Sports & Spirituality

The Body: Temple of the Holy Spirit vs. The Norovirus

2012-02-08T21:39:00.000-08:00

The survey reports that 935 students and 68 faculty members at St. Ignatius College Prep were infected with the Norovirus. This “group of viruses that cause the 'stomach flu' or gastroenteritis” prompted the school’s closure for three days.

I wanted to return to the classroom with a clever yet meaningful way to get students to discuss all that had happened during the past week. I wanted call attention to my increased appreciation and respect for the body—both as a survivor of this virulent airborne virus, but also as a spectator of athletic feats in Superbowl XLII.

The first passage of scripture that came to mind are the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians (6:19-20). Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body.

Indeed the temple had been taken hostage for 48 hours by the Norovirus. In no way did I feel or believe that I was my own; I felt little control over my illness. I slept, waited and hoped in anticipation that my immune system would eventually triumph.As the battle finally began to lean in my favor, I watched the New York Giants and New England Patriots, modern day gladiators wage their own warfare. However, these men, both healthy and strong were purchased at a price. A price that I think we need be critical of in our society. Still, I am sure they believe when they play, run, hit, tackle, pass and receive at the highest level they have a unique opportunity to glorify God in their body. This year's Superbowl may not have revealed that in the way other games have, but Manningham's catch that put the G-men in the position to take the lead merits some consideration.

If there is one Superbowl MVP who was able to glorify God in his body, it was without a doubt Jerry Rice. Jerry had such command of his temple that he once said he was at his best when he maintained a body fat of 8%. When he was at 9% body fat, he ran a little too slow; when he was at 7% he was just a little too lean. Recovery time for the Hall of Fame wide receiver took longer when he was at 7% body fat. Talk about precision and discipline!

While few of us need command of our body in the way a professional athlete does, ultimately St. Paul delivered a message we still need to hear today. Because we belong to God, we are holy and integral parts of the Body of Christ. His concept of responsibility to the Body includes taking care of our physical bodies and those of one another. Richard T. Ritenbaugh writes "Under the Old Covenant, God is mysterious and distant and dwelling in the Temple. Under the New Covenant, we become the Temple, and God becomes knowable and personal." It shouldn’t have to take the flu to remind me that the body is indeed sacred. We say “life is a gift!” quite often. In this past week, I am humbly reminded that so too, is good health.

Photo Credits
Jerry Rice
Manningham's Catch
Norovirus

What the New York Giants Should Learn from Cross Country Runners

2012-02-04T18:09:00.000-08:00

Although any press that cross country receives in the sporting world is a good thing, I wish it wasn’t (once again) about a runner collapsing at the state meet. Even though I am not a New York Giants fan, I should have been excited to read that Coach Tom Coughlin recently showed the team an ESPN video of University High senior Holland Reynolds crawling over the finish line to help secure the 2010 CIF Division V State Championship. His intent was to motivate his players, to help them visualize and understand what a true "fight to the finish" looks like--how gritty victory can be.

Don’t get me wrong, Holland’s feat was remarkable. Her will to complete the race truly shows an athlete who is unafraid to demonstrate much of St. Ignatius’ prayer of generosity: “to give and not to count the cost, to fight and not to heed the wounds, to toil and not seek for rest," but I see other heroic acts in cross-country all the time. So, with those respective sports in mind, let me offer an example of what I might show the Giants were I head coach…

Considering that “The Nielsen Co. said an estimated 111 million people watched the Green Bay Packers outlast the Pittsburgh Steelers in professional football's ultimate game,” I believe the Superbowl should be a showcase for sportsmanship par excellence. To me, the post-game ritual is a small but significant moment where sportsmanship is on display, revealed and necessary. And on October 16, 2011, Forty Niners head coach Jim Harbaugh sent sports-talk radio a-buzz as his over-exuberant handshake with Detroit Lions coach Jim Swartzthey was analyzed and dissected for nearly two weeks.
According to the Huffington Post, "Schwartz didn't take it very well. He appeared to say something to that effect while the two were meeting on the field, but Harbaugh kept running toward the locker room. That's when Schwartz chased Harbaugh down and started yelling at him. Harbaugh looked as if he said "get out of my face" as Schwartz had to be separated by several staff members. Soon enough the players were taking cues from the emotions of their coaches and a scuffle ensued."

Harbaugh admitted that emotions got the best of him. He promised to “work on his handshake” which is funny to read but worth considering if you want to lead with class and poise.

I loved every bit of it, especially his competitive nature. I also love that the Niners took down an undefeated team in their house. But, true sportsmanship loves something else. Sportsmanship in this moment is gracious and poised; it is pumped but it is respectful. And in that way, I think what I have witnessed as a cross country coach can serve as a shining example.

During the 2006-2009 school years, I coached a great runner at St. Ignatius College Prep, Katy Daly. Katy was a three-time WCAL champion, two-time CCS champion and as a junior, she was the CIF Division III State Champion. She excelled at every level, but her greatest title in my eyes is that of the consummate sportswoman.

After every race, Katy would wait for her opponents and her teammates to congratulate them. She would look them in the eye, give a high five or a pat on the back and say “good race." After the big races when Katy battled it out with another girl, without fail, she would initiate a hug. It was something I have rarely seen in this demanding sport. Girls are crying, writhing in pain, trying to open their lungs and Katy had the clarity and desire to extend her arms in a gesture that modeled true sportsmanship.

Runners may not speak to one another during a race, but that does not mean they are not communicating. Runners are dealing with an inner-monologue, they are assessing their opponents strengths and their weaknesses while determining their own and that of the course. When Katy hugged an opponent, I saw this as a sign of reverence—for both the sport and the athlete. She would never say “look at what I did!” or what you did. No, to me it was Katy’s way of saying “3.1 miles of blood, sweat and tears—we did that.”

If you were to ask me what I would like a coach before the Superbowl to show his team, it might be something like that. But the irony is, as one of Katy’s coaches, this nothing we asked her to do. We never gave her any advice or input on how to handle victory or defeat—I don't know why. I suppose that’s the joy of being a witness to greatness in athletics. We get to take in the beauty of the moment and pass it on. And clearly, that’s why the stories of Holland Reynolds and Katy Daly are worth telling. One demonstrates a desire to get to the finish and the other is one of to be at the finish. I wonder what tomorrow will bring.

Photo Credits
Holland Reynolds
Harbaugh Handshake
Head Coaches
Katy Daly--and I know she'll kill me for writing this!

Spiritual Time Out

2012-01-29T22:10:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you felt this way after watching 5 hours and 53 minutes of incredible tennis at the 2012 Australian Open men’s final, but standing inside American Airlines Arena in Miami last March, I could hardly believe what I just saw. In just 15 seconds time, the Heat extended their 16-point lead over the San Antonio Spurs to 20-points with dramatic and dazzling back-to-back slam-dunks.

Dwayne Wade brought the ball down the floor only to pass behind and to his left to LeBron James. LeBron single-handedly stuffed the ball inside the basket with a right hook that hung in the air for close to a third of those 15 seconds?! Just moments later, Wade’s keen defense and quick hands stole the ball and again he was off and running to the basket. Wade kept the ball and as he slam-dunked it, he brought down the house with it.

In that moment, the Spurs did what they had to do. They called a time out.

I don’t know of another sport that relies on or reveals momentum more palpably than basketball. The timeout, be it a full or a thirty second timeout, is critical as both an offensive and defensive strategy to control it. The Heat were up and their spirits soaring; their adrenaline kicked in. Players were giving one another looks and finding each other all over the hardwood. The Spurs however, needed to regroup and refocus. They needed to return to the game with another plan of action and a fresh mindset. It was, for them, a time out well spent.

I have given a lot of thought to the power of the timeout since that time. As I watched the Forty-Niners battle the New York Giants, I had my eyes fixed on the number of time outs remaining. Watching the longest grand slam final in tennis history today, I thought of how much Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic could have used a time out after many demanding, lengthy rallies. Tennis players have “time” every other game as they switch sides, but there is no way to officially take a break during the play of the match. Because of that, it’s difficult for a player to control the speed and momentum of the game.Fortunately, in life, most of the time we can take a time out. Children know those two words all too well as a means of discipline. But the grace of the Sacrament of Reconciliation revealed to me another perspective–the spiritual timeout.

I don’t remember what I was confessing—how convenient, no? but in our conversation about how I wish I had been more loving and patient, kind and empathetic, the priest counseled me well. He told me when I confront that ever-so-brief but real moment as I am tempted to sin, I should call a spiritual time out.

For example, if I am arguing with my sister and it's gaining momentum, I know exactly what I can say that will “push her buttons.” I am more than aware of the words that will hurt her. This is exactly when I should take a spiritual time out. Maybe it will call me to breathe deeply, maybe it will help me weigh my options—is it really worth it? Maybe it’s to gather the strength to do what is more loving. The spiritual timeout can help me refocus and in the words of the Church to live the words of the Gospel and sin no more.My next posting will be about failure. In this life we will fail—be it in a basketball game, on the tennis court and in our relationships with one another and God. We all need tools to succeed, learn and grow to improve and excel. I hope what Father Stephen Maria once told me in the confessional is but one tool for you to consider.

Photo Credits
Wade Dunk
LeBron Dunk
American Airlines Arena

Stay Stoked in 2012: A New Year's Resolution Worth Considering

2012-01-24T23:34:00.000-08:00

When I read that "learning how to surf" is the New Year’s resolution of fashion icon Tory Burch, I thought, “of course it is.” She can afford to travel to the warm, desirable locations where one can do that. Surfing will also provide her with the opportunity to sport her 2012 Resort Collection. Tory doesn’t know how to look anything less than beautiful in a swimsuit; I have no doubt she is the “Surfer Girl” the Beach Boys sang about. But according to her fashion blog Tory wants to learn to surf so she "can go with my boys instead of being a beach bystander." If Ms. Burch follows through on her resolution and I hope she does, she will find something much more than an adrenaline rush. She will encounter a sport that is as palpably spiritual as the community it draws together.

Surfers fascinate me. And as opposed to Tory Burch, they are often iconoclasts (wait, she’s a fashion designer…excuse me!) Their nature is fearless, and yet their sport makes them acutely aware of their limitations. They love and respect “Mother Ocean” and understand the role we all hold as stewards of God’s creation. Although surfing is a sport of one man/woman and one board, it’s rarely a singular endeavor. No, surfers form a community. A community that speaks a common language, that participates for the love of the sport (autotelic) and is one that exemplifies devotion.In the surfing documentary “Riding Giants” Sam George speaks of surfers in an important way when he says If you applied the same amount of devotion to a real pursuit like religion, do you think anyone would call you a religious bum? Probably not.

When you consider that surfing is really more than anything, a faith and devotion to that faith becomes paramount in your life, there is no such thing as a surf bum.

In this way, I think all Christians have a lot to learn from surfers. With surfers, it’s easy to identify their passion; it is central to their life. Essentially, their life bears witness to the truth what you do is who you become. And if you spend enough time around surfers you will realize that is always supported through community.

It is no different in Christian faith. In the article “If We Stop Loving People We Are in Terrible Trouble” Theodore Cardinal McCarrick states “We have to…hold youngsters close to the Lord and give them the opportunity of growing in their love of God and grow in the understanding that we are not made as individuals; we don’t save our souls as individuals, we save our souls as part of a community.”Catholicism in particular is distinguished from other Christian traditions in its understanding of and commitment to the principle of community. In "Catholicism," theologian Richard McBrien states “Even when the divine-human encounter is most personal and individual, it is still communal, in that the encounter is made possible by the mediation of a community of faith. For Catholicism, there is no relationship with God, however profound or intense, that dispenses entirely with the communal context of every relationship with God.” I have a strong suspicion that surfers understand this claim based on what they love, what they do, and how that is shared with others.

But many of us think, “it’s between God and me. I can work on my relationship with God on my time.” In our fast paced world, this is a scary proposition to me. The first thing that gets cut on a busy day is time for quiet, in prayer. Or many claim they get more out of an extra hour of sleep or their “alone time” than in going to Mass. But there's a big difference between being a bystander and a participant. Community benefits from our presence and in sharing our gifts. At its best, it will support us in our limitations and struggles, celebrate our joys and triumphs. At its worst, we may not "get a lot out of it" but to draw from a surfing mindset, it might be wise to "ride the wave" and keep your eye on the horizon.

Whatever your New Year's Resolution, I hope that you too may get a chance in 2012 to move from being a bystander to a participant either in surfing or in your faith tradition. I hope you spend time with Mother Ocean and God the Father. And like any surfer would say "Stay Stoked." 2012 is full of promise and potential--it is, after all, the year of the Dragon!

Photo Credits
Community of Surfers
Tory and Surfers
Riding Giants
Long Board

Who's Got It Better Than Us? The Harbaugh Family Mission Statement

2012-01-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

Jack and Jackie Harbaugh had a lot to celebrate this past week. In addition to their middle child Jim’s NFC divisional playoff victory in San Francisco on Saturday and their first born son John’s win in the AFC title game in Baltimore on Sunday, they celebrated 50 years of marriage on Monday.On the eve of the 2010 SuperBowl, I wrote about a remarkable man and a mediocre coach Mike Singletary. Why? He is the only father I know who has drafted a family mission statement that hangs in their home. Today, I stand corrected. Whether or not they recognize it as such, the Harbaugh family has one too. It may not be formally written or framed but it is a lived reality, with them and San Francisco Forty Niner fans.

Perhaps you’ve seen it posted on Facebook or as the title of several YouTube highlight reels. But the Harbaugh family mission statement is actually in the form of a question, one I saw for the first time just 24 hours after their epic victory. Printed on the back of the shirt of a man sitting in front of me at mass was “Who’s Got It better than us?” This is not a rhetorical question. The answer was in bold capital letters: NOBODY! 2012 NFC West Champs. Undoubtedly, this is what the Harbaugh family said as they raised a glass many times this week. But it’s also something they have said for years. Rather than recap the story, it’s worth reading.

But, for the Forty Niner faithful, the answer to their question has been “everybody” for some time. But that also speaks to the reality of "Growing up Harbaugh." Jim moved 16 times before he graduated from Palo Alto high school. As Dan Brown writes, "In the early 1970s, the family lived in a ramshackle home in Iowa that barely topped 1,000 square feet." Despite the challenges, this family made the most out of what they did have. They were rich in love, they were encouraged to dream big dreams, find and follow your passion all while supporting one another.

Part of me wonders if perhaps the hungry crowd gathered to hear Jesus preach asked themselves this question before the multiplication of the fishes and loaves. Or did those at the wedding feast in Cana as they ran out of wine? or Mary and Martha as they waited for Christ after their brother Lazarus died? They should have. Irony alert, this is where miracles occurred and lives were transformed.

One need not be familiar with “the Harbaugh family mission statement,” to know in Niner country the answer to that question is once again “nobody!” For one, the Niners are featured on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated with the title “Surprise, Surprise, Surprise.” This team wasn’t even favored to win last Saturday. The Saints, a wildcard team on the road was expected to win by three. Second, the memory of game itself will stay with Niner fans for decades. We commemorated the 30-year anniversary of “The Catch” just a few sunny, warm days prior. Now, Forty Niner Faithful will reminisce about another catch for years to come. Third, we will host the NFC Championship game this Sunday. Because the SuperBowl is at a neutral site, this is as good as it gets in our house.

For my fellow Niner fans, I hope you savor this time before Sunday’s game. And despite Sunday’s outcome, I challenge you to live the Harbaugh family motto. Clearly it too is a "home of champions."

Photo Credits
Harbaugh Family
Who's Got It Better Than Us Logo
John, Jim and Joanie
Jackie and Jack Harbaugh

Vernon Davis: Prodigal Son

2012-01-17T23:26:00.000-08:00

In his review of the Broadway revival of Godspell, Rob Weinert-Kendt writes “When my theatergoing companion, a secular Jew, asked me to give him a rundown of some parables before the show, I found myself unable to retell the parable of the prodigal son without getting choked up with emotion."

I was surprised to read this popular Biblical tale evoked such a strong response. Choked up with emotion? Really? And then I recalled my favorite moment from Saturday’s NFC West championship game. Every time I replay that moment, tears fill my own eyes. I too get choked up with emotion. Is it the story of the prodigal son? Yes and no.After catching a 14-yard pass to put the Niners in the lead with 9 seconds in the game, Forty-Niner Vernon Davis ran to head coach Jim Harbaugh at the sidelines. With tears in his eyes, the tight end met Harbaugh’s whole-hearted embrace. Thanks to a colleague who reads lips, I came to learn that Coach Harbaugh said “You did it!” three times (include one expletive in there). However as much as I love this image in the way I appreciate Rembrandt’s painting of the prodigal son, it’s not the same story.

For one, the Vernon Davis that Harbaugh knows is not akin to the younger son profiled in the parable. This Vernon Davis didn’t squander his talents and abilities under a man I hope is named the 2011 Coach of the Year. This is not the same "Vernon Davis," as he often refers to himself in interviews, as the one who had little guidance of what it took to be a real winner. That Davis got into scuffles during training camp practices. That Vernon Davis--first round draft choice out of the University of Maryland--was sent to the locker room mid-game. That Vernon Davis inspired a tirade by former head coach Mike Singletary after his first game as head coach.

Coach Singletary said

I will not tolerate players who think it’s about them, when it’s about the team. And we cannot make decisions that cost the team and then come off the sideline and its nonchalant. No. It is more about them than it is about the team. Cannot play with them. Cannot win with them. Cannot coach with them. Can't do it. I want winners. I want people that want to win. I told him that he would do a better job for us right now taking a shower and coming back and watching the game than going out on the field. Simple as that.

When Vernon Davis publicly admitted "I don't miss Singletary” after Singletary was fired, I started to think—wow, he too held in contempt all that he had been given.

According to Samuel Lam in 49ers TE Vernon Davis credits Mike Singletary for guiding him to this point “What Singletary did was prepare Davis for a great moment like that on Saturday. Since Singletary's first game with the 49ers, Davis had transformed into a better teammate and a better person. This season, Davis attended every practice, lifted up teammates and continued to work on his craft as a football player. That all may not have happened had Singletary not given him a reality check by sending him to the locker room back in 2008. And that game-winning 14-yard touchdown catch might have only still remained as an unattainable dream."

And truth be told when asked about Singletary's impact in his career, Davis admitted he now understands what his former coach wanted out of him. According to an interview on KNBR he said, "I'm glad he was aboard from the start because I learned so much from him. And not just about football, but about life, about team, being a part of a team, and I take my hat off to him. I learned so much from him."
It seems to me this once brash, bold, gifted son came to realize the error of his ways. If I could change just one thing from Saturday’s game, it would be that the man meeting Vernon Davis on the sidelines was the respectable and honorable Mike Singletary. No I don’t want to return to a Niner team under his leadership. Yes, I realize the Niners would not still be playing were he head coach. But because Singletary, a virtuous devout Christian who epitomizes what the father in the parable does, I would love to see him welcome this gifted athlete home. Home to excellence and to victory. Go Niners!

Photo Credits
Davis-Harbaugh embrace
Rembrandt's Prodigal Son
Coach Singletary and Davis
Victory!

Why I’m Not Writing About Tim Tebow

2012-01-14T13:29:00.000-08:00

With a blog about Sports and Spirituality, people want to know one thing: what’s your take on Tim Tebow? And lately I’ve been asked one question: When are you going to write about him? I’m here to tell you why I am not writing about number 15, the devout Christian both on and off the field.First, it seems to me that everyone else is writing about him. The quarterback has appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated eight times! In fact, I did a double take when I received my December 13, 2011 issue. Didn't I already receive this? No. He appeared on the cover just two weeks prior; that’s right--twice in three weeks.

One has to try hard not to read about Tebow as you will find features with creative titles like “High Praise,” “The Tebow Effect” and “Are Tim Tebow and Justin Bieber making Christianity cool?” in everything from the Wall Street Journal and US Weekly, to religious periodicals like America magazine and more. One can also read information by him. His autobiography “Through My Eyes” debuted on the New York Times hard cover nonfiction bestseller list at number six.

Second, the other reason for my radio silence is because I simply don’t understand the controversy. From what I have gathered, people have one of two major complaints about him. One is that he just isn’t that good. The other is that people find his public displays of faith (PDF) as either inspirational or inappropriate. And like most controversial topics when it comes to matters of faith, I hear more people find “Tebowing” to be offensive or wrong. With that, I suppose I will eat my words and weigh in. I’ll begin by clarifying...

Fans and experts (in their own mind?) claim that he hasn’t mastered the most basic skill of his position-- he throws for too few yards and he does so inaccurately. Others say he’s too slow or that he’s not a great athlete. And yet, his achievements on the field suggest otherwise.

Tebow led the Florida Gators to not one but two NCAA football championship titles. He won the Heisman trophy. He earned the starting job from a player who is a great athlete, Brady Quinn; his jersey now reads “Riding Pine.” When Tebow took over at starting quarterback, the Broncos had a 1-4 record. Under his leadership, they climbed into a first place tie in the AFC West (and finished 8-8 in the regular season). One of Tebow’s jerseys was the league’s best-seller this past Christmas season. The other one says “Jesus” which alludes to the other area of concern.Many have referenced Matthew 6, 5-6 to address why Tebow’s public praise is wrong. It reads And when you pray, do not imitate the hypocrites: they love to say their prayers standing up in the synagogues and at street corners for people to see them. ... But when you pray, go to your private room, shut yourself in, and so pray to your Father who is in that secret place. --Matthew 6, 5-6

We know that Jesus ate with sinners, lepers, tax collectors, and befriended a prostitute. He was loving and compassionate and yet He was clear in his disdain and judgment against one group of people: hypocrites. Men and women who lack integrity; people who show a public face that is other than their private self.

If there is one consistent remark about Tebow, it’s that he is authentic. His faith is front and center of his life. His missionary work in the Philippines, his morals and values and how he lives them out on and off the field verify he is anything but a hypocrite. He reminds me of another devout Christian athlete, Kurt Warner. In the article “Does God Care Who Wins The Superbowl?” Warner said “If you ever really want to do a story about who I am, God’s got to be at the center of it . Every time I hear a piece or read a story that doesn’t have that, they’re missing the whole lesson of who I am.”

For Tebow to not give thanks and praise would be to miss out on who he is. I have thought long and hard about what my reaction to Tebow or any athlete who gives public praise says about me, (and less about them). As a Catholic, I believe my faith tradition does not put a tremendous influence on praising God. To some degree, it doesn’t speak to my personality either. But when I do, I know that it feels good. It is as though my soul is lifted!And one athlete whose words of praise lift my soul is Eric Liddlell, a Scottish runner. In the movie “Chariots of Fire, he said “to win is to honor Him.” How often do I think about honoring God? Is winning really honoring God? And does that mean to lose dishonors God? Far from it.

