Play Like A Champion Today(TM) Welcomes our newest Partner St. Stephen the Martyr Parish in Omaha, NE

PLC would like to welcome our newest partner St. Stephen Parish in Omaha, Nebraska. During the weekend of November 5-6, Kristin Sheehan traveled to Omaha and presented together with Jim Lebeda, Athletic Director and Asst. Principal at St. Stephen's - also a 2010 PLC Leadership Conference participant. A Parent Like A Champion Today(TM) workshop was held on Friday night(first picture shows St. Stephen's parents) and a coach workshop on Saturday. Pictured is Fr. Tiegs, Pastor of St. Stephen's and Jim Lebeda. Welcome to PLC partnership!

Our Prayers are with Declan Sullivan's family

Declan.
By Amy Holsinger, ND ‘12
(Originally posted 12:22 am, Friday, October 29, 2010)

I did not know Declan Sullivan.

On Wednesday, Declan was killed on campus in an accident involving a hydraulic lift. He was filming football practice for his job as a student manager, and high winds caused the scissor lift he was filming from to topple over.

He was 20 years old. He was a junior majoring in FTT (film, television, and theater) and marketing. He lived in Fisher Hall.

Tonight, Father John Jenkins, University President, presided over a Mass in Declan’s memory in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.

Mass began at 10 p.m.. I was in a lecture and movie screening for class until 9:45 p.m., and I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it to the Basilica in time to get a seat. I also wasn’t sure if I even wanted to go to the Mass. I didn’t know Declan, so a part of me thought, “Why should I take a seat from somebody who knew him, loved him, cared about him? Who am I to do that?” But another part of me desperately wanted to go to the Mass to show my support for Declan’s family during this horrible, difficult time. That part of me wanted to show the Sullivans that Notre Dame is a place where everybody matters, a place where the spirit of the community links everybody together. I was already running late and I knew that my baseball-cap-and-Ugg-boot attire wouldn’t fly at the Basilica, so I decided to go over to LaFortune Student Center, where I had heard there would be auxiliary seating and a live feed from the Mass.

As I walked across God Quad in the dark, I watched people walking towards the Basilica, two by two. The doors were wide open, emanating a warm golden glow. I was able to hear the prelude for Declan’s Mass all the way at the flagpole on South Quad, and the sound of the organ became clearer as I crossed through the pine trees and made my way to LaFortune.

Up the winding staircase, I burst in to LaFortune and brushed past the representatives from the Student Activities Office who tried to usher me upstairs to the ballroom. “We have some seats left up there,” a girl with a nametag whispered. By the time I heard her, I had already set down my backpack near my usual spot in the main lounge. LaFortune was different. Normally, the building serves as a study/food/coffee/socialization/meeting space, and it’s one of the busiest places on campus. But tonight, it was quiet. Dimmer, somehow.

All of the comfy armchairs were occupied, so after lingering against a wall, cornered by a trashcan, for a few minutes, I plopped down on the floor like a kindergartener. Mass was beginning. The broadcast was coming through on the two large televisions in the main lounge. (It was available online as well.) During the opening song, the SAO folks brought out a number of chairs from another room, and I snapped up a seat just as Fr. Jenkins was greeting the Sullivan family.

Then, the oddest thing began to happen. Everyone in the room began to respond to the TV, just like Mass.

Peace be with you.
“And also with you.”

I don’t know if it was reflex, a genuine desire to participate in the Mass, or some combination of both. All of a sudden, I found myself in the midst of the celebration of the Eucharist in the same room where I drink coffee, read the paper, watch ESPN, and play Sporcle.

Notre Dame is very good at a lot of things, and one of those things is church. Notre Dame knows how to put on a great Mass, and the higher-ups pulled out all the stops for Declan. The Folk Choir provided beautiful music for the service. I was particularly impressed with the selection of the readings. The first reading was Romans 8:31-39 (“If God is for us, who can be against us?”). The gospel reading was John 14:1-14 (“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”).

