Dr. John Acquaviva
Episode 286
22 JULY 2024
He played college baseball and then following his senior year took an offer to play professionally in Italy. He was educated in the field of fitness and exercise physiology and is a Catholic speaker, professor, and author, having written three books, the latest of which just came out in February and is called, “Improving Your Sportsmanship Through Catholic Teaching…and Common Sense: A Practical Guide for Athletes, Parents, Fans and Coaches.” His faith walk includes having entered the seminary to study for the priesthood, and present day he teaches at Wingate University in North Carolina and is the host of “Faith and Sport” on Radio Maria.
Notable guest quotes:
“My mom worked really hard and was really good about directing us toward Catholic school… she was determined to have her kids, especially the latter five, graduate from Catholic high school. So I was (grades) one through 12 at the Catholic school.”
“I served as an altar boy from, like, fifth grade through eighth grade and looking back on it, I thought that was an important part of my faith life.”
“I started playing baseball. And then by the time I was in eighth grade, I was a basketball player. I was a football player. And I did the same thing in high school. I played all three of those sports in addition to running track for a couple of years.”
“I had literally prayed to our Lord to have the opportunity to play professional baseball.”
“That’s why the scripture says don’t just pray but pray specifically on what you want. I said, I want to play professional baseball. God goes, I’ll send you to Italy.”
“I’d been thinking about the priesthood. And I started talking to a good priest friend of mine, Father Gregory, about it. And he said, I think this is a genuine call that you have.”
“I said, ‘I think I’m going to apply to the priesthood.’ And the biggest reason was, I not only felt it in my heart, and in my head, but when I was at church, I would often listen to the readings, and then I would start developing what I would say for the homily. And I remember I told my friend, Father Gregory, and he goes, ‘John, that’s something because I never did that. And I’m a priest, right’?”
“Once you commit to this life, there is a certain level of responsibility that you have. And what I mean is, you’re not asked to just sit back on what you were raised on and go to Mass one time a week and then that’s what the faith is.”
“There is no aspect of life where the faith doesn’t apply. Like, whatever we are doing as a parent, as a coach, as a teacher, whatever we are doing.”
“Everybody has their own experiences, which are only unique to you, right? My experience in sport, my experience playing baseball and rugby, I played for 15 years after college and so forth.”
“We need to apply our faith to sport… through the virtues of respect and loyalty and discipline and so forth.”
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