Joe Mach
Episode 231
3 JULY 2023
He is the Assistant Head Coach of the football team at Detroit Catholic Central High School, where he has been on the staff since 2008. Along the way he coached in two State Championship games and, prior to his promotion this year to his current role, had been promoted to Defensive Coordinator in 2018. He was an Undergraduate Assistant Coach at The University of Michigan from 2003-2005, and as a student-athlete playing for Detroit Catholic Central, he was a member of back-to-back state championship teams. He holds a B.S. in Physical Education from The University of Michigan and his father is in multiple Halls of Fame as a football coach.
Notable guest quotes:
“It’s a part of my background that has truly shaped my faith. I’m very realistic with the fact that I could be anywhere right now. I believe God put me there for a reason with them, to have a very strong faith influence and a faith base… I believe this was all part of His plan.”
“My goal is to regularly ask, am I carrying out the mission that You have for me and to pay back that debt of gratitude that I carry with me.”
“I’m… a cradle Catholic. I was raised with the Catholic faith… My father was… in the seminary… so he almost became a priest.”
“As a father now and as a teacher at the school and as a coach, I have a much greater appreciation for the Catholic identity that goes along with the institution that I work at. It makes for a great environment for any young man to be in and I benefited from that when I was younger. There is no question.”
“God gives us many gifts. He doesn’t give us all of ‘em.”
“For somebody like me who was trying to live out his faith on a college campus… I had a great mentor right there… Being in that environment was integral to my development as a Catholic, even though most people view it only as a football experience.”
“I had an opportunity to teach Catechism to middle school age students during my time at University of Michigan.”
“I give all the credit in the world to the Holy Spirit and just kind of had a moment one evening, about the beginning of my sophomore year, kind of like, something’s gotta change.”
“I’ve always believed that football is a great game but only when it teaches great lessons.”
“I believe (football) is the best game out there to teach young men the qualities that they need to go out and really do God’s work… These are the guys who are gonna go out and be warriors for Christ.”
“We’re Catholic educators, we’re coaches, but really, first and foremost, we’re here to spread the kingdom of God.”
Related link:
(This episode contains a prayer from the National Catholic Coaches Association’s “The Leadership Papers,” although originally credited in there to The Coach’s Bible.)
Jared Zimmerer
Episode 230
26 JUNE 2023
He has trained in bodybuilding, Brazilian jiu jitsu, boxing, Jeet Kune Do, powerlifting, the Scottish Highland Games, and is currently going for hybrid athlete. He is the author of a book called, “Ten Commandments of Lifting Weights.” On the faith side, he has a Master’s in Theology from Holy Apostles College and Seminary, and earlier this year was named the Director of Extension Strategy at Benedictine College, which has been named one of the top Catholic colleges in the nation by First Things magazine and the Newman Guide. Previously he had served as the Director of the Word on Fire Institute.
Notable guest quotes:
“It was a normal thing for us to pray a rosary at least almost every night… Usually once a month we’d go to confession as a family.”
“My parents actually owned and operated a Catholic bookstore for about 16 years, that, I worked there for about ten years and had a lot of experiences with people that wouldn’t necessarily come to a church but would certainly come to a bookstore to debate the faith, so, at 16 I was getting the hard knocks of learning how to defend the faith.”
“Initially I thought I was actually going to go into coaching but there was a bit of a hiring freeze in Texas when I graduated during that time and so I got into business and eventually found my way into ministry, but I still absolutely love – I still coach my boys’ teams and – I just love being around the athletic arenas.”
“I… grew up in a very devout home, knew all of the prayers, probably could tell you more about the catechism than most of the other kids at the Catholic school, but it really never went from my head to my heart until I had this moment. I had an opportunity to go to Mexico City with my father on some mission trip stuff.”
“The story of Miguel Pro and then seeing his shrine, that just kind of knocked me over the head of, wow this is what the faith is – it’s something that means so much that a man is willing to stare a firing squad in the face, forgive them, and accept his fate.”
“I started reading… the idea of weightlifting and athletics being a way to glorify God and a way to integrate your physical body into your spiritual life and understand it in that way.”
“If you wanna be a great athlete you have to consider the mind as well. The smarter you are the better athlete you’re going to be. The more spiritually strong you are the more courageous you’re going to be in athletics.”
