Written by Father Tom Simonds, SJ, Ed.D., director of school engagement, NCEA, Tom@ncea.org
Perhaps when you read the title of this blog post you were surprised or intrigued. Faith formation in athletics? Really? Yes!
In my blog series on faith formation in Catholic schools, my goal has been to outline ways educators can achieve the vision of the Catholic Church for graduates of Catholic schools. This vision is shared in key Church documents such as the Declaration on Christian Education (Gravissimum Educationis).
I think we can all agree that the goal of each follower of Jesus is to live an integrated life. What we hear and experience on Sunday, we take with us into every day and moment of our lives. Our goal is to more and more live authentically integrated lives rather than lives in which religion, faith, and the spiritual life are separated from other parts of our lives. Therefore, it makes abundant sense that we would bring faith into the locker room, onto the field, and into every sports arena.
To bring faith into athletics, the coaches must lead the way. The coach who sees his or her role as mentoring someone to become more like Christ can bring faith into athletics. Coaches can mentor other coaches, student athletes, and student assistants. The athletic director and principal also play a key role when they recruit, hire, and provide ongoing professional development for coaches and athletic personnel. Recruitment ads and hiring questions can be written with the goal in mind of hiring faith-inspired coaches. Professional development sessions for athletic personnel can be developed with the intention of preparing personnel to provide life lessons and faith lessons to student athletes along with important skill enhancements, training routines, and sportsmanship.
I believe peer-to-peer ministry is the key to a discipling model of education and faith formation in Catholic schools. Coaches mentoring coaches and student athletes mentoring student athletes can often be the most powerful form of discipling education.
Imagine how your school’s athletic program could change if everything in the program was aligned to one simple goal: for each person to act according to the teachings of Jesus on and off the field and in the stands. The Golden Rule is a great cornerstone to build towards this objective.
Additionally, there is emerging evidence that youth can benefit from intramural sports through grade 8, where participation on a team, learning, and enjoyment are the priorities. The NCEA book, Play Like a Champion, outlines this evidence, and provides concrete practice plans and strategies to bring faith formation into Catholic school athletic programs. Another NCEA publication, Play and Practice with Purpose, shows how sports and spirituality can result in successful spiritual formation.
As Saint Paul teaches us, we must reach for the higher things as we run the race of life to win the crown of eternal life (see 1 Corinthians 9:24–27; Philippians 4:8–9). Training and striving to attain team goals hold excellent opportunities to explain how to train and strive toward becoming more like Christ each day. It is all a matter of the focus of the educators leading the athletic program and the coaches on the fields and in the gyms. Embrace the challenge!
Explore more blogs in the Faith Formation Series.
June 18, 2025
July 31, 2025
