The Ministry of Letter Writing: An Open Letter and Response to Steph Curry

I believe letter writing is a true ministry. Ask any senior who attends a Kairos retreat and I suspect they share my conviction. So will Amnesty International, an organization I was introduced to through this ministry. Every Sunday after mass, they set up tables in the parish hall asking the faithful to write letters for the release of political prisoners. I learned about many countries and human rights abuses through their letter writing campaign. Their efforts are another way of demonstrating why I believe in this ministry: it is an act of love. The Open Letter to Steph Curry by Barbara Boxer is a case in point.

I'm a huge fan of the open letter. I've written a few on this blog and I appreciate the spirit behind these types of missives. They are meant for the public to read, reflect upon and more often than not, they initiate dialogue. That's what a letter intends to do: pen to paper, one's choice of words, their handwriting and the stationery itself speaks.

More often than not, the open letter is written to challenge the reader. It seeks to raise questions and bring a concern or idea to the public for consideration. But this is by no means the purpose of Senator Boxer's letter. If ever there was an easy open letter to write, this is it. But I'll give credit where credit it due—actually to both parties. To the senior California senator for crafting it and to the man, a two-time Most Valuable Player who has made so much happen.

Dear Steph, 

I have not written a fan letter to an athlete since I was a young girl and wrote to one of my personal heroes, Jackie Robinson. 

But decades later, after watching your incredible performance Monday night coming off a tough injury, I felt compelled to openly praise your extraordinary accomplishments, your indomitable spirit and the lessons you are teaching millions of young people. 

In my adult life, I have looked at sports as a metaphor for life. The intense focus you must bring to every game, the ability to work respectfully with others as part of a team, and the toughness to overcome adversity are skills that are as just as important off the basketball court as on it. 

Steph, you have shown us all how it is done. You have demonstrated it with your relentless work ethic. You have demonstrated it with your leadership, which is reflected best in the way your teammates talk about you. You have demonstrated it with the passion and sheer joy that you bring to every game. 

It is no surprise to anyone who follows basketball that you earned your second straight MVP award today — the first time in NBA history that a player won with a unanimous vote. You shattered the league record (which you set just last season!) by shooting 402 three-pointers this year. You led an amazing group of players and coaches to a historic achievement — winning 73 games this season. 

Your fans in the Bay Area and around the world are in awe of your athletic skill and your impeccable character. You have made the people of California, and their Senator, very proud. 

These playoffs are not over — and there is much more that you and your team have yet to accomplish. But it is not too soon to say this: congratulations and thank you for your unforgettable performances on and off the court this year! 

Sincerely,
Senator Barbara Boxer

We write letters to people we love—thank you St. Valentine, and about people we admire. I have noticed that some of the great people in history are voracious letter writers. From the PBS series by Ken Burns "The Roosevelts: An Intimate History," I learned that Teddy Roosevelt wrote a letter a day. Eleanor Roosevelt kept both a daily journal and had a robust relationship with the USPS. My brother once told me that George H. W. Bush sends over 500 Christmas cards, each with a personal note. His book "All My Best" is a collection of his letters. One of the more poignant missives is a letter he wrote to his daughter Robin who died of leukemia two months shy of her fourth birthday. I think they are on to something. Writing takes you out of yourself. You are tasked with thinking of another person, who they are and what you want to share. The greats don't just know this, they do it.

In my own life, I have been blessed with many letters from Tony Sauer, SJ much beloved former President of St. Ignatius College Prep. I believe our school community should publish a book of his letters. They have been written for every possible cause—congratulations, sympathy, health updates, dreams deferred, gratitude, hope and much more. If you've received one, you probably held on to it for some time; for they are much more than note with some chicken scratch on it. No. are the fruit of what I believe is a spiritual discipline.

What's happening with the Golden State Warriors right now is worth sharing beyond the cover of Sports Illustrated or Sports Center's highlight reel. The gifts and talents of Stephen Curry are worthy of public praise, support in the spoken word and the written one. 

What might you write about in an open letter? If I were write one, I might add something about his faith, for he reminds me of Eric Liddell, championship Olympic runner and the subject of the movie "Chariots of Fire." Liddell's brother proclaimed "What we need now is a muscular Christian, someone who will make folks sit up and notice." When you drain 17 points in overtime after hurting your knee, it's hard not to....thanks Steph.