Tebow, Warner, all the men who will take the field in the AFC Playoff game have been given great talents and abilities, that’s why they are professional athletes. In striving for victory, Tebow knows the source of his life and livelihood is God. He will be happy to share with you on and off the field with both his words and his actions why this is true for him. Now that sounds like a story worth writing about….

Photo Credits
Tebow looking up
SI Cover
Missionary Work
Tebowing

What the Notre Dame Women's Basketball Team Helped Me Understand about 't'radition

2012-01-08T21:23:00.000-08:00

In Advent 2011, the Catholic Church adopted the new English translation of the "Roman Missal," the book that contains the text for the celebration of the Mass. The reason for doing this was to provide the faithful with a more accurate translation of the original Latin text, the language of the Roman liturgy.

People don’t like change. We take comfort in the ritual, universality and timelessness of the mass. But, our responses and prayers are part of the tradition small 't' of the church. Catholics often write Tradition with a capital 'T'to mean Sacred Tradition. But small 't' traditions, or customs, are not part of Divine Revelation and are subject to change. If there’s one place that knows tradition small or capital 't' it’s the University of Notre Dame.The Irish pride themselves on some dynamic and meaningful customs that have been passed down for over 150 years now. One of our best is the fight song. But watching women’s basketball team defeat the University of Connecticut on Saturday January 7 made me realize it’s time for another change. Here’s why...

UConn came into Purcell Pavilion ranked two in the nation; they hadn’t lost a regular season Big East game since February 2008. In overtime, the Irish, ranked three ended the Huskies’ 57 game win streak.

The only reason I caught the game, which was nationally televised on CBS is because a friend sent me a text letting me know it was underway in South Bend. Meanwhile, the Notre Dame Alumni Club of San Francisco was hosting a game watch to cheer on the unranked men’s team against the Louisville Cardinals.

I am one of the board members who assist with game watches. When I realized the missed opportunity for alumni and fans to gather, I hung my head in shame. Why am I not thinking of watching women’s sports? What is it going to take for me to broaden--no, to change my perspective? Why am I not leading the club to capitalize on the social opportunity that big games like this provide? I don’t have an answer.

And by no means is this my first offense. On Thanksgiving Day, I asked a former student who is now a junior at Notre Dame if Ben Hansbrough was really the BMOC (big man on campus) last year. That team was exciting and had a great regular season; I figured Hansbrough in particular must have captured student excitement and attention. My student looked at me and said “no…not really.” I could hardly believe the 2011 Big East Player of the Year was low profile. I responded by then asking, “how about Tim Abromaitis? “ “Um, well I know his girlfriend” he said. Just as I was thinking “what’s wrong with students today” Connor said “You know who’s really popular though, Skylar Diggins. Students are very excited about the women’s team.”Of course they are; they should be. This is the same team that beat powerhouse programs: the University of Tennessee in the quarterfinals, the University of Connecticut in the semifinals. This team made it to the NCAA championship game where they lost to the Aggies of Texas A&M.

They are a team that is led by an incredible coach and former player Muffett McGraw. The first line of her coach’s profile on the website reads: "If we searched for an entire year. I don't think we would find anyone better suited for our program." With those words, former Notre Dame athletics director Gene Corrigan announced the hiring of Muffet McGraw as the third head coach of the Fighting Irish women's basketball program on May 18, 1987. I like the coach, I like the players, and in another stroke of honesty, I like a team that wins. For years Notre Dame was only regarded as a football school and it has improved in every possible realm—athletics, service opportunities, study abroad programs, diversity, and athletics.

Notre Dame has recorded 26 national championships, 18 by men's teams, five by women's teams, and four by combined teams. Apart from the combined titles (in fencing) the most recent men’s championship was in football in 1988. Since that time, the women have won two national championships in soccer and one in basketball. Truly a crown jewel of improvement can be found in female athletics.

And Notre Dame has been co-ed since 1972. The fight song says, “While her loyal sons go marching onward to victory.” Informally my friends would sing “while her sons and daughters go marching…” If you take out loyal and insert daughter it can work. And as far as I'm concerned inclusive language here trumps the virtue. My friends were right; this is a tradition that needs amends.

The fact of the matter is Notre Dame’s daughters are doing just that—winning on the court and off. The success of our basketball team has helped me realize changing a tradition and a mindset isn’t often a bad thing; it’s necessary. Go Irish!

Photo Credits
BMOC
Coach McGraw
Irish Win
Tribute to Skylar

Christmas Break for Sports? Yay or Nay?

2011-12-30T15:02:00.000-08:00

This Christmas my family headed north to Washington State where the 49ers happened to play the Seattle Seahawks on Christmas Eve. My brother, in town from Washington DC, could hardly believe his good fortune. A chance to see his team with my dad—what a gift! Considering that my entire family gathers on Christmas eve, my mom could not believe he entertained this thought. "How dare he?" she asked in disbelief while my dad replied “Sounds great to me!”

I know not everyone celebrates Christmas as a religious day but it has become a significant celebration of family and friends for most Americans. Most, not all, observe this holy day as a holiday. Yet many of our favorite athletes and coaches come to work at home or on the road. As much as I too consider an NFL or NBA game respite from some family drama at the holidays, I began to realize all those who work to make professional sports possible on Christmas aren’t able to be with their own families. I started to wonder: Should professional sports take a break over Christmas? And, are there other times of the year for religious or cultural reasons that we should press pause? I’m beginning to think the answer is “yes.”

Without a doubt, professional sports is big business. It would take a whole lot for “The Association” and others to decide to take a break, but it can be done. The NHL does, as no games are played on December 24 and 25. Good for them.

And it’s not just religious feasts or holy days that some organizations observe. For example, now that the BYU has joined the WCC Conference, league competition will no longer take place on Sundays. I found this an interesting change since seven of the nine members are Catholic schools. It took the religious discipline of the Mormons for Catholics to observe the Sabbath. Ouch. To its defense however, the WCAL (in the West Catholic Athletic League 9 of the 10 high schools are Catholic ) forbids practice or competition on Sundays. Part of me however wonders if it's for the sheer fact that did we not hold this restriction, coaches would practice seven days a week...

We know many athletes who have observed their faith tradition’s practices and holy days despite the team schedule. Many will recall Sandy Koufax’s decision to not pitch in Game 1 of the 1965 World Series because it fell on Yom Kippur, a Day of Atonement for Jews. Nearly forty years later, people wondered if first baseman/right fielder Shawn Green would follow suit as his teams competed in playoff games. He did. We Americans are intrigued by the conflict that ensues between social pressures and personal beliefs. Is this a bad thing? I think not.

Such questions are part of American culture today. We are a religious people and we love our sports. We are consumers and we are consumed by professional sports as entertainment, as a force that builds community, as a source or joy and sorrow in our lives! I welcome your thoughts on this question.

Photo Credits
Niners vs Seachickens
Shawn Green
NFL Wreath

What's in a Name? II: Andre "The Hawk" Dawson

2011-12-26T17:34:00.000-08:00

How are you spending your Christmas break? If you are like me, you may be catching up with past issues of Sports Illustrated, (Is it just me, or is keeping up with a weekly magazine a challenge?) watching movies in the theater or at home and tying up loose ends. One of those loose ends is completing articles that writer’s block or the need for more research put “on hold.” After posting What’s in a Name? I remembered I pursued this idea before. I hope it’s something you have too...August 2010: I had the good fortune of attending my first Washington Nationals game at their open air and robust stadium on same night “the Nats” recognized the career of baseball's newest Hall of Famer, Montreal Expos outfielder Andre “the Hawk” Dawson. Recalling how fierce “the Hawk” was as a hitter, particularly during the '89 Giants vs. Cubs NLCS games, I said “I bet he earned that name because he was so focused during every single at-bat." I could seldom relax when Dawson came to the plate. Any pitch became his prey. At least that was my guess…and as I’ve asked before “what’s in a name?”

Truth be told, Dawson got his nickname from an uncle at nine years of age. He used to work out with a senior men's team that would hit him ground balls at practice. Andre's uncle told him that most kids his age would shy away from the ball, but Andre attacked the ball like a hawk. The name, and a good one at that, stuck.

Baseball nicknames have become an integral part of the sport's culture: The Baseball Almanac says "In no sport are nicknames more pervasive than baseball.” Each name has a story behind it, reveals a humble or interesting truth. In fact the Baseball Hall of Fame even chronicles nicknames into particular categories (e.g., ethnic nicknames, personality trait nicknames etc.). It also includes a list of nicknames of current Major League teams. Sports journalists, broadcasters and fans commonly refer to teams by a wide variety of nicknames. Many of the names are so established that newspapers routinely use the names in headlines.

Although “The Hawk” was the only player to be inducted into Cooperstown in 2010, he wasn’t the only honoree with a nickname. His class included umpire Doug Harvey, broadcaster Jon Miller, sports writer Bill Madden, musician John Fogerty for his song “Centerfield” and manager Elvert "Whitey" Herzog.

Nicknames and honoring an outstanding individual are not unique to the sport of baseball; a similar tradition is part of the Catholic Church. Many of our “hall of famers” are the Saints. In the 12th Century, the Vatican formalized the process for canonization. Although it is true that a man or woman is officially declared a saint after two miracles are performed with their intercession, the primary criteria for sainthood is how this person lived their life. Saints are “shining examples” of Christian love.

Induction into any sports hall of fame is no different. An athlete is enshrined because of how he or she played the game. Many may have changed the game, others were excellent in their day and age. They overcame obstacles and won respect, some adoration from their teammates, fans and even their opponents.

And what about names? I read today (December 26) that The Blessed Kateri Tekakwitha will be canonized next year with Pope Benedict XVI's announcement of her second miracle. Tekakwitha, Canada's first aboriginal saint, is commonly known as “Lily of the Mohawks.” What a beautiful image to hold of this holy woman; what a beautiful way to learn of her people. And do not flowers reflect God’s great beauty in the same way a saint’s life does?

Perhaps one of the most popular saints is Thérèse of Lisieux, commonly known as “the Little Flower.” What’s in her name?

In May 1887, Thérèse approached her 63-year old father Louis, recovering from a small stroke, while he sat in the garden one Sunday afternoon and told him that she wanted to celebrate the anniversary of "her conversion" by entering the Carmelites before Christmas. Louis and Thérèse both broke down and cried, but Louis got up, gently picked a little white flower, root intact, and gave it to her, explaining the care with which God brought it into being and preserved it until that day. Therese later wrote: "while I listened I believed I was hearing my own story." To Therese, the flower seemed a symbol of herself, "destined to live in another soil.”

A simple flower symbolizes her rich spirituality. She believed every soul is similar to a flower. Some souls are magnificent and grand like the rose and others are simple and pure like the small white lily of the valley. And “The Little Way” characterizes her spirituality. She sought to do small acts of charity and kindness with great love. She may not have “changed the game," but she is an outstanding example of someone who did something we are all called to do. Her name and her status as a saint are simply drawn from how she lived her life.

I am grateful that two domains I revere—the Church and Baseball hold similar traditions. Although I may check my hat at the door at Mass and not at the yard, when it’s time to recognize a person for their God given talents and their contributions, I sit in marvel at both. I hope to learn from their lives and their legacy in much the same way.

Photo Credits
The Hawk: The Expo
Baseball nicknames
Hall of Fame
Blessed Kateri

What's in a Name?

2011-12-22T16:24:00.000-08:00

These days everyone has his or her own rules with regard to commencement of the Christmas season--right? I hold hard and fast to the “no Christmas music or decorations until the day after Thanksgiving.” From Black Friday on, I contend people have license to go whole hog. As a child, the radio station KOIT most distinctly marked the change in season by playing Christmas music on that day only. I listened in anticipation for many songs; a special bonus was to hear Amy Grant’s “Emmanuel.”

Grant’s angelic voice proclaims a number of terms we use to describe the one who is born, Jesus the Christ. She sings:

Emmanuel, Emmanuel.
Wonderful, Counselor!
Lord of life, Lord of all;
He's the Prince of Peace, Mighty God, Holy One!
Emmanuel, Emmanuel.

The Gospels make a point of informing us that the messiah would be given a name. Matthew 1:23 states “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,” which means “God is with us” and in Luke’s Gospel we read "Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name him Jesus."We know the Son of Man as Jesus and Emmanuel, as Christ the King and as the Good Shepherd. Listening to both the readings and to religious music, I can’t help but think, Why do we have so many names for Our Lord? Or more colloquially, What’s in a name?

Naming someone or something is human. We seek to know and build relationships; a name is the first step on that path. When a child is born is not one of the first questions we ask “What is his or her name?” To know that even God made flesh had a name reminds us of the true miracle of the season—the Incarnation.

Second, I believe the name we use for a person says as much about the other as it does ourselves. To my students I am “Ms. Stricherz” my runners, “Coach Stricherz” my friends “Anne” and my beloved I am “Annie.” When my former students graduate, I ask them to call me “Anne” and for many, it’s a difficult transition. When and if the relationship deepens, it’s not a stretch.

And nowhere do we see more of a love for names than in the world of sports. Men and women become athletic heroes, some larger than life. We honor their talent, skill and prowess by personalizing it and them with a special name. With that, they become our own. For example, Joe Montana earned the nicknames Joe Cool, The Comeback Kid, Bird Legs and Golden Joe during his football career. Each one speaks to how he conducted himself on the field and who he was to the 49er Faithful. If “Sweet 16” didn’t matter to the sports history of San Francisco we would only know him as Joe Montana. But as the history books indicate, he was so much more. His other names say that as well.During the Holy Season of Advent, I have decided to pay attention to the name of Christ that I am drawn to. To examine what speaks to me helps me understand and reflect upon what may be going on in my life and in my heart. Although I seldom think of Jesus as “Wonderful Counselor,” I am grateful that Grant’s music has reminded me that He is. And that’s fitting, for events in my life the past year have drawn me to Jesus in this way. But to be a Christian is to know our world is in great need of Jesus as well. Thinking of the war and violence in our world, I have called on the Prince of Peace many times.

In these final days of Advent and as the Christmas season truly commences, spend some time thinking of the one who was born, and what you want to call Him.

Photo Credits
Joe Cool
Amy Grant
Adoration of the Shepherds

Baseball, Basketball & Football Are Long Seasons: A Prayer for Self Motivation

2011-12-18T21:05:00.000-08:00

Many a professional sport spans one season too many—and by season I mean a division of the year, marked by changes in weather, ecology, and hours of daylight. I’m not sure if hockey even has an “off season.” Perhaps the gift of the NBA lockout in some strange way is an increased appreciation for regular season games? Fans will see 16 fewer games before the pros *really* start playing.

These days baseball practically goes until November. Yet people wax nostalgic about it. And why shouldn’t they when the late commissioner of Major League Baseball and philosopher, A. Bartlett Giamatti penned these words in Take Time for Paradise.

It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in the spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone. You count on it, rely on it to buffer the passage of time, to keep the memory of sunshine and high skies alive, and then just when the days are all twilight, when you need it most, it stops. Today, October 2, a Sunday of rain and broken branches and leaf-clogged drains and slick streets, it stopped, and summer was gone.

Baseball may span six months (and more if you’re lucky), but the recent distribution of college football awards brought about the highlight reels of the winners’ 2011 accomplishments. Surprisingly, what stood out to me is the drastic change in the weather from the opening game to today. The passing of time is dramatically clear as early season games are played in the hot sun. Players and coaches wear short sleeve shirts and the field reflects the bright sun. As the schedule progresses, the colors begin to fade. The shadows are cast. And at this point, I wonder what weather condition will emerge. A snow bowl? Driving sleet? A bundled crowd at a night game? Brrr.

It too is a long season. And this has helped me realize once again that sports demand a lot of us—physical strength and mental fortitude. When one is a member of a team, time is not their own.

I have known a few athletes who were upset to play in post-season contests because they were exhausted. They would have been satisfied had their season ended after the first round of the playoffs! Part of me was disgusted that such talented athletes were lacking a competitive spirit. The other side of me understood exactly what they said.

Therefore, I think a prayer a student read in class last week is an appropriate one for all of us. Whether we are a member of a sports team or have a demanding job, we all need a little boost to keep us motivated from time to time. Why not seek the Lord’s assistance in this time of need?

A Prayer for Self Motivation
Omnipotent God, vitality of life, Your strength supplies my motivation. I am stirred in the path of Your Will. Maintain my self-motivation to always Search, find, examine, will and act Upon the truths placed before me. May I become a driving force for others, Encouraging them to pick up their crosses And follow the virtuous road of life. I thank You for Your continued vigor That coexists in my whole being, My soul, my spirit and my body!

Photo Credits
Self Motivation
2011 Heisman Trophy

John > Jim: Thoughts on the Harbaughs

2011-12-06T22:39:00.000-08:00

From his rise in success as the Stanford Cardinal’s head coach (2007-2010) to making the leap to the NFL, it’s safe to say that Jim Harbaugh has made quite an impression on the Bay Area. And with his appointment as the 18th head coach of the San Francisco 49ers, it’s no secret the 49er Faithful were looking for a savior. Move over Tim Tebow, it seems Harbaugh has offered some redemption.

And it’s much more than the winning record the Niners have maintained since the third week of the season that has kept Harbaugh in the spotlight. If it wasn’t the “blue collar mentality” it was a post-game handshake that had a shelf life of two weeks on Bay Area sports talk radio (thanks to a bye). And just one week before clinching the NFC West, many Americans spent their Thanksgiving evening watching a unique event unfold. For the first time in the history of the NFL, the two head coaches of opposing teams were not only friends and former teammates, they were brothers. To me, the hype of the “Harbowl” was well worth it.Indeed, the most exciting part of the game may have been the pre-game ceremony. John and Jim were greeted on the field by their parents—Jackie and Jack, the first Harbaugh to be a football coach. The game itself was a defensive slug fest and the Ravens prevailed, winning 16-6.

In the aftermath, the camera flashed to loyal Ravens fans. My eyes caught sight of a sign a couple held; it read John > Jim. Ever a fan of a good analogy, I appreciated their ingenuity, I smiled at their creativity. Yes, the score verified this as true….and for the purposes of this blog, the outcome is no different.In the post game conference John Harbaugh, the winning coach from the Baltimore Ravens said, “Running across the field everyone was asking what it was going to be like. You feel humble and grateful. It’s Thanksgiving. I told my guys we have so much to be thankful for. God gives us so much to be thankful for but the main thing He gives us is each other, our relationships. Tonight I ran across the field to my brother. He’s my best friend along with my parents and my wife.”

I hope Jim would have said something that thoughtful and introspective. He is articulate and enthusiastic; he is passionate and charismatic, but I’m not convinced he’s as prayerful as his older brother of 15 months.

According to an interview with The Catholic Review, newspaper of the Baltimore archdiocese, “It was (John) Harbaugh who revived Catholic Masses for the Ravens after several years without them. He also attends a weekly Bible study at the training facility with his fellow coaches. Even though Sundays are the most high-pressure days of his life, Harbaugh said it’s critical to make time for God.”

He believes mass is “a way to honor God and praise God. You just humble yourself a little bit before God and let God know that these things we do are for you.”

And he’s right. When I think of 49er Faithful, I hope it means those who are loyal to both the 2011 NFC West Champs but also to something more. Jim has guided this team to victory; he has helped us believe in a team again—one that that hasn’t won in 9 years. His brother has certainly emerged as a leader on the field and off with his dedication to his faith, gratitude and humility before the Lord. What Jim has to offer, time will tell.

Photo Credits:
Jim
Harbaugh clan
John is greater than Jim
John

SI Football: Tradition and Community

2011-12-01T23:04:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of Saturday’s Division III CCS football championship game between longtime San Francisco rivals St. Ignatius and Sacred Heart Cathedral at AT&T, I decided it was time to share with my students the story of legendary SI coach, Vince Tringali. My students, the football players and fans in particular left class sharing with me that they were ever more pumped for the big rematch. I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t be. The story of Vince Tringali exemplifies the rich tradition and strong sense of community that is SI.Tradition. To watch this NFL film one learns that SI has a tradition of excellence. During Tringali’s tenure, the Wildcats held a 19-game winning streak from 1962-63, a number one national ranking in the 1962 Imperial Sports Syndicate Poll and four league championships. He succeeded in both the AAA and WCAL Leagues, preparing his players for the transition and making a mark in both.

He knew talent. He saw O.J. Simpson play at Galileo High School and was instrumental in getting him to USC. And, he had talent. When a young Dan Fouts transferred from Marin Catholic after his sophomore year, Tringali said "talk about the gift of the Magi.” Also, several of the young men he coached went on to become coaches in the NFL, like Gil Haskell and Bill Laveroni of the Seattle Seahawks. Tringali’s influence on athletes and coaches extended beyond St. Ignatius and is greatly missed; he died in April 2010. His mark on the tradition of SI stands strong. Today there are two scholarships in his honor. Former players and students support a lunch in honor of the man and his passion.

Community. One of the more unique components of Vince was a relationship he built with a young man who did not even play football in high school. Al Saunders, offensive coordinator of the Oakland Raiders was an All-American swimmer for the Wildcats. Vince knew of his competitive nature and athletic excellence; he called him “fish” whenever he passed him in the hallway. A connection was made.

While Saunders’ father discouraged him from playing football, Tringali didn’t. Eventually Saunders would play defensive back and wide receiver for the Spartans of San Jose State from 1966–1968 where he was a three-year starter, team captain, and an Academic All-American. Tringali said “I’ll take credit for that! He’s one of my own.”

To an outsider, his remarks may seem strange and yet it reveals something about the community that is Saint Ignatius. Every year, my fellow cross-country coaches and I scout the soccer fields in particular for potential runners. We have had to come to terms with the idea that perhaps the best runners at SI are not even on our team. And yet, I love to see these athletes succeed. Every year, I hope I will convince just one of them to try our sport. I will forever tease Cornell lacrosse player and former SI soccer captain Kelly Lang that I have yet to forgive her for not coming out to run cross country her senior year. Three sports is demanding and so are academics; I understand. I still hope to see her run competitively in the years to come! Tringali did the same. He saw defensive end of the Miami Dolphins Igor Olshansky at a game. When he realized Olshansky wasn’t a parent but a student, he asked him why he wasn’t playing football. The sophomore replied, "I am a basketball player." The ever-blunt Tringali said “someone lied to you.” Tringali didn’t. Igor went on to play for three years at the University of Oregon before the San Diego Chargers drafted him. In a community, people take notice. Tringali did that and the lives of many young men have never been the same.