Father Tom Doyle, Vice President for Student Affairs, gave the homily. He spoke eloquently and simply about storytelling—about Declan’s love of telling stories through film and about the feeling that we have been “written out of the book of life” that accompanies loss and grief. Doyle said, “Most days, we live in this place that is like Eden before the fall.” Normally, bad things don’t happen here. Students joke about the “Notre Dame bubble” for a reason. When terrible things hit Notre Dame, it seems that much worse.

As I watched the Mass on TV from my chair in the LaFortune, I noticed that the camera kept panning out to the people sitting in the pews at the Basilica. The Sullivan family sat in the front row. Gwyneth, Declan’s sister, wore a Notre Dame football jersey and Mac, Declan’s 15-year-old brother, wore a Notre Dame sweatshirt. Across the aisle, the men of Fisher Hall sat in the other front section, all with their trademark neon green retro sunglasses pushed back into messy brown waves and perched on blonde crewcuts. Fishermen wear these distinguishing sunglasses around campus all the time, so it seemed appropriate that they wore their shades to Mass in memory of their hallmate. The Notre Dame football team sat behind the contingent from Fisher Hall.

During the Eucharistic Prayer, LaFortune was filled with the mutterings of hundreds of students.

Lift up your hearts.
“We lift them up to the Lord.”

When it came time for the Our Father, the Folk Choir sang the beautiful Notre Dame Our Father. LaFortune joined hands and joined in. Then, everyone got out of their seats for the sign of peace. Hugs and handshakes all around.

The SAO employees notified us that the Eucharist was being distributed outside the Basilica and that we could leave and come back. After a moment of hesitation, about 75 percent of the room stood up, grabbed coats, and quietly filed out of the room. I was near the door, so I made it out quickly. Down the stairs, across the quad, towards the music and light. There were hundreds of people already standing outside the Basilica—overflow. Outside, there were musicians performing acoustic versions of the songs playing inside. As I huddled around the front of the Basilica, I turned around. A massive block of students stretched all the way from the foot of the Basilica to the stairs of LaFortune, and people continued to stream out of the building from the ballroom on the second floor.

We stood patiently, quietly in the cold. Occasionally, a priest would emerge from the big Basilica doors. People gathered around eagerly as the priest distributed Communion. Nobody jostled, nobody complained. We just waited. Slowly, more priests came out. After I received Communion, I walked back to LaFortune. I counted six priests standing outside, each man completely surrounded by students waiting for the Eucharist.

I made it back to LaFortune just in time for the final blessing.

The Mass is ended, go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
“Thanks be to God.”

And then, as always, we sang the alma mater, arms around each other, swaying.

Notre Dame, Our Mother
Tender, strong and true
Proudly in the heavens
Gleams thy gold and blue.
Glory’s mantle cloaks thee
Golden is thy fame.
And our hearts forever
Praise thee, Notre Dame.
And our hearts forever
Love thee, Notre Dame.

The fervent prayers of the Notre Dame community are with Declan Sullivan and his family.

A night like this should never have to happen again.

What matters to the Athlete?

When my high school religion teacher heard I was going to be home for a week for Fall Break from the University of Notre Dame, she asked me if I would come speak at my high school’s youth rally. The workshop I was asked to give was called “Reflecting God in Sports.” I had gone to the youth rallies while in high school and didn’t have much planned for the week, so I agreed to give the talk.
I just got home from the youth rally. As I sit here, I have a lot to reflect on. I gave my talk three times to three different groups of high school students. There were athletes and non-athletes, students who attend public school and students who attend Catholic schools. To start each workshop, I asked the group to create a list of the reasons why they compete in extracurricular activities. No group out of the three volunteered “winning” as an answer; I often had to ask them leading questions to hear that answer. Instead, the students gave answers such as having fun (which was the first response given every time), staying in shape, and building character. Not only was the idea of winning not on the tips of their tongues, it didn’t appear to be in their minds at all.
I wonder how different the responses would have been if I had given my talk to a group of adults, or, more specifically, parents of young athletes. I doubt it would have taken so much effort on my part to hear “winning” given as a reason to compete. What does that tell us about youth sports today? When we read stories about parents violently attacking coaches because their child is not getting enough playing time, maybe we need to step back and learn a lesson from the athletes themselves. They are out there to have fun, learn the sport, and become better people. They aren’t so wrapped up in winning that they lose focus of what is important. Their parents, on the other hand, sometimes seem to forget what youth sports are really about.
I don’t think young athletes get enough credit. Instead of flooding the newspapers with stories about crazy parents, we should give more attention to the people who have their priorities straight. More often than not these people are the athletes themselves; this point was clearly proven to me today.
Amy Grinsteinner, Class of 2011
Social Foundations of Coaching Class
University of Notre Dame

