Royal Athletic Association Mission
The general purpose of the Royal Athletic Association is to support and enhance The First Academy Department of Athletics and its teams through public relations, fundraising, and special events. While the school has a budget for the Department of Athletics, additional funding is needed to give our student-athletes the things that will enhance their attitude, appearance, performance, and spiritual growth. Join the “Team Behind the Team” and support your Royal student-athletes today! See below for all of the ways that you can get involved.
Royal Athletic Association Executive Board
The Royal Booster Club
Booster revenue completely funds the following: new uniforms for all on and off-campus teams every three years, all postseason expenses for on and off-campus sports including hotels, meals, and transportation, access to leadership and character development material for all coaches and players, equipment purchases, upgrades and refurbishments for all sports as needed, practice and game balls, goals, tournament entry fees and much more. The annual Athletics Banquet held each May is also completely funded by the Booster Club. While the Athletics Department does have a budget from the school and is able to cover some expenses through player packages, we do not come close to meeting the needs of our student-athletes in a given year without the generous support of our Booster Club families. The Booster Club is the primary avenue to directly impact and support The First Academy student-athletes. We have opportunities to get involved in the Booster Club starting at $350 to $10,000, each with a unique package of benefits. We have identified the 125 Booster Club membership mark as the annual threshold that we believe will give TFA a competitive advantage and help give our more than 600 upper and middle school student-athletes an incredible experience each year. Join the Booster Club today and be a crucial part of developing the next generation of Christian leaders spiritually, academically, socially, and athletically through sport and pursuing competitive excellence at the highest possible level!
Click here to review the current Booster Packages. Early Booster registration with discounted pricing is available until June 2, 2024, at 11:59 pm.
The First Academy is excited to offer opportunities for you to partner with TFA Athletics through advertising and gameday sponsorships. You or your business will be able to sponsor Football, Girls Volleyball, Basketball, and Baseball games. Several advertising opportunities are available within our athletic facilities: the video boards in the Cramer Family Field House and at Warden Stadium, banners at the Payne Stewart Athletic Complex and Dizney Family Tennis Complex, as well as the Orel Hershiser Baseball Field scoreboard. We also have several naming rights opportunities available on a case-by-case basis. Please see the document below for more information on Corporate Sponsorship opportunities. For additional information or to inquire about sponsorship, advertising, or naming rights availability, please contact Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org or Jeff Conaway at jeffconaway@thefirstacademy.org. The TFA Athletics Department can also be reached at 407-206-8634.
Click here to review the current Sponsorship Opportunities.
Corporate Sponsorships
Sport-Specific Giving
Some of the pressing needs that Sport Excellence Fund gifts provide support for include purchasing state-of-the-art training equipment to provide enhanced student-athlete safety and overall performance, sport-specific facility enhancements and upgrades, as well as purchasing gear such as team cleats, shoes, bags, gloves, helmets, jackets, warm-up attire, and alternate uniforms. Contributions may be made directly to each team’s Sport Excellence Fund, which may be used at the discretion of the head coach (with the Director of Athletics approval) for the enhancement of that respective program, or you may reach out directly to the head coach to inquire about specific team needs and earmark your gift for that item. Sport Excellence Fund gifts directly support the efforts of each sport program to compete at the state level and to help the team look good, feel good, and play well. For larger gift desires such as facility upgrades, please contact Athletics Coordinator, Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org or Director of Athletics, Jeff Conaway at jeffconaway@thefirstacademy.org. The TFA Athletics Department can also be reached at 407-206-8634. Join the “Team Behind the Team” and give to a Sport Excellence Fund today!
Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic
Due to the incredible gospel generosity of The First Academy and First Orlando friend and supporter Joan Kalimanis, wife of the late Tom Kalimanis, the Department of Athletics is pleased to host the annual Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic at Isleworth Golf and Country Club in Windermere, FL. Each year, the TFA Department of Athletics identifies major projects or items that are necessary for the continued growth, development, and improvement of The First Academy athletic programs, facilities, and student-athletes. Every dollar raised from the Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic is earmarked for those projects or items each year.
This year’s event was blessed with 23 foursomes (nearly 100 golfers) who participated in the tournament. A special thank you to our title sponsor (The Tom Kalimanis Family), our presenting sponsors (Charles & Brenda Cramer and Quality Cable Contractors), and our lunch sponsors (Ferran Services and Fly Alliance) for helping to make the day possible. Because of the generosity and support, TFA Athletics will be able to help our student-athletes reach the next level of their game.