“Yeah, achieve excellence. You wanna go deadlift 800 pounds? Awesome! But make sure your mindset is right when it comes to your mental strength and your spiritual strength as well.”
“Devotion to Mary; even during your time lifting weights, what are some things you can offer up to her. Say, ‘Hey, this session I’m about to do, whatever suffering I get out of it, I want to give it to you’.”
Related links:
January 2023 press release (Zimmerer Joins Benedictine College)
Book being given away as mentioned on this episode
(This episode contains a prayer adapted from one by an unknown Confederate Soldier, as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport)
Mike Evoy
Episode 229
19 JUNE 2023
He was a three-sport athlete in high school before going on to Siena Heights University, where he was on the baseball roster for two years. He was a CYO Athletic Director and coached basketball at two Catholic schools. At a different Catholic high school, he was the Athletic Director, before moving on to Associate Director of the Detroit Catholic High School League. He has also served as Chairperson (Lead Driver) of No Sports on Sunday in the Archdiocese of Detroit and is a Certified Play Like a Champion Sports Ministry Coach and Parent presenter. He’s the Athletics and Student Services Coordinator for the Archdiocese of Detroit in the Department of Catholic Schools.
Notable guest quotes:
“It was a focal point of the house. We always attended Mass on Sunday… My faith was exceptional, if you would, from the standpoint of all the resources. I lived across the street from our church, so, there was no reason not to be able just to stop in, say a prayer, go to Mass, see the priests, see the nuns just walking in the neighborhood. It was a faith-filled environment.”
“It was school, sports, faith, not necessarily in that order, right, but it was those three things that were always there for me.”
“And there again I was fortunate enough to have another caring coach who was a practicing Catholic. A good example for me as a young Catholic male to see that it was okay to be competitive in athletics but also a person of faith, going to Mass, leading us in prayer.”
“When I went to Mass I would see them in the pews. I would see them worshiping. And what a great example, I always feel, for young men to see other men practicing their faith.”
“If God blessed me with children – which He has – but at that time I didn’t know what the plan was, right, I wanted to be able to coach my kids. I wanted to be able to attend their games.”
“I made a point of talking to the young men about, ‘You gotta not only thank your guardian or your parents… give thanks for what God’s provided you in your life… Think about the sacrifice somebody has made to allow you to come and participate in basketball, to attend this school.”
“Holy Redeemer not only provided me all my sacraments, it led to meeting my wife, and we got married there as well… We were very, very fortunate; we had six priests and a bishop, all presided over our wedding.”
“We demonstrate and practice our faith. We start every athletic contest – if there’s a microphone available – we start it with prayer. Every level foreseeable.”
“Archbishop Vigneron called for a Synod… and one of the many fruits that came out of the Synod was No Sports on Sunday and they asked that I would be the Lead Driver of ensuring that this would happen… At no point was there an option of us not doing this. The Holy Spirit drove this.”
Related link:
Catholic High School League website
Book being given away as mentioned on this episode
Dave Matheson
Episode 228
12 JUNE 2023
He spent almost four years as the Public Relations Manager for Major League Baseball’s Detroit Tigers. That followed stints as the University of Houston’s Assistant Sports Information Director, the University of South Alabama’s Assistant Sports Information Director, and the University of Georgia’s Sports Information Assistant. He currently serves as an Official Scorer with Major League Baseball’s San Diego Padres, a role he also held with the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros. He has umpired Little League Baseball, has coached youth soccer and baseball, and, back in his days as a student-athlete, played baseball and wrestled. On the faith side, he is the Director of Development for Catholic Answers, and serves as the backup host for their live radio show.
Notable guest quotes:
“My father was very active in the church. In fact, he was a Deacon… my mom was involved with the women’s ministry. And I will credit that part of my upbringing for learning to love the Lord, learning to know more about Him.”
“In 1996 I married my cradle Catholic, well, fiancée, we got married in late 1996 and it changed my life in more ways than one.”
“I quickly realized that if I was going to make this decision, I needed to do my own research. I needed more than what I was going to learn in this RCIA class.”
“It’s kind of who I am. I’m a reader. I like to do research, things like that. So, my mother-in-law had given me a book called Surprised By Truth, and it is a compilation of conversion stories.”
