Risk or Rust —A Theology of Sport from Justin Buzzard

Two weeks ago today, I started my 21st year of teaching at St. Ignatius College Prep in San Francisco. This marks my 28th year in the classroom and a Sweet 16 for the course, Sports and Spirituality. Wow.

Justin Buzzard is also the author of a book "Date Your Wife."

This might sound strange, but I still use a textbook.

Strange? you ask. How’s that? The required reading can be found online. Several courses use a collection of articles or journals. But the reader I once used has been replaced by On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport, and it’s far better because of it. Thank you, Drs. Hoven, Carney, and Engel!

Although one of my seniors asked, “Who ever reads the introduction?” I politely informed him that we would—and explained why it’s important. Not only does it explain what the Canadian among the three authors believes God created on the eighth day (his answer is Wayne Gretzky), it defines theology and, more specifically, what a theology of sport is.

The “why” of a theology of sport is the question we will wrestle with from start to finish. I have more than a few answers.

Max and Jay are two of the three authors

The truth is, however, that one need not look long or hard to find one. And my students didn’t have to look very far. An answer—a compelling example—was taking the field just 45 miles south of our campus.

In case you haven’t heard, allow me to introduce you to Justin Buzzard.

Standing 6'2" tall and weighing 210 lbs, Buzzard certainly looks the part. He played football at Whitworth University decades ago—but an injury during his freshman year ended his college playing career. The father of three boys, his eldest son  encouraged him to try football again after seeing a video of a 60 year old man, Tom Green, playing college football. Buzzard spoke with the coaching staff at San Jose City College to determine if he could try out. He underwent conditioning, summer practice and became a Jaguar. Playing at defensive end, he proudly wears the number 48—reflective of the age he will turn in September!

To the surprise of some of my students, Buzzard is also the pastor of Garden City Church (which he founded 15 years ago). He sees his return to football as "an expression of his faith, not separate from it." In an interview on Fox News, Todd Piro asks him, How has your faith and your relationship with God guided you on this journey? He responds,

I think God cares about all of life and not just some separate—religious slice of you and football is a lot of fun and as a man, it's something I love doing. So, as I wrestled and thought through, "Do I really want to do this crazy thing?" I thought "God thinks football is a fun thing." I'm going to go for it and I'm going to enjoy it. I pray a lot that he will protect me from injury. I know what I am doing is high risk. I've been praying big, specific prayers. God, protect me. I want to go the distance and help my team—San Jose City College in anyway that I can. 

If that's not a theology of sport what is?! 

But one person’s personal and practical testimony cannot be the whole story. Fortunately, "On the Eighth Day" gives us some guidelines and guardrails. It defines a theology of sport as “faith seeking understanding, justice, mercy and contemplation in and through sport.” The authors ask: How might play and sport speak to us about God and living the Christian life? Does God care about play? Should people of faith participate in competitive sport? If so, how can their involvement develop a deeper connection to Jesus?

Importantly, the authors describe theology of sport not as a simple transition from theory to practice, but as “a dialogue between sport and faith that is both reflective and critical.”

That dialogue—and the questions it raises in light of both the positives and negatives, consolation and desolation, light and darkness—is the story of this semester.

As a teacher, I make a point of using compare and contrast to help students understand. So I couldn't help but notice another example this past week.

Drew Dougherty at Strake Jesuit in Houston teaches Sport and American Culture. This past week, he welcomed Gary Kubiak, who coached the Denver Broncos to a championship in Super Bowl 50 and also coached the Houston Texans. I wish I could take that class! I would have loved to hear Coach Kubiak speak, and I would love to know what he addressed in light of the course’s themes and essential questions.

I have no doubt there is considerable overlap between our courses. But there is a distinction. Sport and American Culture is not a Religious Studies course. It could certainly ask theological questions, but Sports and Spirituality explicitly asks students to discern the holy and transcendent in everything from a world championship to the daily practice that makes it possible.

Even 16 years later, I think it is a risk for students to take a class like Sports and Spirituality.

They probably love sport. They play it, watch it, celebrate it, argue about it, and sometimes hate it. But asking them to consider how sport connects to their faith—and ultimately to their own lives—is something else entirely. It asks them to risk seeing something familiar in a new way.

