What You Say, What You Do AND How You Make People Feel Part II

I did not intend to create a Part II to "What You Say, What You Do AND How You Make People Feel" but too much was too good not to do so. Thank you graduates! I'll let the images, quotes, links to articles and prayers speak for themselves, but this blog posting might serve as a resource for a few things to watch and read this summer. 

"In the dust of defeat as well as the laurels of victory there is a glory to be found if one has done his best." —Eric Liddell

Gonzaga High School in Washington, DC sent this poster to the students at St. Jo3's Prep in Philadelphia.
Ryan Gillyard '18 died during Spring Football practice. He was 15 years old.

“Our Catholic schools would not have school athletic programs if we did not believe that they provide a special opportunity to teach values to our young men and women. The late John Paul II noted, “while playing sports, Christians…find help in developing the cardinal virtues- fortitude, temperance, prudence and justice.” —Play Like a Champion Today

Summer is a good time to catch up on my Netflix queue. Thanks to three students who learned about the state of baseball in the Dominican Republic in their Spanish 3 course, I learned a little bit more about MLB's farm system there and the movie "Ballplayer: Pelotero."

One of my students' favorite assignments is their Sports in the News presentations. Their task is to inform their classmates of a current issue of debate in the "wide world of sports." They must raise ethical questions, research the "why" and take a stand. You won't be surprised by what was discussed—Deflategate, Domestic Violence, and the Sexualization of Female Athletes. Others included...

"Under a sportsmanship model, healthy competition is seen as a means of cultivating personal honor, virtue, and character." —What Role Does Ethics Play In Sports?

The salaries of college coaches. I have often wondered whether or not those coaches who work at at public university—Cal Berkeley, Michigan and Ohio State—are the highest paid employees in the state. Many sports fans couldn't believe Charlie Weis is still the highest paid one at Notre Dame. I was just excited to see Coach McGraw makes more than Coach Kelly.

Notre Dame sent out a special e-mail recognizing those graduates who are student athletes. Those who played a varsity sport at ND are members of the "Monogram Club." I noticed senior basketball stars Jerian Grant and Pat Connaughton were heavily profiled. And then I realized why....

A very provocative presentation. I have no easy answer to this one....

In my class' NCAA Tourney Pool, half of the proceeds went to Bo's "Give Me a Chance Foundation." The other half? to the winner!

"I was always active - I went from baseball to football. I didn't have time to work out."
—Bo Jackson

In spite of the fact Cathy is wearing a Dodgers beanie, sharing this story with my students brought true Easter Joy!
Worth reading: One Homeless Convert Sponsors Another, One Year Later