Episodes

Paula Umana

She is a former professional tennis player who is now a speaker, an author, and the tennis coach at Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta, Georgia, with an amazing story of a nervous system disorder that left her quadriplegic.  She had been the Number 1 tennis player in her country of origin, Costa Rica, including having been Central American Champion for nine years and representing her country at the Central American Games.  She has written a book called “40 Gifts of Hope: Encouragement in Times of Sickness and Suffering.”

Notable guest quotes:

“Costa Rica is a small country… I was born in a family of seven children, and I am the youngest.  And the Catholic traditions in… Costa Rica are really strong.”

“… family of seven kids and for my dad it was very difficult to be able to afford a tennis career for somebody, but, God provides, and things started to get better.  At the time I was 17 I took a very serious decision in my life that was to become a professional tennis player and dedicate all the time to practice, maybe eight or nine hours a day of tennis.”

“He was the one who asked me the question, ‘Would you like to take tennis serious and play everyday and to do homeschooling and practice,’ and I was like, ‘Yes, but I need to be able to afford all these expenses for my dream.’  So, I remember, I started praying for that.”

“I think that was the beginning of, for me to be very close to God.  I was just praying for finding a way to do it.  And I remember I found some Catholic friends and also, I started to call some companies in my country and I was able to get good sponsors and that’s how I was able to come to the United States.”

“I moved to Miami, Key Biscayne, and… I remember the Catholic church there… St. Agnes… I remember I used to practice and then go to the house where I used to live… and have dinner and then after that I just used to go to the church and sit down outside of the church.”

“After (my son) was born, my body just started to get all paralyzed in a horrible way until I was just a person in a bed not being able to move.”

“In Costa Rica we have a special day for the Virgin Mary and it’s a day called the Virgin of the Angels, where everybody goes in pilgrimage and walks through the country to pray and to offer and to give thanks.  So, my aunt decided for everybody to go for me and pray.  And that was on August 2nd of 2015.  Well, on August 4th of 2015, that was the first time I was able to sit down.”

“On February 11^th of 2016, that was the day of the Virgin of Lourdes, my mother-in-law called me, and she said, ‘I’m praying for you.’  I was in a wheelchair on my front porch, and… that was the first time I was able to stand up.”

“The biggest miracle for me was… my daughter, Marie, went on a mission trip to the Virgin of Lourdes and all the doctors told me, ‘You’re not going to be able to walk anymore,’ … and when my daughter was in the Virgin of Lourdes praying for me, a lady stopped me in the supermarket and she said, ‘Oh, I’m sorry, but, I didn’t walk for twelve years.  And I discovered this device on my legs.’  And it’s a man in Seattle that is doing them.  It was not a neuromuscular center… I met this lady in the supermarket right when my daughter is in front in Lourdes praying for me and my situation.”

“It is so beautiful how our Blessed Mother is always available for us, to help us.  Like the same way that women, as moms, we’re available for our kids and sometimes our kids are teenagers and they don’t talk to us and they don’t look at us, but we’re always there waiting for them to come to us and… to help in any way.  So, I think we have to go to Her because she’s amazing… I love Her so much for everything that has happened in my life.”

“I learned that the best way to win was offering my suffering.”

Related links:

Paula’s book “40 Gifts of Hope: Encouragement in Times of Sickness and Suffering”

Paula’s 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.)

Anna Wilgenbusch

She was the University of Dallas’ first NCAA cross country two-time All-American. She holds the five thousand meter and ten thousand meter school records at the University of Dallas for track and field and the 5K and 6K school records for cross country. She was the only female NCAA Division III cross country All-American in the state of Texas in 2019 and 2021. She is headed to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota to study for her master’s degree in Theology, and she writes and authors Catholic children’s books.

Notable guest quotes:

“I attended Holy Trinity Catholic elementary and middle school in Tallahassee, Florida.  They had just a wonderful Life Teen program, so, I was really involved in my youth group.”

“I went to Covecrest Catholic camps in the summer and really encountered the Lord there.”

“I went to a Catholic high school… and really discovered the beauty of the tradition of the faith.”

