Lighting the Way: Student Athletes

INCORPORATING

JESUIT VALUES

Lighting

as a STUDENT ATHLETE

the Way

Enhancing Your Education

T

his book was written by student-athletes as an introduction to the values for which Jesuit education is best known.

As you read each of the essays, you are invited to personally

The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.

reflect on the theme to gain a deeper understanding of the core principles encountered in your studies and to get the most out of your education as a student-athlete.

ď ľ Herbert Spencer

INTRODUCTION 3

Cura Personalis

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hen asked to write this essay, Ignatian principles were something I thought I knew very little about. So, in order to write about cura personalis, I went to the person I knew would be able to help me the most: my philosophy professor, Cyril Whitaker, S.J. I was a little embarrassed when his initial response was, “You’ve been sitting in a class about cura personalis for weeks, my friend.” However, after discussing this Ignatian hallmark with him, I realized that cura personalis is not only something I know, but something I should apply to my life.

Latin for “care of the whole individual,” cura personalis is the epitome of how we should all live our lives, but I did not realize this until Fr. Whitaker introduced me to a discussion of the body and the soul. The human person is a combination of the body and soul. The soul is the essence within us that makes us alive. It is our human spirit. From this essence, comes the formation of the body.

The body cannot do something without the soul. They act as one.

Knowing this, I now realize that in everything I do, I have to act so that I care for both parts that make me human. So, caring for the whole individual involves more than acting simply for the survival of something. Any coach will tell you they can see a clear difference between playing because you care and just going through the motions. And any teacher  Kareem Abdul-Jabbar can tell the difference between an engaged student and one who is “just getting by.”

you play with your soul as well as your body.

Throughout my career as a student-athlete, though, I lost sight of that. Don’t get me wrong, it is vital to show up to class and soccer practice, and to study and do extra work off the field. But at the end of the day, I got caught up in obligations. I forgot to play because it made me happy and because I love to compete.

I forgot to engage in my classes because I have wanted to be a teacher for as long as I can remember.

DONIELLE WHITE | WOMEN’S SOCCER

It’s not the size of a man, but the size of his heart that matters. 

Evander Holyfield, boxing

She taught me that it’s ok to let down your guard and allow your players to get to know you. They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care. 

P at Summitt, all-time winningest coach in NCAA basketball history

...I’d proven to the world that maturity, experience, dedication and ingenuity can make up for a little senescence. Muscle tightening is not the only thing that happens to our bodies over time. We gain knowledge, focus and understanding, and those things can help us win. 

ara Torres, first swimmer D from the United States to compete in five Olympic Games

CURA PERSONALIS

We live in a society where a tangible result is the optimal goal.

You know what you are aiming for—an A on a test, a goal in a game, a perfect paper. But in your pursuit it is easy to forget why you chose that pursuit. I did. I spent my first three years just hitting the benchmarks. I told myself, though, that this year, my senior year, I would do things because they were good for my soul. I’d spend more time in class thinking about how I could apply what I learned rather than how I could summarize it for a test. I’d go to practice and thank God I am able to play. And I’d play because I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else. I don’t know who originally said, “Do what you love and love what you do,” but he couldn’t have been more right.

RELATED QUOTES

5

Discernment

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he modern student-athlete gets pulled in all directions. We are often spread too thin. Class, practice, weight training, homework, extracurricular activities, friends, family, coaches, administrators—they all require our attention at different times during the day. This, in turn, makes for some hectic days. As a result, student-athletes are faced with choices every day—the choice to sleep in instead of going to class; the choice to be with friends or to do assignments; the choice to try to get by without giving your all.

It is within these choices we shape who we are. It is through the process of discernment that the choices we make begin to teach us what is right and wrong. This is a process in which we may look to God for guidance. This process in which we decide internally what is right and wrong is critical to our formation as individuals, and to determining what the next step in our lives will be.

Find something that you’re really interested in doing in your life. Pursue it, set goals and commit yourself to excellence.

As I near graduation, I am leaning more heavily than ever on this process of decision-making. In high school, I was fortunate enough to always “know” I was going to college, and the path to college  Chris Evert, tennis was clearly marked. The process of discernment guided me to where I am today, and my experience here has led to more personal development than I ever thought possible.