Red Sox Fan

As a Red Sox fan, the 2010 baseball season will be remembered as a lost opportunity, a season of wondering what could have been, if injuries had not plagued the Sox throughout the summer. Although Terry Francona and his players will be watching this year’s playoffs from their couches, and Boston sports fans will anxiously await the start of the NBA season, ESPN’s latest episode of its documentary series, 30 for 30, took Sox fans back to a happier time. Four Days in October, which debuted on Oct. 5, 2010, allows viewers to relive the magic of Games 4 through 7 of the 2004 ALCS, with an inside look at how the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 series deficit against their longtime nemesis, the New York Yankees.

I understand that I have some bias towards Four Days in October. As someone who has followed the Red Sox closely for several years, the hour-long documentary did not teach me anything new or groundbreaking. Instead, what made Four Days in October a great trip down memory lane was that it reminded me of the power that sports have in bringing people together. Reliving Dave Roberts’ steal, Curt Schilling’s bloody sock and David Ortiz’s walk-off hits took me back to that exciting time during my sophomore year of high school. The TV and radio broadcast clips can make any diehard Sox fan a bit misty-eyed. However, watching the Red Sox defeat the Yankees, break the “Curse of the Bambino” and ultimately win their first World Series since 1918 was only part of what made 2004 a special year.

Four Days in October, the other documentaries and DVDs that chronicle the season, and the countless books that retell the incredible story, serve not only to reminisce about the events that took place between the baselines, but also those moments in schools, sports bars, and the living rooms of people across New England and “Red Sox Nation.” The clips of fans on the edge of their seats at Cask’n Flagon and the stories of generations of Bostonians long-awaiting a championship are a reminder of how the Red Sox improbable victory was about more than simply a team winning a few baseball games.

In 2004, the city had a long track record of success on the hardwood and recently, on the gridiron. The Celtics had won 16 NBA titles and the Patriots dynasty was in its heyday. Boston however, was truly a baseball city. But since 1919, when Babe Ruth was sold to the New York Yankees, Red Sox fans had experienced disappointment time and time again.

After generations of frustration and decades of hearing “wait until next year,” things changed in 2004. Against incredible odds, the Red Sox, the self-proclaimed “idiots,” finally brought home a World Series title. The unlikely playoff run brought together families and friends, fathers and sons, and mothers and daughters who had hoped and prayed that they would live to see a championship flag raised at Fenway Park.

Every true fan knows who they were with when the Red Sox defeated the Yankees in 2004, just as every Phillies fan can recall where they were when Brad Lidge recorded the final out of the 2008 World Series and how many Americans remember exactly what they were doing when Al Michaels shouted, “Do you believe in miracles? Yes!” during the 1980 Winter Olympics. It’s the moments like these that make sports special. Though we usually do not, and probably will never have any real connection or relationship with the athletes we cheer for, the power of sports to bring friends, family and even total strangers together is what makes them worth following.