“I do try (to) reverence the day of rest, really, as a day where I can take a day off from training, if I am training, even at the university level sometimes I would cross train on Sundays, but usually I would really take that to be a very intentional day of rest.”

“Even in the repetition that we find so meditative in the rosary, I think that kind of translates into running a little bit of just your footfalls, step after step, mile after mile, kind of forming into this very meditative process of prayer.”

“My prayer before every race is just let this race be a prayer and just consciously uniting whatever suffering comes out of that experience with the cross, and that’s something that I find immensely fulfilling about running.”

“My team… went and volunteered at the convent of the Sacred Heart in Bloomington, Minnesota, where the Sisters of Pro Ecclesia Sancta live.”

“I have discerned for many years, and I’ve stayed in a convent in Peru, in Spain, and also in Florence, Italy.”

“Really, a heart of discernment is, getting to know the heart of Jesus.”

“I also taught catechesis with the program Totus Tuus in the summer of 2019… through the southern part of Minnesota… at different parishes.  It was a wonderful experience.”

Related link:

Anna’s books on Amazon

[This episode contains a prayer (poem) by Central Catholic High School (Pittsburgh, PA) Principal Ed Bernot, as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport]

Tracy Guerrette

It’s amazing to hear what she almost did, given that she is an elite marathon runner, having competed in the Boston Marathon, the U.S. Track and Field Marathon championships in California, and winning the 2017 Maine Marathon, which qualified her for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She currently coaches cross country and outdoor track at a Catholic high school in Maine.  She was also the head women’s basketball coach at an NCAA Division III school for four years. This all followed a career as a student-athlete that culminated with her having played college basketball for four years at the University of Maine, serving as a captain in both her junior and senior seasons after the team had made the NCAA tournament in her freshman and sophomore years.  In high school she had been Female Athlete of the Year and earned MVP honors in three sports.

Notable guest quotes:

“The Catholic faith is very, very prevalent.  It’s the center of what we do.  Growing up in small town called St. Agatha, everything revolved around the church and the liturgical year.”

“The best gift my parents gave me was my Catholic faith.”

“I had phenomenal coaches who, again, the faith was like the center point of what they were doing, to have these beautiful Catholic coaches.  And so yeah, I was really, really well coached, both on the basketball court but also in the faith.”

“I had practice that night and I was getting ready to take a nap in my dorm room and there was a knock on my door… And I attribute that to the Lord knocking on the door of my heart throughout my life, just really pursuing me in such a way throughout my life.  And that day I let Him in.”

“We were a very talented team… but, we would meet with the collegiate team prior to the game.  We would eat their pregame meal with them.  We would share a witness talk.  We would share the gospel… and then during either halftime or after the game we would… share a gospel message with the crowd.”

“Athletics is such a great platform to share the gospel.”

“More than the opportunity to play and travel to these different countries, the thing that was such the greatest gift to me was to be able to share Christ.”

“I visited Medjugorje as an eight-year old.  We took a family pilgrimage there, and the graces I received in Medjugorje are still being unpacked to this day.”

“I was a head Division III coach and Sports Information Director, but I was secretly… visiting convents.”

“I remember thinking, ‘Lord, I love athletics so much, like, it’s such a gift, but I love you more and I’m willing to lay down this gift in order to pursue you most fully and give my life to you’.”

“The gift of sport from the divine giver allows us to more fully commune with that giver.”

(This episode contains a prayer originally excerpted and adapted from Day By Day: The Notre Dame Prayerbook for Students by Thomas McNally, as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport)

Nicole Skoch

She has had an extensive career in volleyball. The sport has seen her in roles from head volleyball coach at Shawnee Mission East, a high school in Prairie Village, Kansas, to being a volunteer coach at the college level with the Kansas Jayhawks, and even coaching a club team, plus, having been a student-athlete at the University of Texas where she played for four years and was a member of the 2012 NCAA National Championship team. Prior to her time with the Longhorns, she played on the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team that competed at the 2011 International Volleyball Federation Girls’ Youth World Championship. She led her high school to two Colorado 5A State Championships and was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.

