Episodes

Bobby Allison

A NASCAR Hall of Famer who was the 1983 champion of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and had three Daytona 500 victories, among numerous other titles and championships. He won on 27 different tracks and had at least three wins in every NASCAR major. He ended his career with 85 victories and was named one of NASCAR’s “50 Greatest Drivers.”  He was also a seven-time Most Popular Driver Award-winner.

Notable guest quotes:

“I had nine brothers and sisters… We also had three babies who died as babies, which in those days was accepted a little bit more readily than it is in today’s world…. And we were Catholic.  We went to Mass on Sunday as a family.  My mom and dad were great Catholic parents.”

“I went to… a kindergarten through twelfth grade Catholic high school in downtown Miami.  And in… my junior high school year, the bishop built a Catholic boys school and a Catholic girls school just north of the downtown area and I switched over to Archbishop Curley High.”

“My mom was a great, great Christian… and my dad was the best Christian Catholic man that I ever knew.”

“I felt like bad situations, bad luck in racing, whatever, might be partial punishment for some misdeed that I had done.  And I felt like I was one of those people that was successful with God being merciful.”

(On dealing with the death of his son Clifford) “I spent many hours and tears and just tried to come up with some equation that would give me some peace.  I did continue to go to Mass, and I tried to stay within the sacraments… I prayed for peace for myself, peace for the family… just general prayer, and lots of it.”

“I was so devoted to my career and the racing industry that I could not put up with people — owners or mechanics — (with) any kind of negative attitude toward whatever went on.  I was there to do the best I could and if we had a bad day I would say, ‘Thank you, Lord. Things could’ve been worse’.  And when we had a good day, I tried to share that with everybody that was involved with me.”

“One special priest, when he could get a day off every now and then, he’d show up at a racetrack and give the invocation… and he was a delight to me too… we got to meet and talk and became great friends.  And I talk to him even frequently right now.”

Related link:

Official Bobby Allison website

Kerri Gallagher

The Director of Cross Country, Track and Field at Manhattan College in New York.  In July 2016 she had been named head coach of Manhattan’s men’s and women’s cross country, mid-distance and distance programs.  An elite-level professional runner, she represented the United States in the 1500 meters at the 2015 IAAF World Championships. She had finished third in the 1500 at the USATF Outdoor Championships to qualify for the World Championships in Beijing, China, among other international competition.  In her days as a student-athlete she set six school records and won four Atlantic 10 titles competing for Fordham University and was named to their Hall of Fame Class of 2017.

Notable guest quotes:

“Our faith was definitely central to my experience growing up.  We were praying regularly as a family.  We were going to Mass on Sundays and on holy days… I was very blessed to have such a great family support system.”

“Matthew 28:20.  I put that in my Twitter bio pretty recently… ‘I am with you always.’  That was just a very succinct truth that I think is currently just speaking to me and it’s just kind of grounding me in relationship with Jesus right now.”

“That was a priority for my parents to put all nine of us through Catholic school, grade school and high school.  At the college level it was our choice.  But I did decide to attend Fordham University, which is a Jesuit university.”

“God knows us better than anybody ever could, better than we know ourselves.”

“I had actually recently at that time started volunteering with the Sisters of Life in New York City and one of the Sisters that I had been working with… made some helpful suggestions to me… and one of them was to pray in front of the Blessed Sacrament, to go into a church and just sit in front of the tabernacle.”

“This was the first time I approached Jesus in complete need, without a pre-determined solution.”

“I think that was the first time I was open to a relationship with Jesus where it was two ways now.  It wasn’t just Him inviting and me blocking.  There was just this really beautiful experience of Him caring for me.”

“What athletics is about, in my opinion, is the opportunity for personal encounter.”

“Hindsight tells me that there was a very prayerful approach to a lot of what I was doing.  I just didn’t necessarily have the awareness of it.”

“We have the faith and the knowledge that God is using it for His good, if our intention is to be in line with His Will.”

“I have so much confidence that athletics is such an avenue for encounter with God.”

“I am co-leading our young adult group at my local parish and that has been such a gift in my life.”

Related link:

Kerri’s bio on Manhattan College website

(This episode contains a prayer from the South Bend Indiana Inner-City Catholic League, as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport)

Samantha Kelley

The founder and president of FIERCE Athlete Inc.  She played Division I soccer at UConn and is involved in competitive rowing.  Her sports participation background also includes ice hockey as well as track and field.  She has worked for Catholic non-profits and has a Master’s in Catholic Psychology and has been pursuing certification in strength and conditioning AND theology of the body.

Notable guest quotes:

“I viewed my faith as part of what made me a good person.”

“To be given that opportunity to be that role model for young women… was such a blessing.”

“I just thought to myself, ‘How can I escape preseason?’  And I was like, ‘I can go to Mass!   My coaches will let me go to Mass’.”

“There was this girl that got up to do the readings and I remember thinking to myself, ‘Who does this girl think she is?’  But it was because she had the joy that I was seeking and it was so apparent.”

“It was the best decision I ever made.  I showed up in Florida, there was two thousand college students, and I just said, ‘Alright, Lord, you’ve got four days,’ which is a dangerous prayer.”

“It was during Adoration literally in an instant that I had a radical encounter with Him.  I encountered the true presence of Christ.”

