Country

Marv Meyers, Director of Cross Country Operations - Head Coach
Coach Marv led the launch of the Blue Knights high school cross country program in 2018 and, in 2019, its expansion to include a middle school team and great assistant coaches. In only its second year the program had several top 10 finishes against some of the top private and public school runners in the St. Louis metro area. And two runners finished in first place in both the Varsity Boys and Varsity Girls National Homeschool Invitational Cross Country Championships. More importantly, many new runners were introduced to the sport, some having never run long distances before. He encourages each team member to be the best athlete and team member that they can be - to glorify God by pushing themselves to do their best. Coach Marv is a chemistry professor at Saint Louis University. He and his wife Kim have four children.

Jane Criswell - Assistant Coach
Coach Criswell was born and raised in Indiana and moved to St Louis in 1997 with her husband, Scott. She started running in middle school track and XC and has been running ever since. Over the years, she has been known to spread this love for running to many others in her life, to include her husband and many other close friends. Her two children, Lynn and Grant, also run for the middle school Blue Knights track and XC teams. Jane coaches the long distance runners for track and assists in coaching XC. She is excited to give back to the homeschool community by sharing her passion for running through coaching and helping others achieve their goals. She still enjoys testing her own limits in local 5ks, 10ks, Half and Full Marathons.

'23-'24 Cheer

Rebekah “Bekah” Hodges – Cheer Team Coach

Broadcast Team

Head Coach - VACANT
We are currently accepting applications for a Broadcast Team coach to oversee a group of homeschool students as they video, announce, produce and live-stream Blue Knights events, including basketball games. The ideal candidate displays strong Christian character and works well with homeschool students and families. Training and experience in broadcast, video, technology, etc. are valued, but not required. Training will be provided. To apply or for more information, email [email protected].

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