He said “what you get from coaching is a relationship. And for some it only lasts a season. Still others, ask or need more of you and it extends beyond. And with some, the relationship lasts a lifetime. One that does not end in even with this life.”Whether her knew it or not, Tringali’s outlook was deeply Catholic. He was speaking of the Communion of saints. Catholics recognize that the living and the dead, those on earth, in heaven, are part of the mystical body of Christ. Because Christ rose from the dead we remain in spiritual union with one another beyond this life. We intercede for one another, we communicate through prayer and we believe our relationship has not ended, only changed. He added to the tradition of St. Ignatius, one that was over a 100 years in the making when he arrived. He sustained a community that appreciates this tradition, its blessings and more.

Vince Tringali’s concluding remarks in the 2006 NFL film are “in victory, I salute you.” I hope as the Wildcats exit AT&T Park on Saturday night that I can say the same. It is my hope that same tradition that Tringali furthered and community he shaped continues and thrives. And who knows, I hope he is praying in heaven for the success of young men, some of who may be the sons of men he coached.

Photo Credits
Communion of Saints
Coach Tringali
Tringali SI Community

What Kind of School of Virtue Are We Running?

2011-11-21T22:17:00.000-08:00

The Blessed John Paul II said, “Sports are a real school of true human virtue.” It seems that recent events in the wide world of sports have challenged this maxim. The greed of the NBA lockout, the misguided sense of loyalty in the Penn State scandal and at the high school cross country state meet in Natchitoches, Louisiana a feat that many describe as “inspiring” have left me wondering: What kind of school are we running? Are our students, or in this case our athletes failing or thriving? And ultimately without true human virtue, what is at stake?

It’s unfortunate that for the second year in a row the only press for a sport as demanding as cross-country features a runner collapsing at the state meet finish line. Last year, Holland Reynolds, University High School’s number two runner crawled across the finish line on her hands and knees to complete her race. In doing so, she helped her team clinch the California state championship. This year Christian Bergeron of Covington, LA shares that story.Due to extreme dehydration on-set by unseasonable heat and humidity – the senior collapsed four times in the final 25-yards of the race. With the heat index above 80 degrees (weather is nearly 20 degrees cooler by this point in the season), it’s no surprise that the St. Paul’s varsity runner’s legs buckled and body crumbled.

The New Orleans Times-Picayune described his feat by reporting “Of all the inspiring moments of determination you see in the remaining months of 2011, it's unlikely any can top the heroics turned in by one high school senior” on Monday November 14, 2011. The local news channel commented on the power of the human will and how "moments like this make a parent proud even though they may be ones a parent would rather forget."

I watched Christian’s feat and I was horrified. I heard words like “inspiring” and “perseverance” and I looked around me. What school of virtue is athletics teaching? Is my moral compass off? Is the media’s?

This young man nearly died. He could not even see the finish line. The officials did not help him to or through the finish line. I won’t go so far as to say they were bystanders but there is much more at stake to me than finishing a race or earning a title.

The word “inspire” stems from what else—spirit—to breathe. To be inspired is to be filled with the breath (of God). The only inspiration I find in this story is that Bergeron is sharing his story to illustrate the importance of having of an EMT and ambulance on site for big athletic competitions. His mother, a nurse, was aware that he needed immediate medical attention.

In the Newsweek article “What is Virtue?” Ken Woodward states "cultivation of virtue makes individuals happy, wise, courageous, competent. The result is a good person, a responsible citizen and parent, a trust- leader, possibly even a saint. Without a virtuous people, according to this tradition, society cannot function well. And without a virtuous society, individuals cannot realize either their own or the common good."

I hope we can recognize as heroic as Christian Bergeron’s feat may appear, we take his story as another example among many to determine what true human virtue may be. The stakes in our society are too high not to…

Photo Credits
Sports Illustrated Cover
State Meet Finals
Virtue

The Spirituailty of the Start Line

2011-11-17T21:44:00.000-08:00

It is rare that a cross-country runner ever competes on a “true” cross-country course. Most competitions take place at parks or on school campuses, where with enough loops, hills, twists and turns a runner can cover 3 miles. But the final league meet for the WCAL always takes place at Crystal Springs Cross Country Park. The course is incredibly demanding—it is often hot and dusty, mile two includes “cardiac hill,” there is absolutely no shade… and yet, it is powerfully spiritual. The starting line of the race is as intense at it gets. At Crystal, the runner sees the first mile before their eyes. The starting box (cross country doesn’t use blocks or a waterfall start like in track) is fixed at the top of a hill; a hill runners must descend before they ascend it into mile two. Every competitor knows what he or she must do, as well as what the person on their right and their left must do. They share one common fate, to beat the clock, to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, to run their own race.

Each team is expected to arrive to the line 10 minutes prior to the start of the race. As coaches accompany their team to the line, they remind runners to stay loose and stretch, to complete a few striders, and reconsider the race plan. At SI, we remind our team of what we have done that has prepared us for the given race, we restate our strategy, and gather for a team prayer. With the varsity girls, we now take steps back from the start to let them speak with one another and pronounce their own cheer.

At that moment, I transition from coach to witness. I see the spirit of seven girls who have trained hard not alone—but together. I feel the bond that they share as four runners go to the front of the line and three girls take a few steps back. And at the very moment the race official calls their attention to the start, everything falls silent. It is as if a moment is frozen in time. I look at the varsity girls I have come to know, respect, admire and adore and I see not only are they are holding their position, they are holding their breath! The intensity of that very moment is so palpable. And yet, let me say it again, it is so spiritual.

In his article “I’m Spiritual, Who Needs Religion?” Tim Muldoon writes the word “spirituality” comes from the Latin term spiritus, which has the meanings of “spirit,” “ghost,” or even “breath.” It entered English through reference to Biblical ideas-specifically, as a way to render even more ancient terms from Hebrew and Greek. The bottom line is that the word “spirituality” was originally a word that referred to the Biblical notion of God giving us life by breathing into us, as depicted in the book of Genesis.

When the gun goes off, all runners release their breath. Indeed God has given them life and God has given them talent—speed, determination, and strength. Every breath is necessary to complete the 2.95 mile journey; and their spirituality will allow them to do more that complete the physical task of running the race. The spirituality of running and runners animates the challenge of the race; it makes running rewarding and more than worth the pain.

Olympic runner Eric Liddell said I believe God made me for a purpose. He made me fast and when I run I feel His pleasure. I highly doubt that my runners are feeling God’s pleasure as they ascend cardiac hill at Crystal Springs or the final turn up the hill to the finish. But as their coach, to see what God has made—the beauty of that park, the sanctity that one team can possess and even what these girls are capable of from the start to the finish, how can I not take a deep breath? As I inhale and then exhale, I feel God’s pleasure…the life..the spirit He has given me.

Photo Credits
All photos taken by the author on November 2, 2011

Personal Inventory: Sports & Spirituality

2011-11-06T22:58:00.000-08:00

The prayer of St. Ignatius calls us to “give and not to count the cost.” This beautiful prayer of generosity is challenging for most people, but I believe most especially for sports fans. Why? Sports fans love counting. It would be hard to find a single Pittsburgh Steeler fan today who isn’t counting the cost of yards, carries, personal fouls, turnovers, in this loss to the Baltimore Ravens. At the very least we know both teams knew how “to fight and not to heed the wounds.” What a great game!We sports fans are no strangers to numbers and how they add up—from rankings, magic numbers, AP polls, betting lines, numbers on jerseys, retired numbers, seeds in tourneys, numbers of championships, titles and more, numbers are more than a marking in a win or loss column. To say that numbers can be sacred in sports is not an overstatement. And, so the symbiosis begins.

"Sports and Spirituality" is most successful when one can draw from our own experiences as an athlete or a sports fan to think more concretely about our spiritual life. And in the same way that not all athletic disciplines need be tedious, challenging or painful, nor should those in the spiritual life.Hence I created a “personal inventory” to help you take stock of the experiences in both domains that stand out, that have shaped you as the person you are, and are proven highlights in your life. I hope this “light” discipline will reveal some insight of the Lord’s coaching, leading and guiding along the way. Beside we already know God doesn’t play favorites on football Saturdays…but his Mother does.

Personal Inventory: Sports
1. My favorite sport to watch is….
2. My favorite sport to play is…
3. My favorite athlete is….
4. My least favorite athlete is….
5. My favorite sports team is…
6. A sport I know very little about but would like to learn more is….
7. The most memorable sports event I have attended is…
8. I have read a great book about sports. It is…
9. I have seen a great movie about sports. It is….
10. The best athlete in all of sports is….

Personal Inventory: Spirituality
1. A good parish/faith community I am familiar with…
2. My favorite prayer is…
3. My favorite Saint/saint is….
4. My favorite spiritual discipline is…
5. A faith tradition I know very little about but would like to learn more is….
6. The most liturgical event I have attended is…
7. I have read a great book about spirituality….
8. I have seen a great movie about spirituality….
9. An interesting religious studies/theology course I have taken is…
10. A religious leader I admire greatly is…

If you have your own question that would like to share, please post e.g. "The hardest thing about being a sports fan for me is?" For the Eagles' fan who wrote that, other Eagles' fans probably know the answer.

Photo credits
USC vs. ND
Spiritual Discipline

Dedicate Yourselves to Gratitude: Thoughts on the 2010 World Series Champions...

2011-10-25T22:27:00.000-07:00

Watching the 2011 World Series is a little strange. The atmosphere, the hype, and the timing is remarkably familiar but it’s not exactly “déjà vu all over a again” (Yogi Berra). No, unfortunately for my Bay Area brethren and me, our beloved band of misfit toys, those San Francisco Giants ended their season in September. October baseball was not their fate.

To be honest, I dealt with it in late August. As baseball fans in a number of cities across the United States (sorry Canada!) supported their team in anticipation of the play-offs, I found myself in the City by the Bay still proclaiming one thing. I live and work in the home of the 2010 World Series Champion San Francisco Giants.

I took advantage of any given opportunity to remind friends--near and far--of this great distinction. I delight in sharing that reminder in e-mails, letters and phone conversations. Nowhere has victory been sweeter than in owning that title. It’s never gotten old; it’s not something I take for granted. I will relish these words until the St. Louis Cardinals or Texas Rangers capture them for the 2011 season.

San Francisco is known for its aesthetic beauty. A Victorian city built upon high hills & sand dunes, it is surrounded on three sides by water. Its Golden Gate Bridge is truly an architectural wonder of the world. And yet, this past year its great beauty was no longer to be found in its iconic vistas or landmarks. For me, it was in a World Series banner. When I first saw this flag flying above the San Francisco Bay against a clear blue sky, I did a double take. I gazed at it in wonder & awe.Fortunately for Giants fans, this banner is not something we surrender at the conclusion of the MLB season. No, as any banner does, it reminds us of what the Giants did; they won the last game of the season (the goal of A's General Manager, Billy Beane as stated in Moneyball).

Many years ago, I hung a homemade sign over my door that read: “Dedicate Yourselves to Gratitude.” I suppose it was my hope that I would live each day grateful for what God has given and will provide. Catholic Relief Services reminds us that “Gratitude is a gift from God. It gives us a way to respond to the Creator. With it, God gives us a way to respond to the brother who gives us a gift, to the sister who tends to a wound.”

In some small way, I think that World Series banner will remind me of Paul’s message to the Colossians. The 2010 San Francisco Giants gave this city a great gift last year. I have been grateful all year. And when I see another team later this week hold the Commissioner’s trophy, I will tip my hat to all those who can say they are from the city of the 2011 World Series Champions. Enjoy every minute of it.

Photo Credits
2011 World Series
Giants as Champions
Thing of Beauty

Blue Collar Mentality: Sandy, Sweaty & Muddy

2011-10-11T22:26:00.000-07:00

I am hearing a lot about the “blue collar” mentality and work ethic these days. And the expression is manifesting itself in the form of some motivational gear. According to Steve DelVecchio of the San Jose Mercury News, 49er head coach Jim Harbaugh “has issued gas station work shirts with personalized name patches to each player on his roster. The message in handing out the blue-collar shirts is simple: Work hard. ‘It’s not real complicated what it stands for — a motivational symbol, if you will’.”

And at St. Ignatius College Prep, a select number of varsity athletes can be seen sporting a new long sleeve RED & BLUE COLLAR ATHLETE t-shirt. Why? The new leadership in the athletic department has implemented the “Red & Blue Collar Athlete Program.” Athletic director John Mulkerrins said “It’s an opportunity to honor a Varsity Wildcat Athlete whose ‘blue collar’ effort is recognized by his or her coach in practices, games, or during any strength and conditioning sessions over a period of two weeks.”

This athlete is recognized because when the tough get going, he or she is going. It’s almost paradoxical. As a coach, I recognize her because she demands little if any work on my behalf. This athlete does more than is required or expected and she does it well. Cutting corners is a foreign concept. When I say give me ten, she gives me twelve. When I’m not looking she is still working.Just today the SI girls’ cross country most recent "Red & Blue Collar Athlete" got a massive headache during her workout (running hill reps and sand stairs at Fort Funston); we advised her to take a break. Some athletes might be relieved by the respite, but not this Blue & Red Collar Athlete. She was disappointed that she couldn’t complete the given task or share the challenge in full with her team. I have no doubt this athlete sleeps well at night; she gives her sport physically and mentally her very best. The success of our team hinges on her example more than she knows.

And across town, as the Niners prove they are for real, it should not be taken for granted that success emanates from talent and new leadership, and a hard work ethic. It is no surprise that a successful team, by any definition, is a hard working team.
After the September 11 win over Seattle, Jim Harbaugh described the offense as “blue collar,” and tight end Delanie Walker went right along with the company line, “If he says we’re a blue-collar team, we’re a blue-collar team. At the end of the day we’re going to be dirty, muddy and stinky. It may not be pretty and it’s going to be ugly. That’s basically what he means by blue collar. We’re not trying to look pretty.”

Sure a shirt can honor a blue (and red) collar athlete but we know them by their headaches and sand or their mud and dirt. It may not be pretty, but these athletes wouldn’t have it any other way—they’re working too hard not to! They push me to work hard and to succeed—no time for anything less.

Photo Credits
Blue Collar Niner Shirt
SF Sand Stairs
Coach Harbaugh

Moneyball: Not Spiritual

2011-09-23T00:10:00.000-07:00

"Moneyball," a drama film starring Brad Pitt as the Oakland A's General Manager, Billy Beane premieres in theaters on Friday, September 23. The film, based on Michael Lewis’ book by the same name, features the story of Billy Beane's success in using data analytics to draft players and create a winning team, specifically during the onset of the 2002 season.

The opening scene features Beane sitting solo inside an unlit Oakland Coliseum. He looks upon the now empty field, where ghosts may roam, dreaming about winning “the last game of the season” as a cheers from World Series game are broadcast in the background. The lighting, his pensive gaze, the palpable desire in his stance, would suggest you are about to embark on a story—a true one—that is very spiritual. It’s not.

These days I watch every sports story through a spiritual lens. Although "Moneyball" presented themes that resonate with spirituality such tenacity, commitment to a dream, vision and creativity—I left the world premiere thinking, What happened? Why did it fall flat?

Perhaps it is spiritually vapid because the story is one of economics; it is a tale of one man’s plight to create a competitive baseball team at a fraction of the cost of the large market teams. Perhaps I am asking too much…and yet, I don’t think so.Billy Beane is a complex character. He played in Major League Baseball for five years but as the GM he is "all business;" he does not watch the game. He tells his assistant to text him with the ball scores. Rather than sitting in the not so cheap seats, Beane works out in the gym underneath the Coliseum. The dark lighting, the dated, inadequate equipment leave you questioning why he chooses the world he has created.

You might ask Does the protagonist find redemption? What could be more spiritual than that? Yes and no. Beane claims that he “hates losing more than he likes winning.” The movie ends as it begins. Perhaps his spiritual journey is incomplete. The quest continues…I suppose it does for all of us.

The evening however was not spiritually devoid. I was fortunate enough to attend the world premiere at Oakland’s Paramount theater as a benefit for the Oakland A’s community fund. It was obvious that everyone in attendance had a deep familiarity and affection for the Athletics. The packed house was filled with the actors—yes even Brad Pitt, but also former and current A’s players and their loyal fans. The fans, like those who fill the seats during the 20-game win streak were electric. Their passion for this team was revealed as the movie relived every great game, good hit, and big win. This crowd knew the losses but they also knew the sweet taste of victory. I think it was enough for all of us....at least on this night.

Go see Moneyball and put on your spiritual lenses. I welcome your thoughts!

Photo Credits
Moneyball Poster
Moneyball Poster II
Paramount Theater--my iPhone!

Coaching as Ministry...and as Evangelization

2011-09-05T22:38:00.000-07:00

"Yours is a share in the work of the Lord's Spirit who makes of us one bread, one body, the cup of blessing. Yours is a work of ministering Christ's body and blood to the body of Christ, the Church. Yours is service at the Lord's reconciling table, You minister holy food to holy people in the holiest of all communions." -Eucharistic Minister Handbook

It was only Wednesday of the first week back at school and I was completely exhausted. But, I wasn’t so tired that I couldn’t make it to the social that followed the Fall sports parents’ meeting. While there, I noticed how many members of the Jesuit community came to welcome us—a group that leads 23 athletic teams.
The fall season at St. Ignatius College Prep is comprised of seven different sports, fielding over 500 student athletes. Although no Jesuit coaches a fall sport, many serve as team chaplains and boosters. I have become friends with several of them while watching boys’ volleyball and girls’ basketball games. Nothing builds a friendship like a common interest in sports. And little did I know, nothing builds the faith life of a young person like a coach who participates in a school’s liturgy.

Andrew, a novice Jesuit asked the coaches if we would be willing to serve as Eucharistic ministers. He said “this year we are making a concerted effort to extend the invitation to coaches. When a coach holds the Eucharist with respect and reverence, their athletes take notice. Truly it’s another form of evangelization.”

I never had a coach who was a Eucharistic minister. I wonder how I might have seen him or her differently and what the sharing of the sacrament would signify to my teammates and me. I wonder how a young person who is really questioning their faith might be nourished by the Eucharist a little differently because they see their coach hold and distribute it with the "respect and reverence" that Andrew mentioned.

I was humbled by his beautiful insight on what I considered a simple task. The priest mediates the sacrament—transforming the bread into Jesus’ body and blood. But, lay and religious, old and young, male and female, coaches and teachers, even student athletes participate in the distribution of it! And even those who are not Catholic are called to participate. At SI, we offer a special blessing to anyone who wishes to receive it. They join the community and approach the Eucharistic minister with their arms crossed over their chest. As coaches extend this blessing—again, they are evangelizing.But herein lies the paradox—the seemingly simple task is actually quite profound. I had no idea that sharing in the work of the Lord's Spirit was evangelization. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines evangelization as: “the proclamation of Christ and His Gospel by word and the testimony of life, in fulfillment of Christ’s command.” Of course it is evangelization, for what does a Eucharistic minister say? “The Body of Christ.” How clearly we proclaim Christ Jesus at communion!

The National Directory for Catechesis (NDC) "places evangelization at the core of ministry to fire a new energy and commitment to proclaim the Gospel." I definitely view coaching as a ministry. To know that my ministry is not limited to the field, to know and believe that it is also at Friday Morning liturgy for both my students and my athletes is an awesome responsibility. I hope my fellow coaches will join me. After all, "Victory is ours for those who love Christ Jesus!"

Photo Credits
Fall Sports
Eucharistic Minister Symbol
Student as a Eucharistic minister

Life Lessons from Unlikely People and Places

2011-08-22T09:31:00.000-07:00

As summer comes to a close, I think of how I filled my days—What were the highs and lows, the graces and the gifts? This year, it began with my fourth Immersion trip, nine students and I spent two weeks with the L’Arche community and Catholic Worker Home in Tacoma, WA. It doesn’t matter where I go, or what I do on immersion, "a program that engages participants in service within a context that calls for solidarity with people on society's margins," Immersion continues to invite me further into a world of contradiction. And the irony is that contradiction has never proven more true than in reflecting back upon my very first one and surprisingly so--the life and tragic death of SI alum, Don Casper.

In June 2005, I left Pacific Heights, one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in San Francisco for Dolores Mission Church, the poorest parish in the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. If the name is familiar to you, it’s because the poet, prophet and priest Greg Boyle, SJ was its pastor for many years. It is the seedbed for Homeboy Industries, which “assists at-risk, recently released, and formerly gang involved youth to become contributing members of their communities through job placement, training and education.” Their motto is their mission: jobs not jails.Fr. Boyle’s book “Tatoos on the Heart” recounts two decades of working with and in this community. He says, “the church is nestled in the middle of two large public-housing projects, Pico Gardens and Aliso Village. Together they comprise the largest grouping of public housing west of the Mississippi.” It’s no Pac Heights.

In just two weeks time, I learned about gangs, why young people join, why they stay and why they leave. I also learned about the senseless killing and violence, the cycle of poverty and despair and the importance of a good father for so many young men. I learned many life lessons, but what surprised me the most was contradictory.

Boyle Heights isn’t a place you would describe as “beautiful.” The public housing appears institutional; there are few trees and no manicured yards. The sidewalks are uneven, the roads are not swept, and yet despite the threat of violence, there is something very real and live about the neighborhood. Everyone knows one another.

Good, bad or otherwise, people know one another’s families—their abuelas and tios, “homies” and “homegirls” know who lives where and who belongs to whom. The community has banded together in many ways. Yes, out of necessity but also in prayerful and powerful support. Basta ya! Enough already.

What a contrast Boyle Heights was to my home on Fillmore and Washington streets—the very heart of Pac Heights. Homes around me sell for over a million dollars. The colors of the buildings are cool, soft pastels accented by gingerbread woodwork and designer landscapes. The streets are cleaned every morning at 6:00 a.m. Parking is a premium. Safety is rarely if ever an issue.

As much as I love my neighborhood, I realized a sad truth when I returned. I can count on one hand how many of my neighbors I know. I live in a building with five other apartment units. I know the names of no one. To a large degree, I am anonymous and so are most of the people I live beside. What a contrast. What a striking contradiction.

But somehow, someway our humanity always breaks through. I think of these tiny flowers that break through the concrete of the sidewalk. They say to me that beauty is a necessity in this life. It finds us, even in unlikely places, amid unlikely circumstances.

And in case I needed a reminder, I got one in the sad news of the death of my roommate’s close family friend, Don Casper. He was a prominent San Francisco Republican, attorney and vice president of the San Francisco Civil Service Commission. Don was out running and hit by a drunk driver; he was 63 years old.