And that’s where Justin Buzzard’s motto—risk or rust—becomes more than a clever phrase.

There is a risk in this course: asking questions that don’t have easy answers; bringing something as familiar as sport into a Religious Studies classroom; looking for the holy and transcendent in winning and losing, excellence and failure, competition and community. Most of all, it is the risk of allowing those questions to become personal.

The opening assignment in Sports and Spirituality asks students to name a passage of Scripture, a quote, or a motto that is important to them. What words have shaped them? What do they return to when they need direction, encouragement, perspective, or courage?

Not only did we find an answer to the big questions of the course in Justin Buzzard, we found a motto worth remembering. 

JB: we will keep you and your team in our prayers. Thanks for your words and for taking the risk!

Photo Credits

Two Sisters, Two Pitches, One Gospel

While working alongside a sister in full habit in Chicago this summer, I realized that many of my students had never met a religious sister before. When I mentioned this to someone, they responded, “I wasn’t even sure the Catholic Church had them anymore.”

Once the driving force behind Catholic schools in the United States and around the world, women religious have seen their numbers decline dramatically. Some communities are growing and thriving, but sadly, many convents have closed, and religious orders have turned out the lights for good.

We are always called to read and respond to the signs of the times. Still, I can’t help but look back and recognize what a tremendous gift women religious have been—and what a tremendous loss their decline has been for the Church and for our world. But they’re not dead yet. 

This summer, I encountered two dynamos: one in person and the other through Instagram. Their vocations reflect the joy of the Gospel. They bear witness to the truth that a life lived for Christ can provide not only meaning and purpose, but great joy, too. They have a lot to offer. And I’d like to share their stories with you.

Sister Stephanie
Day one of the St. Ignatius College Prep Immersion began with my not being particularly happy about the 5:45 a.m. alarm. The Brother David Darst Center summoned us to an early breakfast so we could head out to the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels in West Humboldt Park on Chicago's west side. I grumbled as we walked to our bus, wishing I were time-zone agnostic. Chicago, after all, is two hours earlier than PDT.

We were greeted by a petite, young woman standing in a full brown habit: Sister Stephanie.

The Darst staff member Maggie had warned us about her ahead of time. She said, 

Sister Stephanie is a force. She oversees the Food Pantry, which provides food to about 4,000 families each month.

We soon learned that the purpose of the Mission is twofold: to assist the materially poor and to share the treasure of our Catholic faith. In addition to feeding the hungry, the Mission distributes clothing and household goods and provides emergency assistance, after-school programming, senior citizen programming, community dinners and special events. At its heart, the Mission of Our Lady of the Angels is about establishing and sustaining a Catholic presence in West Humboldt Park.

It was a good thing Sister Stephanie wore running shoes, because she did not stop.

Someone told us that if we couldn't find her, we should simply stop and wait a few moments. She was sure to barrel through again—directing, loading, unloading, negotiating, and, in general, taking care of business in a flash.

While she was certainly the leader, Sister Stephanie did not work alone. Several other women from her religious community assisted a regular volunteer crew of at least 25 people, including the 12 St. Ignatius students, another teacher and me.

What these rising seniors encountered looked nothing like the angry, mean or pious-and-petty nuns they might have seen on television or in movies. These women smiled. They led through service. They radiated the love of God.

It is important to mention that the Mission's work takes place in what was once the Catholic grade school at Our Lady of the Angels. The school closed in 1999, but its story cannot be told without acknowledging what happened there in 1958, when a devastating fire in the school took the lives of 92 children and three religious sisters. We took a photo in front of the statue honoring those who died.

At our evening reflection, every student commented on the impression Sister Stephanie—and the other sisters—had made on them. My immersion groups gathered nightly for reflection, and without a doubt, Sister Stephanie had made a noteworthy impression on all of us.

Sister Stephanie is part of the legacy of Mission and church that aims to "share the treasure of our Catholic Faith." My colleague Dan noted the paschal mystery we bore witness to that day. In the very same building where school children perished, is a place that brings people hungry for food, community and faith together. None of this is possible without hearts to lead and to serve. 

