Catholic Athletes For Christ Compete For The Ultimate Prize

by James Penrice

Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to announce the resurrection to the disciples. (Matthew 28: 8)

There’s nothing new about women using their athletic ability to spread the news of Jesus; they’re just becoming more organized.

Responding to Pope John Paul II’s call to use athletics as a field of evangelization, Catholic Athletes For Christ (www.catholicathletesforchrist.com) was formed in 2006 to spread the gospel in and through the world of sports. Comprised of both male and female athletes from professional and amateur sports, many women are playing significant roles in this important ministry. Meet some who are making a big difference.

Touching All the Bases

Alyson Habetz was an All-State (Louisiana) athlete in high school. She earned both academic and athletic scholarships to the University of Louisiana-Lafayette where she excelled in basketball and softball. The third team All-American helped lead the Ragin' Cajuns to the Women's College World Series. In basketball she became the school’s seventh all-time scorer with over 1000 points.After graduation Alyson played for the Colorado Silver Bullets and Long Beach Aces women's professional baseball teams. She is now assistant softball coach at the University of Alabama.

Yet despite this impressive athletic resume, sports are not the most important thing in Alyson’s life; her Catholic faith comes first and foremost. “Without my faith,” Alyson says, “my life in sports would be an emotional roller coaster: my self worth would be based on winning and losing.  My faith gives me balance and brings a true peace within that helps me deal with the tough times and trust in God’s holy will.” Alyson advises athletes to “understand that your sport does not define you. Playing a sport is what you do, it is not who you are.  Your identity and self worth is not found in whether you win or lose, it is found in knowing that you are a child of God, created by Him and chosen by Him to fulfill a special purpose in life. His love for you is unconditional. God loves you just as much when you are 0 for 4 as He does when you are 4 for 4.”

Never On Thin Ice

Gabriella Howard began figure skating at the age of eleven in Stoneham, Massachusetts. At sixteen she moved to Milan, Italy to train with the Italian National Olympic Team. One year later she returned to the U.S. to train at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, New York. Gabriella has competed for the U.S. in numerous high-level skating competitions. Having retired from competitive skating in 2006 she now attends college in San Francisco, majoring in Communications with a minor in Sports Training and Therapy. But above all Gabriella loves to share her Catholic faith, and particularly enjoys working in youth ministry.

Gabriella’s advice to Catholic athletes is simple and to the point: “Pray. Offer up to God all that you do. Know that He gave you the gift that you have and cherish it. He gave it to you to share with other people, so that you could be His hands and feet to reach out to others.” Relating her faith to athletics, Gabriella says, “When my skating was struggling or I felt down, my faith brought me up. Feeling upset during practice actually brought me closer to God.” She adds, “Being an athlete teaches you discipline and dedication. The dedication you have for your sport should be the same dedication you have for your faith and God.”

Diving Deeper Into Faith

Gaelyn Felix competed as a diver for eleven years, culminating with her collegiate success at Stanford University. Yet she began to realize that her sport was becoming her “god.” When her career ended an identity crisis followed, because diving had become “who she was.” With the grace of God she dove deeper into her spiritual life once her career was over. Both while competing and afterwards, Gaelyn learned to call on Jesus to help with her fears. Now she tries to keep sport in a proper perspective. Gaelyn realizes that sport is fueled by God to glorify Him, not ourselves.  She encourages other athletes to integrate God into their pursuits.

While discerning her vocation in life, Gaelyn spent nine months with the Nashville Dominicans (not a sports team--a community of religious sisters.)  She learned that she is not called to religious life, but rather to the sacrament of marriage. One of Gaelyn’s favorite biblical quotes is “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me”. (Philippians 4:13)

Faith of Olympic Proportions

Two other women making key contributions to Catholic Athletes for Christ are 2006 Olympic cross-country skier Rebecca Dussault, and 2008 Olympic swimming contender

Kate Ziegler, both of whom serve on the CAC Athlete Advisory Board. Rebecca speaks of her “truest love of all, the Lord Jesus Christ and His Holy Catholic Church. My faith is the most important thing in my life. It is the only thing which I cannot be parted from and is what gives me daily hope. He is the lover of my soul and my secret hiding place.”

“This is my body, given up for you”

Catholic Athletes for Christ contemplates these words not only as Jesus’ institution of the Eucharist, but as the motto of every Catholic who engages in athletics. When an athlete commits to a sport they make this pledge to their teammates, coaches and fans. An athlete offers his or her body and all that dwells within--mind, spirit and will--in sacrifice to better someone and something beyond themselves. As people of the Eucharist, Catholic athletes make this sacrifice not merely in imitation of Christ, but truly in him and through him. Sports are thus a powerful avenue for Eucharistic living. CAC works to share this good news with Catholic athletes everywhere.

Published in True Girl Magazine. Visit their site at truegirlmagazine.net