RELATED QUOTES I am a huge believer in giving back and helping out in the community and the world.

Think globally, act locally I suppose. I believe that the measure of a person’s life is the affect they have on others.  Steve Nash, basketball

Through discernment, we recognize the good and find peace in the decisions we make, progressing ourselves to the future that awaits us.  Christina Schneider, women’s tennis

However, now as I look beyond graduation, there is no clear path, no certain destination, no limit to the places I can go. I now fight the internal struggle of deciding what to do next with my life. Yet I can find peace knowing that God has a plan for me, that I can get through this process with God’s help. In the end, the series of choices I make will lead me toward determining what is right and wrong. I can trust that God, as He has always done, will help guide me in the direction He has chosen for me.

PETER O’NEILL | MEN’S GOLF

DISCERNMENT 7

Finding God in All Things

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s I have experienced more and more in my life, it has become further apparent to me that God can be found in everything, everywhere and everyone. While it may not be evident to us instantaneously, more often than not we realize the good that can come out of every situation. That “good” is what I believe to be God. Everything that is beautiful in the world can be a testament to God. With every season—whether it is the leaves changing, the first snowfall, flowers beginning to blossom or a warm summer evening—there is beauty to be found. These beautiful things are easy to thank God for.

It is the seemingly bad situations that we find it difficult to be grateful. It is extremely difficult to suffer an injury, for instance, either temporary or career-ending. But it is in situations exactly like this that it is most important to be thankful to God—not for the injury itself, but for providing us with the strength to endure, to fight through the injury and to recover. If recovery isn’t an option, we can thank Him for providing us with the opportunity to have experienced athletics for as long as we have when so many others are deprived of the ability to walk.

RELATED QUOTES Maybe the process it takes to accomplish the goal, maybe that is God, omnipresent.  Tommy Kaufmann, men’s track/

cross country

By approaching all situations in life with the purest of intentions, we truly allow ourselves to seek and find God in all things.  Taja Wilson, women’s basketball

If you look at the lives of those who have been diagnosed with cancer, very seldom do you see any of them sulking. It’s as though God has  John McCambridge, baseball inspired them to live their lives to the fullest and take time to appreciate everything He has blessed them with. Those who survive seem to have a greater appreciation for the wonders of life, and those who don’t survive leave this world with the knowledge of what is truly important in the big picture.

See the beauty and power of God in everything.

SHANNON VOORS | VOLLEYBALL

FINDING GOD IN ALL THINGS

Though it is a seemingly cliché phrase, one of my favorite quotes is, “Whenever God closes a door, He always opens a window.”

When the trials of everyday life are breaking me down, it is always assuring to take comfort in the fact that I know God will always be there to pick me up. Finding God in all things is synonymous to finding happiness in all things. Sometimes we just have to look a little harder to see it.

9

Magis

S

teve Prefontaine was a runner, but the meaning behind his famous statement, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” rings true in any sport. If you don’t give 100 percent, you’re wasting your athletic ability to perform your best.

But what if Prefontaine was speaking of a higher gift, one that surpasses athletic talent? As athletes, we have been blessed to be healthy, active and driven individuals. But the biggest, yet somewhat hidden, blessing is our God-given passion for a sport.

This everlasting and deep love is an athlete’s true gift from God. Because we are collegiate athletes, many may think that our passion for our sport is incomparable to anyone else’s. But what if I told you there are people out there who love a sport more than any collegiate athlete in the world?

You may not believe me, but it’s true. I’ve seen it. And my experience with these individuals has allowed me to truly use and honor my gift from God. As a volunteer at a Special Olympics swim meet, its motto, “Let me win, but if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt” was more than evident. I have never in my life seen children so excited to dive into the water and swim their hearts out no matter what the outcome.

Seeing these kids wanting  Steve Prefontaine to compete despite any physical or mental disability they may have made me realize how easy it is to take for granted my ability to compete at a high level.

To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.”