Photo Credits
Steph Smile
MVP
Muscular Christian

Sports, Spirituality and Shoes...

If shoes could talk... Considering the pathways they have tread, the locales they have encountered, the places they have been taken off and where they are needed to be put on, I would like to hear their stories—especially those involving sports and spirituality.

While social scientists will say shoes are a reflection of our personality, I would like to underscore that they are an extension of our humanity. For example, one of the more poignantly painful exhibits at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC is a large room full of shoes. Just shoes. It's hard not to think of the men, women and children who removed them before they walked to their fiery grave. It's one thing to see the numbers of those who were killed and another to see their own shoes left behind. 

I saw Bruce Springsteen play for the 23rd time this past March. A regular to the General Admission section, I decided to wear my running shoes to a concert for the first time. I stood for nearly 4 hours, most of which was spent dancing and raising the "Badlands" fist in unison with the Boss. I wondered if wearing these shoes was a sign of my age or my wisdom. 

One of my favorite songs on "The River Tour," somewhat to my surprise is "Drive All Night." Springsteen weaves a powerfully haunting story of love lost through poetic lyrics and Jake Clemons commands the saxophone to speak what words do not. God it's good. Listen here. 

The line that stands out to me—to most anyone—is when the The Boss sings, I would drive all night...just to buy you some shoes.

His voice, his body language, the raw emotion make me you believe he would drive all night...but to buy some shoes? It's not intended to be a mystery. In fact, it's as real as it gets. 

I love shoes like many women do, but I don't have what some deem to be "a collection" of them. I don't have any that are super impractical and I don't have any with diamonds on the soles (sorry Paul Simon!) just yet. But, I have some good ones—really good ones—and even more stories that include shoes, sports and spirituality. Here are but a few...

A former co-worker and I would grab a beer after Baccalaureate Mass to share our highs and lows of the year. I miss you Bill! I must share this ritual with another colleague as I already know one of the highlights. It may sound shameless, but one them involves a compliment about my Nike Flyknit running shoes.  

It was spirit week and we had free dress so I was wearing jeans and these new Nike running shoes, which I spent a lot money and effort to buy. Rather than rush out of the classroom at the end of class, three senior boys who had been conspiring for a few minutes surrounded me to let me know what was on their minds. "Ms Stricherz, your shoes are on point today." No stories of personal conversion, no deep connection to the curriculum or challenging questions, just a simple word of praise about my shoes. That's a great day.

In fact, I like these shoes so much that when I read "Perfect Ending" a feature piece in Sports Illustrated about women's NCAA basketball champion Breanna Stewart, I'm not sure that if I met her, I wouldn't talk to her about shoes. (blog post on her coming soon)

She wrote "away from basketball, I like to shop for shoes. I probably own hundreds. There's a pair that I just got, and I love them so much that I don't know if I will ever wear them." Never mind the fact that no other athlete has ever done what she did: win four straight national championships, I want to know why she wouldn't wear those shoes. I feel connected to her in sports and in shoes; that's as human as it gets. 

In the TIME Magazine article "What Your Shoes Say About You," Alexandra Sifferlin writes,

Strangers can tell a lot about you, just by checking out your footwear — at least according to researchers from the University of Kansas and Wellesley College. 

Reading that report reminded me of the first time I met someone— a good friend. Along with his older brother, we went to New Orleans' Jazz Fest. He was wearing Stan Smiths LONG before they came back as cool once again. In the same way that Red speaks of Andy Dufrense in the Shawshank Redemption, "it's safe to say I liked Mike [sic] from the start." I got to see Mike in 2010 after diagnosis of my heart condition; I knew my time with running was limited...but I had a new sport, golf. Mike gave me good advice that I still think about today: "leave your sticks but always pack golf shoes." I was headed on a trip where I knew I would play 18 holes, but I wasn't sure what to bring. His words reminded me that there's a turning point for casual participants/amateur athletes. When you make that purchase for sport specific shoes, a page has been turned. And when you travel with them, it's game time.

Our shoes carry hundreds of stories, simply because we do. And my guess is more of them are spiritual than we realize. I can't help but think back to one as written in "Love Begets Love: Thank you Matt Kemp" about former LA Dodger/Giants killer Matt Kemp who met a Joshua Jones, a boy with an inoperable brain tumor at AT&T park. Kemp learned that he was this young man's favorite player and heard of his illness. After the game, Kemp came to give him an autographed baseball, words of encouragement and prayers. But in their meeting, he gave much more: he handed him his batting glove, his baseball cap, his jersey...and then all that he had left to give: his cleats.