As Vicki was describing this loyal St. Ignatius and Georgetown alum, I realized I actually knew whom she was talking about. I never knew his name, but at least once a week, if not more, I saw a middle-aged man run down Fillmore Street. This man was loyal to his Hoyas; he always ran with a classic Georgetown t-shirt. Just recently I noticed he switched from a long sleeved navy Georgetown shirt to a fresh white Georgetown tee. He too opted for the classic script.

As a fellow runner, I would look at him in wonder. He often ran late at night, he ran in the rain, he ran in the “oh so rare” heat, and he always ran at a good clip, even if he did have the downhill. He too ran without headphones, I could see the way running cleared his mind and stilled his conscience.
I didn’t’ know him…but I did. He was a member of this community and his presence will be missed. His quirky humanity was expressed in something I could relate to, something I valued, it was a passion we shared. I think of Fillmore Street without this warm soul pounding the pavement and something is missing.

In the same way that Boyle Heights knows loss, unfortunately all too well, Pacific Heights has experienced a loss. Don Casper will be missed. And the contradiction in this is that although our communities seem different, we are the same. The presence of one person can and does make a difference. Our humanity always breaks through.

Photo Credits
Don Casper
Homeboy Industries
Father G
Flower breaks through
Running at Sunset

The Bus Leaves in 40 Minutes….

2011-08-16T15:36:00.000-07:00

My friend Kevin and I walked out of the bar as if we had just heard the verdict of the Rodney King trial. Disgusted. Disappointed.

It is unfair of me to compare what most Giants fans consider to be “the worst loss of the year” to a matter of injustice. But the dramatic walk-off exit is an appropriate gesture. And sometimes we sports fans take matters far too seriously, which is why I appreciated what KNBR radio host, Brian Murphy said this morning: The bus leaves in 40 minutes. What does this mean? And why is it important?When the Giants re-entered the club house after what was a huge loss, what do you think they heard? Nothing. It was silent. What did they smell? Fear? Probably not. I think they smelled a lot of sweat; it’s Atlanta in August. We were leading by two runs at the bottom of the 9th. The Braves and Brian Wilson certainly made the Giants sweat. What did they taste? They almost tasted victory. Who didn’t mentally and prematurely include a game in the win column? What did they feel? I know what I felt as a helpless fan 3,000 miles away. I felt torture. But what did the players see? They saw a sign that read: The bus leaves in 40 minutes.

And that’s the truth. The bus left 40 minutes after the conclusion of the game. Players had 40 minutes to shower, talk to the media, eat, change, and do whatever they need to do. Pack up your things and go. We’ll be back at it tomorrow and play again. There will be another bus tomorrow. I think it's an important metaphor for life. Some events—some losses are indeed life-changing. Some are a bleeding injustice, a deep betrayal, or an inconsolable grief. But other losses or misgivings, although they sting, are just that—a loss. It’s important to remember many losses trials and challenges are going to happen in a season; the collective whole is always a sum of its parts. Yes, last night was one part...but there's another part tomorrow...and the next day. The bus will arrive and leave on those days too.

Photo Credits
Braves win
Wilson after a loss. He only had 5 last year; last night was his 5th

When God Made Basketball, He Carved Out Chris Mullin

2011-08-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

I don’t remember the date or the opponent, but I remember what I was wearing: a red St. John’s University sweatshirt. It even featured the politically incorrect red man mascot in the middle. I was sitting with my dad in good seats watching the Warriors warm-up. Chris Mullin saw me in it and gave me a “thumbs up.” I was wearing it for him, #17 who will be enshrined in the basketball hall of fame in Springfield, MA today.

Talk to any fundamentalist of the game and they will tell you precisely why Chris Mullin was a great player. Bruce Jenkin’s article Chris Mullin's game demanded respect will add to that. He writes “Mullin wasn't just anyone, as it turned out. He was one in a million.” He was revered by the African American basketball community, he was a revolutionary passer and for a man of ordinary speed and jumping ability, he was an unstoppable one-on-one player.

A "three-time Player of the Year in the loaded Big East - he was doing things seldom seen at any level, in any era." Jenkins’ identifies his accomplishments as a Warrior, but I believe his single greatest accomplishment is one that is critical to his success as an athlete and a human being: he is a recovering alcoholic.In his 1992 article “In a Golden State” Rick Reilly chronicles Mullin’s daily commitment to not drink—just for today. At the time, Mullin was four years sober; today he has gone without a drink for 23 years. The unofficial statistics reveal that about one-third of alcoholics fully recover, one-third go in and out of sobriety and one-third never do. What individual, family or work place doesn’t know the sad and detrimental affects of this disease? A person can lose everything because of alcoholism. For Mullin, it was a basketball career and his relationship with the woman who is his wife for 15 plus years and the mother of his four children, Liz. Fortunately, he listened to his coach Don Nelson.

Reilly's article reports how he became sober.

"I want you to take care of this problem right now," Nelson said. "I want you to call your parents and your agent." Mullin was the fifth player Nellie had suspended for drug-or alcohol-related infractions. None of the players ever made it back to the league. Nelson wasn't leaving any lights on for Mullin.

Mullin checked into the clinic, but he wouldn't buy into it. He was denying all the way. The night before, he called Liz, crying. "You may not want to go out with me after this," he said, "but I'm checking into an alcohol rehab clinic tomorrow."

"Are you kidding?" she said, crying too. "This is the best Christmas present you could have given us."

But that's not how it felt. Mullin went to Centinela with a jam box, CDs and pictures and had them all taken from him. His room was done in Early Leavenworth: a cot, a desk and a closet. Here was a millionaire NBA player thrown in with heroin addicts, street winos, career drunks and crack heads. Still, the door out was unlocked, and Mullin almost used it. A lot of guys left and never came back. You're in there on Christmas Day, and on New Year's Eve the urge gets pretty ripe. Back home the New York Post pasted a picture of Mullin's face over a Heineken bottle. Happy holidays.

A.A. is a 12-step program, and that first step is a doozy: We admitted we were powerless over alcohol—that our lives had become unmanageable. What? Me, like these bums? Have I lost my job? Have I lost my family? "It was easy to say, 'Hey, you're messed up, not me,' " says Mullin. Still, something kept him there. "I remembered my dad always said, 'You can always take the easy way out. But the easy way is usually the wrong way.' I guess I just felt if I did the right thing, I'd get rewarded in the end."

What he almost got was dead. Part of his Centinela program was an A.A. group that met at night in a dicey section of Inglewood. One time the members were standing around in front of a church during a break. Some kids were fistfighting next door. After a while they disappeared. There was calm. Then, suddenly, a van pulled up, and somebody inside started strafing the church with an automatic. The rehabs dove for it. As the bullets flew, Mullin thought, Damn, I'm trying to get sober here, not get killed.

Maybe there's something about nearly dying with 10 addicts and bums in a gang shoot-out in a Ripple section of a town you don't even live in that gives your recovery efforts a certain urgency. Mullin came to realize something about the winos and the horse heads in his group. "Their stories were the same as mine," he says. "I just hadn't gotten to their degree yet." He stopped blaming himself for his alcoholism. He looked at it like a disease: If I were allergic to pizza, he thought, I'd stop eating it.

After he got out, he gave full credit to Nelson. "He might have saved my life," Mullin said. As soon as he was home, he and Grabow went to a gym on the University of California campus for a little workout. Shoot a few free throws, Grabow said. Mullin hadn't touched a basketball in 30 days. He made 91 straight. Are those great hands or what?

We love those hands—especially that left shooting hand. Basketball is as fundamental to Chris Mullin as his shots are to the game. I am grateful for his example as a player and a person who has struggled and triumphed. "When God made basketball," Magic Johnson says, "He just carved Chris Mullin out and said, This is a player.' " Knick coach Pat Riley calls Mullin "the consummate pro," and Mullin's consistency can be amazing.

When asked about his career, Mullin said “I loved making All-Star teams, stuff like that, but it was the respect part that meant more than anything else," he said. "Respect from your peers, coaches, in the street - that's what it's all about to me."

Chris, you have earned so much more than respect from your fans; thank you for sharing your gifts and talents as a player and a person.

Photo Credits
Mullin and Nelson
Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame Plaque--in the United terminal at SFO!
NBA Hall of Fame

Tiger Woods & Steve Williams: Another Look at Winning and Losing

2011-08-11T11:26:00.000-07:00

I hate to admit this, but when Tiger Woods returned to golf after the exposure of his sham of a marriage, I secretly hoped he would win the Masters. Yes, I read the Vanity Fair exposé piece, I heard the voicemail messages he left, and I even listened to all 15 minutes of his apology speech. Like many people I could not stand to look at the Sports Illustrated "Athlete of the Decade (2000-2009)." And yet, I waited with bated breath for his return. Quietly, I pulled for him. Why? How?

I wanted to see just how great an athlete he is. An athlete competes—its inherent in the definition of the word—and from that viewpoint alone, I wondered: Could check all that had happened at the door? Was that humanly possible?

Well, in the year plus that has passed since the fall-- sex rehab, his comeback and injuries have certainly proven one thing is true—Tiger is and was much more human that any of us thought possible. Being human means that we are capable of sin and redemption, even utter transformation. Easy to say, hard to believe.The irony for Tiger however is that transformation and redemption do indeed surround him. It seems as though it is happening to everyone but him—this two time former Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of The Year" (oh the irony, eh?)

Who can forget the emotional victory for Phil Mickelson in the 2010 Masters? His wife Amy, battling breast cancer summoned enough strength to congratulate him with their three children on the 18th hole. And who did not take great delight in Adam Scott’s victory on Sunday at W.G.C.-Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, Ohio. Tiger Woods finished the tournament at one over par, tied for 37th, and made $58,500. Scott finished 17-under, earned $1.4 million and who was by his side? None other than Tiger’s once beloved caddy, Steve Williams.

Williams, who had been at Woods’s side for 13 of his 14 major championships and the bulk of his 71 tour victories, had assisted Woods at Firestone Country Club, a course he had won seven times. Williams even picked up 10 percent of Scott’s $1.4 million first-place check, or $140,000; Woods earned $58,500.

When Williams said “It’s the most satisfying win I’ve ever had. There’s no two ways about it. I’m not denying it.” you have to wonder what victory he was really talking about. Woods was the best man in his wedding. After his split from Greg Norman in 1989, the Kiwi vowed that he would never get that close to another golfer again. I’m sure he did; maybe Tiger didn’t allow it. Williams swore he did not know the extent of Tiger’s affairs. Based on what we have learned from Tiger and his dual life—perhaps he didn’t.

My students advocate for learning from your mistakes—and they should. We all should. At the same time, I caution them about this because some of them are not reversible. Some mistakes have dire consequences and harm others, future lives and relationships—permanently. Unfortunately, in Tiger Woods we have a case study of where and how this is very true.

More on "Bag Man," Steve Williams to come!

Photo Credits
Sports Illustrated Cover
Woods and Bag Man
Williams and Scott

From the Free Throw Contest to Helping Haiti: Knights of Columbus live Sports & Spirituality

2011-08-08T12:26:00.000-07:00

Walking out of mass at St. Mary’s parish in Walnut Creek, I was encouraged to see the Knights of Columbus still host their monthly pancake breakfasts. In a world that is increasingly more hostile to families and to their budgets, this event is both affordable and builds community. And, in case delicious pancakes plus the aforementioned reasons don’t suffice, the proceeds provide scholarship funds for seminarians and needy grammar school students. Thank you Knights!Perhaps your familiarity with the Knights is from your dad, an uncle or grandfather who served as a loyal member. Maybe as a child you entered their pro-life essay-writing contest, or purchased a steak sandwich at Notre Dame on a football Saturday, or participated in their free throw shooting contest….ok, maybe it’s the regalia?!

Considering the state of free throws in the NBA, this is one contest I believe many more players should enter. Any basketball purist cannot watch a game today and not leave it in total disgust. They are called “free throws” for a reason; those are free points. Long are the days of Chris Mullin who completed his career with a 86.5% free throw average (I am however pleased to report Steve Nash has a 90.5% average to date). It seems that performances like those of Shaq (52.7% lifetime average, he missed his 5000 free throw in 2008) are all too common. Practice, practice, practice! and make that practice a little fun—as the Knights’ competition did, while raising funds for CYO programs!

The Knights may have a way of instilling fundamentals, but they are also responding to new needs in our community. After the 2010 earthquake in Haiti a great need emerged—for prosthetic devices. Thus, through a partnership with Project Medishare, the Knights launched “Healing Haiti’s Children.” The medical group crafts and fits prosthetic devices and provides ongoing physical therapy. The Knights provide the funding, awareness and support. Some recipients are members of an amputee soccer club called Team Zaryen. This team “is about more than soccer. The players are committed to setting an example for all those who face difficult and life-changing circumstances.” We all have something to learn from these talented and spirited athletes.

To me, the Knights of Columbus are a wonderful example of a community that models Sports and Spirituality at its best. They are a gift to the Church and I hope we support their efforts in a church and a world that needs their example of service, community, discipline and generosity. Again, thank you Knights!

Photo Credits
Team Zaryen
Chris Mullin--Lefty Free Throw
Knights & Team Z

Catholics and Work; Catholics and Sports

2011-08-04T10:14:00.000-07:00

America magazine’s annual vocation issue presented a series of short pieces that featured several thoughtful reflections on Catholics’ experiences of faith and work. The “and” is noteworthy. Theologian Richard McBrien emphasizes that Catholic spirituality is “both/and” not “either/or.” The testimonies did not address “faith versus work.” We live in a world where pitting once against the other is easy to do.It said

Over a lifetime, work is the single most energy- and time-consuming pursuit of most adults today, for both men and women. Work, whether paid or unpaid, is also a source of identity, community, creativity and meaning for many. The phrase meaningful work has been used to describe socially redemptive jobs like social work, church work and health care, as well as government, science and engineering jobs that attempt to solve social problems. But the term can be misleading. For honest work itself has meanings that go beyond the economic necessity to support oneself, one’s family and the local economy. Work develops and hones skills, builds character, frames time and sets up a public rhythm. Work challenges assumptions and faith.

How, exactly, does work intersect with faith? The particularities may depend on the work itself. We have asked practicing Catholics across a variety of fields to describe briefly how they regard their faith and their work when they consider them together. What is the interplay between the two? In what ways has their faith influenced their work—perhaps strengthened certain decisions they have made, governed relationships with clients or co-workers, been instrumental in their very choice of what work to do, given them tenacity and hope, shaped their positive view of the work they do? Just as important is this twin consideration: In what ways has their work influenced their faith—perhaps caused them to understand some particular tenet, sparked certain questions or reflections, enabled them to see in their very own lives some contemporary application of biblical truths or ancient Christian wisdom?

Naturally, I looked to see if one of the profiles included a statement from a professional athlete. Obviously, I am fascinated by the relationship between faith and athletics. To be a recreational athlete is one thing; to do it professionally to support one’s livelihood is another.

I’ve always wondered what it would be like to have a parent who is a professional athlete since the time I completed my application for the University of Notre Dame. It required me to list my parents’ names and professions. I thought about what my parents did and what some other students might write. I wondered “do Joe Montana’s children write: “Four-time Superbowl Champion,” “NFL Football Player” or “Greatest Quarterback in the modern game?” When I graduated from ND, an alumni survey asked me to indicate my profession. One of the options from the drop down menu was “professional athlete.” I realized how that is a legitimate option for people—not a fantasy.

Unfortunately for my reading pleasure, America did not profile a professional athlete. But the people it did feature had some thoughtful input in the realm of business, politics, not-for-profit organizations, media and medicine.

I stared to think rather than “work” to what degree could we ask the same questions about athletics. Undoubtedly sports are a significant “energy-and time-consuming pursuit of most adults today.” One of the reasons I stopped running marathons was because of the sheer time commitment involved in training for the 26.2-mile venture. Conversely, a significant reason I believe I ought to pursue golf is because as teacher, I have the time in the summer to hit the links.Sports “is also a source of identity, community, creativity and meaning for many.” If it weren’t for the community that cross-country provides, I’m not sure why anyone, unless he or she is a glutton for pain, would join our team. Furthermore, I have come to know and love my students in a much different way through their identity as a basketball player, a rower or swimmer. Athletics “develops and hones skills, builds character, frames time and sets up a public rhythm.” The school where I teach encourages teachers to coach because we know that sports are fertile ground for instilling virtue. John Paul II said “Sports are the true school of human virtue.

I think America magazine’s piece offers questions for all of us to consider not only in work but in athletics as well. After all, that’s’ what vocation is about. What am I called to do? Who am I called to be? Vocation demands a response to both. So do work and sports.

Photo Credits
Catholics at Work
Montana Family
Catholic Community of Sports

"No" to Sibling Rivalry & "Yes" to Sibling Success--What Serena Williams Made Me Realize

2011-08-01T14:29:00.000-07:00

The success of Serena Williams as witnessed at the Bank of the West Tennis Championship match got me thinking about a lot of things. How she came from Compton—a part of Los Angeles that people have heard of but never visited. Renown for crime, gangs, and drugs “the city of Compton” was made famous by 2Pac after the Williams sisters left town.

What a great athlete she is. I would not want to guard her inside the paint; she is physical and aggressive. I would fear seeing her on the other side of the net in volleyball. Her reflexes are super quick and she is sure to fire up her teammates. As a rower, I am confident she would tare up the erg; she could eat the proverbial rowing machine for lunch. She has one of the strongest and most consistent serves in the game. She hits winners from the baseline. No wonder she has been number one in the world 5 different times.

How she has changed the face of the fan base at tournaments in the United States. The Palo Alto crowd was exceedingly diverse and quite obviously there to support her. Although tennis is truly an international sport, in the US the vast majority of professionals are not African American (with a few exceptions). Perhaps Serena’s example and success will change that among black youth.

And most especially, I started to think about the success of two women from the same family. You can’t talk about Serena without mentioning her sister Venus. In fact her older sister has 43 career tennis titles whereas Serena now has 38. Venus has a three-match lead in the head-to-head series, 13–10 (including the last four in a row). They have played one another twelve times in Grand Slam singles tournaments and eleven times in other tournaments (including eleven finals). They are the only women during the open era to have played each other in four consecutive Grand Slam singles finals. Thinking about the Williams sisters I realized, It’s not sibling rivalries that fascinate me, but sibling success. I love to think of the many that have colored the pages of professional sports over the years—Peyton and Eli Manning, (football) Roberto and Sandy Alomar (baseball) The Bryan Brothers (men’s doubles), Tiki and Ronde Barber (football), Reggie, Cheryl and Darrell Miller, (basketball & baseball) John and Patrick McEnroe (should I go there?).

On May 20, 2011 Catholic San Francisco ran a story on the WBAL and CCS Section IV championship team from Sacred Heart in Atherton not because of their success but rather, there were three sets of brothers on the varsity team (including one set of twins plus their younger brother!). “During practice, the brothers’ familiarity with each other sharpened everyone’s skills. They were familiar with their counterpart’s style of play and move, which made it tough for them to score on the other.” So much for sibling rivalry!

I love to ask what was going on in the Manning household that cultivated the success for not one but two Superbowl MVPs. But after today, I started to think I may be asking the wrong question. Rather than “How can it be that from the same family came x, y and z….” Isn’t the question—why isn’t this happening more regularly? Siblings are drawing from the same gene pool, they have similar access to opportunities—lessons, facilities, programs, etc. and one common home environment to encourage and develop talent.

Considering the common forces in play, siblings who succeed in athletics should not be an anomaly. I believe the same can and should be true with regard to the spiritual life. Dickens wrote “Charity begins at home” and it’s true. A home that cultivates virtue, commits to a faith tradition, prays together and practices the faith together should be fertile ground for a rich and real relationship with God.

And we have plenty of examples to serve as role models to prove its possible. Among his apostles, Jesus chose two sets of brothers—Simon Peter and Andrew, James and John. Jesus obviously came from a holy family—his grandparents Joachim and Anne and his parents Mary and Joseph and his cousin John are each regaled as saints. We have married saints such as the peasant farmer St. Isidore his wife St. Maria and sometime in the near future, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux—the Little Flower. Her mother and father Louis Martin and Marie Zelie Guerin were beatified by Benedict XVI in 2008.

Rather than emphasizing how dysfunctional our families are, I wish we could look to the holy ones for their example. There is no perfect family, but I do believe there is a spectrum of those who love and live differently.

And the same is true for athletes. I think it might be worth considering what these families have done to instill athletic success in one another. I have no doubt it's tough to manage sibling success over sibling rivalry, but for those parents who can and do--thank you!

Photo Credits
Serena Wins Williams Sisters
Manning Family
Therese of Lisieux's parents

Equal Access, Equal Opportunity: Soccer in Japan & on Our Streets

2011-07-25T13:42:00.000-07:00

The vast majority of publicity that has surrounded the Japanese women’s World Cup victory has been centered on their inspirational, spirited and emotional victory. And it should; it was. All tournament long the teammates poignantly reminded the world they were playing for their battered country, still reeling from the devastation of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.What’s interesting to me however is what little attention was made about how exceptional their feat was. They entered the tournament as underdogs. They beat the host country in the quarterfinals. Most thought that Germany had every advantage, not to mention home field! But what is even more impressive to me is that soccer in Japan, particularly for women, is limited to the elite. Japanese Culture and Daily Life reports that “Approximately 25,000 girls and women play soccer in Japan. Though these numbers have been increasing steadily in recent years, it is far from the 8 million who play in the United States. Girls who play soccer in elementary school often have to give up once they go to junior high or high school because there are no girls’ teams at that level.” The only girls that remain competitive and active in the sport are those who either have access to a club team or attend schools that can afford to support and manage a team. The Japanese national team draws from an exceptionally small pool.

This is an unfortunate reality because if any sport is both accessible and universal, it’s soccer/football. Unlike some sports such as rowing, lacrosse and golf that require expensive equipment, technical instruction or specialized facilities, soccer simply requires a ball. In El Salvador, I watched people play without shoes, in Mexico we simply used logs to mark the goal and even in the inner-city of East LA, I saw young people use a basketball court as their field. Soccer is in no way defined by gender, race or class. I believe the only sport that might be more egalitarian is running. Thoughts?

To prove my point, consider an exciting and interesting opportunity that is taking place in San Francisco as well as many other cities in the US—street soccer. The players and the coach are homeless men and women. In his article, Soccer team helps homeless men move toward goals Kevin Fagan reports "Street Soccer is not just about sports. The idea is to enlist homeless people into soccer teams so they learn teamwork and feel the joy of doing sports with others in the same straits, all while being counseled to map out plans for improving their lives. Essentially, playing soccer is their path to overcoming homelessness."I learned about this program through the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco’s e-newsletter. “Sponsored by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco, the Team practices regularly on a field near AT&T Park. The concept of street soccer is to enlist homeless people into soccer teams so they learn teamwork and feel the joy of doing something positive and fun with others in the same straits, all while being counseled to make plans for improving their lives.”