Notable guest quotes:

“Every Sunday night started Lent…five years back, I want to say… we would meet for Sunday night calls… we now do video Zoom calls… So, it’s a great way for us to gather and praise Jesus that way.”

“I’m very, very, very thankful for my parents… to ask about… how I can continue my faith journey and be involved in Bible study and continue to flourish in that.”

“This is why they want me, to play volleyball… that was my identity then and a few years down the road I figured out that’s not where my identity can lie.”

“She gave me a journal that night that I still have that she wrote Bible quotes throughout it.”

“That’s when the whole identity thing, like, this was taken away from me and now I have this feeling, this hole in my heart that’s always been there but it’s now even more radiating that only Jesus could fill.”

“That’s how Jesus just flourished in my heart, and I started wanting to lead Bible study and learn more.”

“That is a big part of my reversion story of allowing Jesus to be, yes, that number one priority in my life, and that was through spending time in Adoration and entering fully into the Mass and knowing Jesus in the Eucharist.”

“I’ll just forever be grateful for the Eucharist and Jesus revealing himself to us in such an intimate way through that.”

“It changed how I lived day to day and balance in keeping Jesus first rather than finding my worth in volleyball and this sport that is one day going to end.”

“Finding true joy in choosing to trust Him daily is what kept me going and what keeps me going today.”

“The Litany of Trust by the Sisters of Life is truly amazing… Sometimes I do it daily… but whenever I’m feeling anxiety… I love pulling out this prayer.”

Related link:

Nicole’s Prints & Praise Instagram account

(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)

Craig Stammen

He is a veteran Major League Baseball pitcher. He has appeared in over 540 games and pitched close to 860 innings and is in his 13th season of MLB, with 2022 being his sixth season with San Diego, making him the second-longest tenured Padre. He spent seven years with the Washington Nationals, who had selected him in the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Dayton, where he made 60 pitching appearances after also having pitched for his high school baseball team as well.

Notable guest quotes:

“We immersed in the faith from day one.  The Catholic church there is St. Louis parish and the whole town pretty much goes to that church… Where I even went to public high school, ya’ know, 99 percent of the kids are Catholic and have that kind of faith life.  So, I’m very privileged and blessed to be able to grow up in that type of community, with the type of family that put Jesus at the forefront.”

“Football, basketball, and baseball is what I played in high school… It’s a good thing that I was a sports lover and was able to play ‘em all.”

“Obviously the draw of (the University of Dayton) being a Catholic school and faith being a part of its community did draw me towards that.”

“I felt like my faith was strong enough to go (to college) about anywhere, but the University of Dayton was the exact right spot for me at the right time.”

“I had a great foundation from my mom and dad, both strong in their faith, and taught me from an early age who Jesus was and how that was supposed to emulate how we live the rest of our lives.”

“When I got drafted (into MLB) I was very thankful, and I knew it was part of God’s control and part of His plan for me that that was going to happen.”

“That was probably the turning point… as far as when things kind of clicked and understood that faith and sports can work together, and sports is just an extension of my faith.”

“(2 Timothy 1:7) is a verse I use when I’m on the pitching mound, actually… And it just reminds me on the mound to not be fearful.  And, that I’ve been put on the mound that day for a reason, and that’s to glorify Him.”

“I think it’s an important idea in my own head to be a man after God’s own heart and to pray for that and to try to execute that on a daily basis.”

Related link:

Craig’s bio on MLB.com

(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)

Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck

To serve Jesus he walked away from being a pro soccer player, having been with both the Colorado Rapids and then the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer.  That followed four years of having played soccer in South America for teams in Chile. In two of his four years there he was selected the league’s Most Valuable Player at the fullback position. As a student-athlete he had made the United States Under-17 National Team and was a High School All-American before going on to Clemson University. In college he was a four-year starter and helped the Tigers to an ACC Championship and four NCAA tournament berths, including two Elite Eight appearances. He is the Vocations Director for the Catholic Diocese of Peoria in Illinois. Next week will mark eight years since he was ordained to the priesthood.

Notable guest quotes:

“We were altar servers at our parish, growing up, and certainly sports was at the center of our household, as my parents were both athletes and my brother and I both played college soccer.”