Perhaps this is what Springsteen means when he says he would drive all night, just to buy you some shoes. It's speaking to the idea that love asks us to give everything we got. Sports and spirituality isn't much different. 

Photo Credits
Nike Flyknits
Stan Smith

The Chicken Runs at Midnight...Alleluia

Pope Francis wakes up every morning at 4:30 a.m. to pray for an hour and half. 90 minutes! He then presides over the holy sacrifice of the Mass, another way of prayer. No wonder the Holy Father is able to do what he does—walk along the peripheries, touch those in need, and extend mercy; he is rooted in a relationship with God. That anchor is prayer.

Throughout my adult life, I have read the daily readings everyday...and then strayed from them. Reading the Gospel is a powerful way to start my day. Why I commit to reading them is obvious to me. Your words Oh Lord as spirit and life. And why I let things go and break that habit? I'm not so sure.

My advice to anyone who wants to be more like Francis in his spiritual discipline, is to pick a form and way of prayer that "works." Maybe it's reading the daily devotionals like Living with Christ or This Day. For me, it has been reading and praying with Faith ND. Reading the Good News lives up to its name; it's a good, better and best experience—if there is such a thing. Yesterday's reading and reflection was one of them.

First, I love the 50 days of the Easter season, Eastertide. Christ dwells in these liminal places, between heaven and earth. He has yet to return to the Father (still not sure what that means) and yet we know he has been crucified, he died, was buried and rose from the dead. Alleluia! He appears and reappears. He continues to teach and sets hearts on fire. He is with his disciples but is seeking to relate to them in a new way.

When Joe Reis connected this Gospel reading to what he studied in psychology, I was hooked. AP Psychology is a very popular course for seniors at St. Ignatius where I teach. Anytime I have a chance to connect theology and psychology, I can and I will. Call me Ms Cross Curriculum, I believe these two subjects can compliment each other for a new level of understanding. But the connections didn't stop there; it prompted me to think of the Communion of Saints.

I believe in the Communion of Saints. I say it with conviction. I have written about it many times and love teaching what it means to my students. This was a new and welcome way to teach about this rich Catholic tradition.

So, yesterday was a good day. I prayed this Gospel reading  with my seniors, shared Joe's reflection. I gave the psych experts in my class a chance to speak about object permanence and then share with them my favorite example of the Communion of Saints. I can't believe I haven't written about it before. No time like the present.

As seen in the video "Champions of Faith" long time MLB baseball coach Rich Donnelly had strayed from his Catholic faith. He was embarrassed to go to Mass. His priorities were far from the Church. That is, until his 18 year old daughter Amy got a brain tumor.

Amy, his only daughter had a zest for life and a creative perspective on it. She once asked her father: What do you yell at your players when you are standing in the third base coach's box: The chicken runs at midnight, or what? Where she came up with that thought and why— the Donnellys did not know. But, it caught on. In fact, Amy once called her dad on the road and told the traveling secretary to write the following on a written phone message "The Chicken Runs at Midnight. Love, Amy."

Amy underwent chemo and radiation, but died of cancer. Her two brothers decided they would inprint one message on her tombstone. It said:

Donnelly stayed in MLB and away from his faith. When Amy died, I wonder if anyone had told him about the Communion of Saints. I hope they did. Here's why:

Jim Heft has written, "Catholics believe in the "communion of saints." Even though people die, we stay in touch with them and they with us. How is this possible? It is possible through Baptism by which we enter into the death and resurrection of Jesus. Even though Jesus died, he rose from the dead, remaining even more present than when he was on earth to all who believed in him. We live in Christ. Those who have died believing in Christ remain alive in him." 

In 1997, five years after Amy's death, Rich Donnelly had the good fortune of being in the World Series, coaching the Florida Marlins. In Game 7 against the Cleveland Indians, Craig Counsell led off the eleventh inning with a single. Counsell was known as "the Chicken" because he would flap his arms like one in his batting stance. He moved to third and when one of his teammates hit a single up the middle, he scored from third base to win the championship. Donnelly's two sons, were sitting in the stands. They hugged and greeted their father and one of them said with tears in his eyes, "Dad! Look at the clock!!!" Donnelly looked up to see the time, not knowing what he was talking about. Brian said "Dad the chicken ran at midnight."

