Brenden Van Syckle Story

 For the Love of the Game

“High school sports: Where lessons of life are still being learned, and where athletes still compete for the love of the game and their teammates.”

—Michael Powers

Hobbies can provide an essential element in our lives. Activities of interest, such as music, gardening, and athletics, can help to balance all facets of life. Harper Creek senior, Brenden Van Syckle, has found a hobby that has been a driving force in his life. Football has been a common interest for his mom, Jodi, and dad, Mike, since they met while working at Battle Creek’s Southwestern Junior High in 1998. You could say that they are a football family. For Brenden, football has become something that he has excelled in, but is much more than this. It has given him friendships and taught him lessons that have guided him in his growth and development. His participation in football has provided amazing memories for his family and blessed him and his father with a shared passion and special bond. 

         Brenden was born in May of 2007, the first of two children Jodi and Mike were blessed with. Brenden’s sister, Lily, a freshman at Harper Creek, was born in March 2010. Football has always defined the Van Syckle family. It would eventually take up the majority of Brenden’s free time, starting later in elementary school, but he also had other common childhood interests early in life. He talked about his infatuation with the movie Cars as a toddler. “Lightning McQueen was my first hero. I had the entire Cars set. I was always playing with them. I can remember one time dumping the sugar container in the middle of the living room couch and making roads in the snow. I am still a Cars fan to this day.” If football is the first love of the Van Syckle family, then dogs might be the second. “We have always had dogs,” Brenden explained.  “It may sound cliche, but when I was in elementary school, my dog, Luca Brasi, actually ate my homework once in elementary school.”

Brenden has followed in his father’s footsteps as a competitive high school football player. Mike played on the gridiron as a defensive lineman, back in the eighties, for the Battle Creek Central Bearcats and later for Northwood University. He returned home from Northwood to help coach the Bearcats. When Brenden was just a baby, Mike and Jodi had visions of him going on to play football for Battle Creek Central. Mike talked about Brenden’s first experience on the football field. “After Brenden was born, Jodi and I made a stop at Bearcat Stadium on our way home from the hospital. We carried Brenden through the stadium and onto the football field.” It was the first of many moments that Brenden would experience on the gridiron.

Mike and Jodi were all in when Brenden began playing football. Watching him has blessed them with special memories and moments of joy. They have both made an effort to savor these moments while also reminding Brenden that they would support him with whatever interests he chooses to pursue. Jodi reflected on this. “Mike and I are huge football fans and have enjoyed watching Brenden play football, but we have always told him that if there is a time when he doesn’t want to play, we would support him.”

When Jodi and Mike started their family, they had initially planned on their children starting their school experience by going to school with Jodi at Wattles Park before making the transition to Battle Creek Central starting in middle school. Brenden reflected on his early school experiences. “I loved school right away, beginning in kindergarten. All of my teachers at Wattles Park were great. I was especially fond of Mrs. Shipley, my kindergarten teacher; Mrs. Kloosterman, my third-grade teacher; and Mrs. Bartholomew, my fourth-grade teacher. I played football with my friends almost every day during recess. This was always fun. Coming to school each day with Mom was special, although there were times when I wished that I didn’t have to come in early and leave late.”

Brenden made many friends at Wattles Park Elementary. Mike and Jodi soon realized that transitioning from Harper Creek to Battle Creek Public wasn’t in the cards for Brenden. He wanted to stay at Harper Creek to continue his school experience with the friends he had made at Wattles Park. Playing football with his classmates was also something that Brenden desired. He wasn’t able to play rocket football with his buddies, which seemed to make him want to team up with them even more in middle school and high school. Jodi reflected on this. “He wasn’t allowed to play rocket football for Harper Creek because the league that they were a part of had size limitations. Brenden was too big to play.” Brenden still played rocket football outside of Harper Creek’s league. Mike helped coach his team and continued in this role through Brenden’s junior year.  “We signed him up to play for New Level Sports,” Jodi explained. “The only size restrictions they had were that he couldn’t run the ball. One of the great experiences that Brenden had playing for New Level Sports was playing with his teammates at Ford Field during halftime of one of the Lions’ games.” Brenden enjoyed his experience with New Level Sports. Mike and Jodi were happy with it also, but they officially decided to have Brenden continue his schooling and football career with Harper Creek, going into his sixth-grade year.

Brenden’s transition to middle school was also a bit of a transition for Jodi, with Brenden not coming to school with her each day. Brenden made the jump to a different school easily. He was finally able to join his classmates on the football field. Brenden retained his kindergarten through fourth-grade friendships while meeting new friends and forming relationships with another group of teachers. One teacher in particular who made an impact on his educational experience was Mr. McManus, one of his English teachers. 

Brenden finally got his first opportunity to play football for Harper Creek in sixth grade, but would have to wait until seventh grade to join his class. He was moved up to the seventh-grade team as a sixth grader, and he remained on the seventh-grade team the following year, where he and his teammates would begin a six-year stretch of building on prosperity and team chemistry each year. Brenden enjoyed success playing football for New Level Sports and developed a love for the game, but playing for Harper Creek in middle school gave him a new perspective. He explained. “When I finally started playing football for Harper Creek in sixth grade, I realized what it was like to have a community around me.” This observation is something that many, including staff and students, experience during their time at Harper Creek. 

Brenden made the move from middle school with many established friendships. He transitioned to a new group of teachers, helping to make school a pleasant experience, including one of his math teachers, Mr. Dell, who was one of his most influential teachers.  Memories in the classroom were important, with those made as an athlete making a lasting impression as well. For many athletes, dreams of conference titles and state championships begin in middle school. Brenden and his teammates had these same visions starting in sixth grade.  As they began their high school careers, there would be a shift with the same grade teammates, with some playing on the freshman team and others on the junior varsity team in ninth grade. As sophomores, some played on the junior varsity team while others were moved up to varsity. Finally, as juniors, they would all be together, and they would get a glimpse of their potential moving forward in their last two years. Brenden played on the junior varsity team as a freshman and was moved up to varsity for the playoffs that year. He continued as a varsity player in his sophomore season.  Brenden reflects on this journey. “Some of my best memories as a high school football player were building on the success of each season with the milestones that we achieved. Our record improved each year, and we were able to win an outright league championship this past season, something that hadn’t happened at Harper Creek in a long time. I’m satisfied with what our team has built over the years. We had one of the most prolific offenses in school history. We wanted a state championship, so the way it ended was disappointing, but I wouldn’t change  anything.” Brenden and his teammates were primed for a run to the state championship in 2024 with a dominant offensive line and high-powered offense, but their season would be cut short with a loss in the first round of the playoffs. 

 Brenden is known as Bigg Cat by teammates, classmates, coaches, and teachers. Mike gave Brenden this nickname when he was younger, in reference to Brenden possibly playing for the Bearcats in high school. The nickname just kind of stuck, and it kind of set the tone for Brenden’s lifetime memories created by being a part of a football family. He reflected on this. “I always enjoyed going out to eat at the Moonraker with some of the girls from the volleyball team and my football teammates after each game. One of my favorite memories from my senior season was at Hastings. We were down inside the ten-yard line looking for a touchdown, and I blocked their linebacker to the back of the end zone and into the student section.”

Brenden has earned some individual honors, including being selected first team all-city and first team all-conference his senior year and being voted most improved player for his team his senior year. These awards are a credit to his hard work, but Brenden prides himself on being a leader for his team more than individual accolades. 

The camaraderie that he and his teammates have built has provided inspiration for Brenden, but the influence from his coaches has also been a huge factor in his development. Specifically, he credits Coach Jerry Miller, Coach Beniah Jones, and Coach Hank Williams for helping him to grow as a person and football player, with Coach Bilger providing the biggest impact, second to his dad. Coach Bilger reflects on how Brenden has made an impression on him. “I’ve had the chance to mentor Bigg Cat both as a teacher and a football coach. On the football field, Bigg Cat has shown tremendous perseverance to get where he is today. As a sophomore, he went back and forth between the JV and varsity rosters, trying to earn a varsity spot as nose guard on the defensive line. He had begun to grow into his body, going into his junior season, so we shifted his role from defense to offense. He was a natural fit at right tackle, where he proved to be a dominating presence on the offensive line.” Coach Bilger described what makes Brenden special as a football player. “Looking back at the three years I’ve spent with Bigg Cat, I can say that it's been a blessing. Some people just love playing the game, but Bigg Cat also enjoys being a student of the game. Most kids have only a casual interest in the strategy behind football, but Bigg Cat is the type of player who always has his nose in film.”

Brenden turned into a student of the game. It seemed the more he learned, the more he wanted to learn. As a high school and college football player and in his experience coaching for Battle Creek Central, Mike developed many connections within the sport. Through the years, he and Brenden have participated in some of the most prestigious football camps in and around Michigan. These camps have helped Mike as a coach and developed Brenden’s expertise for the game of football while also giving him exposure beyond Battle Creek. Brenden explained the gratitude he feels for these opportunities. “It was eye-opening as a child being exposed to high-profile coaches and athletes at some of the football camps that Dad and I attended. These experiences helped to develop a desire inside of me to someday make a living through football as a coach or as a player. I have been able to meet many elite football players, including retired Detroit Lions players Herman Moore and Lomas Brown.” 

Brenden’s physical presence gives him a leg up as a football player. His three-hundred-thirty-pound, six feet seven inch frame makes him an imposing force for high school defenders to deal with. His eagerness to learn the nuances of the game has upped the ante. Mike talked about another influence on Brenden’s football knowledge. “Brenden has helped me coach a semi-pro team, the Kalamazoo Titans, each summer since 2018. We won the national championship in 2020. As an athlete, this experience has helped him to evolve as a coach on the field.”

Brenden’s size, the success he has experienced individually and as a part of a cohesive team, the connections he has made at the camps that he has participated in, and his experience coaching a semi-pro football team have laid the foundation for football beyond high school. He talks about the next chapter in his football career. “I had some college coaches reach out to me during my sophomore and junior years, but it really picked up in my senior year. My first official offer came from Davenport University back in June. Other schools that have recruited me include Central Michigan University, Adrian College, the University of Olivet, Wayne State University, Madonna University, and Siena Heights University. I also received an offer from Hutchinson Community College in Kansas, this past season’s JUCO national champion. I committed to Davenport on February 5th. I’m excited that my teammate Zach Kitchens is going to Davenport with me.” Brenden wants to get a secondary education degree from Davenport University. His dream is to play professional football, but he also would love to teach and coach football at the high school level.

Now that Brenden’s high school football career is finished, it is the end of an amazing ride for him and his teammates. The games, practices, and time spent with teammates are all moments to cherish. He and Mike have also been blessed with some amazing memories. The unique relationship that he and his dad have shared as athlete and coach is something that both Brenden and Mike will forever be grateful for. Mike talked about what it has meant to him to be involved in Brenden’s football life. “While on the field, we are coach and athlete, but I have also been blessed to go back and forth between the roles of coach and dad. The vast amount of time that we have spent together on the road at football camps has strengthened our bond. It has given us time to share our common passion for football, but also gifted us with moments of enjoying the father-son relationship by just hanging out in hotel rooms and the car as we travel.” Brenden feels fortunate as well for how football has strengthened the relationship he has with his dad. “It's been great having my dad coach me through the years. I couldn’t have asked for a better coach. It’s always been a privilege. I have never been treated as the coach’s son. My dad got an opportunity to help coach for Kalamazoo Central this year. It was odd not to have him coach me this year. I always joke with my teammates that Dad might be a great coach, but you don’t have to ride home with him.”

There is no doubt that football has always been Brenden’s passion, but he has also enjoyed being a part of Harper Creek’s track and field team. He reflected on his time in this sport. “I have been on the track team since my freshman year. Initially, I decided to join the team because I was bored and didn’t want to go home after school.” Brenden became more serious about track in his junior year, putting in more effort. His work was evident in the improvement he made as a shot put thrower. “My sophomore year, I threw the shot twenty-nine feet. In my junior year, I made great progress, with my best throw being forty-three and a half feet. My goal for my senior season is to throw further than last year and possibly hit fifty feet. Last year, we won our first-ever school state championship. It was amazing to be a part of that.” 

As a Wattles Park Elementary school teacher, I have experienced those moments of inspiration when a child’s eyes light up with the realization that he or she has mastered a skill, such as reading or fluently multiplying single-digit numbers. The moments of excitement that we share with students are endless. The last day of school each year, when our fourth-grade students walk through our halls one last time, is always bittersweet. Seeing, hearing, and reading about the successes of our former students years later is always joyous. Although it’s been more than a decade, it seems like it was just yesterday when Brenden and his classmates started their journey at Harper Creek as Kindergarten students. Jodi has experienced this with Brenden as a Wattles Park teacher, but also as a mom. She reflected on the emotions of a parent getting ready to send a child out into the world. “I am incredibly proud of Brenden. He has always been a leader as a football player and as a student. He has accomplished what he has set out to do. He has never wavered from his goal.”

The relationship between a brother and sister can certainly have its share of highs and lows. There is always potential for rewards coming with these sibling interactions. Lily explained how this relationship has played out with her and her big brother. “Brenden is an inspiration. He is someone I look up to. He is difficult to deal with and annoying sometimes, but he has always been there for me. I have enjoyed watching him play football.” 

The reference to how it takes a village to raise a child is somewhat cliche, but there are many examples of how true this is. Brenden has received support at home, from his teachers, from his peers, and from the community. These supports, combined with his internal drive, have helped him to succeed as a student and an athlete and will serve him well throughout his life. He is just one example of many students that Harper Creek can be proud of.