Congratulations to the St. Ignatius varsity girls' golf team for beating WCAL rival Valley Christian for the first time in 14 years! With half the varsity squad made up of freshmen, the last time the Wildcats defeated the Warriors, most of these players were still in diapers. This talented, spirited, and spunky team has come a long way, baby! Cheers to the players and their dedicated, hardworking, and outstanding coaches.
Today, the team competed in its final league match against the Lancers of Saint Francis. The win secured a tie for first place in the WCAL. But this is just the first leg of the journey to see how far these Wildcats can go. The goal? Make it to the state championship—and go to Disneyland.
Still riding the wave of the previous day’s victory, the girls arrived with plenty of momentum. Before the match, head coach Dan Schwabe offered a reminder.
Mind you: Dan has the gift of gab. He’s never met a stranger and is seldom at a loss for words. And yet, amid all those words, his messages have a way of hitting home. As I listened to him that day, he offered an image that will stay with me—and, I suspect, with the team. He said...
Go out there and have fun today. Play well. Play smart. Remember, today you get to walk shoulder to shoulder with your teammates. (In the remaining tournaments, players will be grouped with golfers from other schools and leagues).
When we walk shoulder to shoulder creates the trust and This allows us bond as teammates and reminds that you are NOT out there alone!
You are able to gain a sense of calm and confidence from knowing we are in this together!
We gain strength from our teammates and when it seems like your scores may NOT count, make sure to remain engaged in the competition to make sure your partner NEVER feels alone!
Why? Because Together We Rise
His words served as the ideal bridge to our prayer.
As we gathered for our pregame ritual, I realized that we were standing shoulder to shoulder. We formed a circle and began with our traditional antiphon: Let us remember... We are in the holy presence of God. We linked arms and bowed our heads.
I invited everyone to pray for the person beside them, touching their right shoulder. Then I asked them to pray for the person standing on their left, touching their left shoulder.
Over the course of this season, we have walked together many times. I invited the team to take a moment to pray for the teammates and coaches with whom they had walked, shoulder to shoulder.
We concluded with the Prayer of Generosity.
At the inaugural North American Sports and Arts Chaplaincy Conference, Father Nate Wills, C.S.C., chaplain to the Notre Dame football team, urged those serving in this role to do more than simply show up. "This is more than a ministry of presence. I believe a chaplain is there to listen, engage, stay courageous and give/bring hope."
I don't think we can underestimate the importance of showing up. In the busyness of life, too many people don't. But ministry asks more of us than simply being present. It asks us to pay attention, to listen, to engage, and to offer hope.
I found a message of hope in Coach Schwabe's words. Golf is an individual sport, but high school golf is also a communal experience. Players may compete one shot at a time, but they don't have to walk the course alone. They share the journey, encourage one another, and learn to carry the weight of a difficult round together. And eventually, they must step into tournaments where they will walk alongside unfamiliar competitors, carrying with them what they have learned from the community that shaped them.
I don't entirely understand how I came to this position as the team's chaplain. Perhaps it was a calling. I sensed a need in the life of the school, and responded with a team I knew. This is my first year in the role, and I'm still discovering what it means to serve these young women.
But perhaps understanding isn't a prerequisite for responding. Sometimes we recognize a need, feel an invitation, and take the next step. We show up. We listen. We engage. We hope.
In her book, "Traveling Mercies" one of my favorite spiritual authors, Anne Lamott writes, "I do not at all understand the mystery of grace—only that it meets us where we are but does not leave us where it found us."
Sometimes, grace meets us standing in a circle. Shoulder to shoulder.
Photo Credits
No comments:
Post a Comment