Just as Domers strike up conversations when they pass someone wearing ND apparel, any Red Sox fan that sees an unfamiliar face with a “B” on his hat might be apt to yell, “Go Sox!” While some are critical of fandom and the occasionally obsessive nature of sports aficionados, many people view the teams they cheer for as part of their identity, as they do their hometown or alma mater. Just like we can identify with other people who have a connection to Notre Dame, we share a common bond with people who root for the same teams that we do.

Whether it is on an athletic team of our own or through one that we cheer for, follow faithfully and identify with, sports are a powerful means for bringing people together. We come together with families, friends, classmates and co-workers. We share memories of hope and elation, stories of disappointment and frustration and we feel unity with a group of people with whom we may have nothing else in common other than the logo on our baseball hat.

Josh Flynt
Class of 2011
Social Foundations of Coaching

The Pageantry of Sport?

Most recently, the world caught one of baseball’s most impressionable players red handed. Derek Jeter of the New York Yankees was caught acting. Not acting in a good sense either. It happened in a game between the Yankees and a major division rival. The game was significant because the winner would become closer than the other to reaching the division playoff bid. Jeter was up to bat when the pitcher threw a ball close to Jeter. At first glance, it looked as if he was hit in the elbow. He acted as if he were hit and made a scene. The ump let him walk to first. The Yankees wound up losing that game but by the end of the game it was known that the ball hit the bat. This play sparked a hot debate: Is acting in the sport okay if it helps the team win, especially a much needed win?

My answer to this is acting will not help a team or individual win in the long term. It is a simple argument. If one wants to win in sport, they must learn to respect the opponent. Why? Because when one respects the opponent this brings out competition in its truest form. They can see what other teams are doing for success and failure. It is sort of an acknowledgement by respect. Now, one can see how they need to perform in contrast to what the opponent is performing. They work on their skill development. This does not mean the athlete or team will get the win at the game though. It does mean though the athlete or team is learning how to develop and become better and stronger.

Where does acting fall into this discussion? To sum it up, acting does not help skill development in the sport. Acting distracts one from working on the skills required to beat an opponent. In another sense, by acting it is telling the opponent one did not take the time to prepare to your best. One did not respect the game their opponent plays. I would say that acting could communicate a sign of weakness, a lack of focus.

In the end, think about this question: “If you approached coaching as teaching life skills to help your athletes learn how make life decisions, would acting be involved?”

John Tyler Mowbray
University of Notre Dame 2011
Social Foundations of Coaching

The Ike Special - Varsity Edition

Watch this heartwarming sports story of Ike - Play Like A Champion Today(TM) likes this!

Just Coaching

Justice has many definitions, but one I heard lately seemed particularly appropriate: “treating someone as they should be treated.” Being a just person means realizing that while not everyone has the same opportunities and skills and interests and priorities that you do, all people deserve respect. From a coaching point of view, being just means realizing that every single athlete can be a champion, but may take different paths to get there, and may require a different coaching style for motivation. Some coaches break down their teams mentally, telling them to play harder or be better or else they won’t get to play; some coaches play their stars, unwilling to face the wrath of a parent or administrator. And then there are some coaches that go beyond what is normally considered sportsmanship to make sure every player on their roster feels at home.
On Mark Perry’s Snohomish High School football team in Washington, a young man named Ike Ditzenberger always gets the last run in varsity practice. Ike has Down syndrome, but that doesn’t mean the kid doesn’t get to play. Acknowledging obvious differences, the coach made a deal with Ike: if he kept his shoulder pads on and his mouthpiece in, he would get to play. He became obsessed with football watching his brothers play; his older brother Jake was on the team for Ike’s first two seasons, giving Ike a sense of place despite his limitations. The Snohomish team has embraced Ike, appreciating the camaraderie and sense of routine that his runs at the end of practice provide. In addition, having Ike on the team helps place sports in perspective; his ceaseless enthusiasm reminds everyone involved that football is a game, a fun activity for everyone to enjoy.
Justice means making sure that everyone has the opportunity to be a champion. Read about Ike’s touchdown from the link below!
http://rivals.yahoo.com/highschool/blog/prep_rally/post/Down-syndrome-football-player-scores-TD-in-Washi?urn=highschool-272803