“I would ask my wife questions about the Catholic faith. Often she didn’t know and would say, ‘Go look it up,’ so I’d go to the Internet and one way or another I’d end up at catholic.com, which is the website for Catholic Answers.”
“I was in Major League clubhouses from 1996 to 2000 and one of the things that did strike me is the number of baseball players who are Christians.”
“There’s so many things you can do to really draw closer to the Lord and the Catholic faith gives us all of this.”
“One of the watershed moments for me is I reached a point in my faith where I felt like I wanted to do more. I looked into the diaconate, for example, the permanent diaconate.”
“There were a small handful of us guys, three or four of us, and we brought That Man Is You… to our parish. I became the Grand Knight of our Knights Council. My wife and I taught CCD to third graders for a couple of years. We went to the March For Life there in (Washington) DC.”
Related links:
Dave’s bio on the Catholic Answers website
Book being given away as mentioned on this episode
Hayden Dalton
Episode 227
5 JUNE 2023
He is a pro basketball player competing in Israel in the Basketball Champions League for a team called Hapoel Holon B.C. He has also played for teams in Denmark, the Czech Republic, France, and Spain, after having played at both the University of Wyoming and Central Wyoming College. In his final season with the University of Wyoming he earned a number of honors and was profiled in the USA Today. After college he played for the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Summer League team. He had enjoyed a successful career as high school basketball player, culminating with being named First Team All-Continental League as a senior.
Notable guest quotes:
“For my childhood… I’m the third of seven… cradle Catholic… all of us are practicing Catholics right now… I would just attribute that to our parents just always teaching us right and wrong and not only right and wrong but the whys of right and wrong and the whys of the church.”
“Basketball has definitely been something I had never planned and definitely what God planned for me for sure.”
“I was a very good volleyball player… A lot of people ask me why I changed over to basketball. I don’t have a reason, it just kind of, that’s how it happened. Like… a God thing.”
“In high school (I did) a lot of youth group, a lot of religious camps… Different things like that, formation through, I went to, my senior year in high school, all throughout I went to kind of a deep theology study, Bible study… class.”
“I know that it’s a God thing that He allowed me, this freewill of God allowed me to do that because my first year at the junior college I was with FOCUS… the Fellowship of Catholic University Students.”
“It was just by divine grace that I was able to join this trip. At first, they said, ‘Oh, no way, there’s no way you can join a mission trip one week before,’ but after they checked everything they said, ‘Hey, there’s a spot on this Ecuador trip. Someone canceled’ … and I was in Ecuador one week after my world fell apart… surrounded by faithful Catholic people, just holy people.”
“So, God just took me out of my world where, in my mind, I had everything … and He just humbled the heck out of me… That’s the first time I truly encountered Jesus in the Eucharist.”
“Honestly, I wasn’t at the spiritual maturity level, I don’t think, to really prayerfully discern.”
“I could say by far this has been the most spiritual growth that I’ve had in any season or year of my life by far.”
“Even when you’re not faithful, God is faithful. Even when we’re lazy and unfaithful and forgetful, He’s faithful.”
“Probably one of my best friends now is one of the priests there… He’s from Mexico City, but he’s been here in Jerusalem with Opus Dei for 14 years… He’s kind of led me in… spiritual direction… just through friendship.”
“They were the two closest people to Jesus on earth… The more and more you contemplate in prayer and meditate with Mary and Joseph about Jesus, they just open you up and they lead you by the hand to Jesus.”
Related links:
Hayden’s Wikipedia page
Book being given away as mentioned on this episode
(This episode contains a prayer by Fort Worth Christian Football League parent Linda Fleshman, as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport)
Lenny Wilkens
Episode 226
29 MAY 2023
He is in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as both a player and a coach as well as for being an assistant coach with the 1992 Olympic “Dream Team.” He played in the NBA for four teams over 15 years and was a nine-time All-Star and would later be named one of the 50 greatest players in NBA history. Before ending his playing career, he took on the role of player-coach with two different teams. As a full-time coach, he guided the Seattle Supersonics — winning a championship in 1978-79 — and then the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Atlanta Hawks, the Toronto Raptors, and the New York Knicks. In the midst of all that, he also coached the U.S. men’s basketball team to a gold medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. He also served for nine years as vice president of the National Basketball Players Association, served as president of the NBA Coaches Association, held a number of jobs in the Supersonics’ front office, and served as a game analyst on basketball television broadcasts. He also wrote an autobiography called, “Unguarded: My Forty Years Surviving in the NBA.”