Whether is be bringing a little joy to a country that has endured so much sorrow and tragedy or healing the individual lives of men and women on our streets, soccer and many other sports has the power to transform lives, communities and the common good. Let’s keep sports accessible; the life lessons, physical activity and joy of the game(s) are too valuable.

Photo Credits
Street Soccer
Japanese Women Win
Equal Access, Equal Opportunity

Fog Happens: What Darren Clarke Knows

2011-07-20T13:58:00.001-07:00

Fog sucks my soul. I suppose I shouldn’t live in San Francisco because “Fog Happens” as a bumper sticker on a truck parked in my neighborhood reminds me. Every time I see it—pending that I can if the fog isn’t too thick—I laugh. However, it’s a little more of a challenge to laugh about fog when it’s 53 degrees in July. San Francisco was the coldest city in the nation last week—even colder than Anchorage, Alaska. Regardless, I couldn’t help but think of the fog as I watched Saturday’s round at the British Open. The first reason is because as I viewed the 140th Open Championship in total solidarity with fans and players at Royal St. George’s. The rain was ferocious and relentless and accompanied by 30-mph winds. Players went through four and five and six gloves, four and five and six towels. Keeping grips dry became a two-person operation, player and caddie bracing futilely against the wind and rain.

Although we had two nights of rain last week, it would be a stretch to claim that weather conditions in San Francisco were as abysmal as they were in Sandwich, England. But the UK is known for rain—a lot of it—even in the summer months; I’m sure the English would welcome a break from it in the same this San Franciscan would welcome one from fog—at least in June, July, and August.The second reason is because of the metaphorical understanding of fog. Who hasn’t been “in a fog?” How often has the fog in our own lives prevented us from seeing our destination? And who or what in our lives has served as a foghorn? A foghorn doesn’t help with our vision, but it does send out different signals and tones, their message still transfers through the thick of it all. Did you know there are over 30 different pitches of foghorns in San Francisco alone? Have you ever noticed the difference?

Darren Clarke had gone for more than 15 starts in the British Open before winning. In fact, this was the Northern Irishman’s 20th try. He hardly seemed on top of his game, having dropped out of top 100 in the world and not even eligible for the last three majors. It is safe to say that his game and his life have been in a fog for many of those years.

According to Paul Newberry, “Five years ago, Clarke lost wife Heather to breast cancer, a disease she had seemingly beat until it came back with a vengeance. He buried his spouse and faced life as a single father with two young boys to raise, a guy who'd had it all but suddenly found himself asking why life was so unfair.”

For Clarke, the fog was thick, but it eventually broke….which inevitably it does…even in San Francisco. By the time Clarke and Glover teed off the skies lightened a bit. An hour later the rain stopped. And the lead Clarke secured on Saturday combined with his even-par 70 on Sunday secured the Claret Jug. He dedicated his win to his late wife and his two sons Tyrone and Conor. He is also engaged to the former Miss Northern Ireland, Alison Campbell. Those are good weather conditions.

I think it’s important to know what “sucks your soul.” Because fog does that, I try to get out of it both literally and metaphorically every summer. I visit my brother and nieces in Washington DC; spending time with them, being in the humidity and going to the beach feeds my soul. A healthy spirituality is contingent on knowing what feeds your soul and what sucks it. According to Ron Rolheiser “A healthy soul, therefore, must do two things for us. First, it must put some fire in our veins, keep us energized, vibrant, living with zest, and full of hope as we sense that life is, ultimately, beautiful and worth living. Whenever this breaks down in us, something is wrong with our souls. When cynicism, despair, bitterness, or depression paralyze our energy, part of the soul is hurting. Second, a healthy soul has to keep us fixed together.”

Let’s face it, fog happens. But when it does, stay the course and listen to the foghorns around you. Keep hope and feed your soul. Eventually it will break and when it does, lift a pint of Guinness and the in the same way that Darren Clarke did.

Photo Credits
Darren Clarke-Victor

Weather Conditions at Royal St. George
In honor of the late Heather Clarke

US Women's Soccer Team & Spiritual Fitness: What You Can Control

2011-07-16T09:26:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, July 17, the United States Women’s soccer team will play in their third championship game against Japan. Although they have captured the gold medal in the past two Olympics, the US women haven’t won the world’s largest female sporting event since 1999. Sunday’s final will be played in the Olympic Stadium in Berlin where the 2006 Men’s World Cup Final took place. It will be interesting to see if Coach Pia Sundhange’s plan of attack succeeds. According to Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl, “when Sundhage, a Swede, took over in late 2007, she wanted the Americans to play with more skill than in the past, when they have won mostly with athleticism. Team captain Amy Wambach said, “What [Sundhage] has created is a different thought process about the game. The US has always been good in physicality, strength and fitness. If you can add the [skill] component, that’s a difficult combination to play against.”

In reading about her strategy I started to think about the difference between athleticism and skill. Gold medalists and World Cup teammates Lauren Cheney and Heather Mitts weighed in. The 23-year old forward Cheney said “fitness is the one thing you can control. You can’t focus on the game if you’re worried about your breathing or whether you can make that run.” Her rule for staying in top form is “always do one extra when it comes to training. If I’m supposed to do 10 sprints, I do 11.” She’s right. The extra effort can pay dividends when you least expect it. 33-year old defender, Heather Mitts said “my fitness is the one thing that’s gotten me to this level. My ball skill may not be as good as some other players’ but when I step out on the field knowing I’m fit, that’s one less thing I have to worry about.”

I think these teammates are on to something. There is so little one can control in a game and in life that its wise to excel where you can.

According to “The Buddy System” by Natalie Gingerich MacKenzie “…it pays to be in great shape—research shows that the fittest soccer players cover as much as 20 percent more of the field in every game than their less-conditioned counterparts and get in on 23 percent more action with the ball….”Those statistics are significant! To be a part of nearly one quarter more of the game and to gain a dramatic increase of field coverage because of sheer fitness--a commitment to a largely controllable entity--spoke to me. A good athlete will make and take advantages where he or she can.

I started to think about how this information translates to the spiritual life. To what degree can I control my spiritual fitness? Or rather, what does spiritual fitness require? How does a spiritually fit person act? What do they look like? Is there a difference? Are they different?

I think there is. My friend Michael who teaches Religions Studies at Bellarmine College Prep in San Jose is deeply committed to his faith. An important adage that we theology teachers strive to emulate is: the message is as important as the messenger. This messenger is a man of prayer. He makes time for silence—significantly so—every day. He reads Scripture and other spiritual readings daily; truly, he lives The Word. In short, he is spiritually fit.

I have seen with my own eyes how people are quite literally drawn to Michael. In conversation, he is totally and completely present. I am certain the reason he is an excellent teacher is because he is authentic. The messenger and the message are one in the same. But it doesn’t stop there. Mother Teresa says, “The fruit of Silence is prayer. The fruit of Prayer is faith. The fruit of Faith is love. The fruit of Love is service. The fruit of Service is peace.” For Michael that silence, prayer, faith, and love are characteristics of how he lives his life, and all of it transmits to service in his classroom.

This service is best understood in his ability to teach his students how to pray—and when I say that, I mean he teaches them how to really pray. He begins by bringing students to one minute of silence. In our noise polluted world, even one minute is no small task. But believe it or not, eventually, Michael begins every class with—no joke—10 minutes of silence. He says “my students are hungry for it. You give them a taste of the silence and slowly but surely, one minute leads to two and two to four and four to eight.” Since he has a curriculum to cover ten minutes is the max, but students come to appreciate the silence. More importantly, they come to know God and themselves through the silence, in a way they had not known before.

Is Michael more involved in life because of his spiritual fitness? Does he cover more ground or reach more students because of his commitment to it? It’s tough to quantify but worth considering. Every one of us has our own journey; we play different sports. The road we each travel is varied and I have no doubt that some people walk a much more challenging course than others. It’s not unsettling for me to think that some may be more skilled when it comes to faith. Some of us grew up in homes where a faith tradition was lovingly and generously inculcated. For some, there may have been a dearth or prior injury ended a commitment to it for a family or an individual. Others had distinct advantages to develop that skill—education, formation, life experiences. But in terms of developing fitness--be it physical or spiritual--the choice is ours.

I hope that past commitment to fitness combined with the increased emphasis on developing skill will pay off in a third star—a victory for our United States women.

Photo Credits
Lauren Cheney
World Cup Logo
US Women
Finals Bound
Mother Teresa

Hey Now, You’re An All-Star

2011-07-13T09:56:00.000-07:00

To anyone who says “the All-Star game” doesn’t matter, I want to know: Have you ever been an all-star? And have you had five players and one manager from your hometown team play in the game?I feel a little bit like Rick Reilly as I raise these questions, but I do so as an athlete who never came close to all-star status. "Most Improved" in three sports—swimming, track and rowing and "Most Dedicated" at 6 years of age don’t exactly mean excellence. I have held dreams of earning “MVP” or being named “All-American.” "All-Star?" I’d take that too. Triple accolades for improvement however meant I had a lot to do to get there. Is it too late?

I can only imagine how exciting it must be for those players to don a National or American league jersey, to meet some of the legends of the game and play beside others. Some are fellow countrymen and others once played together in the minor leagues. To catch up and talk shop in a star-studded pressure free environment is a gift. I dare you to tell them it doesn’t matter.

And for fans, it’s exciting to see so much talent in one venue. I enjoy watching players’ interactions at batting practice, the home run derby, and the opening ceremony. Because I recently purchased tickets to see the World Series Champion SF Giants take on the Philadelphia Phillies in the City of Brotherly Love, I am now on their mailing list. I took great delight in deleting every request to vote for Shane Victorino to make the team. He made the team but didn’t play. Typical Phillie.Perhaps my views are colored by the anticipation of one-fifth of the 2011 Giants squad participating on the NL team. The front page of the San Francisco Giants web page featured this fan favorite five for weeks ahead of time. Their nomination to the team reminded me of their magical, historic accomplishment last fall. Their election to the 2011 squad edified what they are hoping to do once again.

And why is it important that we name all-stars? That they play the game? Politics and favoritism aside an all-star game reminds us that as much as a team wins a game or a World Series, while all individuals contribute, certain individuals truly do make a difference. People exercise their God-given gifts and talents in a way that make a significant impact. Without them, a community, a family or a team would be much different. In his book “Catholic Ethics,” Andrew Peach makes an analogy between sports and virtue. He says “Sports writers did not create rules for becoming a great quarterback out of thin air; they observed quarterbacks in action and, then, described the traits these athletes had in common.” Virtue is no different. Look to three or five of your teammates who exemplify integrity. How do these people respond when they are in a sticky situation. Look in the pews at church at the individuals who are pious. How are the present during Mass? Yes, we are human and prone to error, misjudgment and mistakes—but the virtuous person, like the all-star, maybe less so.

To me, the all star break is the child hood equivalent of “rest period” at the pool. I hated the hourly 15-minute break when only adults were allowed to swim. I think I understood its importance at the time and I certainly do now; if the pool never called for that hiatus, I wouldn’t have taken one. In some small way, rest period set a framework for time in my day and length of play. In a similar way, the all-star break is probably good for all of Major League baseball. It serves as true divide for the regular season and allows clubs to take inventory. With the National League victory, we know the World Series will kick off in an NL city. Here’s to the fans that got them there and the accomplishments of those men so far this season and for all that’s to come. Play Ball!

Photo Credits
SF Giants
Our Giants
All-Star Roster

The Franchise: A Season with the SF Giants & Some Basics in Spirituality

2011-07-11T13:32:00.000-07:00

Growing up, I wasn’t allowed to watch soap operas. I suppose my mom thought the content was too mature and well, pointless. In 2011, reality TV seems to have taken the place of soap operas; only one remains (Days of Our Lives). I wonder if my parents would have put a restriction on reality TV as well. If they did, I would make a case for one that will air on Showtime Wednesday, July 13 The Franchise: A Season with the San Francisco Giants. What’s my argument? Believe it or not, the spiritual dimensions of the show are worth considering.The preview that aired on April 13 included Sergio Romo getting locked in Brian Wilson's car; a fishing expedition with Bruce Bochy; and a firsthand view of Andres Torres' barefoot, bare-chested workout routine. A fair bit of the show is what you would expect from a team labeled a “band of misfit toys.” Toys are fun and so are these guys.

But, there's an up-close look at the story of Marc Kroon, a 38-year-old African American pitcher who holds the record for the fastest pitch ever thrown in Japan. His story grows surprisingly more compelling as he eloquently and articulately shares the struggle of his relationship with his own father and the joy of becoming one. I found myself hoping he would make the club because of his gentle and warm spirit. I saw how hard he worked, I knew of his desire to return to MLB in the US but more specifically, I was drawn to the connections he made with his teammates. The camera does not lie. For a person so new to this "tribe of torture," he made a laudable impact.Kroon’s story is juxtaposed against the highly touted “future Will Clark” first baseman/outfielder Brandon Belt. While Kroon’s career enters its “twilight” phase, “The Franchise” chronicles the 23-year old Brandon Belt's effort to make the big-league club out of spring training (which he did). Lucky for him, a reality TV provided the perfect platform to personalize the team's future.

And how are those two stories remotely spiritual? Dan Groody, CSC states that “Spirituality is defined in many different ways and here I describe it primarily in terms of how people live out what they most value. Christian spirituality, more specifically, involves living out what Jesus most valued.” “The Franchise” even in its season preview reveals what these two players value. It gets an inside look at their deepest desires. And according to Ron Rolheiser, OMI “Spirituality is, ultimately, about what we do with that desire. What we do with our longings, both in terms of handling the pain and the hope they bring us, that is our spirituality . . .”

But the story doesn’t stop there. The Kroon and Belt testimonies are sandwiched between another man’s struggle; skipper Bruce Bochy only has a spots for 25 men on his roster. He must inform both men of their fate. Bochy meets individually with each athlete and despite different outcomes—their reaction is the same. Despite the fact the camera is rolling Marc Kroon and Brandon Belt cry. Neither one can hold back their tears. The viewer is privy to a very spiritual moment. How? Why?
In his book The Holy Longing Rolheiser states Desire can show itself as aching pain or delicious hope. Spirituality is ultimately about what we do with that desire. What we do with our longings, both in terms of handling the pain and the hope they bring us that is our spirituality.

Marc Kroon’s dream is on hold. The aching pain in his heart, the desire that he had to make the team, to contribute his gift, to demonstrate his talent to his own children an the world will not be lived out in the way he had hoped. “The Franchise” documented what he did with his desire until that point. Will we see him later in the season? I hope so.

Brandon Belt’s future in April was ripe with delicious hope. He hit a single in his first major league at bat and concluded the series against the archrival Los Angeles Dodgers with a 3-run home run. Although he was optioned to Triple-A Fresno to make room on the roster for Cody Ross, I have no doubt he hopes to return to AT&T soon.

I will show this episode of “The Franchise” in my Sports and Spirituality class this fall. I hope the rest of the season provides a lens into the spiritual life in the same unexpected but wonderful way the preview did.

Watch the Preview here!

Photo Credits
The Franchise
Marc Kroon
Brandon Belt

What's in Your Tennis Bag? What's in Your Heart?

2011-07-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

I’ve been thinking a lot about the heart this past year—what it does as our most vital organ—literally and metaphorically. In late June 2010, I was diagnosed with a rare heart condition and implanted with a pacemaker/defibrillator. Essentially it aids my defective heart; potentially it can save my life. Pacemakers are fairly common; defibrillators and ARVD (my condition) are not. In a similar vein, I would like to think my beliefs are heart health are widely understood and accepted, but today I would like to offer one that is not.

In his autobiography “Open,” Andre Agassi says “The tennis bag is a lot like your heart—you have to know what’s in it at all times. “ I am sure every cardiologist in America could read this and agree—hopefully there is an absence of cholesterol or plaque and instead it is a muscle that transmits oxygenated blood efficiently and effectively. But Agassi is speaking of something different.

What’s in your heart? Peace? Gratitude? Envy? Solace? Bitterness? Joy? Love? All of the above?

I hope my heart pumps virtue, but from time to time I find that some of the aforementioned vices creep in. For example, bitterness is both unattractive and insidious. Unless I am sincerely grateful, seeking to forgive others and myself, it slowly builds. No one will need a triple bypass to remove bitterness, but it’s a noteworthy image to remind us what can occur.

July 1 was the feast to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In his posting “Why Pray to the Sacred Heart? Fr Pat McCloskey, O.F.M states “This devotion, promoted especially by St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (d. 1690), was and is a way of softening the image of God as primarily lawgiver, judge and punisher. Devotion to the Sacred Heart says two things at the same time: Jesus is indeed fully human (people regard the heart as the seat of human emotions) and God forgives those who repent.” The Catechism (P:1439) reminds us that....Only the Heart of Christ who knows the depths of his Father's love could reveal to us the abyss of his mercy in so simple and beautiful a way. The devotion especially emphasizes the unmitigated love, compassion, and long-suffering of the heart of Christ towards humanity.

We are called to live like Christ and the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart reminds me that I am to love like Christ as well. That’s not an easy thing to do; the Gospel is testimony of Jesus’ love for those who society shuns. His example and the image of the Sacred Heart however, can serve as spiritual tools. With both in mind, perhaps I can live and love more like Him.

During the French Open, the Tennis Channel ran a series of ads entitled “Bag Check.” It was fun to see the many personalities on the tour run through their “briefcase.” And it’s been fun for me to think of it as symbolic of their heart.

Wimbledon finalist Novak Djokovic carries quite a bit in his bag. It’s entertaining to watch him pull out a gift from his brothers, a Serbian flag that he won via Davis Cup, a hat from his beloved homeland, a bracelet featuring the saints and a tripic of his patron saint. The metaphor comes to life; what’s in his heart is without a doubt in his bag.

Playing singles tennis for me can seriously compromise my heart health but golf is my new love. I now use my golf bag as my metaphor. What’s in my golf bag? What’s in my heart? Whatever your sport, take inventory!

Photo Credits
Agassi with his bag
Sacred Heart Icon
Djokovic's Heart is in Serbia

Rory McIlroy: Who Do You Say That I Am? Part II

2011-06-29T22:44:00.000-07:00

I have yet to hear of someone who thinks Rory McIlroy’s victory at the US Open was a bad thing for golf. Golf fans—old and new--recognize McIlroy’s landslide victory was impressive, his swing is a thing of beauty and his warm persona is a welcome one on the tour. I do not question how he did it but I do want to know how Northern Ireland has yielded two different champions, back to back.Northern Ireland, one of the four countries of the United Kingdom, is a place that knows violence and bloodshed, as well as questions of allegiance and identity all too well. You will not find a tri-color Irish flag beside Rory McIlroy’s name; he is represented by a white flag with the red hand of Ulster at its center. And just last year, I read, “Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell wins the 110th U.S. Open” on the front of every sports page. Northern Ireland is a country of only 1.7 million, which is 30% of the island’s total population. So what gives? What is the secret to their golfing success?

The May/June 2011 issue of “Ireland of the Welcomes” reveals that “Ireland has over 400 golf courses, including one-third of the world’s links courses, and the 150,000 visitors who played golf here last year contributed an estimated 110 million Euro (US $154 million) to our economy. “ I re-read that surprising information. The Emerald Isle, a nation the size of Indiana has one-third of the world’s links courses—that staggering statistic must have something to do with McDowell and McIlroys’ success. Or so I thought until someone asked me: Does that include Northern Ireland? Honestly, I don’t know.

Said publication was from the Consulate General of Ireland. I could make a guess about that answer, but that would be presumptuous.

Questions of politics and identity are never easy to answer. And today’s Gospel reading on the Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is no different. Jesus asks his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" They are reluctant to answer; perhaps they are not sure. They said in reply, "John the Baptist, others Elijah, still others one of the prophets." But Jesus stays with the question. And he asked them, "But who do you say that I am?" He asks all of us this question.

And He should. My answer to his question reveals more than what I know about Jesus. It asks me what and who I believe he is. Faith is more than facts and information from our mind; faith asks us to speak from the heart.

When McDowell won the US Open at Pebble Beach in 2010 his words, from the heart revealed his allegiance and his identity. He thanked his friends and “so many Irish people in the crowd cheering me on. I don’t know what it is about the Irish, they seem to be everywhere.”As yet Rory has remained quiet in terms of where his allegiance lies, whether he considers himself British or Irish, unionist or nationalist. The 2010Sports Illsturated Masters Preview says "These are decisions he will have to think carefully about because like it or not, the Irish on both sides of the border are obsessed with the subject. His identity will doubtless be a talking point, perhaps not in America and perhaps not publicly either, but people from Northern Ireland, Britain and the Republic of Ireland are already talking about it and will speculate over it until his identity is revealed."

Are those 400 plus golf courses both Irish and Northern Irish? Is McIlroy’s US Open win a win for Ireland? These are questions, I invite you to think about and answer for yourself.

Photo Credits
Rory wins the US Open
Golf Course in Ireland
McDowell & McIlroy

The Mystery of Friendship: What Rules Apply?

2011-06-28T22:34:00.000-07:00

Wimbledon certainly plays by its own set of rules. First, players are required to wear white; that absence of color is almost more striking than the vibrant colors they typically sport. Second, matches are never played on the first Sunday of the fortnight. It is a day of rest for everyone. And third, the second Tuesday of the tourney is a day for female players only. These traditions, the grass courts and the royal box—filled yesterday by none other than Will and Kate, are but a few reasons why Wimbledon is the “crown jewel” of the grand slams.Great players from the past can be seen watching matches throughout the tournament. Today’s special guest was US Open champion Rory McIlroy. Considering that he is a good friend of Rafael Nadal’s, I would have thought he would have attended the famous "Round of 16." But, when I realized he was on hand to see the beautiful Maria Sharapova in the glory of her comeback, it’s not hard to imagine otherwise.

McIlroy, has a tennis court in the garden of his home and Nadal has a 7-handicap. Their respect for one another is mutual. The two athletes met during the other U.S. Open, at the U.S. National Tennis Center in Flushing Meadow, NY last September. Nadal said, “I love golf. I follow almost every week of the tour. I love watching Rory. He has one of the nicest swings in the world, if not the nicest. It's fantastic to watch him.”

The Belfast Telegraph reports, "Nadal is focused on defending his Wimbledon crown and he takes fresh inspiration from the McIlroy story as he aims to stay number one in the world in his chosen sport."

The friendships that form among athletes across sports fascinate me. I remember former tennis pro Brad Gilbert attended hundreds of Warriors games. A Piedmont native, he loved his hometown team, but he also loved his close friend, Chris Mullin. When Mullin went for his 30-day alcohol rehabilitation Gilbert and John McEnroe were at his side. I suppose these two men understood the pressure and demands of being a professional athlete. They know what is is to live by wins and losses, what your mind and body are capable of doing or not doing.

And how two people become friends is something of a mystery. Why that friendship sustains and grows is a gift. Fueled by common interests, an unspoken attraction, respect and admiration probably have something to do with it.

But it’s not just the friendships between athletes that intrigue me, but among some spiritual heroes too. Before her conversion, one of Dorothy Day’s favorite bar mates was the famous playwright Eugene O’Neill. According to Brennan Hill of Eight Spiritual Heroes “Gene, as she called him was not a religious man, but did in his own way carry on a serious spiritual search.” Perhaps God was pursuing Dorothy long before she ever knew it. Friends may be God’s instruments in that pursuit.

One such person—both an instrument of God’s grace in friendship and in spiritual heroism was Peter Maurin, the co-founder with Day of The Catholic Worker. Day said “her life really began when she met Maurin in 1932. He was a cross between St. Francis of Assisi and silent movie star Charlie Chaplin." And Maurin had been looking for someone like Day—someone who could implement his vision to promote the social teachings of the church. One could help him reform society and the church. That was none other than Dorothy Day. Because of Peter Maurin, Day’s personal life and her faith life would never be the same. Today, many people believe she is the single most influential American Catholic of the 20th Century.

If there is one way to describe The Catholic Worker and its houses of hospitality, it’s much like that of the Wimbledon tennis tournament. The Worker plays by its own rules. But, what you see take place at both be it in the stands or in the line at the soup kitchen is fertile ground for nourishment of friendship. What a beautiful mystery.

Photo Credits
Wimbledon Squares
Royals at Wimbledon
Rory McIlroy and Andy Murray
Dorothy Day and Peter Maurin

Teardrops on the City: Remembering The Big Man--A Musician & Athlete

2011-06-21T23:19:00.000-07:00

Not many rock bands have a sax player; and none of them had someone quite like the Big Man. He was a whole lot of things—aficionado at the saxophone, vocals, and percussion. His charismatic presence on stage was the only one to rival the Boss man’s. He transcended race, class and ideals. To Springsteen, “He was my great friend, my partner and with Clarence at my side, my band and I were able to tell a story far deeper than those simply contained in our music.” He was a lover and a fighter, a husband to several women, a fisherman and unbeknownst to me until this week—he was an athlete.

Spirituality of rock ‘n’ roll can and should claim Clemons as its own. If it hadn’t been for a car accident that blew out his knee, "sports and spirituality" might tell his tale. Brian Williams reported, “in person and on stage he was as big as a house. Big enough to play college football at Maryland” but on his way to try out for the Cleveland Browns, a serious car accident effectively ended any career plans as a lineman. Interestingly enough, Clemons attended Maryland State College on music and football scholarships. And these two domains—music and sports should never be at odds with one another, though they often are.

As fans, it’s easy to add fuel to fire, particularly when comparing and contrasting the two on the professional level, as Monica Hamilton of East Syracuse did in her May 22, 2000, Sports Illustrated “Letter to the Editor.” She wrote: A few months ago I attended a Heat game in Miami. The ticket cost $37. Recently, I attended a Bruce Springsteen concert in Hartford. That ticket cost me $37.50. Who performed for 180 minutes without so much as a 30-second timeout (Answer: The Boss). Who drank at least three gallons of Gatorade and sponged himself off eight times while giving his fans their money’s worth? (The Boss.) Who has the best “big man” who plays a mean sax and could probably dunk a basketball (The Boss). I only have one question: Mr. Springsteen, how can I purchase season tickets to you?

Hamilton’s analogy works. Springsteen and the E Street band were masters of the live performance. Patti Scialfa said that during the 1984 “Born in the USA” tour, “the band was 189 for 189.” And I thought baseball players had a demanding schedule. But what’s hard for me to reconcile is that the Big Man was always at the heart of this line-up.When Danny Federici died in 2008, I began to confront the mortality of my favorite group of musicians. “4th of July, Asbury Park (Sandy)” remains one of my top five favorite songs, but the band does not play it in the same way since the organist, "Phantom Dan" died too early, of melanoma.

Truly, I love every member of the E Street band. (It sickens me that they are not in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame). I can tell you their hometown and all the instruments they play. They each have a special place on the stage and in my heart, but the Big Man has left a bigger hole in both.

As my co-worker and friend John said “I didn’t expect to shed tears…but I did.” John, you’re not the only one…Teardrops are all over the city as we recognize Clarence Clemons, all 6’5” an 275 plus pounds of him. He may have been "the Big Man" on the field and on the stage, but the legacy he left is even bigger.

As Bruce said: I want to thank you Big Man. I love you so much.

Photo Credits
Fishing
BTR
Phantom Dan
The Biggest Man

Spirituality & Rock 'N' Roll: Clarence "Big Man" Clemons

2011-06-13T23:59:00.000-07:00

"Well the change was made uptown and the Bigman joined the band...." –Tenth Avenue Freezeout, Bruce SpringsteenAt SI we made our own change; I will teach a senior elective “Sports & Spirituality: We Are All Witnesses” in the 2011-2012 school year. The entire course is rooted in analogy—a literary device that draws a comparison between two things, typically on the basis of their structure and for the purpose of explanation or clarification. Believe it or not, it is also a principle of Catholic Spirituality. This gives me creative license to lead my students in thinking differently about the Catholic faith.

Analogy seeks to illuminate similarity in difference. It is a Catholic principle because a fundamental principle of Catholic spirituality is “sacramentality,” or as St. Ignatius would say, God can be found in all things. God is not an either/or proposition; it’s not human or divine, black or white, yes or no. With a Catholic worldview, God is “both/and.”

I believe that if you know what spirituality is, you can draw the analogy between it and anything you are passionate about, anything that lifts the human spirit, that calls attention to beauty—to aching pain and delicious hope. One area that I could easily pursue and many already have is Spirituality and Rock ‘n’ Roll.

In that light, I woke up this morning to read Clarence Clemons, the beloved saxophone player in the E Street band suffered a stroke. I have taken notice that E Street is getting older; with every tour I have wondered how much longer they can do it. “The Big Man” is the oldest member, and the biggest one—both in size and in personality. And his words about the “Workin’ on a Dream” tour prove just that.

"With all that pain and agony I went through on the last tour — I'd do it again. There's something about being on stage. I call it the Healing Floor. I do all this shit up there and then I think back later and say, 'How the hell did I do that?' But it's what I'm supposed to do. It revives me." via Peter Ames CarlinHis insight made me reflect on what in my own life has been tremendously challenging or difficult—but totally worth it. And of course “the Big Man” would refer to the stage as “the healing floor,” for his spirituality is imminent. As I read that description I asked myself—what is my “healing floor?” For many years it has been pounding the pavement as I log in the miles. I wondered how many athletes see the court or the field as their “healing floor?” How many do not? And it IS what he’s supposed to do. There’s something we’re all supposed to do that will revive us. That’s where our spirituality can be revealed—in our own lived experience.

Springsteen and E Street opened the WOAD tour in the Bay Area. The very next day, local rock radio station KFOG said “The world is a much better place because of the man and the music of Bruce Springsteen.” Sorry KFOG it’s “Both/And” The world is a better place because of BOTH Bruce Springsteen (the man/music) AND E Street (the men/women and their music).

As the official Boss Fanzine Backstreets wrote "The Healing Floor awaits, Clarence. We're hoping and praying you'll be there again soon."

Photo Credits
Classic Big Man and the Boss
Seeger Sessions Tour Photo
The Healing Floor

The Language of Love via the French Open & L'Arche

2011-06-06T23:16:00.000-07:00

The 2011 French Open marked the seventh meeting of Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal in a grand slam final. I intentionally waited to watch the trophy ceremony in anticipation of discovering one thing—I wanted to know in what language they would address the crowd. Tennis is such an international sport and I have often wondered what language the players default to when they exchange more than a handshake after a good match. What I saw and heard fascinated me for language transmits more than words and emotions—I believe it reveals both the limitations and the beauty of our humanity.

In his defeat, Federer was called to take the microphone first. He spoke in French with ease and confidence to the crowd at Roland Garros. They were already pulling for him and the fact that he addressed them so graciously in their language was the “icing on the cake.” As he spoke, I wondered how many other languages he knows. I have heard him speak in English many times. Perhaps he knows Italian or German. Is Germanic-Swiss the Basil native’s first language? Must be nice…

When it was time for Nadal to behold his sixth French Open trophy, he tried but humbly admitted that he did not know French, only English or Spanish. He congratulated and thanked Federer for another tough match. Those are tough words—they are important to say to one’s opponent, but also difficult to hear (as the opponent). Still, Nadal has tremendous respect for Fed and the authenticity of his message knows no language barrier. He then was so overcome with emotion that he began to speak in Spanish, his first language. You could see him relax. His body language in addition to his native tongue revealed how grateful he was for the support of his family members. He was glad to be healthy again. He loves the game and he loves to win, but it was obvious to me that he loves his country as well. Language is so tied to culture and this young man from Mallorca was unable to hold back the tears as they raised the Spanish flag and played his national anthem.

Just 10 hours after the conclusion of the French Open, I arrived in Tacoma, Washington for a two-week Immersion with students from St. Ignatius. We were welcomed into a new community and culture: L’Arche. L’Arche seeks to “create communities which welcome people with a mental handicap. L’Arche aims to respond to the distress of those who are too often rejected, and give them a valid place in society. In a divided world, L’Arche wants to be a sign of hope as it seeks to reveal the particular gifts of these people with varying levels of developmental disabilities."

We met many core-members (they don’t refer to people with disabilities here as clients) and “live-ins” (assistants) but we spent most of the evening with Doug, a live-in who is able to maintain some independence within the community. He showed us a rose bush he planted to honor his deceased parents. He was proud to share a shed he built and the barbeque that is “his baby.” At times, he is very hard to understand due to a significant speech impediment but those who live with him fully understand what he is able to say.

At the end of our day, one of my students said, “I can’t wait to learn his language.” I was moved by her desire to know and understand what he wants to share with us. And they will understand his language—because this place has a way of breaking open our humanity. L’Arche recognizes this as a fundamental truth. “Whatever their gifts or their limitation, people are bound together in a common humanity.”

We also met a woman Nancy, who is confined to her wheelchair. Although she cannot speak, she is able to communicate with us through sign language. Her language is intuitive and something we are anxious to learn; she has already taught us the alphabet and colors. Another fundamental principle of L’Arche is “People with a mental handicap often posses qualities of welcome, wonderment, spontaneity and directness. They are able to touch hearts an to call others to unity through their simplicity and vulnerability.” Nancy taught us something so basic—her language. And in doing that, she confirmed that anyone can be a teacher; we enjoyed being her students. A disability does not necessarily mean an inability.

L’Arche believes “that the deepest need of human beings is to love and be loved.” What has been quite obvious in our short time here is that the language that underscores all that people do here is love. Words are often remiss when it comes to love, but in terms of communicating that language, each individual finds their own way to speak it.

Much in the same way that Fed and Nadal found their own way to communicate to one another, their loyal fans and all those who love and respect the game of tennis in the way that they do. And the larger truth is that our common humanity reveals that we will find a way to share our emotions--the highs and lows, the good and bad regardless of the language we speak...French, Spanish, English, Sign, etc. as I witnessed at the trophy ceremony and L'Arche today.

Photo Credits
L'Arche
Nadal Wins #6
Fed

The Two-Sport Athlete: A Dying Breed, Part I

2011-05-30T21:36:00.000-07:00

Look at French tennis player Gaël Monfils and what do you see? I see a tall, charismatic athlete who dazzles fan with his style of play. When he goes to the baseline to serve, I see a human spring. At Stade Roland Garros he has command of the crowd—he raises his arms to fire-up his countrymen. He is emotional and incredibly fit. Monfils would never need to ask the question, “have you been to the gun show?” because you see them every time he takes his first serve. His guns are what drive his serve to 125 mph on average. All joking aside, I hope you see what I see—someone who was at one point in time a two-sport athlete.Hungry to know more about a player I always keep a special eye out for, I did what I always do….I went for the quick hit—the Wikipedia entry. Most of what I read did not surprise me—his father was a professional football player (or in the US what we know as soccer). Born in Paris, Monfils is of Caribbean heritage. And then, I confirmed what I surmised. “If he was not a professional tennis player, he would seek to be a pro basketball player.” I stopped reading as I imagined Monfils inside the paint. His footwork on the court would easily transfer to the hardwood. His eye-hand coordination is exceptional. I have no doubt his lengthy arms would clean the glass, his command of his body allow him to set a mean screen and his passion for competition drive him to never let down.

I started to think of other players on the tour and their success in other sports—Nadal was a soccer player. Brad Gilbert claims that is he grew up in the US he would be solicited by every high school football coach to become a wide receiver. Andy Roddick and Mardy Fish played on the same high school basketball team. Something tells me they could set and block on the volleyball court as well. Steffi Graf is also an incredible runner (look at those legs) and her husband Andre Agassi may have hated tennis but he loved soccer. As I continued to think about other famous athletes and their gifts I also started to think about a dying breed—the two-sport athlete.Whereas the three-sport athlete is nearly extinct, the two-sport athlete is an endangered species. Unfortunately, the word that characterizes teen sports today is “specialize.” To be competitive in your best sport, athletes are led to believe they must only commit to one sport and when they aren’t playing for their club team, they can play for their high school team (or not!).

I believe this is a tragedy for many reasons. First, at its best, sports builds community. Different teams attract different mindsets and personalities. Participation in two disciplines is the seedbed for friendships that blossom from a common experience. Because tennis was my first love, I played with my high school team in the fall and ran track in the spring. As a distance runner, I became close to a number of girls who also ran cross country. I still remember that part of me wished that girls' tennis was in the spring so I could have run XC. I remember telling my track teammates/friends that I thought they participated in the tougher fall sport. They didn't disagree. And today, I coach cross country. I tell my own runners upright: I did not run XC... but I certainly came to know and revere many young women who did.

Second, cross training provides tremendous physical and mental health benefits. Some skills from one sport transfer well to the another. In some cases, participation in one sport may actually enhance the other. For example, during his junior year in St. Ignatius, JV basketball and volleyball coach Kareem Guilbeaux, played on the boys volleyball team for the first time. When the volleyball season ended and he returned to summer league basketball he realized something new. Whereas he once merely rolled the ball in at the rim, he could now easily dunk. Volleyball taught him how to use his body to properly jump. We call those "hops," volleyball players know its fundamental to the game.

Third, every sport provides us with its set of challenges and we confront our limitations. The lessons we learn on the field transfer to those off the field. John Paul II said it himself: Sports are the true school of human virtue.
Ultimately, those who can play two sports simply should because they can. If one is endowed with the talent and ability to participate in more than one sport, give thanks! Do so! The fact that we live in a place where we have options and the freedom to choose is also a gift. Many people in the world long to play, and many cannot for a host of reasons—physical limitations, a lack of resources, etc. Others lived in an era when sports were limited by gender and race. This is not the world most of my student athletes are growing up in—and thanks be to God for that!

Gaël Monfils will play Roger Federer in the quarterfinals. Its sure to be a great match. What is Fed's second sport? Watch him play and you can guess....

Photo Credits
Winning Round 16 at the French
So Athletic!
Roddick & Fish
Monfils and Murray

37 Million Meals Strong: St. Anthony's Dining Room

2011-05-24T21:49:00.000-07:00

Despite the weak economy, I was not surprised to see that every home game this season of the World Series champion San Francisco Giants has sold out. This week, the Giants, who rank third in overall attendance, welcome the team with the worst attendance in Major League baseball—the Florida Marlins. For stats junkies, facts like these and more can me found on the ESPN Major League Baseball report. But MLB isn’t the only organization keeping good records. Across town, St. Anthony’s Dining Room has been keeping count, by hand tally for 60 years of every guest who has walked through its door for a warm, hot meal and their consummate hospitality.

On April 12, 2011 St. Anthony’s served its 37 millionth meal since it began doling out food on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi-- October 4, 1950. On hand to serve meals that day--beside a core army of volunteers--was San Francisco Giants, pitcher Barry Zito. St. Anthony’s website reported that A ‘momentary pause’ in the usual service was made to honor the significant moment with the Giants’ player, celebrating a ‘giant’ contribution to the community.A statistic like “37 million meals served” should be news in and of itself. It’s a sad but impressive fact. And I hate to admit it, but the reason I read the article St. Anthony's milestone: 37 millionth meal by Heather Knight is because I saw a photograph of Barry Zito next to the headline. Part of me wishes that he had not been part of the story, but St. Anthony’s can and will take all the good press it can get. With the mission "to feed, heal, shelter, clothe, lift the spirits of those in need, and create a society in which all persons flourish," St. Anthony Foundation is supported entirely through the generosity of the community; they do not accept government funds. That's correct, Fr. Alfred Boedekker, OFM did not want any financial assistance from the local, state or federal government. Their doors have remained open because of donations of people like you and me.

And every year, the goal of St. Anthony’s is to close its doors. In an ideal world, they would not need to serve anyone; no one would go hungry. The reality however is different. Knight reports, "It will probably hit meal No. 38 million much faster than it would like. Since January alone, the dining room at the corner of Golden Gate Avenue and Jones Street has seen a 10% rise in the number of people seeking food, and more than 3,000 now form a line snaking down the block every morning. For many of them, it's the only food they'll eat all day."

While the line or cue may be the face that many San Franciscans first see of St. Anthony’s, the dining room is the entry point for all that the foundation provides—Food to Clothing, a Social Work Center, a tech lab for job searches, a free clinic and more. "And so St. Anthony's is moving forward with a plan for a new 10-story building featuring a remade dining room, a free clothing shop and a center for social work. The top eight floors will house 90 units for low-income seniors, which will be run by Mercy Housing. Construction is set to begin in July 2012, with the building due to open in 2014 (Knight)."

Looking at the architectural designs earlier this evening, I could not help but think of another architectural masterpiece—AT&T Park. I thought of how this cathedral of baseball has transformed the China Basin neighborhood, how it is a source of pride of so many people in San Francisco and how what takes place inside, buoys the spirits of people of every age, race and creed on a regular basis.

It’s safe to say that St. Anthony’s dining room does just that on a much deeper level. As a Catholic it is a source of pride for me. I believe in a faith that does justice. Because of its belief in the inherent dignity of each human person, St. Anthony's buoys the spirits of all guests whether they come for a hot meal or for rehab. St. Anthony’s both the old and the new has transformed the Tenderloin; a neighborhood where human need is great. Please consider giving tor volunteering at St. Anthony's. If you do, you make witness was Zito said, "They're all very grateful and really good-spirited people. I think they are Giants fans, too." And why wouldn't they be...?!

SFPD Chief of Police Greg Suhr: Invictus

2011-05-22T22:28:00.000-07:00

Father Robert Walsh walked into the AP Government class and greeted a special guest speaker, San Francisco’s new Chief of Police, Greg Suhr. Chief Suhr, a 1976 graduate of St. Ignatius smiled at the Father President, and said, “I’m no longer the most important man in the room.” Fr. Walsh in said, “No, no, no Chief, you are.”

I looked at the four stars on the chief’s collar, I thought about the magnitude of his responsibility and all that the patch on his uniform stands for and thought, their joking aside, Father Walsh is right.

Students at Jesuit high schools throughout the country know they are called to “to be men and women for and with others.” As we near graduation, we at SI are intentionally holding conversations between seniors and those in our society who are living out the Jesuit motto. His presence and his message served as evidence that this ideal had taken root and flourished in both his personal and professional life.

The young man asked to introduce the chief of police revealed that Chief Suhr is his father’s best friend and his sister’s Godfather. A proud product of Catholic schools, when Chief Suhr said he was a St. Brendan’s Bear, he was greeted by a number of cheers. He noted that both schools had a tremendous impact on him. “So many people helped me in both communities. I learned when you help people, they give back one-hundred fold. You always get it back.” He played football at St. Ignatius and was coached by the very man whose classroom stood in. He continued to play football at City College and asked the assembled crowd if anyone in the room plays rugby. (St. Ignatius does not have a rugby team. Consequently, a small but vocal minority of students play in the Golden Gate Rugby league. Every year, I find out who these kids are because of their love for the sport and their commitment to the league. I’m glad they have it.) Chief Suhr continued to talk about this rugby team, even though only one person in the room was a rugby player. Don’t get me wrong, I can talk about a given sport as long as possible, but in all honesty, I began to wonder where his story was going. Yet, I’m sure many people feel the very same way about their vocation—Where is it going? Where are they going?

Suhr said his team, the Castaways was a band of brothers. This fraternity was so loyal to one another, that after a very unlikely win the team was unable to celebrate because one teammate was taking the San Francisco Police Academy entrance exam the next day. He needed to be rested and sharp. It was too important to take any risks and yet interestingly enough, this teammate asked Suhr and others if they were interested in taking the exam as well. Suhr knew a starting police officer made $25,000 a year and figured why not? He took the exam and must have done well as Chief Suhr received a call within the year to further the process. We could say the rest is SFPD history….

Chief Suhr’s message was a reminder to the students—do what you love. When you follow your passion, you are your best self. In playing rugby, Suhr was grounded in a community that he trusted and supported. Their unsuspecting win and a simple decision for the good of their teammate’s obligation became something they took on as their own. And in doing so, it became the seedbed for much more. It yielded an unlikely result!One of the more popular movies about rugby is “Invictus.” Its title is from the poem by the English poet, William Ernest Henley. The final stanza reads:
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.

Greg Suhr was captain of the Bayview station and today he is the captain of the SFPD captains—a position rife with city politics. Being that his position is temporary, it is difficult to say he is the master of his fate until the newly elected mayor is in office. If however he lives by the motto to be a man for and with others, regardless of what will happen, he will remain the captain of his soul…no one can take that away from another person. And you might just figure that out doing something you love to do… playing rugby or working for the SFPD.

Photo Credits
SF Chief of Police
New Chief
Invictus

Overrated: Sports as a School of Virtue...?