Royal Athletic Association Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Contributions directly impact The First Academy’s nearly 600 student-athletes, all 20+ sports programs offered at TFA, each TFA coach, and the TFA Athletics Department. Contributions help to fund items such as the purchase of uniforms, equipment, facility enhancements, travel expenses, postseason expenses, and facility maintenance. See each giving opportunity section for more information.
- Sport Excellence Fund gifts are made directly to a sport of your choosing and will be used exclusively by and for that program. These gifts can be assigned and used for a specific need upon consulting the head coach or can be used at the discretion of the head coach (with the Director of Athletics approval) for things that are not a part of that team’s normal operating budget and will support the efforts of that team to compete at the state level. These gifts are fully tax-deductible.
- The TFA Athletics Booster Club exists to support the general operation and advancement of all girls’ and boys’ on and off-campus sports. Booster Club funds will be used at the discretion of TFA Athletics Administration (with input from the parent-led Booster Board), and are used and allocated evenly amongst all TFA sports. Booster Club memberships include various benefits depending on the level of membership. Booster Club memberships are not tax-deductible (the Payne Stewart’s Club and Director’s Club include a $1,000 tax-deductible donation to a sport of your choosing).
Now! As benefits are tied to the year in which you will be a member, you can renew or join for the current academic year with benefits from fall to spring, or for the next school year if you renew or join after registration opens each April.
No! All giving opportunities are carefully assembled and curated so that you can take part in each opportunity and receive different benefits for each one.
Yes! To discuss a customized Booster Club or Corporate Sponsorship package, please contact Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org. Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Membership benefits apply to your entire family or business. Opportunities may have limits regarding athletic event admission or parking privileges. For more information on those limits, please see our Booster Club Benefits Chart or the Corporate Sponsorship Opportunities Form. Memberships can be owned by a family or business.
Not always. If you would like to discuss a payment plan or would like to pledge to pay later, please contact Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org. Each request will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
No. Only the Sport Excellence Fund gifts are fully tax-deductible. Booster Club memberships, Corporate Sponsorships, and Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic foursomes are not tax-deductible (unless written off as a business expense) because you are receiving items of monetary value in return. Payne Stewart’s Club and Director’s Club Booster memberships do include a $1,000 tax-deductible donation to a sport of your choosing. Please consult your tax advisor for tax code implications.
Only the Sport Excellence Fund gifts can be made through the NCF or other donor-advised funds. Donor-advised funds cannot be used to purchase a Booster Club membership, Corporate Sponsorship, or Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic foursomes because they are not tax-deductible. Please consult your tax advisor for tax code implications.
Booster Club memberships and Corporate Sponsorships are valid through the end of each school year. However, for Payne Stewart’s Club and Director’s Club memberships and certain Corporate Sponsorships, benefits may remain active for one calendar year from the date of purchase. Please contact Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org for more information.
By giving to the Royal Athletic Association in any manner, you are directly impacting our nearly 600 student-athletes, our dedicated TFA coaches, and the operation and advancement of TFA Athletics sport programs. Depending on which giving opportunities you decide to take advantage of, there are many different packages and benefits associated with each. See individual giving opportunity sections for more information on benefits. When seeking a competitive advantage over other schools, resources can often be that competitive advantage. Join us as we seek to become one of the premier athletics programs in the nation!
Yes! Please make all checks payable to The First Academy and mail them to
2667 Bruton Blvd.
Orlando, FL 32805
Please write on the memo line or include a note describing what the check is for (“Director’s Club Booster Membership”, “Girls Volleyball Sport Excellence Fund”, “PSAC Video Board Sponsorship”, etc).
Parking benefits begin at the Varsity Club level (one parking pass). Reserved parking spaces during football games and track meets begin at the Royals’ Club level, and a permanent, reserved parking spot usable 24/7 for one year begins at the Director’s Club level. Sport Excellence Fund gifts, Corporate Sponsorships, and Tom Kalimanis Royal Golf Classic foursomes do not come with parking benefits (unless as a separate add-on).
No. Memberships are owned by an individual, a family or a business. Only those individuals whose name the membership is under and their immediate family or allocated number of business associates will be able to use the membership benefits. A membership cannot be sold, shared, or passed on.
No. Donations are not refundable, regardless of whether or not benefits have been used.
No problem! Contact Will Pikalow at williampikalow@thefirstacademy.org or give the TFA Athletics office a call at 407-206-8634.