RELATED QUOTES Take your victories, whatever they may be, cherish them, use them, but don’t settle for them.  Mia Hamm, soccer

Every strike brings me closer to the next home run  Babe Ruth, baseball

We just want to keep improving. Every game, every situation we’re in, we want to bring that effort and bring that energy. We’re not looking at a number. We just want to keep going.  David West, basketball

As I was cheering for them and congratulating them on some great racing, I realized that as much as a gift they were giving me by inspiring me through their sheer dedication and passion for swimming, I was using my gift of love in return. By simply supporting them, I helped them feel like they were a part of a team who truly loved swimming.

KARI PEGLAR | WOMEN’S SWIMMING

MAGIS

No matter who they were or how well they did, I saw through all their smiles the happiness and pure joy these kids felt by being with people like them who genuinely enjoyed swimming. Through my gift, I was able to show these kids what a blessing it is to have a true passion and to share that with a team. No one cared about getting first place at this meet. The biggest prize for both of us was helping each other enjoy swimming more and truly honoring God’s gift to us by being men, women and athletes for others.

11

Reflection

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have always wondered how I will deal with the end of my soccer career as a student-athlete. I was worried there would be this void in my life. But as my last game drew closer, I realized that was not going to be the case. The time for soccer to be a top priority was passing, and with it I was starting a new chapter.

RELATED QUOTES

Being a student-athlete has been a very busy, but very rewarding, experience. Personally, I know that because of the commitments I’ve had, there were times when I lost sight of the bigger picture, even though I was surrounded by coaches, professors, teammates and advisors who made me stop and reflect about my place in the world. And I consider myself very lucky, because without these people and experiences I think my post-soccer life would lack much of its direction.

The accountability rests with me.

But one recent experience really put my life into perspective. I was fortunate to be a part of an Alternative Break trip to El Salvador.

We stayed in the village of Guarjila, where signs of the country’s recent civil war were everywhere. Witnessing this recovering town made me reflect on our way of life here in America. One of the biggest differences between El Salvador and the United States is the pace. The daily rhythm was much slower in El Salvador, and I found it  Carl Lewis, track refreshing. Spending time away from the U.S. showed me the benefit of taking the time to slow down and fully commit to the present situation.

 Arnold Palmer, golf

It’s all about the journey, not the outcome.

 Skip Prosser, basketball

What other people may find in poetry or art museums, I find in the flight of a good drive.

If I have given my all and still do not win, I haven’t lost. Others might remember winning or losing; I remember the journey.  Apolo Anton Ohno, speed skating

My host family noticed I played soccer and arranged a game that ended up being one of the most important of my career. It was not significant because it was a championship game played on a pristine field. The game was played on dirt and rocks with stones as goal posts. It was a momentous afternoon because it brought two cultures together, reminded me of the beauty of the game and put my soccer experiences into perspective. Not many people have the opportunity to play soccer as we do, and I think that in the midst of daily practices, conditioning sessions, classes and other responsibilities we forget just how fortunate we are.

RACHEL MASON | WOMEN’S SOCCER

REFLECTION

While my experiences in El Salvador made me reflect on my place in the world, my four years here have also filled me with moments of reflection—all of the pre-game talks that gave us both a motto to play by and to live our lives by; all of the time spent discussing my future with coaches and advisors; all the times teammates encouraged me to pursue my goals; all the times a professor tied the microscopic concepts of a biology lecture into the macroscopic issues in the world. If I did not experience all of these moments— moments that made me think outside of myself and consider the bigger picture—I would have no direction in my life today.

13

Service Rooted in Justice and Love

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ithin athletics, physicality is often the area of greatest focus. The goal is to be the quickest, strongest or biggest. So when such a tangible goal is combined with the passion that an athlete has for a sport, it’s easy for him or her to be completely dedicated to a sense of growth and continual improvement.

It’s no different with service. Whether the service is to a university, community, individual or family, to extend one’s hand in faith to another with the intention of service requires a similar commitment to time and dedication. Rather than striving to growand improve physically, though, one must grow in a sense of justice and love. And rather than perform physically, one must work with acts of scholarship, leadership and holism.