2011-05-15T21:49:00.000-07:00

Sports are a real school of true human virtue. –John Paul II

Who am I to disagree with (now) Blessed John Paul II, but have your ever thought we put too much power and pressure on sports as a moral training ground? We hope that our favorite athletes will serve as role models; we want our coaches to teach us skills, devise game plans and assemble a group of athletes that really believes there is no “I” in team. We want to know that under pressure we will show integrity, exhibit courage and be selfless; we know sports will reveal this. When it comes to athletics, have we become overly concerned with both the inner and outer scorecard? Does it carry more weight than it should?

To a large extent, I hope it does. Pope Benedict the XVI stated Sport possesses considerable educational potential particularly for young people. So, for this reason, sport is of great importance not only when applied to free time but also in the formation of each individual. And yet, I wonder, does everything, including our leisure as sport need to be viewed as a means to an end? I think Patrick Kelly provides an interesting answer.

In his article Experiencing Life’s Flow, Kelly says The word autotelic is derived from the Greek words auto, self, and telos, goal, and suggests that the goal is within the activity itself. In terms of sports, the games would be played for their own sake. This emphasis differs from what is usually set forth as a rationale for the value of sports for young people: that participation in sports will build character or help prepare them for life or for competition in the business world. Some parents and young people also view sports as a way of gaining upward mobility. Usually the emphasis is on some goal outside the activity of sport; little attention, however, is given to the enjoyment of the activity itself.

I know parents who have given their children fencing lessons because the elite sport is popular at many Ivy League colleges. Experience in fencing was a means to an end—a distinctive edge on a college application. Upward mobility in a nutshell. Yet, let's be honest. Most people learn and participate in a sport for the enjoyment of it. I think the movie “Soul Surfer” is an accurate description of autotelos. This movie, still in some theaters is about the life of surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her left arm in a shark attack when she was 13 years old. The title is a word play on the term soul surfer, coined in the 1960s to denote someone who surfs purely for pleasure. As Bethany learns to live with one arm, she learns a whole lot about herself as she struggles to determine what is more important—winning or the sport itself. Surfing and surfers are like no other. It’s innately spiritual; they are too.

I believe autotelos could apply to the spiritual life as well. We hope that our commitment to prayer will lead to inner peace, that our prayers will be answered, that we will grow more patient and loving in the process of learning to trust God. And we should. Yet, can we come to recognize that time with God in prayer is gift itself. To simply avail ourselves to God’ presence is to be with the source and center of life. Can we enjoy and appreciate just that? Ultimately, our commitment to deepening one’s relationship to God will bear great fruit. But can we be content with the grace of God in and of itself?

I wish our society shifted its mindset. It’s not easy to do. We love sports because of the clear answers they provide—win or lose, in or out, fair or foul, game on or time out. And we know the spiritual life doesn’t always give us the answers; all too often, the math doesn’t add up. But I do think the grace of a spiritual life is that it helps us live with the questions. And the grace of athletics is we really do have experiences that prove when tested, we can do that. When the questions are too difficult, we don’t face them alone. A team or coach and lift us up, above the hardwood or moral training ground. Take your pick.

Photo Credits
John Paul II hosts a mass for athletes
No "I" in "Team" shirt
Soul Surfer Movie Poster
The real Soul Sufer!

The Humanity of Osama bin Laden

2011-05-10T23:02:00.000-07:00

Since April, my seniors have been “mailing it in.” Senioritis has run rampant and they are not apologizing for it. Despite the articles they are not reading, I have noticed they are completely engaged with one of two things: sports and this past week, the death of Osama bin Laden.

The World Series Champion San Francisco Giants who have continued to occupy our hearts and imagination received little if any airtime air time when compared to details of the compound in Abbottabad and the plight of the Navy SEALS in pursuit of “Geronimo.”

Although I don’t appreciate the fact that some students haven’t opened a book in weeks, I must admit, I understand their intrigue. The technology used by the CIA, the plot, the leads, the intense firefight--Senioritis be gone!

In the spirit of “if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em” I picked up both the New York Times and Wall Street Journal with the hope I would uncover something that I could integrate into the curriculum.
As I devoured one piece after another, I thought to myself “what do I know about bin Laden?” I suppose if pressed, I could have told you the Muslim leader of Al Quaida was born in Saudi Arabia, his father was extremely wealthy, both father and son had several wives.

I read Born Into Privilege, Bin Laden Became the Face Global Terror, as though I were trying to put pieces together—to make sense of a man who was wanted “Dead or Alive for $25 million (in 2006)” His father was never part of his life, his parents divorced when he was two, he attended the most prestigious private schools, he renounced a great percentage of his inheritance….

And then I read the teenage bin Laden was tall, almost gangly, and was often picked as a forward on his school soccer team for his superior ability to head the ball in.

I stopped. This line glared at me. Bin Laden was an athlete. Certainly, he wasn’t the first evil villain to be a renowned sportsman. Fidel Castro was a pitcher scouted for U.S. baseball teams. Yet, to realize this man was someone talented in something so familiar to me, something that I see unites young people, which I can relate to made him--if just for that moment--very human. And that was uncomfortable.

In the poem “To Create An Enemy” Sam Keen writes Obscure the individuality of each face. Erase all hints of the myriad loves, hopes and fears that play through the kaleidoscope of every finite heart.”

With bin Laden, this was incredibly easy to do. To me, his culture and faith were totally other, his appearance and his ideas are so foreign, too extreme. It’s easy to think of a man like bin Laden as anything but a human being with the capacity for evil we all possess. To erase his hopes and dreams in light of the terror his choices invoked is simple. And yet, I know that is what a Christian must never do—forget, forsake or deny the humanity of each and every person.

Photo Credits
bin Laden
Newspaper Reports bin Laden's Death
Al Quaida

Moms and Running: Two Great Assets

2011-05-08T10:53:00.000-07:00

Watching the PBS video “Buffet and Gates Go Back to School” I was struck by Warren Buffet’s advice “The most important investment you can make is in yourself." In light of Mother’s Day, his words seem out of context. Mothers make tremendous sacrifices for their children; they are paragons of unselfishness. Any mother with young children knows it can be very difficult to invest in oneself. And yet, I think he’s right. He added, “The best asset is your own self.” How does this claim hold true on a day like Mother’s Day? I think running gives an answer.One of my more interesting side jobs was to serve as a “wrangler” at the 2009 Nike Women’s Marathon. It was my responsibility to make sure that the race winner knew where to go upon completing her 26.2-mile victory. She couldn’t leave my sight; I had to “wrangle” her to the awards stand, away from the press and the crowd as needed.

This job meant that I stood and waited at the finish line for over an hour. In that time of anticipation, I was a witness to some remarkable feats and legendary people. Distance running greats Joan Benoit and Kara Goucher, both sponsored by Nike waited beside me to congratulate the winner. I was struck by how tiny Benoit was. I thought this woman who is all of “a buck five” on the scale won the first Olympic gold medal for the women’s marathon in 1984?! Kara Goucher could not have been more regal, articulate and beautiful. What great role models for young women. The winner of the women’s half marathon was too.Carrie Dimoff of Portland, OR won the 13.1 journey without any competition in a time of 1:25:26. She was congratulated and interviewed at the finish. She wasn’t even winded. She was smiling from ear to ear and laughing (must have been that runner’s high). She commented on her tactics for running well and when asked, “Is there anything else you’d like to say?” she responded, “Yes, I’d like to dedicate this race to my son. He was born in May and we’ve been running together a lot. He got me here.”

I did the math. This woman had endured pregnancy and labor just five months earlier. And now she won the world’s largest all-women’s marathon and half marathon. Moms are so inspiring. So is running.

To run is to invest in oneself—both physically and mentally. Running may be hard on the knees, but it good for the heart, weight management, bone density and all around endorphin release. When solo, running clears my mind. I am able to reflect on my day or work through problems, I think of lesson plans, and I dream.

The mental health benefits are also social benefits. Running side by side with a friend is a gift. Perhaps it’s because you're both looking ahead but it seems to me that when I run with a friend, the most intimate of topics are revealed. It's funny, I don’t know how many times I have said “those 5 miles just flew by.” And running with a group can be silly or it can be silent. Although it’s rare, I love when I join a small pack of girls on my team and we complete a challenging run without words; all we hear are our footsteps and our breathing.

I’m glad so many moms who are both every day runners and serious competitors are investing in themselves. And these moms are easy to find. For example, in 2007 British runner Paula Radcliffe won the New York Marathon less than 10 months after giving birth. 2008 Olympian Kara Goucher competed in the 2011 Boston Marathon, where she ran a personal best for a fifth place finish in the women's division; she gave birth to her son Colt in September 2010.

On the other end of the spectrum, at the age of 60 my beloved Aunt Wendy competed in her first marathon in Eugene in 2010. She was supported by her daughter, my cousin Amy who ran the last 6 miles with her (and this is after Amy, a great athlete, completed the half marathon), her husband/my uncle Jay and her eldest daughter/my cousin Jodi and me at the finish. To see my Aunt Wendy complete the 26.2 journey on Hayward Field smiling, exuberant and healthy was a privilege. It was an inspiring, humbling, awesome feat! Because of my health, it also was my last official race. I could not have asked for a better one, I wouldn’t go out any other way. I cherish memories from that race and that day.On this Mother’s Day, I have been thinking about the significance of the example our mother’s give us. I think when a mom is a runner, she gives a great example to her children of self-discipline and the importance of physical fitness, challenging oneself, reaching goals and having fun.

Personally, I believe mothers are the best examples of God's love here on earth (not all, but a whole lot!). They feed and nurture us from the very moment of our being. They possess a healing power like no other. They are our cheerleaders and a model of selflessness. I hope on this day and many others we can give our moms more time and encouragement to invest in themselves. For when they do-- be it in running, their friendships and so forth, we all benefit. We may be our own best asset, but I think my mom is too.

Mother's Day Prayer
by Gaynell Bordes Cronin
I love you, Mom. I love your aliveness,
your joy in living, your understanding,
your giving.
And what I love best of all
is that you love me.
God of all Mothers,
thank you for my mom!
—From the book Friend Jesus: Prayers for Children

Photo Credits
Aunt Wendy, Amy and I/Wendy at the finish taken by Jodi Herchold!
Goucher, Benoit and Nike Women's Winner
Paula Radcliffe

Kate Middleton & Prince Wills: United in Marriage & Skiing

2011-04-28T22:42:00.000-07:00

I can’t tell you how many women have confided in me these very words “I’m secretly obsessed with the royal wedding.” It’s not a secret ladies, a great many of us share your sentiment. Please don’t apologize or feel the need to explain yourself. It’s a fairytale wedding. If you were to script one, this would set the standard.

Beautiful (understatement) and admirable bride-to-be weds long time friend and beau, the handsome and soft-spoken prince. His life story may be one of opulence and privilege but we know it’s colored by tragedy.

And we love Kate and Wills’ story. Classmates at University of St. Andrews in Scotland, they were friends for a year before a romantic relationship developed between them. As much attention as the tabloids put on the of the beginning of their relationship (the Prince saw her in a new light after watching her strut her stuff, dressed in a bikini for a charity fashion show), I think it’s more important to emphasize what has sustained it in their 8 years together. And from what I understand, a common love for winter sports has played a significant role in that.Take one look at the lovely Miss Kate, and it’s obvious that she is an athlete. She ran cross country and played field hockey in Marlborough College, a boarding school. And for every photo of Prince Wills participating in charity work or flying for the RAF, you will find one of him playing polo or rugby. AskMen.com states "Always the consummate athlete, William continued to play sports in university, representing the Scottish national universities water polo team at a tournament in 2004!"

Together, Kate and Wills love to ride bikes but they most especially enjoy a ski holiday. I contend, even as a non-skier, that no other sport builds and nourishes a relationship in the way that skiing does..

To ski is to engage in a physical challenge while surrounded by God’s beautiful creation. The Pope, himself an avid skier in his younger years, has advocated the mountains as a great place to be, saying, “This is an environment that in a special way makes us feel small, returns us to our true dimension as creatures, makes us capable of asking ourselves about the significance of creation, lifting our eyes to the top, opening ourselves up to the Creator.” What a wonderful setting to develop a loving relationship.

One can spend the entire day skiing, and people who love to ski want to do that alone. For as much active time as there is skiing, there is considerable down time: sitting on the ski lift, making the trek to the ski lodge, amassing and assembling ski gear. You may learn something about someone by the way they ski, but it’s the added dimensions of the sport that reveal someone’s character. Pope Benedict added, “In all sporting activities, a person understands better that their body should not be considered an object ... but that it allows them to express themselves and establish relations with others.”

I see it as a positive, that Kate and Will take great joy in sharing a physical activity that is healthy, challenging and well for all intensive purposes—normal. So much of their lives is not normal. Skiing is a sport of privilege but it’s something millions of people enjoy.

And make no apologies or excuses for it. Millions of us will watch and enjoy the nuptials of the happy young couple. We will enjoy it because of the pomp and circumstance, the ritual and tradition, the pageantry and more. But ultimately, we’ll enjoy it because of the bride and groom—a young couple to unite in love and friendship. I hope they ski for many years to come!

Photo Credits
Loving the slopes
Pope Benedict with Skies
Skiers
Prince William Plays Water Polo

What's good about "Good Friday?"

2011-04-23T12:34:00.000-07:00

What’s good about “Good Friday?” It is my least favorite day of the liturgical year. I suppose it should be, considering the magnitude of what occurred over 2000 years ago. I struggle each year with how I should honor this holy yet somber day.

I know what I am called to do. This is one of the two high holy days of the year when Catholics fast—which permits two small meals and one full meal. We are to abstain from meat. I believe most Catholics, myself included, are total wimps when it comes to this traditional spiritual practice. Muslims fast for nearly a month during the high holy season of Ramadan. I will forever thank Hakeem Olajuwon for his strict observance of it, which occurred during virtually every season of his NBA career. It is a serious challenge for me, and I’m not even a professional athlete. His example inspires me.Liturgically the Church offers no shortage of ways to celebrate the Lord’s Passion. My parish, St. Dominic’s began the day with Tenebrae. It also held Stations of the Cross, Seven Last Words, Confessions and concluded the day with the Liturgy of the Word, veneration of the Cross, and a Communion service. Each practice is colored by the burden of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins. Each one evokes the reality of Christ’s suffering and death on the Cross. We leave in silence.

Whether or not I am at church mid-day, I try to be in silence from noon to three. I don’t spend the evening of Good Friday like other Fridays—no happy hour, no going out to dinner with friends. I hate to admit it, but it’s almost a relief when Good Friday has passed! So again, what’s good about Good Friday?

Lorne Hanley Duquin of Catholic San Francisco writes "In the English language the term “Good Friday” probably evolved from God’s Friday in the same way that “Good-bye” evolved from God be with you." I challenged myself to make this year’s Good Friday, God’s Friday.I began the day working at Martin de Porres House of Hospitality. As I served hot steaming bowls of oatmeal I was delighted to hear “It’s Good Friday” more than I expected. To hear “Happy Good Friday” from our brothers and sisters on the street was a humbling experience. Many days are Good Fridays for them.

I went from Martin’s to Tenebrae, I fasted as best I could and concluded the day by joining a friend to see the documentary film, Bill Cunningham: New York. The New York Times photographer Bill Cunningham, a Catholic, has been obsessively and inventively chronicled fashion trends and high society charity soirées for the Times Style section in his columns “On the Street” and “Evening Hours.” The film was a portrait of "a dedicated artist whose only wealth is his own humanity and unassuming grace." And the irony is that it was a tremendously poignant way to conclude Good Friday.

What could the story of a man who has dedicated his life to fashion possibly have to do with the crucifixion, death and burial of Jesus? What could be more distant from our Lord's passion and death?

Cunningham’s success is largely because of what his eye can see. He sees clearly because he has eliminated most distractions from his life. He is not weighed down by cell phone, iPad or laptop. He navigates his bicycle through Manhattan as if it were a residential park. He is unaffected by wealth, class or privilege. His body of work bears witness to his belief "He who seeks beauty will find it."

And in a small way, I think this mantra applies to Good Friday. I feel challenged to seek the truth this day reveals, but also the beauty in it.

Some beauty is overt and easy to capture. For example, I was enamored with the gold lettered jerseys the San Francisco Giants wore on Opening Day. These special uniforms were to honor the World Series Championship and the accolades that continued into the 2011 season—the ring ceremony, raising of the Championship pennant, even the presentation of the “Rookie of the Year” award. But beauty can also be found in unlikely people and places, as Cunningham proves.Martin de Porres at 6:15 a.m. is one of those unlikely places. On Good Friday, I found it as an African American man in his mid 20s asked me for his second bowl of oatmeal. Here before me was a man who had spent the night either in a shelter or on a street. He arrived cold, tired and hungry and yet he came for breakfast wearing the most striking yellow headband. For some reason, I paused and looked twice at him. His handsome face, his beard, this canary yellow headband. It served as tremendous visual reminder that the dignity of the human person is truly inherent. Life events and people may compromise it, but as my faith professes, it cannot and should not ever be taken away.

And that subtle truth reminds me of Christ on the cross. Crucifixion was so horrific a punishment, that the Romans ordered it to non-Romans alone. It sought to the eliminate the dignity of God made man, but Jesus triumphed.

Jesus hung in agony and despair for three hours and yet, he had the strength to forgive the “good thief.” With his own mother at the foot of the cross, He was able to order her future care and well-being to His beloved disciple John. He even had the ability to utter seven final words not of hate, but of surrender and grace. He said “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.”

The beauty of the cross is in a great many things, but I came to realize this Good Friday, that it rests particularly in the revelation of Christ’s human dignity until the very end. This year, Easter will only be that much more beautiful.

Photo Credits

Rejoice, We Conquer: Alberto Salazar, Boston Marathon ChampionPart IV

2011-04-17T21:17:00.000-07:00

Has anyone noticed just how many female distance runners seem to be having children and competing shortly after giving birth? Even if they weren’t succeeding, I think they still deserve press for what these female athletes have accomplished. I could stop at the operative verb of racing 26.2 miles, but the fact that they doing so after enduring pregnancy, labor, postpartum, blows my mind.

Well, tomorrow marks the 115th Boston Marathon and the talented and lovely Kara Goucher, who gave birth to a son Colt in September, is a top seed. This American mom hopes to capture the olive wreath, she missed victory by 9 seconds in 2009. She was the closest an American has come to winning since 1985.

One could make the claim on Patriot’s Day, nothing could be more appropriate than to root for this elite runner. Goucher developed under past champion, Alberto Salazar in Nike’s Oregon project—a training group created to support and develop long distance running in the US.
Last year, I ran a three-part reflection on Salazar’s life and faith. To honor the past champion, here is Part IV. Regardless of whether or not Kara Goucher wins on Marathon Monday, expect a piece on working moms like her as well.
Part IV: Due to injuries, health issues and his age, there was a shift in Salazar’s relationship with competitive running as well. No doubt, his faith led him to discern what his new role/second career might be/entail. “God gave me a gift and I get to coach. I want to help athletes not only become better athletes, but hopefully to become better people. That is what I believe God is leading me to do.”

Today, Salazar works with high profile runners—Galen Rupp, Adam and Kara Goucher as well as others via Nike’s Oregon Project, who are aware of his deep commitment to his faith and to athletic excellence. In no way does Salazar believe one commitment compromises the other. He says, “Being competitive as a coach and wanting my athletes to win—there’s nothing wrong with that—so long as we’re doing it in the right way. Yeah, we’re out there to win every day but we also want to glorify Christ through good hard clean competition. And when practice is over, we can be friends. We can be warriors for Christ. Warriors in that we will battle courageously.”In fact, Salazar believes what he has learned from coaching serves as a practical analogy for developing a mature spirituality and strong faith. He said, “When I coach, I am looking for every possible advantage—weight training, plyometrics, flexibility cross training, all these sorts of things to help you be successful. I came to realize, being a Catholic is like having all these great advantages. There are so many different religious practices—the sacraments that are so readily available like confession and Holy Communion; we do have these great benefits and we have been promised these graces. I don’t believe you have to be Catholic or a Christian to go to heaven, obviously not, but I don’t know about you, but I need every advantage I can get.”

Those who know Salazar well recognize that such candid humility and honesty is a positive change. Salazar’s incredible work ethic however has not changed; in fact he it has helped him develop and strengthen his faith. He believes, “Faith is a gift but you have to work at it. You have to pray for it God asks us to pray, but even in prayer, it’s not about striving for perfection. We all have time throughout the day by which we can do something, even if it’s just for two minutes that we can say a prayer.”

“Again, applying it to athletics, many of my athletes will say ‘I didn’t have time to work out, lift weights or stretch.’ I will ask them, or even myself: ‘So I didn’t have time to go do a half hour? You didn’t have 10 minutes to do pushups and sit-ups? Side ups? Ok, you didn’t have the weights with you, but you could have done something.’ There is the idea that unless can’t do something perfectly, it’s not worth doing. You shouldn’t think like that. Turn off your cell phone, turn off the radio and in the 20 minutes that you’re driving home, you can pray the Rosary. It may not be perfect, but it’s better than nothing, and God will reward you for that.”

One must call into question Salazar’s notion of perfection, as he has set the bar high. Yet he has never done so without great effort, as no one wins a marathon easily or naturally confronts death without fear. Salazar’s life reveals the story of a man committed to tremendous spiritual, physical and mental discipline, to trial and error, even death and resurrection. And with that commitment I cannot help but think it is obvious that God has rewarded him as a Christian and as a runner. But even more, I believe God has rewarded us with a life like Alberto Salazar’s where death hath no victory—rather, faith in God and belief in yourself does.

Earlier Postings related to this posting
Rejoice, We Conquer: Alberto Salazar, Boston Marathoner Part I
Part II
Part III

Photo Credits
Goucher & Salazar
Kara Goucher American Runner
Nike Oregon Project Team
Coach Salazar in Eugene

My Drug of Choice: The Masters

2011-04-13T23:33:00.000-07:00

In the back of my mind, I remember my grandfather watching a lot of golf on TV. Growing up I could not understand how or why he did. What could possibly be more boring than to watch individual men hit a tiny ball hundreds of yards. Today I stand before you as someone who spent nearly 3 days on my couch intravenously taking in the Masters. It’s as if Augusta National pumped some sedative through my television set, and fixed my attention to nothing more than 18 holes a day.I am more of a “type A” personality than I want to admit. I do not watch one regular television program. I haven’t in 4 years. And yet, I logged in 15 hours with this USGA tourney. So the question is obvious. What is so appealing about the Masters? Why is it my drug of choice?

My first response to this question is, ask anyone who feels the way I do. We are easy to find. On Monday, we were itching to talk to any and everyone at the water cooler about the rise and fall of Rory McIlroy, Tiger’s chase for the title and the beauty of 7 men battling for the title on Sunday. Give us an inch…or a slight scent of preoccupation with it, and we’ll give you a yard.