That was a turning point for Rich Donnelly and his Catholic faith. He said that moment, which I believe is sacramental, reminded him to return to another way of being.

Any relationship rooted in love seeks to do good for another, even long after death. As object permanence suggests, "presence can continue even if something or someone is no longer observable through the senses." Rich Donnelly came to realize that returning to his faith not only brought him closer to God but to his daughter Amy, albeit in a new way. That is the Communion of saints. I have come understand it in my own life. I've also realized that prayer, the Gospel, daily readings and more help me pay attention to what the Saints and everyday saints want me to hear. I wouldn't mind it if "the chicken runs at midnight" was it...blessed be.

The full story of the Chicken Runs at Midnight can be found here

Photo Credits
Pope Francis prayer
Faith ND
Saints
Amy's tombstone

What We Love and Miss in Sports: Thank you Jeff Samardzija

Every so often the sports stars align. Fans take inventory in the early hours of the morning and realize they were treated to a great sports night just hours earlier. Exciting games, spectacular feats, unique plays and web gems abound. I love going to work or to the gym the morning after one of those nights to hear what reports dominate the airwaves among my fellow sports' junkies. Though the Golden State Warriors playoff game against the Portland Trailblazers was exciting, I couldn't wait to show my students one thing: Jeff Samardzija channeling Bo Jackson. What he did reminds me that sports is a gift. Watching athletes we love perform and compete is never a given. When we see greatness, it's natural to think back upon other outstanding moments in sports history. It's easy to think ahead to what will be. But, we are always called to live in the moment. And as Mary Oliver writes,  "Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it." Hell yeah.

Although Samardzija's strike out wasn't particularly exciting or memorable his reaction was. Personally, I love that a pitcher, the baseball player who is quite often the least likely to get a hit was this upset by his performance at the plate. It's not as though he were batting clean up with the bases loaded. Doesn't matter to The Shark. #baller. But, I know his feat prompted one of two responses.

1. I sure wish he still played football.
2. I miss Bo Jackson.

More on that here.

Though Notre Dame fans know that Samardzija, a wide receiver for the Irish made the smart choice career wise to play in the MLB, every single one of them says the same thing to me: I miss seeing him catch touchdowns...I would love to see him play in the NFL....How great was it watching that guy pull down the pigskin ....great hands/great hops... We knew the Brady Quinn—Shark connection was special when it was happening on those Saturdays in the Fall from 2003-2006. When I think back on them, I can't help but smile. I don't miss Charlie Weis, but I miss wondering what the Notre Dame offense might do when Quinn was chumming the water.

Today, the Shark swims in new ones. And as last night demonstrated, it's still fun to watch him play. I took immense satisfaction in hearing that Giants' catcher Buster Posey say, 

“He has some of the most explosive stuff I’ve caught from start to finish. I can’t think of any guy from the first inning through the last with the kind of (velocity) and action he had tonight." 

Wow, wow, wow.  Irish fans, give thanks for the memories. Giants fans, enjoy the ride.

Perhaps it's more than coincidence that Samardzija posed for a poster that was a remake of a one that hung in thousands of college dorm rooms in the mid-80s. What he did in Cincinnati was something Bo Jackson did with ease. Jackson, one of my favorite athletes of all time treated the baseball bat as though it were a tooth pick, breaking it over his knee in more than one game and over HIS HEAD in another. In the "30 for 30: You Don't know Bo," one of Jackson's teammates said he once tried this maneuver and nearly broke his leg. 

Seeing Samardzija channel Bo Jackon made me wish for that time when you might see Bo mimic spiderman in the outfield, catching a well hit baseball, nailing a baserunner at homeplate...with his throw from..the outfield (not cut-off man required), or looking for him on the sidelines talking fellow Raider, Marcus Allen. Jackson made great athletes look good. A hip injury ended his career too early. Though he returned to baseball for a time, Bo knew retirement. 

The legend of Bo Jackson lives on...but we sure do miss him.

It's a funny time of year to think about missing those we love and wanting to hold on to them and their memory. During these 50 days of the Easter season, Christ appeared to his disciples. He broke bread and even ate fish with them. He let them touch his wounds. His mere presence set hearts on fire. I look for the Lord in an intentional way during Eastertide. I hope to catch a glimpse of Him and listen to what He has to say. It's not easy to see, but the heart gives it away. And though it may seem insignificant—in that same spirit—I try to make something more out of those great nights in sports. I believe there's something for all of us to feast on. Today, it was a realization to appreciate the here and now...we'll miss it later.