“My parents were big into teaching us virtue and what we were supposed to be about and that comes from… Catholic teaching that they were passionate about.”

“I think a lot of people think all this faith is fantasy stuff.  It’s stuff that pious people make up and they want to believe to make themselves feel good.  Well, I had to ask all those questions too about sports and about faith.  I had to say, I want to be logical, I want to be real.  If God is true, then He created truth and we have to follow this.”

“We were sometimes late for games.  We sometimes missed meals with other families on Saturday nights, ya’ know, when all the traveling soccer teams go out to all the restaurants and all that and you have time with your friends.  We missed a lot of those things because we were at Mass… And I complained about that.  I was embarrassed often of my parents and of our faith because I said, ‘This is crazy and it’s not popular.  Nobody else is doing this’.”

“In my freshman year of college, I made my first lifetime commitment and I tell people today it’s the most important commitment I’ve ever made in my life and it’s more than being priest.  And that freshman year of college at Clemson I made the decision to be a practicing Catholic for the rest of my life.”

“There was no pre-signed contract.  I bought a one way ticket and told my parents I wasn’t coming home.”

“I realized that the Lord was going to bless me.  I had so much confidence in Jesus Christ and in his promises.  I always read Philippians 4:13 before I played (a soccer match).  I wrote PHIL 4:13 on my shin guard. That was the last thing I put on before I stepped onto the field.”

“(Being) a priest… is not an easy ministry.  It’s not always a comfortable ministry, but it’s the most rewarding and certainly a ministry that’s leading people to Jesus Christ and his heart.”

“It was me trying to figure out how to navigate God’s Will for my life as I was living out my will.”

(In Chile) “I started finding myself after (soccer) practice walking into Catholic churches.”

“I have to come before the Lord… and say… soccer was the way that I would’ve written my book.  The priesthood is the way that You would write this book.”

Related link:

Fr. Chase on Wikipedia

Mike Flood

He is the Vice President of Community Outreach for the NFL’s Seattle Seahawks, having now worked for the team for 25 years. He had served in the U.S. Coast Guard for 22 years, retiring as a Commander in 1997. He played football, basketball and baseball through his high school years and during his 22 years in the Coast Guard. He also coached basketball in military and youth leagues, and officiated basketball for 20 years. He serves on the boards of the King County Municipal League, Camp Patriot, and Empower Youth Network.

Notable guest quotes:

“I went to Catholic school from first grade through my junior year (of high school).”

“We went to church every Sunday, at least, and I was an altar boy.  Every day during Lent I’d go to church.  And… every Friday night we got the rosary out and knelt down at the living room couch and said the rosary.”

“I played varsity basketball and baseball in Virginia, and I played football, basketball, and baseball at Blanchet High School, a Catholic high school in Seattle.”

“Another thing that competition taught me is it’s not just in sports that you compete.  It’s in how you talk to people.  Can you reach people better if you understand them more and are really careful about what you say to them?”

“The plane rolled over to the left about 90 degrees, and I looked down at the ground and I thought, ‘I’m gonna die today’.”

“I’ve gotten to affect thousands of people’s lives through my job (with the Seahawks).”

“It led me to the statement for myself, to seek wisdom, act with confidence and compassion.”

“The way you converge the values that we get out of sports and our Catholic faith, our Christian faith, is really at the heart of a lot of things that the (Seahawks are) trying to do with people.”

“The things that people learn through sports don’t always translate into success in life and a smooth life.  But, every team, no matter whether it’s the Seahawks or the youth that we work with, everybody’s trying to get people to learn something beyond winning and losing in their experience with sports.”

“I read Richard Rohr almost every day, Father Richard Rohr, and he talks about how when we connect with each other based on each other’s true selves, we’re at a deeper level where love, compassion, wisdom, and beauty live.”

“Even the people that seem to be a pain in the neck, you can find something in common and respect them and respect the opportunity that you’ve got to make a difference for them and whoever they’re working with.”

“I got the Bible out… and I started reading Proverbs 8 and it just struck me… And so, I give it to other people.  If I think they really care, I print that out and give it to ‘em.”

Related link:

Mike’s bio on the Seattle Seahawks’ website