Bill Simmons of ESPN writes I love so many things about the Masters, but ultimately, what makes that tournament special is that we know the course so freaking well. There are laws with the Masters. You can't peak too early on Sunday. You can't miss momentum-swinging putts at Amen Corner. You can't lay up on 13; for whatever reason, it pisses off the Golf Gods. Your second shot on 18 has to land dead-even with the hole; it can't be too short or too long. It's the only course that feels like a living, breathing organism. The TV camera flies over each hole before a featured player tees off and captures the beauty of this organism. No wonder we care.

Second, I wonder how much of my fixation with the Masters is fueled by the fact I will probably never attend. It is exclusive as they come. Just this year however, for the first time in 47 years, a very limited supply of daily tournament tickets will be made available to the general public. After a 20-minute recap, my co-worker & friend--Tom and I decided to research the specifics about the drawing. We looked up the 2012 dates on-line and paused. Wait. No….could it be? I pulled up our 2012 school year calendar. When we realized it coincides with our spring break, we immediately gave one another a high 5. Our enthusiasm for “what could be” rivaled the enthusiasm of a player who just sank a great putt. Had we been standing up, I think there would have been a chest bump in the faculty workroom. This tourney does that to people; The Masters gods are crazy.

I love the Masters because it signifies that summer is right around the corner. The beauty of the course—the azalea in full bloom, the pure green that even the Irish could envy, it demonstrates that spring is making way for a season of warmer days and longer nights. This year, I added Augusta to the cities on my iPhone weather app (is that weird or what?) My jealousy towards those fans that walk the grounds turned to envy when I saw each day was in the mid 80s. Even the nights were warm. Sigh.
And yet, the greatest lure of the Masters is that it is crawling with tradition: the green jacket, the Champions Dinner Tuesday night where last year’s winner gets to set the menu..even the uniform white jumpsuits for caddies. And if there’s one thing that Catholics know, it’s tradition. From time to time, it seems that tradition is all we’ve got.

Catholic Theologian, Richard McBrien teaches that Tradition refers to the whole process by which the Church “hands on” (literal meaning of the word tradition) its faith to each new generation--both the process of “handing on” the faith and that which has been handed on. Tradition (upper-case) includes Scripture, the essential doctrines of the Church, the Eucharist and other sacraments, and so forth. Tradition (lower case “t”) includes changeable customs, institutions, teachings and practices.

In a small way, I think the Masters offers both upper and lower case “t” for the sport of golf. Some true gentlemen and some great athletes have “handed on” the game to who we see playing now—young players, so many of who are fit and conditioned. Many of the customs, teachings and practices have changed as needed and many haven’t. Even Augusta National, an institution in its own right was slow to make a change for the better when it allowed its first African American member in 1990.

Tradition should not be preserved for the sake of keeping tradition. It has to have value and integrity. It binds people to those before and sets a place for those to come. That binding can be both positive and negative. It’s an interesting way to start thinking about what might just be a wonderful way to spend a weekend, no?

In a small way, I love that what I am watching my Grandfather watched. I am sure he looked at it with the same wide eyes of appreciation. I even think of those friends and family members who I have shared couch space with over the years to view my favorite of the Majors. Thanks for the memories! For 361 days of the year, I am proud to say that I am drug free. For that fateful weekend in April, the tradition that is the Masters however is —my drug of choice. I hope this tradition is “handed on” for generations to come.

Photo Credits
Philly & Charl, Rory & Lone Tiger
The great Arnold Palmer

Sportsmanship 101: Fundamental of the Game

2011-04-10T12:24:00.000-07:00

I hated seeing the Notre Dame Women’s basketball team lose the National Championship to Texas A&M. But, I am more upset that Skylar Diggins, sophomore guard of the Lady Irish left the floor without shaking hands with the Aggies.As point guard, Diggins has considerable power on the court. She is the offensive orchestrator, creates plays and drives the ball. And yet this tourney revealed that her social power is significant. Through social media like Twitter, her own personal blog and photogenic self, Diggins became the face of the team. This dual axis of power reminds me of the now overused but truthful line from Spiderman: “with great power comes great responsibility.”

Diggins had a responsibility as a leader on her team to acknowledge the feat of her opponents with class and composure. As a member of a university that seeks to cultivate in its students…an appreciation for the great achievements of human beings, she had a duty represent its mission. Who would want to say, “We are ND” after that?No one will second-guess that Diggins wants great responsibility during the game. Undoubtedly, she was upset because she had a costly turnover late in the game. But it’s no excuse for her behavior. Sportsmanship 101 dictates thanking and congratulating your teammates and opponents despite the outcome. You may disagree, but as an athlete, coach and sports fan, I believe good sportsmanship is as fundamental to the game as passing, dribbling and shooting. In the same way that those skills are tested at the high level during a national championship game, so is sportsmanship.

I watch a lot of high school basketball games. Believe it or not, on of my favorite moments is just after the game is when players line up single file and shake hands with the opposing team. It may seem like a useless formality but I think this ritual reveals a whole lot. I believe it’s a snap shot that captures not only what just took place on the hardwood, but the character of a team and of each player.

For some athletes, this is the last thing they want to do. They may remain angry or upset by how they were treated, pushed or hit during a game. It may be a challenge to look at your opponent to say “good game” or “thanks” when temperatures are still high. Amazingly though, many do. I love to watch the moment when an opposing coach congratulates a player who has been double-teamed the entire game. Both parties know the challenge that was placed or taken. To me, the sign of ultimate respect is when these two exchange a hug.

Never was I more proud of my former student, Varsity boys’ captain and SF All-City team player of the year Johnny Mrlik than after the St. Ignatius WCAL league playoff loss to Bellarmine. SI could have and should have won this game before a home crowd. When the ‘Cats lost, Johnny had tears in his eyes. He had to regroup and walk back a few steps before he could get in that line to shake hands with the Bells. I want my favorite player and best athlete to feel totally disappointed. Despite age and gender, I want a loss to bring tears to an athlete’s eyes. But I also want him or her to have the chutzpah to stay in that line and demonstrate good sportsmanship.

I wish I had seen a Notre Dame team, laden with talent prevail. I wish I had seen the face of the team with tears in her eyes and every bone in her body aching with pain and disappointment shake the hand of the Aggies. Instead I saw the words of local sports talk radio host Damon Bruce come to life: “sports don’t build character, they reveal it.”

Notre Dame coach Muffet McGraw was asked if she would talk with Diggins down the line and help her gain perspective about her success and her disappointment in Indianapolis. "I think it's going to be a while for her to get that perspective," she said. "I think she's extremely hard on herself. And she will spend the entire summer, I'm sure, thinking about this game. And that's probably a good thing for us." I hope she also spends the entire summer thinking about Sportsmanship 101.

Photo Credits
Women's National Championship
Diggins: Face of the Team
Johnny Mrlik
Coach McGraw

Youth is Not Wasted on the Young--Not in This Year's Tourney!

2011-04-03T22:55:00.000-07:00

If you caught the first of Saturday’s NCAA men’s basketball double-header I know what you saw. Youth—right? That’s a given in college basketball (and even more so with players being drafted after their freshman year). What you should say is "green leadership." Both teams were led by 33 and 34 year old coaches. Shaka Smart of VCU made his first Final Four appearance. The opposition was led by a man who probably gets carded anytime he's not wearing his glasses. Brad Stevens and his Butler Bulldogs returned to the Final Four; they play in the championship game on Monday! And inexperience seems to be paying off these days. An interesting piece from the "Wall Street Journal" raised a question, many people have been asking in March Madness Who Says Experience Matters?

The key to surviving the madness of March, supposedly, is experience. Having senior leadership and players who have "been there before" is often the difference between the teams that wilt in the NCAA tournament and those that move on.
This is college-basketball dogma. But this year's tournament, with a cascade of upsets of senior-laden teams and late-game blunders involving veteran players, is forcing a reevaluation. It might just be that experience is overrated.

I contend it’s not that experience is overrated, but rather that youth is underrated. Wisdom, after all, can be found from a multitude of sources, something that St. Benedict acknowledged when he urged an abbot at a monastery to solicit the opinion of even the youngest member of the community: “By the Lord’s inspiration, it is often a younger person who knows what is best.”Prior to the Connecticut vs. Notre Dame women’s basketball Final Four game, the media coverage featured, almost exclusively senior forward Maya Moore. No one would have thought sophomore point guard Skylar Diggins knows best. Indeed More held her own she scored 36 points, putting up the third-highest total in a national semifinal. But, it wasn’t enough for a Huskies’ three-peat. Instead, Diggins led the Irish onward to victory with 28 points. This is her first Final Four and championship appearance.

1 Timothy 4:12 tells us Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. I heard Diggins speak after the game and she was full of poise, joy and class. In her personal blog she wrote about her love for her teammates and faith in them.

These young players and young coaches—it is exciting to think of what they have achieved with the Lord’s inspiration. It’s easy to look down upon youth and chide them for their lack of experience or purported wisdom. But if there’s one thing this March Madness has made clear, it’s that youth really is NOT wasted on the young.

Photo Credits
young coaches
Women's Final Four

Triple Threat or Triple Bind? A Reality for Female Athletes

2011-03-28T23:00:00.000-07:00

Not only did tonight’s win for the Lady Irish put them in the Final Four, it ended a 20 game win streak by the Lady Vols of Tennessee. I watched the game hoping for an Irish win, I still have fond memories of the 2001 national championship team, but in all honesty, I wanted to get a better look at Skylar Diggins. A friend who an excellent, skilled basketball player, mentioned Diggins, the sophomore point guard just yesterday. She said “ND’s point guard is good AND she’s pretty.” To my female friends who are athletes, especially those of you who are basketball players, I hope you are offended by this comment. And, I hope that you are like me--you know exactly what she meant. All too often it seems that one is at the cost of the other. It’s not always true, but quite often…..

I’m not (really) a feminist, but I’m not convinced the conversation would play out in this way were we to describe male athletes. I love talking about the talented Ben Hansbrough or Tim Abromaitis, and I have mentioned more than once how handsome they are, but never once have I done so (about them or any other male athlete) with a tone of surprise. Simply put, it's not an "either/or" proposition.

I would like to make the claim that something other than a double standard exists between male and female athletes. It’s one dimension of a study by psychologist Stephen Hinshaw known as the “Triple Bind.”

Be pretty, sweet and nice
Be athletic, competitive, and get straight A’s
Be impossibly perfect

It claims “In many ways, today is the best time in history to be a girl. Opportunities for a girl’s success are as unlimited as her dreams. Yet an alarm is sounding, revealing a disturbing portrait of the stresses affecting girls of all ages. Societal expectations, cultural trends, and conflicting messages are creating what psychologist Stephen Hinshaw calls “the Triple Bind.” Girls are now expected to excel at “girl skills,” achieve “boy goals,” and be models of female perfection, 100 percent of the time. The Triple Bind is putting more and more girls at risk for aggression, eating disorders, depression, and even suicide.”

Directly and indirectly I have given this idea a lot of thought. A friend once asked me if I was planning to raise a daughter or an athlete. I looked at him incredulous; I hope my face revealed the disgust and sadness I felt in my heart. Is one truly at the expense of the other?

A number of friends have expressed their athletic hopes and dreams for their children. As fun and interesting as it is to think of what their kids will pursue in 7-10 years time, I have noticed that most do not want their sons to play a certain sport for safety reasons whereas the concern for their daughters is for social ones—“it’s not a sport a girl should play.” I may be oversimplifying things, but I hear very little about social stigma as a concern for male athletes. The triple bind is real, and I know my thoughts and actions have contributed to its persistence.

My experience as a fan of men’s and women’s basketball at Notre Dame revealed this hard truth; I honestly don’t know how to let go a mindset I myself hold. It is more than a triple bind—it is a triple threat.
In basketball, a talented player has command of the “triple threat.” She or he can dribble, pass or shoot the ball with confidence. My inability to dribble too often put me in a precarious position on offense; consequently, I overcompensate or inevitably, I lose possession. The triple threat, however for most women is in no way confined to the hardwood. We want to be a triple threat: smart, athletic and beautiful. Such expectations actually put women into a triple bind. When we cannot master all three, we tend to overcompensate in two areas, or just check out of the game.

In no way would I ask any member of the Lady Irish to check out of the game. Their passion, teamwork and talent as evident in tonight's game was beautiful. These twelve players have overcompensated for one another’s weaknesses all season, because that’s what teammates do—they help one another out. And when that happens, the binding isn’t suffocating or debilitating—it’s connection.

I think it's important to ask ourselves--What are we bound to? and what bind us? Is it building a connection that suffocates or is life giving? Is it leading us to check out or to victory? Believe it or not, the root of "religion" is ligare which means "to bind." My Catholic faith affirms and helps me understand what I am bound to. I hope that in some small way, basketball does too.

Photo Credits
Skylar Diggins
Triple Bind

Why I Love the BYU Honor Code

2011-03-24T23:57:00.000-07:00

As we bid farewell to Jimmer Ferdette, chin bandage and all, one could not help but wonder how BYU would have fared if Brandon Davies, the Wildcats’ 6'9" center had been in the line-up. Davies, the third-leading scorer for the Brigham Young men's basketball team, did not play the remainder of the season for violating the school's honor code.Davies had consensual sex with his girlfriend. In a sport where paternity suits abound (the May 4, 1998 Sports Illustrated feature story Paternity Ward reported how common out-of-wedlock children have become, especially among NBA players), in a country with lax views on sexual morality and in a world where sexual violence against women is far too common, his offense is slight; it's minor. This honor code seems antiquated and stifling, out of touch and out of date. And I love it.

I’ll admit it, I primarily love the BYU honor code for self-centered reasons. A school that holds its student body to be honest, live a chaste and virtuous life, obey the law and all campus policies, use clean language, respect others, abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee and substance abuse, participate regularly in church services and observe a dress and grooming standard is setting the bar very high. My selfish side thinks, any standard we set won’t be as demanding. BYU’s honor code makes any other seem a lot more do-able!

Most people look at the honor code and raise one if not two eyebrows. Although I believe one can and should ask “is the bar set too high?” I also believe we need to consider how often we set the bar too low; I think there is danger in doing that. I’ve worked with young people long enough that they will, all too often, do the (very) least of what is required of them…and I’m not just talking about homework.

The BYU honor code on the other hand sets a high standard that is in line with its faith tradition. I do not claim to know all the nuances of why for example, Mormons oppose caffeine (but I can most likely guess) and I am uncertain how they might enforce a determined dress and grooming standard. But the very fact that they are so forthright in what they hold one another to and have such noble expectations is appealing to me. They do not apologize for their beliefs, or for who and what they are. All students know what they agree to honor. The choice is theirs. And I believe in making that choice, those students have a better sense of who and what they are called to be.

Davies made a choice that resulted in his suspension for the remainder of the season. Whether or not he will be allowed to play on the team next year is still to be determined, but I hope he will. His story is also an important reminder that one person’s decision, like so many others, has implications on others. Davies’ teammates had to find a way to succeed without their leading rebounder. And they did. They made it to the 2011 Sweet Sixteen and perhaps more importantly, he accompanied them to the Mountain West Tournament.

A friend always says “water seeks to rise to its own level.” Indeed it does. Set it high and most will rise....and when they don't, let's help them get there.

Story Credit: special thanks to my good friend Kevin Dowling for the lead on this story!
Photo Credits
Jimmer Fredette
BYU Seal
Brandon Davies

An Important Question for Sports Fans: Why Do I Care?

2011-03-22T00:26:00.000-07:00

I have been walking around in a bit of a daze all day. A general malaise has colored my worldview. And why? Because the Notre Dame men’s basketball team—who just weeks ago were ranked as high as 4 in the country lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament. An exciting season that turned many heads came to a halt as we were defeated by Florida State. As I read the break down and analysis of the game followed by one Facebook comment after another, I kept asking myself an important question. I hope it’s one you have asked of yourself before. Why do I care?

Basketball isn’t a matter of life or death; this match up wasn’t good vs. evil. No lives were at stake, no conflict created, no wars or derision, just disappointment to the “n”th degree. Again, why do I care?

I care because I am passionate about Notre Dame. I love my alma mater in the same way that I love the Catholic Church and the United States. I know its underbelly, its foibles and follies. But I also know its mission, its tradition and purpose. I love its community that is a family, it commitment to excellence and how it formed my mind and my heart.

I care because without being overly trite or simplistic--this 2011 team was special. I found myself believing in them and eventually defending them to those who think our success is limited to (past tense) football. They are a passionate bunch. Spend just a few minutes watching them play and you will understand what I mean. Seeing is believing.

All too often we forget that the root of the word “passion” is pathos—which means "to suffer." My mood today reflects the truth in the semantics. For the vast majority of the regular season however, the Irish and their fans didn’t suffer too much.
I delighted in the their first conference win over a #2 Pitt at the Petersen Events Center in Pittsburgh. I appreciated what they were able to do without a true big man this season. I must have shared New York Times article For Notre Dame's Hansbrough, Competitiveness Is a Family Trait with every person that inquired if Ben was related to Tyler. I loved his hustle, leadership and intensity. As an athlete, he is all that I am not. And Tim Abromaitis’ performance from behind the arc was majestic. I thanked him for continually following up on his rebounds.

The decorations these men earned are well deserved. Ben Hansborough was named Big East Player of the Year and Tim Abromaitis earned the Scholar-athlete award for the second straight year. When Sports Illustrated recognized Mike Brey as the National coach of the year, I knew this team was legit.

I reached out to my former students who are now studying at Notre Dame. I wanted to know about the mood on campus. In what creative ways was the student body backing this team? How difficult is it to get tickets? Were there pep rallies? I didn’t want my M-TV; no I wanted the beat on campus.

I also wanted a Big East Title. I was hopeful for a good run in the NCAA. I admit it, visions of the Final Four in Houston danced in my head. My desire for this team and its glory—putting Notre Dame men’s basketball back on the map—was very strong. My passion for the Irish had its focus; my desire for victory was palpable. And once I realized that, I suddenly began to understand why I care.

As stated by Ron Rolheiser in The Holy Longing
Desire gives no exemptions. It does however admit of different moods and faces. Sometimes it hits us as pain - dissatisfaction, frustration, and aching. At other times its grip is not felt as painful at all, but as a deep energy, as something beautiful, as an inexorable pull, more important than anything else inside us, toward love, beauty, creativity, and a future beyond our limited present. Desire can show itself as aching pain or delicious hope.

The delicious hope was obvious. They don’t call the NCAA Basketball Tournament “the big dance” for naught. Some all called and few are chosen. The road to the final four is always full of surprises and all too soon, the Irish and their fans were confronted with aching pain.I am dissatisfied with how a good team played on Sunday night. I remain frustrated by our inability to get past the second round of the tournament. But more than those responses, what aches inside me today is that this particular group will not return to the hardwood again. Seniors will graduate, others will move on. A fine group of young athletes had their season. I am a fan, but I am also a witness.

What I saw, who I cheered for, why I care are because this team is precisely what we claim to be—the Fightin’ Irish.

Thank you to Mike Brey and the team for carrying my desire to Chicago. I hope you met a student body at the Main Circle today that despite the loss, greeted you with a whole lot of passion—aching pain aside. Delicious hope for 2012.

Photo Credits
Irish Exit
Beating Pitt
Coach Brey
Round 2 NCAA tourney

In the Vibrant Action of Athletics, Death Hath No Victory

2011-03-09T22:46:00.000-08:00

Not in the loneliness of sleep, but in the vibrant action of athletics; not in the midst of strangers but surrounded by family, friends, schoolmates and teammates; not in the performance of some meaningless act, but in the striving for a common cause…

These words, which adorn a memorial in the foyer between the old and new gyms—at St. Ignatius College Prep, are strikingly apropos as I reflect upon the short life of Wes Leonard, the 16-year-old basketball player from Fennville Michigan who died on March 3. I suppose they should be, for Dennis Carter died the same way on December 21, 1963 .Carter, a senior starter for the Wildcats, collapsed during a preseason game against Bishop O’Dowd. Students in the stands were ushered out of the gym. SI teacher and alum, Mike Silverstri said “we gathered to pray the rosary. An ambulance led Dennis to St. Mary’s hospital. I don’t know when he was officially pronounced dead.”

In his memory, SI boys’ basketball honors one player with the Dennis Carter award. This athlete is not the most valuable or most improved player. It goes to he who is the most inspirational player and teammate. And in case the award itself doesn’t capture the spirit and significance of the life it honors, former SI principal, current teacher and alum, Charlie Dullea presents it at the team banquet. Charlie played on the same team as Dennis; he was with him when he died.

Memorializing a fallen teammate is absolutely necessary. It helps a team to recognize what has occurred, allows each athlete to honor the dead, and sets the grieving process in a necessary context. And the unique ways that we do is our gift to the dead--their memory, their legacy…their life. For example Loyola Marymount basketball star Bo Kimble, shot his first free throw in every game with his left hand to commemorate his teammate Hank Gathers. Kimble’s gesture was simple, but powerful. It invited in a story about his fallen friend. Gathers wasn’t even a lefty. He was such a low percentage shooter at the foul line, he decided to shoot with his left.

It’s interesting; Gathers & Leonard share a common fate. They both collapsed and died because of an enlarged heart. Perhaps it is all the more fitting that Kimble’s generosity and thoughtfulness wasn’t limited to his teammate; he flew to Michigan to attend Fennville’s next game.

I have always believed the Rite of Christian burial is more for those who live in the wake of death, than the one who has died. As we hear the readings, prayers and blessings we remember Jesus’ personal sacrifice and ultimately, that death hath no victory.

And nothing was more apparent than on the hardwood Monday night in the district quarterfinals as only four players on the Fennville high school varsity boys’ basketball team took the court. Their fifth starter, Wes Leonard died in the vibrant action of athletics. 3500 people took a moment of silence to remember his short life. His parents clapped in the stands as an emotional team hugged and cried after they defeated Lawrence high school. Both teams wore shirts that read “Never Forgotten.”

And that is not in the performance of some meaningless act, but rather their striving for a common cause is learning to live and love in a new way. St Therese of Lisieux said “I am not dying; I am entering life.” Only through death can we pass into the fullness of God’s kingdom. Some people are called much too soon. Let us pray for them, yes. But let them—Dennis,Wes, Hank et al pray for us.

Photo Credits
Fennville Team
Dennis Carter award--Thanks Sean!
Bo Kimble
Leonard Shirt
Also, thanks to Paul "All things Michigan" Bourke for his additional info & research on Bo Kimble