Sister Stephanie showed us the way.

Sister Mary Jo, Sobieck, OP
Trust me, people send me social media posts and Instagram reels of religious women all the time. I have never wanted to be a Sister, but I have nothing but love, gratitude and respect for so many of these she-roes in the Catholic Church. I watch them and wait. Are they a spectacle, or do they speak to me? This inquiring mind wants to know.

I started to see a Dominican Sister, Sister Mary Jo Sobieck, OP, on the daily. It's hard not to notice her. (Take a look and you will see why.) A Dominican Sister of Springfield, Illinois, Sister Mary Jo is probably best known for becoming an internet sensation after throwing one of the most memorable ceremonial first pitches in baseball history.

On August 18, 2018, Sister Mary Jo threw out the first pitch at a Chicago White Sox game as part of Marian Catholic's 60th-anniversary celebration.

She stepped onto the mound in her distinctive Dominican habit—white dress and black veil. She bounced the ball off her bicep and then threw a perfect strike over the plate. The video went viral internationally. She subsequently appeared on programs including Good Morning America and ESPN and even ended up with her own Topps' baseball card.

According to Chicago Catholic, she didn't just enjoy the attention. She used the unexpected platform to talk about God, vocation and religious life, particularly with young people. And it didn't stop there.

Today, she offers a "Daily Pitch" on Instagram. The posts connect a passage of Scripture with a real-life lesson. She makes personal and profound connections—continually connecting our joys and struggles, desires and shortcomings, needs, hopes and prayers with the Word of God.

It's wonderful.

And here's the thing: the more I watch, the less I see the spectacle and the more I see the Sister.

The first pitch may have put Sister Mary Jo on the internet's radar, but her daily pitch is something else entirely. She isn't simply throwing a baseball anymore. She's throwing out an invitation—to pay attention, to reflect, to pray, to recognize God in the ordinary stuff of our lives.

Maybe that's what makes her worth watching.

I encourage you to follow Sister Mary Jo. You might come for the first pitch but you'll stay for the daily one. 

I'm so glad we still have sisters in the Catholic Church—past, present and with the grace of God: forever.

Photo Credits
Sister MJ
Sister Steph

My Off Season Win: The Prayer Playbook

HBO’s Hard Knocks: Training Camp is following the Seattle Seahawks—the reigning Super Bowl champions—as they prepare to defend their title. The series begins with three poignant moments: the Super Bowl ring ceremony; players arriving at the stunning, sprawling Virginia Mason Athletic Center (VMAC) in Renton, Washington; and, finally, the first team meeting of the year.

It feels like a Back to School moment. Players take their seats in the auditorium as the head coach, Mike Macdonald offers a warm welcome. "We're back!" he shouts. "Camp already?!" He adds. He changes the slide and says "a couple of wins." On the screen is the word WEDDINGS and underneath it are the photos of four players who got married in the off season. The team claps loudly. Next slide: New Seahawks. Two players had a baby and Macdonald adds that he and his wife are expecting, too. More applause. 

I hate the Seahawks. To me they share the title of chief division rival with the Los Angeles Rams—and still, I love this scene. It moved me so much that I have decided I am using it in Sports and Spirituality for my students first assignment. This is a creative, culture building introductory assignment. It is two or three slides and include a player profile and an off-season win.

But I will be qualifying what I mean by a win. My hope is that my students can share with me something they have accomplished and are proud of. Perhaps they set a goal for the summer and surpassed it. Maybe they learned or practiced something quite challenging and made progress. Although traveling to Turks and Caicos sounds enticing, I am hoping to steer them in a different direction.

My win is this my new website: The Prayer Playbook.

I wanted to create a resource that is attractive, easy to navigate, and genuinely helpful to student-athletes and coaches. As a coach and teacher, I turn to the internet for prayer resources on a regular basis. In my (very) humble opinion, many are poorly curated—listing too many prayers, including prayers that simply don't resonate with my students.

Then I realized I already had a treasure trove of prayers at my fingertips. My Sports and Spirituality students lead prayer every day! So I decided to review the prayers they posted and, just as importantly, recall how the class responded to them. Which prayers sparked conversation? Which ones made students pause? Which ones seemed to speak to their experience of sport and life? The result is what you will find here.

