St. Ambrose University-Davenport student athletes and peer campus ministers, from left, Genesis Garcia, Anna Verry and Marissa Steben strike a pose in their soccer jerseys earlier this year.
By Lindsay Steele
The Catholic Messenger
(Editor’s note: This is the fourth in a series about the intersection of faith and sports.)
Genesis Garcia was “a little shy” when she arrived at St. Ambrose University in Davenport for preseason soccer practice freshman year. She was used to going to Mass with her family back home in LaSalle, Illinois — or wherever her soccer tournaments took place that weekend — but was hesitant to attend Mass alone on campus.
Fortunately, she didn’t have to. Her upperclassman teammate and dorm neighbor, Anna Verry, offered her a ride to the first practice and, along the way, invited her to Mass. The teammates quickly became friends, and Verry, a peer campus minister, introduced Garcia to the faith community at Christ the King Chapel. They, too, became companions and role models for living out the faith both on and off the field. “It’s nice to have someone to remind you you’re not alone in things,” Garcia said.
Now a peer campus minister herself, Garcia is following her teammate’s example and encouraging as many people as possible to get involved in the life of the Church. “Sometimes I’ll pray before a game and someone will see that” and feel comfortable doing the same. “I invite people to go to Mass all the time; they don’t even have to be Catholic… Jesus is there for you no matter what step you’re at.”
The Catholic Church recognizes the potential for evangelization through sport. “More than many other platforms, sport brings together the downtrodden, the marginalized, the immigrant, the native, the rich, the powerful and the poor around a shared interest and at times in a common space,” the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life stated in its 2018 document on sports and faith, “Giving the Best of Yourself.”
Furthermore, participation in athletics can build a strong sense of community. “The bonds that grow out of shared athletic experiences — be they joys or trials — have a way of galvanizing relationships,” said Patrick Schmadeke, diocesan director of evangelization. “When (Catholics) are present or are in leadership roles, it’s our job to intentionally bring faith into our conversations in these settings. When we bring Jesus to the center of conversation, one never knows where it might lead.”
An ‘easier point of entry’
At the University of Iowa in Iowa City, sport provides an opportunity for members of Newman Catholic Student Center to meet people where they’re at in a low-pressure environment. “Sports are a major part of culture, especially among college students and at a Big 10 school where athletics set the pace of the semester and our fall planning revolves around the Iowa Hawkeye football schedule,” said Christine Wissink, director of outreach and faith formation. “The places for evangelization are the everyday spaces where people work and play.”
Newman Center hosts events and clubs to draw in and engage Catholics and non-Catholics who enjoy athletics and physical activity. “It is an easier point of entry to invite someone for a pick-up game of basketball or to attend a football game than to talk theology right away,” Wissink said. Offerings include a late-summer canoe trip, volleyball on the Pentacrest at the start of the school year, a running club, a swim club, daily rosary walks, Varsity Catholic Bible study for athletes.
These activities are important because they show that college students who are actively living and growing in their Catholic faith are regular people who strive for a healthy, balanced and well-rounded life, Wissink said. “It shows that being holy doesn’t just mean praying for hours every day in a quiet isolated chapel.”
LIFE Runners from the Davenport area participate in Pregnancy Resource Center’s Walk for Life in Moline, Ill., earlier this year.
LIFE Runners
Sports can also pave the way for conversations about Catholic values and teachings. Earlier this year, a group of Quad City-based Catholics started a LIFE Runners chapter as a way to build awareness for pro-life causes and offer encouragement to people who have been affected by or are considering abortion. LIFE Runners, founded in 2008, refers to itself as the world’s largest pro-life running/walking team with more than 24,600 members in about 3,900 communities (www.liferunners.org).
Members in the Quad Cities regularly “huddle” to pray, witness and work out on local trails. “Anyone can join LIFE Runners — there are always runners, walkers, strollers and even bikers at our huddles,” said Beth Budelier, local co-founder and a member of St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Davenport. The only requirement is that participants wear LIFE Runners jerseys, which include the phrase “Remember the Unborn” on the back and Christian symbols on the front. Members have worn the blue-and-white jerseys while participating in 5k events, the (Des Moines) Register’s Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) and the Bix at 6 in Davenport.
Budelier has heard many stories of conversion to the Catholic Church because of friendships formed through working together in the pro-life movement. Among them is Abby Johnson, a former Planned Parenthood employee who recently spoke at The Woman’s Choice Center’s annual Life and Family Gala in Bettendorf. Budelier prays that the Davenport chapter of LIFE Runners will provide opportunities for those kinds of friendships to flourish.
Resources for athletes and families:
Play Like a Champion Sport as Ministry Initiative: https://www.playlikeachampion.org/sport-as-ministry
LIFE Runners: https://www.liferunners.org/join-now-2/
Statistics on sports and religious involvement: https://springtideresearch.org/post/data-drop/sports-and-religious-involvement