Photo Credits
Quinn and Samardzija
Samardzija Knows
Bo Breaks

Basketball at the University of Notre Dame: Promoting Human Equality

Every last part of me wants to agree with William Byron when he writes, "Principles, once internalized, lead to something. They prompt activity, impel motion, direct choices. A principled person always has a place to stand, knows where he or she is coming from and likely to end up. Principles always lead the person who possesses them somewhere, for some purpose, to do something, or choose not to." But as someone who has taught teenagers for the past 15 years, I believe that principles are not enough. I wish they were, for they are foundational and offer a grounding for dialogue, inquiry and understanding about the moral life. But the head is separate from the heart, and it's different. For principles to be effective, they must be grounded in one thing: experience.

In my time at St. Ignatius, I have taught a few students for two years in a row and I've always felt that is a great privilege. Teaching junior ethics and then working with a good number of the same students during their senior year means that I know those kids fairly well. And I've seen and hear the great conflict that arises...good kids, really good kids KNOW the material. They agree with the principles in theory and yet they debate their efficacy, their practicality in the "real world" and the challenge they present. 

For example, during her Spring Break, a former student returned to my class to deliver a presentation on "The Sexualization of Female Athletes." She pointed out that much more than a double standard exists between male and female athletes. Furthermore, they are seeking more than equal pay for equal work. Media attention is a place to start. (SportsCenter provides less than 4% of its airtime to women's sports). They want respect and a better understanding of what they do. Much of her presentation parallels the Nine for IX episode "Branded." ESPN writes:

The double standard placed on female athletes to be the best players on the field and the sexiest off of it. Through stories of the women who have faced and tackled this question in very different ways, "Branded" explores the question: can women's sports ever gain an equal footing with their male counterparts, or will sex appeal always override achievement?

I was excited for my students to continue the conversations we once had in ethics through the lens of Sports and Spirituality on this topic. I believed the principles that framed our study would offer a fruitful dialogue. Instead, I left disappointed and disheartened. Truly, some of my most trusted male students were very close minded. They were resistant to the information. Rather than listen with humility or any sense of empathy, they became defensive and accusatory. I had seen this spirit in them before, it was back again.

I thought back to what they had learned one year prior. Byron writes: 

The Principle of Human Equality."Equality of all persons comes from their essential dignity.... While differences in talents are a part of God’s plan, social and cultural discrimination in fundamental rights... are not compatible with God’s design" ("Summary," pp. 23-4). 

Treating equals equally is one way of defining justice, also understood classically as rendering to each person his or her due. Underlying the notion of equality is the simple principle of fairness; one of the earliest ethical stirrings felt in the developing human person is a sense of what is "fair" and what is not.

Though I believe teaching the principles of Catholic Social Teaching is necessary, and our curriculum must include what our tradition promote and upholds, it has limited authority if it remains abstract. I must be grounded in an experience. And that is why I can't stop thinking and wanting to talk about an article from "The Players Tribune: Get with the Program"

Grant thoughtfully describes the culture of men's and women's basketball at Notre Dame. He names what most fans probably know Notre Dame will always be a football school first, but states but the next biggest show on campus is women’s hoops. He shares his limited understanding of women's basketball prior to his time in South Bend and what the culture taught him about it. In fact, he says "One of the coolest things about the culture we had at Notre Dame was that it was normal to see women’s and men’s basketball as being equally important." If this is remotely true—and I have a sense that it is—then this might be one of the things I am the most proud of as a alum.

Super proud of the fact that co-captains of the Men's basketball team graduated last May.

I've talked to my colleagues at St. Ignatius where I teach about how we might create a similar culture. Synapses have flown. Ideas and input hasn't been met without resistance, questions and conerns. And yet, every coach has recognized the culture didn't just happen. It started somewhere. Usually those things start at the top....but who knows, maybe it was student, or in this case, student-athlete driven!

I believe there is too much at stake to not further consider how we might create a similar culture We all must recognize our perceptions and biases, but can we be open to what we might learn or gain? My assessment of Jerian Grant's story is that he gained respect and friendship. To me, that sounds like the ideal footing for the promotion of human equality.

Photo Credits