As written on the front page:

This website is designed to help athletes, coaches, athletic directors, team captains, parents, and sports fans develop their own prayer life. Whether you are a youth, high school, collegiate, or adult athlete, my hope is that what you find here will help you grow in faith. What you will find here has been already used by athletes; they are for athletes.

Through praying with her students and athletes, Anne became aware that certain prayers spoke to them in particularly meaningful and memorable ways. As a coach, she also sought to offer her teams a variety of prayer experiences. Over time, she came to believe that student-athletes, coaches, and teams deserve prayer resources that speak directly to the realities of their lives and experiences.

That is the hope behind this site: to provide a collection of prayers and prayer practices that can help you find what you are seeking—whether you are a student-athlete, coach, athletic director, or team looking for a way to pray.

The prayers are organized around the ways people in sports might want to pray: together or alone, before a competition or during a season, in moments of joy or struggle, and through a variety of prayer practices.

No student is required to use my website for leading prayer. If they do, great! But that is certainly not an expectation. However, I DO hope that readers of this blog will pass along this resource to anyone who might use it or speak the language of sports. I am excited to share my off season WIN and see where it goes.

I will also be sharing the loss I experienced this offseason with my students. I want to tell them a little about my mom and how a great loss can shape us, humble us, and make us appreciate people and past experiences even more.

Amidst my grief and sadness, I have wanted to channel my energy toward something life-giving. I believe that is one of the many lessons this offseason has revealed to me: even in loss, we can choose to create something that gives life to others.

I love the finished product—thank you, Stacey! (If you are looking to hire a talented, astute, and experienced web designer who was outstanding to work with, let me know. Thomas, you get the assist!) And, thank you to everyone who offered critiques, ideas, and input along the way. The work is not done. Please keep passing along your ideas and suggestions. Together, we can keep create something beautiful (Mother Teresa)—and maybe even score a few more big wins along the way.

Photo Credits
Team
Team in Auditorium
The Prayer Playbook

Two Things Can Be True: Roger Craig, Football and Formation

Is football a moral issue? I once heard a response to that very question; it stopped me in my tracks. While I do not totally agree, I do know that many parents have stronger opinions about allowing their child play football (or not) than they do about using drugs and alcohol.  Some liken the NFL to the Roman Empire, replete with its gladiatorial games. They would be more than happy if football just went away. The truth is, it's not going away. And the  Pro Football Hall of Fame's Class of 2026 reminded me why it shouldn't.

Those who wear the gold jacket are not ordinary individuals who found success on the gridiron. These athletes are extraordinary men, and each one offered insight into why football is a great game and how it shaped them. Though each speech followed a similar outline—each man recognizing the shoulders upon which he stands, congratulating his classmates, and acknowledging parents, family members, wives, coaches, and teammates—each was also unique. Adversity is a stranger to no one and extends far, far beyond the losses on the field. (I was unaware of Drew Brees' mother's death by suicide.) And still, the second Sunday in August is a day to reflect and remember, give thanks and extend gratitude to God. I can't help but think that if football is a moral issue, then perhaps we should also ask what kind of men—and what kind of people—it helps us become.

As they prepare for a new school year and a fresh season, I believe every high school and youth coach should consider this question. The purpose of this post is to offer one way to enter the season intentionally and collectively—and to begin answering that question together. Thank you, Roger Craig.

Bay Area sports fans were blessed with not one but two Roger Craigs. This Roger was drafted in 1983 by Bill Walsh out of the University of Nebraska (shout out Emerson family!) and was a three time Super Bowl champion. The other Roger Craig also came to Candlestick Park where he managed the Giants baseball team from 1985–1992. In 1989, he led the Giants to the National League pennant—their first since 1962. Humm Baby!

Selected through the Seniors process, it is easy to make a case for Roger Craig’s induction. In fact, his Hall of Fame résumé was evident shortly after his retirement in 1993 (although Canton regulates a five year waiting period). In 1985, Craig became the first player in NFL history with 1,000 rushing and 1,000 receiving yards in the same season. A Four-time Pro Bowler, Craig is known for his distinctive high-knee running style and extraordinary versatility as both a runner and receiver. In 1988, he was named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year. Fun fact: when I ran the Rock n Roll half marathon in San Jose in 2007, I saw him at the finish line. He looked radiant. #33!