All of these things, of course, reflect the Jesuit teachings. For athletes with a Jesuit education, special service that goes beyond what is asked of them is a part of the expectations— and it should come naturally. An athlete’s mindset is to enhance the team, improving it for the better. Service rooted in justice and love is a natural extension of  Mary Lou Retton, first this. It is the nature of an American woman Olympic gold medalist in gymnastics athlete to build a sense of unity and to be of service not only to his or her team, but also to those who need their assistance.

Each of us has a fire in our hearts for something. It’s our goal in life to find it and keep it lit.

RELATED QUOTES A life isn’t significant except for its impact on others lives.  Jackie Robinson, baseball

Know yourself. Never forget where you came from, and reach back to help someone else come forward too.  Alpha Alexander, co-founder of the

Black Women in Sports Foundation

Another aspect of any sports team is a sense of constant improvement. It becomes the objective to achieve great success, leaving behind a strong legacy. This idea of improving oneself and team easily transfers into improving the community.

JOHN ROOF | MEN’S SWIMMING

SERVICE ROOTED IN JUSTICE AND LOVE

Athletics, Jesuit values and service go hand and hand, resulting in a loving extension to any who are in need. A Jesuit athlete forms a loving relationship between athletics and service that embodies solidarity, which forms a community deeply rooted in justice. An athlete’s character transcends the sport, and he or she becomes a part of God’s team, whose focus is on peace and service.

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Solidarity and Kinship

Men and Women For and With Others

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Jesuit priest and old friend once preached that we are all parts of one whole, and we must give ourselves to others.

Give a smile to a friend passing by, advice to the girl at the end of the hall or a napkin to the professor that just dropped his plate in the cafeteria. Everything we give is a part of ourselves, and by spreading ourselves we can spread joy, knowledge and wisdom. The Jesuit ideals make us learn to embrace others because we can learn so much from the people around us.

Every person has a story. When it comes to people, it is worth it to know more about a person than just his or her cover. Daily, we learn from teachers in school, but we also learn from the preppy girl from California and reserved boy from Texas. Experience is something that teaches us every day, but we do not always recognize we are learning from it.

A Jesuit education allows students to be diverse in their education.

By taking that dreaded fiction course, you can create something in common with your English major suitemate whom you have absolutely nothing else in common with. When you learn more about others, you may find similarities between yourselves and feel less alone in the world. With the strength of people surrounding you, anything can be  M ia Hamm, soccer accomplished.

we respected and cared about the game and felt the same way about each other.

MARIETTA MAFFEY | WOMEN’S TENNIS

The best thing about sports is the sense of community and shared emotion it can create.  B ob Costas, sports broadcaster

Sports can unite a group of people from different backgrounds, all working together to achieve a common goal. And even if they fall short, sharing that journey is an experience they’ll never forget. It can teach some of the most fundamental and important human values: dedication, perseverance, hard work, and teamwork. It also teaches us how to handle our success and cope with our failure.

So, perhaps the greatest glory of sport is that it teaches us so much about life itself.  Ahmad Rashad, football

SOLIDARITY AND KINSHIP

When I receive compliments or questions on how much I smile, I attribute it to an old coach and his solidarity. He yelled and prayed during any sort of practice or competition. The most important part of his character was not what he did in public but what he did when he was alone. Every night he prayed that the next day he would smile at someone and receive a smile in return. He said he prayed for this because he knew that if he was able to brighten someone else’s day, his day would be successful and bright as well. It is important for us to include others on our journey through life. Inspired by this old man I make sure that every single day I make a point to smile and make the world a little brighter.

RELATED QUOTES

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Personal Reflection QUESTIONS TO CONSIDER AS YOU CONTINUE GROWING AS A STUDENT LEADER

How do I care for myself, body, mind, and spirit? How do I care for my teammates?

How does Ignatian discernment help me consider my various options or choices?

Where have I been surprised to find God in the world around me?

How does my athletic experience connect with my spirituality?

How do I strive for the “magis� (generous excellence) in my training and competition? In my relationships with others?

How does taking time for reflection impact my studies and outlook on life?

How does providing service that is rooted in justice and love impact my world view?

How do I consider myself in solidarity with others around me?

With those in distant lands? With my competitors?

What insights have I gained from reading the experiences of my peers?

What new perspective have I gained regarding my studies, athletic experience, and personal life?

PERSONAL REFLECTION 19

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