Kathleen Stanley
ND 2011
Social Principles of Coaching

Reggie Bush's Heisman Scandal

The Heisman Trophy is one of sport’s most prestigious awards, given yearly to the best college football player in the country. For an amateur athlete, there is no greater glory or honor. This week, for the first time in its long and storied history, the Heisman trophy was returned. Reggie Bush, the 2005 winner, gave back the trophy after an NCAA investigation into his college playing days was announced.
During his time at USC, Reggie Bush put up staggering numbers and drove his team to one of the longest winning streaks in NCAA history, winning two national championships. It could easily be argued that he was one of the greatest players in college football history. He seemed to be a good guy who was genuinely likable, even if he was dominating your favorite football team. Unfortunately, it turns out he may have been breaking all sorts of rules.
The NCAA has alleged that Reggie Bush took payments and housing during his time at USC, something clearly not allowed for an amateur athlete. These violations by Bush have not only hurt his legacy, but his actions have also decimated the USC football program and athletic department. The school will likely have to forfeit its national championships and has already removed all signs of Bush’s time at the school. They gave back their copy of Bush’s Heisman a month ago. USC has done all it can to apologize for this situation and correct its wrongs. Unfortunately, Bush has not.
Once the NCAA had made it clear that Bush and the school had committed violations, USC immediately began to rid itself of the stain and embarrassment of the violations. Reggie Bush could have followed suit and began to reestablish himself as a role model for young athletes. Instead, he has constantly denied any wrongdoing in the face of insurmountable evidence. When he finally gave back his Heisman trophy at the beginning of the week, it seemed like a humble gesture. Perhaps Bush was finally admitting his wrongs and showing remorse. Instead, the next day Bush held a press conference to announce that the return of the trophy was “in no way an admission of guilt.” Rather, Bush said he simply wanted to stop being investigated by different groups. What appeared to be an act of honest humility turned out to be a selfish decision.
Reggie Bush is yet another example of why athletes cannot be looked to as role models. He had the chance to be a great, honest, and inspiring football player for America’s young athletes. Instead, he took money in college. When he had a chance to show the world how to fess up to your mistakes, he took the easy way out and denied wrongdoing. Reggie Bush, an NFL superstar, is looked up to by kids across America. And it’s a shame.
Mike Hill, ND 2012
Social Foundations of Coaching

A Strange Game Down Under

Last fall I was able to spend 5 months living and studying in the Fremantle, Western Australia. On my return, most people when made aware of my semester abroad “Down Under” would ask me if I spent time in the outback, or ran into any kangaroos, or saw the Opera House in Sydney. The answer to all these question was thankfully yes; my time in Australia was a wonderful experience full of wonderful memories that will continue to shape my life. However, one experience that I had that is usually passed over when being questioned about my semester abroad is my encounter with the strange game of Australian Rules Football.
Footy as it is often referred to the by the locals, is a uniquely interesting game, especially to the outsider with absolutely no knowledge of the game. I once heard Australian Rules Football described as being a little like every sport we play in America, and unlike any sport we play or know. The ball looks something like a rugby ball, oddly shaped and large in comparison to a football. The field is a massive oval, resembling a cricket field. There are 18 players for each team trying to get the ball through the tallest set of goalposts at either end of the field (there are two sets of goalposts, two short and two tall on each side). Much to my confusion early on, in getting the ball down the field through the goalposts the ball can not be thrown; it must either be passed to a teammate by either kicking the ball, bouncing the ball, or by a sort of underhanded volleyball serve-pass. Players are allowed to tackle only anywhere between the shoulders and knees, making the game at first glance look a lot like rugby or football without pads.
My experience with footy began as merely an escape from the normal day of studying and school work. Whether it was playing a pick-up game in the park with classmates, or going to watch a game at the local footy club, Australian Rules Football was for me, an important athletic outlet during my time abroad. Growing up being a competitive tennis player, athletics and competition were an important part of my life. Much to my surprise and disappoint, I found opportunities to play tennis during my semester abroad relatively inaccessible in my situation; mainly because of the hefty court fees required. Thankfully though, footy stood in as an enjoyable substitute while I was abroad, speaking to the athlete inside me by giving myself and the other American students studying there a chance to get back on the athletic fields to compete and most importantly have a good time.
Ian Rangel
Social Foundations of Coaching
University of Notre Dame
Finance, Class of 2011