Although he was present on the stage—hugging former teammates and friends, Craig elected to show a recording of his speech. Why? He has been diagnosed with vascular dementia—a condition his doctors believe is at least partly connected to head trauma from his football career. This is the price too many players have paid for football. This reality is at the heart of that moral question. And this another reason why coaches ought to show his speech to their team.

One might wonder, Why would a coach spread this story? One might think, What type of parent lets their child play with the pigskin? Craig explains why.

Today, there's another chapter I want to share.

I've been diagnosed with vascular dementia that my doctors believe may be related, at least in part, to the concussions I experienced during my career.

The changes were gradual.

At first, they were easy to dismiss as normal aging.

Over time, my family noticed it, too, and ultimately led us to seek answers from my doctor.

Two things can be true: football gave me opportunities beyond anything I could imagine.

It helped shape the man I became.

At the same time, we know more today about brain health than when I played, and I hope sharing my story encourages people to pay attention to their health and seek help when something doesn't feel right.

I want people to know this diagnosis doesn't define me.

I am still Roger Craig.

I am still a father, a husband, a teammate, a friend, and someone who loves this game and the people who brought it to my life.

If sharing my story helps even one family or one former player, then it's worth it.

Football gave me everything: opportunity, discipline, lifelong friends, and the platform to grow as a man.

What he says is true: a sport can shape a person into who they become—for better or worse. While the health risks always ought to be considered, the truth is that some men are alive because of football. They need the structure, discipline and sacrifice it demands, and for some, football provides a place where aggression and physicality can be channeled in a structured and purposeful way. Football teaches a person what it means to be part of a team and illuminates how different body types, heights and weights can contribute in unique and essential ways. The 5'7" running back and the 6'6" offensive lineman need one another. The player who starts every game and the one who rarely sees the field are both part of something larger than themselves. 

What we must learn from his example is that coaches and athletes have a moral obligation to speak about brain health and the risks of concussions. While many might be tempted to ignore the issue or stay silent, a team should promote a moral imperative to seek help and follow up on any injury, especially to the brain. For those of us who want football to NOT go away, we must speak truth to this power.

Craig said "I didn't realize I was making history, it just felt like we were doing something special as a team." Well once again, he is making history. We know how hard work, staying humble and keeping the faith can transform a person, a team and an entire city. Living out his message is something every football team should do this season. I would start.

Perhaps that is the answer to the question I posed at the beginning: Is football a moral issue? It can be. Not simply because of the risks it carries, but because of the people it forms. Football will teach something to every young person who plays it. The question is whether we, as coaches, will be intentional about what we teach.

So as another season begins, perhaps every coach should ask: What kind of people are we becoming through this game? And what kind of people are we helping our athletes become?

Forty Niner fans got a sense of who Roger Craig was and is. We are better for it. Grateful, too.

Photo Credits
Roger and Bronze
Class of 2026
Niner RB
Video of speech

Golf and Grief

According to the National Eye Institute, only 5–10% of Americans are farsighted. I'm one of them.

For years, I assumed that would give me an advantage on the golf course. Surely I'd be the one who could keep an eye on that tiny 1.68-inch white ball, trace its flight, and help my group find the shots that wandered into the rough. Instead, I was the one asking, "Where did it go?"

Time and again, I lost track of the ball. Sometimes I never saw it at all. My depth perception was off, and I wasn't nearly the spotter I thought I'd be.

My golf girlfriends took me out and gave me the grace to be a lot of things...!

At my annual eye exam, I finally got an explanation. My ophthalmologist told me that the prescription I wear every day intentionally compromises my distance vision in order to improve my vision up close. If I wanted sharper distance vision for golf, I could wear a different prescription or contacts on the course. I decided I would stay with what I have (to be honest, I'm not that a serious of a golfer / good enough to do that).

I did however, find solace is coming to realize that what I was really seeking wasn't a new prescription—it was an explanation. And I got one: My vision, though compromised, is corrected.

