A passion for soccer comes naturally to coach Ross Meads.  Born in Brazil to missionary parents, he began playing soccer from the time he could walk.  After playing high school soccer for four years in Brazil, Coach Meads came to the United States and started for three years at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago.  In his third year, he earned all district honors in the National Christian College Athletic Association (NCCAA).  He then transferred to Grand Rapids Baptist College (now Cornerstone University) to finish his college career.  The team he played on that year took third place in the national NCCAA tournament. The following year Coach Meads was asked to stay on as an assistant to Grand Rapids Baptist College coach Tom Benefiel.  The team that year placed seventh in the NCCAA national tournament.

Upon receiving dual degrees from Grand Rapids Baptist College and Calvin College, Coach Meads taught and coached high schools boys’ soccer for four years.  He then spent eight years working with an international business before he returned to teaching, this time at the newly established Crossroads Charter Academy.  The 2005-06 school year marks Coach Meads’ sixth season coaching the Crossroads boys’ varsity team and seventh coaching the girls’ varsity team.

A fan of the Brazilian style (“jogo bonito” or “beautiful game”) of soccer, Coach Meads tries to instill into his players the ball control and passing style that can make soccer so much fun to watch.  The Crossroads’ soccer teams have developed very well and now are competitive in the MHSAA tournament, including the first district win for the girls’ program in the spring of 2005.