Kansas City Parochial League board members and trainers Dave Schmitt and John Svetlecic, and Vince Fitzgerald, League director, show their Certificates of Recognition with Kristin Sheehan and F. Clark Power, of ‘Play Like A Champion Today.’

What follows is a copy of the article on the KCPL which appeared in the KANSAS CITY Catholic Key — Shortly after taking the reins of the sports program in 2002, and following a diocesan mandate, Kansas City Parochial League director Vince Fitzgerald began requiring volunteer coaches and assistants to participate in “Protecting God’s Children,” a child sexual abuse awareness program. Each coach receives certification that they have taken the course, and may not continue coaching unless they have that certification on file with their school’s principal. Certification must be renewed periodically.

Four years ago the former Visitation School football and basketball coach introduced a new educational series to coaches and volunteers in the diocesan elementary school sports programs.

Last month, Fitzgerald and Parochial League board members Dave Schmitt and John Svetlecic, were presented with Certificates of Recognition, signed by the university’s president, for their efforts in the “Play Like a Champion Today” series.

The series, “Coach Like a Champion Today,” “Play Like a Champion Today,” and “Parent Like a Champion Today,” were developed by the Center for Ethical Education at the University of Notre Dame, for coaches and parents of young athletes, as well as the athletes themselves. It is a research-based, child-centered approach to youth sports designed to help Catholic elementary school sports programs reflect Gospel values. Through discussion and educational materials, coaches learn that coaching is a ministry, and the sports program is a continuation of Catholic education; athletes learn to have fun and bring their best to the game. There is nothing wrong with winning, but losing a game doesn’t make them losers. Each game is a new game. Non-coaching parents learn to work with coaches and act as partners to provide young athletes with a rewarding experience. Parents also learn to develop a positive “spectator climate” that respects and supports all the players and the officials.

Parochial League director Vince Fitzgerald said that after parents take the workshop, they should be able to understand the “current culture of youth sports, bear witness to sport’s spiritual side and learn and carry out the techniques of championship parents.”

Fitzgerald said that he decided to introduce this new workshop after several minor incidents involving over-zealous parents during basketball tournaments.

“Winning is important, but more important is how you achieve the win,” he said.

The schools’ athletic directors will coordinate the sessions, which must be completed between mid-September and mid-November.

Fitzgerald said that in four years, more than 1,000 coaches and 1,500 parents in this diocese have been trained to see coaching as ministry. “Coaches and parents have a bigger influence on kids’ lives than they may realize,” he said. “This series helps coaches and parents realize that in sports, they are like youth ministers to the players.”

There are youth sports programs in dioceses all over the country using segments of the program, but only two dioceses, Kansas City-St. Joseph and Los Angeles, that have the original coaching as ministry, recertification and parent programs in use.

The coaches training is what it’s all about, Fitzgerald said. The series uses the GROW approach:

G (goals) emphasize that each child has different skill levels and set obtainable goals

R (relationships) develop sportsmanship — respect coaches, officials, fans and other players

O (ownership) make kids feel like they have ownership of their team, confidence and responsibility

W (winning) winning is important, and it is how the game is played.

In reports the last two years, the athletic programs in this diocese have surpassed the national average in attendance, participation, satisfaction with the program and recommendations to others.

“We’re proud of it,” Fitzgerald said. “The ‘Like a Champion’ series makes coaches think and it helps parents and coaches be on the same page with youth sports.”

END



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