The Perfect Integration of Mind, Body and Soul

Recently, Our Sunday Visitor, a national Catholic weekly newspaper published a provocative story entitled:

Why are Catholic schools so good at sports?

OSV pursued this lead because of ESPN’s rankings of high school athletics. It turns out that two of the top five nationally ranked football programs are at Catholic schools as are two of the top five boys’ basketball and three of the top five boys’ soccer programs. Two of the top five girls’ soccer programs are Catholic and, locally, Mater Dei’s girls’ basketball is ranked #1 in the nation.

The story led with an analysis of the stereotyped responses favored by public schools:

• Catholic schools can pick and choose their (student) athletes

• They have more resources to put into athletic facilities

• They recruit athletes by giving them scholarships

Space doesn’t allow me to list the arguments that put the lie to this stereotype, particularly as I was quite impressed with the arguments made by representatives of Catholic-identified organizations which underscore many of the same athletic values we espouse at La Salle. I was particularly intrigued by the comments of Ray McKenna, founder and president of Catholic Athletes for Christ who noted that:

There are transcendent values that we can learn from sports. First, practice reminds us that no matter how talented you are, you just can’t show up the day of the game and expect to succeed. It’s the same thing with our faith. You just can’t say you’re Catholic and not partake in the sacraments, not having a daily prayer life. These are all parts of being ready for the moment and being prepared.

It never occurred to me that the discipline which Catholic schools bring to the transmission of our faith mirrors the discipline one finds our teenage athletes experiencing on the field and court. It makes sense, in retrospect, when we consider - as the OSV story did - the central role high school athletics plays in integrating the virtues of physical fitness, sportsmanship and perseverance. These considerations echo the message Blessed John Paul II often articulated in his “Theology of the Body” - that the resurrected body in heaven is the sum of these virtues which represents the fullness of our human potential. McKenna reinforces this message:

Sports, properly understood, is directed at the perfect integration of body, mind and soul.

That is the Catholic perspective.

At La Salle, we know that the purpose of high school sports is to align the teenagers’ athletic potential with their personal - and yes - their spiritual potential. And there is the rub. Teenagers - and often times adults - confuse winning with success. While we all are thrilled to see championship banners proudly displayed in the Duffy Lewis Gymnasium, it is vital that they are put into the proper context. Success is the product of the internalization of the virtues that lie at the core of high school athletics - and they are very much Catholic virtues:

• concern for one’s teammates

• disciplined behavior

• focus on the greater goal

• learning from our mistakes.

Championships - also Runner-up titles - are derived from the demonstration of these virtues. And, in the end, coaches - like teachers - are the critical link to the successful integration of athletic - and Catholic - virtues. Paul Mach, program coordinator for National CYO Sports puts it this way: “Coaches are Youth Ministers.” Some day I’d love to see La Salle show up in the ESPN rankings. And, as is true of any human institution, we don’t always get it right. That having been said, I’m encouraged by the daily demonstration of the virtues that will lead to success on and off the field.