Lately, I've realized that's how grief works, too. Death, loss, and sorrow have compromised my vision. They have changed the way I see the world, the future, and even myself. But, I see. In fact, I have resources to correct my vision. Even strengthen it. I'm lucky. And through this experience, I understand that golf has become an unexpected teacher. The purpose of this post is to provide three examples. I hope one or two will resonate with you.

Women Show Up
In the eulogy I gave for my mom, I mentioned the fourth station of the Cross: Jesus meets His Mother. In the time since my mom's death, the significance of the Ninth Station of the Cross has been revealed to me: Jesus meets the Women of Jerusalem. 

It is written that Christ encountered a large crowd of women who mourned and lamented Him. They wanted Him to know this burden was not His to carry alone. 

I joined the Olympic Club in 2013 and signed up for the Women's Golf Network. In 13 years time, I have played and competed against these ladies at home and on travel trips. It is a multigenerational group. We are single and married, with or without children. There are women who are new to golf and others who have played for most of their life. What brings us together is golf. 

These women get it, and that is evidenced by the number of cards, emails and messages I have received from them. They understand the special relationship between mothers and daughters. They know what it's like to lose a parent, and what my mom meant to me. Even though my mom didn't play golf, though she isn't someone they met, they mourn for me.

Grateful for ALL of the cards I received. These are just the ones from my golf girls...

There is no official grief committee among us, and yet I cannot describe how moved I have been by their words of sympathy and condolence, wisdom and kindness. This outreach is remarkable and it's important. I show up at my golf club to have fun and recreate. To be able to go there and know that people know a little bit about the heavy heart I carry makes it easier to be present and in the moment.

Truly, SO many of my colleagues and friends have done the same, but this golf group of women has taken me by surprise; I am grateful.

Look up and Out
The nature of playing golf means there's time to talk. I think it might be easier to open up and talk because both parties are often looking toward the pin and not at each other. Golf leaves its own room for conversation. Somehow that stance makes sharing a little easier. 

I asked a dear friend how he was doing after losing his dad. Some time had passed. He told me he had felt numb for the first few months. Those words stayed with me.

Everyone grieves differently. There is no right way to mourn. But he had given language to something I couldn't yet name. Since my mom died, I haven't had the same edge, the same zip, the same instinct to chase after things. Grief comes in waves. Right now, I'm still in the ocean.

When Jimmy came to my mom's funeral, I told him I finally understood what he had shared with me on the course. "I trust it gets better," I said.

He smiled and replied, "We'll talk."

We're due for another round.

Peripheral Vision
So much about golf is counterintuitive. Less is more. Slow is fast. Trying harder often makes you worse. And while golf demands that you keep your eye on the ball, good golfers rely on their peripheral vision as well. They see more than the shot in front of them. They notice the wind, the contours of the fairway, the hazards, the opening to the green. They hold the whole course in view.

Thinking back over the last seven months, I realized I saw my mom's decline the same way.

Walking down the hallway, I caught a glimpse of her caregiver helping her from the corner of my eye. In that instant, I saw how frail she had become.

Later, leaving the skilled nursing facility, I looked through the rehabilitation room and saw her working with a physical therapist. She was trying so hard to keep up. There were moments when I wondered whether she wanted to get better. That glimpse answered my question. She was fighting with everything she had.

It is brutal to watch someone you love die.

Maybe that's why we never really see it with near sight.We absorb it in glimpses. Out of the corner of our eye. A moment here. A moment there. Slowly, almost mercifully, our hearts begin to accept what our minds cannot bear all at once.

In Conclusion
Golf is a great game because it teaches you about yourself.  It teaches me to look up and out, to accept what is in front of me, to trust companions who walk beside me, and to notice what appears at the edge of my vision. Grief has undoubtedly compromised my sight, but it has not taken away my ability to see. Through faith, friendship, and the quiet lessons of the fairway, my vision continues to be corrected. Maybe that's what healing is—not returning to the way we once saw the world, but learning to see it anew.

But we do not grieve as people without hope, for Christ the Lord has risen to die no more. He has taken us into the mystery and the grace of this life that springs up from death. 
—Constitutions of the Congregation of Holy Cross, Constitution 8.118