Notable guest quotes:
“Back then the Mass was in Latin, and we were always challenged to learn Latin… But I learned it and it was fun being an altar boy. I used to serve all the different Masses from time to time.”
“Growing up we were a very Catholic family, and so we never missed going to church. You had to be dying not to be able to go, ‘cause my mother wasn’t having it. But ya’ know, it was a way of life for us.”
“The elementary school I went to was called Holy Rosary and it was taught by Sisters of Mercy… they were great teachers.”
“I had role models who would encourage me that, it’s up to you to become as good as you can be in whatever it was. And one of those was a guy named Jackie Robinson, who lived in our neighborhood.”
“It kind of peaked my interest in basketball and I started to play more and more. I played CYO. I played in the PAL – the Police Athletic League – and… I started to get better and better and better.”
“We had very few lay teachers. We had a lot of Dominican fathers teaching at Providence (College)… and I became with friendly with a lot of them.”
“My dad died when I was five years old. And I remember at the funeral this nun was holding me and she says, ‘Well, you’re the man of the family now’.”
“A lot of the Dominican fathers who taught (at Providence College) became friends. I stayed friendly with a lot of them even when I graduated and went on to play pro ball.”
“There were a couple of guys on the team who were Catholic. We went to church together. I didn’t hide it at all. It’s who I am!”
“One of my first role models other than my mother was the priest in my parish.”
Related links:
Lenny Wilkens Foundation website
(This episode contains a prayer from the National Catholic Coaches Association’s “The Leadership Papers,” although originally credited in there to The Coach’s Bible.)
Gene Zannetti
Episode 225
22 MAY 2023
He was a nationally ranked All-Ivy League wrestler at the University of Pennsylvania AND he was an assistant wrestling coach at Springfield College. He is a certified School Psychologist, Personal Trainer and Nutritionist, and, along with his brother he now runs Wrestling Mindset, to help wrestlers reach their full potential in wrestling, school and life. He has two master’s degrees, including one in Sports Psychology, and his master’s degree thesis has been published in the International Journal of Wrestling Sciences. On the faith side, he is the founder of Spiritual Strength, whose aim is “building the total athlete for Christ.” And his book, “Spiritual Strength: Building the Total Athlete for Christ,” was reviewed and endorsed by Cardinal Burke.
Notable guest quotes:
“I had an interest in the faith from a young age. Both my brothers and I, we were all altar boys growing up.”
“If anyone were to ask me at any period of time in my life, how important is God and my Catholic faith to me on a scale of one to ten, I would always have said a ten.”
“I had a priest when I was an altar boy in fourth grade, he told me, ‘Every day you wake up in the morning, the first thing you do is you bless yourself, you say thank you Lord for this new day. Help me to do everything for you.’ I did that almost every day.”
“I knew faith was important and it definitely gave my brothers and I, we had that rooting, we had a grounding, so we knew that wrestling wasn’t, we weren’t identified by wrestling.”
“When you look back, you realize there’s no coincidences, only God-incidences, right? I could see how the Lord was calling me into a deeper relationship with Him. I could kind of piece it back, looking back in hindsight.”
“The main spark was, really, in 2015, when my brother Greg started discerning priesthood.”
“My brother discerning priesthood brought my whole family way closer to the Lord.”
“I knew that there was Padre Pio. I knew about Our Lady of Fatima, Our Lady of Guadalupe. So I was hanging on by the mystics.”
“The Lord was working on both my heart and my head at the same time.”
“I could give them great sports psychology information, but I really can’t take them all the way without knowledge of Christ and His church.”
“We have to pray the rosary every day. We have to consecrate ourselves to Mary. The scapular – wearing the brown scapular. Offering up our sufferings. And Saturdays, the first Saturday devotion. Those are the five things Our Lady wants all Catholics to do.”
“Prayer is kind of like an analogy for stretching because when we stretch, when we pray, God stretches our muscles further than we can stretch on our own.”
Related link: