The Head of Schools and girls’ basketball coach at Brookhaven Academy is continuing to lead the private Christian school into a new direction.

Jason Case, who holds both jobs, has spent over 30 years in the public school system — the past 26 at West Lincoln Attendance Center before taking on the dual role as headmaster and coach at BA. He said he continues to be motivated by God’s plan for his life.

“I knew in my heart about three years ago, that it was time for me to make a change,” Case said. “My wife and I had talked about it. I wasn’t quite sure where I was going to go but I just knew that it was time for me to move on. I was trying to be obedient to what I felt God was leading me to do.”

Case heard about the BA job opening and looked into it.

“I thought maybe I’d have a chance to come here to coach and work,” he said. “It’s close to home and I just wanted to give it a try and see how things worked out.”

Case said basketball has been part of his family for generations.

“I’ve been into basketball all of my life. My dad coached and I grew up either on the bench or the locker room, just watching my dad coach his players. If you grew up in the Case family, you were going to play basketball,” he said.

Case uses his abilities as a coach to further teach his players about the challenges they will face after they graduate high school.

“When I first started coaching basketball, my mindset was totally different that what it is now,” Case said. “I used to think about winning championships and my win/loss record. I’ve come to realize that the game of basketball should be a stage to present the gospel to kids. I want to show kids examples of how to live, how to work hard and how to be successful in life.”

From the basketball court to the classroom, Case believes relationships are key to being successful.

“When you walk down these hallways and the teachers and students see you — they want to know that you care for them and you’re here to help them succeed,” Case said. “You start building relationships and the morale starts getting better. When the morale gets better and everyone starts pulling on the same rope, then good things are going to happen. To be successful in anything, the morale has to be good and you have to be a good leader. It’s my job to lead our school in a productive direction and get people to follow me.”

Case has two goals in mind for his students.

“I want the kids at BA to leave here with a knowledge of what it’s like being a Christian. I want them to know what the gospel is and what the love of Christ looks like. Secondly, I want them to excel in their academics,” said Case. “We’re going to put a lot of emphasis on kids scoring great on the ACT. We want to make sure they have a foundation, starting at a very young age and building up to the high school years to master skills to be successful on the ACT. When you’re successful on the ACT, it will open doors for you as far as college offers and scholarships. It will also put money back in parents’ pockets if their kids get scholarships.”

Even after three decades in the field, Case still finds motivation in helping students be the best they can be.

“I think that’s what my calling is. I hope the people that God has put into my life can look back and say that I’ve made them a better person,” he said.

Case wants BA to be a shining light in Lincoln County.

“I want parents to drop their kids off in the morning and know that their kids are going to be influenced for the Kingdom while they are here,” he said. “Also, I want parents to be assured that their kid is going to be challenged academically. The Brookhaven Academy teachers and staff are going to push their kid to reach their ultimate potential.”