Spiritual Exercises

Catholic athletes are discovering the power of sports to make them vehicles of God’s grace to themselves and to others

By James Penrice

Life in a wheelchair was something Mackey Tyndall never expected or prepared for. A national collegiate wrestling champion, physical education major and dedicated coach, Tyndall’s identity has always been linked to athletic competition. When an Air Force accident left him with a severely injured hip, an involuntary discharge, financial crises and dependence on a wheelchair for mobility, Tyndall’s life seemed shattered as well.“

I went through a tough couple of years,” said Tyndall. “The weight gain, the inactivity because of my surgeries—all the walls seemed to be closing in.” Athletic competition, which had always helped fuel his drive for life, seemed gone as well.

Yet his most driving force, his Catholic faith, assured Tyndall that God had not abandoned him. In the midst of this valley he happened across a flyer with information about wheelchair athletics. Inspired by the opportunity to compete again, Tyndall embarked upon a training regimen for wheelchair racing. “I asked God for the will and the guidance to let my body and mind work his will,” he said. “I spent a year on a self-determined rehab program that I developed using all the knowledge and gifts that God had given me throughout my athletic career.”

After 27 races in a standard Veterans Affairs-issued wheelchair, three racing clubs raised money to buy Tyndall a first-class racing chair, which he now uses in competitions to support charitable causes. This spring, the pride of Father Joseph M. Baker Council 3599 in Panama City, Florida, completed the Boston Marathon, the fifth marathon of his career. Returning to athletics after his accident has taught Tyndall that God always provides opportunities, even in our darkest hours.

“My charge now is to try to inspire and affect the lives of others who have the chance and ability to change their lives through the avenue of sport and recreation,” he said. “My hope is that those who see me and speak with me will be able to find the courage and desire to improve the quality of their lives, as I have been able to do.

”Vehicles of God’s Grace

Mackey Tyndall is but one example of how Catholic athletes are discovering the power of sports to become vehicles of God’s grace to both themselves and to others. The Vatican has recognized the formational potential of athletics by establishing the Office of Church and Sport in 2004, under the auspices of the Pontifical Council of the Laity. (Editor’s note: Supreme Knight Carl A. Anderson is a member of the Pontifical Council for the Laity.) It seeks to promote a Catholic culture of sport, in harmony with the true dignity of the human person, at both the universal and local levels of the Church. Since its inception, the office has been directed by Fr. Kevin Lixey, an American priest of the Legionnaires of Christ.

“Many people who love sport see how it is losing its way due to excessive competition, even at the amateur level,” Fr. Lixey said. “So there is a great interest around the world to keep sport a sport, and to regain its formative component.”

Fr. Lixey notes that the Church’s interest in athletics is not a new development. “Pontiffs from Pius XII to Benedict XVI, and especially John Paul II, have spoken about the good of sport,” he said, “considering [sport], when exercised in the right way, as a ‘gymnasium of virtues,’ or a ‘vehicle to spread peace and fraternity,’ among other positive considerations. We hope to echo the voice of the rich magisterial teachings regarding sport and make it more accessible to people today.”

Fr. Lixey believes Catholic professional athletes have an important role to play. “The Office of Church and Sport has had contact with baseball players like Mike Sweeney and Jeff Suppan and helped to draw attention to the good role models that are out there, and to create more awareness of this great opportunity they have to evangelize through their good example.”

Catholic Athletes for Christ

Indeed, Kansas City Royals first baseman Mike Sweeney and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher Jeff Suppan embrace their sports celebrity as a platform to witness to their Catholic faith. They are, respectively, chairman and vice-chairman of Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC), an organization in the United States dedicated to spreading the Gospel in and through the world of sports. Under the guidance of an episcopal Board comprised of six bishops, as well as an advisory board of numerous collegiate and professional athletes and coaches, CAC works to bring a strong Catholic presence to sports at all levels.

CAC founder Ray McKenna saw a strong need for such a presence, because most sports chaplains in the United States are associated with evangelical Protestant or nondenominational churches. “Catholic athletes have long been underserved by non-Catholic chaplains,” said McKenna, “who at best don’t understand a Catholic’s needs, or at worst can be hostile to them.” CAC is building a nationwide team of Catholic clergy to bring the sacraments to athletes, as well as a peer network in many sports to help Catholic athletes minister to each other. A speakers bureau comprised of many Catholic sports personalities works to establish the world of athletics as a source of Catholic evangelization. CAC has also created a Web site with a wealth of sports-oriented spiritual resources.

Christian-centered sportsmanship

On the international level, last spring’s Clericus Cup soccer tournament in Rome is an example of Catholics coming together to share fellowship through sport. Sponsored by the Holy See, and under the direction of the Italian Sports Commission, the tournament was established to promote Christian values among its participants--students from the pontifical universities, colleges and other institutions--while maintaining the vigor and excitement of soccer competition.

According to Gregory T. Rannazzisi, a seminarian studying for the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., and an assistant for media relations at the Pontifical North American College, “The game is seen as the setting in which people of different ages and states in life can meet and dialogue about their common faith and cultural heritage. Sharing more than their excitement for soccer, participants are able to deepen their faith through Christian-centered sportsmanship.” Rannazzisi is a charter member of Sts. Philip and James Council 12839 in St. James, N.Y., and a former deputy grand knight.

The Knights of Columbus has a long tradition of using athletic competition to bring its members and their families to a deeper unity with God and one another. This summer the Knights held the 39th annual International Golf Tournament and 28th annual International Softball Tournament. While the competition attracts Knights, it is prayer, the celebration of Mass and genuine Christian fellowship that highlight these events. The golfer’s prayer used at that tournament expresses this truth. It concludes: “Most of all, Lord, may I walk in the long tradition of linksters the world over by being a gentleman among gentlemen.”

All of this bodes well for the future of sports as an evangelical venue, especially for young people. On that front, Fr. Kevin Lixey offers this hope: “I see sport as one of those excellent opportunities to help form youth. Think about how much children could potentially learn from their coach if he or she is a committed Catholic, and aware of the many teaching moments they have on an almost daily basis. I believe that sports activities affiliated with the parish or Catholic schools can be more than a merely neutral environment that helps children to stay out of trouble. Much more, they can become a place where children can live their faith, playing and praying together as a team, where they can grow in various virtues such as teamwork, patience, understanding, sacrifice and endurance.”

With such a game plan in place, victory can be assured.