Parents in the Berrien Springs, MI community started a basketball team many years ago to give their sons a chance to play competitively while being able to honor their Seventh-day Adventist principles.  This has grown into a multi-sport organization that now includes boys and girls basketball, boys soccer, girls volleyball, golf, and pickleball.  Middle school and high school students who attend private or home schools are the typical athletes who join our program.  We are passionate about training athletes to be Christ-like in their behavior, knowledgeable about fitness, skilled in their sport, and great teammates.  Our coaches are volunteers, typically parents of current players, who give freely of their time and experience.  This program is part of Andrews University Cardinal athletics department.

Andrews University had chosen the Cardinal mascot many years ago due to the abundance of these beautiful birds in southwest Michigan.   Some interesting facts about Northern Cardinals are that they are not migratory, they are songbirds, and their red feathers come from their diet. Male and female cardinals both sing, and they often mate for life.   This describes us in many ways as Seventh-day Adventists have a strong interest in diet, healthy relationships, music, and surviving the cold Michigan winters!   The university team mascot is the Cardinal, so the high school team becomes the Junior Cardinals, and our middle school teams are called the Redbirds.