“The Lord’s mercy is deep.  And, His love for us deep.  And He can take anyone, no matter how far we are away from Him and call them — with just a slight opening — call them to Himself and use them.”

“I was never more convinced that that’s where my mission needed to be, was amongst these women to show them the beauty of who they are as daughters of God.”

“My spiritual director encouraged me to go to a course with the Theology of the Body Institute.  And I’d say outside of my encounter with Jesus that was probably the most transformational experience in my life.”

“My mission was that every teammate would know that they were loved.  And for some of them that was inviting them back to Mass.”

Related link:

FIERCE Athlete website

(This episode contains a prayer by Gregg Easterbrook from the NFL.com and ESPN.com column “Monday Morning Quarterback,” as seen in Play Like A Champion Today’s prayerbook for sports, God, Be In My Sport)

Fr Patrick Kelly

A Jesuit priest and an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Detroit Mercy, having previously taught in the Theology and Religious Studies department at Seattle University for 13 years. He is also the author of a book called, “Catholic Perspectives on Sports: From Medieval to Modern Times,” and the editor of a book on sports and Catholic youth that was just listed as one of the top ten books on sports and Catholicism in the last decade.  He was also on the Papal Commission at the Vatican for Sport & Spirituality.  And, not only has he coached sports at the high school and college levels, but, he was a captain of his college football team and an All Conference free safety.

Notable guest quotes:

“I went to a Catholic high school and started playing sports actually at our parish.”

“I had some success (in sports) when I was in high school and in college, but in high school I thought perhaps that this could be what I would do as a profession when I got older.”

“Having that injury at such a young age when I had already gotten so much attention for sports, it did make me step back and reflect about ‘Who am I’ and ‘Where does my value come from’ and those kinds of questions.”

“I had an experience when I prayed over the story of the rich young man, I had an experience of deep peace and joy associated with the idea of entering the Jesuits — what Ignatius of Loyola would call spiritual consolation.”

“For some time I started to think that I should put behind me all the (sports involvement) … and there was a part of me, I was thinking that I was supposed to do that to live a spiritual life.  But I found out over time as I was living my life that that didn’t work because I’d been too profoundly shaped and formed as a human being through my participation in sports.”

“When I started doctoral studies I had this question, ‘What would a Catholic approach, or take, on sports as an aspect of culture be’?”

“A fully human life also needs time for recreation and play.”

Related link:

Fr. Kelly’s website

Lou Holtz

He coached 132 games in eleven seasons at Notre Dame, leading the Fighting Irish to the 1988 national championship.  After Notre Dame he coached at South Carolina.  Prior to Notre Dame he coached at Minnesota, Arkansas, North Carolina State, and William & Mary.  Along the way he also spent one season as the head coach of the NFL’s New York Jets.  He was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2008 and has been seen for many years on television as an analyst on ESPN.  This all followed his days playing football at Kent State.

Notable guest quotes:

“I was raised in a very strong Catholic household.  Both grandparents were Catholic.  My family was Catholic.  We went to church every Sunday.  And my grandmother, she went to church every single day of the year, and I mean that is not an exaggeration.”

“I was blessed because not what we had but because of what I was taught.  And I was taught to have a strong faith in God and make good choices as you go along.”

“You’re always gonna have challenges and obstacles and that’s life.  It’s how well you handle ’em.”

“What I loved about being at the University of Notre Dame: I could express my Catholic faith, I could express the faith I had in Jesus Christ and I didn’t have to worry about the Civil Liberties Union calling me and complaining.”

“During two-a-days (at Notre Dame) many times, one of the things I loved to do with our team was go over Proverbs with ’em.  There were basically 30 Proverbs… about how to get along with your fellow man.”

“To go to the team Mass (at Notre Dame) was really special… The love and the feeling our team had during that team Mass was absolutely incredible.  We would have our team Mass at Our Lady’s Chapel in the basilica, which was unbelievable.”

“When we recruited (for Notre Dame) we said, ‘I don’t expect you to become a Catholic, but I do expect you to show tremendous respect for the Catholic Mass that we have,’ and they did that.”

“The last thing we did before we went to the stadium was we went to the team Mass… It was just a feeling and togetherness that we represent the Catholic faith and we represent Notre Dame, and our football team should reflect the same values of the university.”

“The way you always make good choices is you follow three rules: Rule number one, you do what’s right… if you have any doubt about what’s right or wrong, get out the Bible… Rule number two you do everything the very best of your ability… And the last rule is care about people.”

“I’ve always had a strong faith in God, and I don’t know how anybody could get through without faith in God.”

Related link:

Lou’s book “Three Rules for Living a Good Life: A Game Plan for After Graduation”

(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.)

Jake Perez

He has been coaching at a tennis academy and after school program in southern California for over five years.  He has had tennis coaching related jobs over the years and had been a successful high school tennis player. His college degree is in psychology, and he has combined that with his passion for sports in launching a website where he publishes weekly posts about sport psychology, for athletic success and mental health. He is also getting ready to launch a website called The Catholic Path, where he intends to publish weekly book reviews and blog posts.

Notable guest quotes:

“They… got us baptized and confirmed, so, I’m very thankful for that.  And, my grandparents, on both sides, they’re actually very, very devout Catholics, so that helped a lot.”

“What comforted me during that time was, my grandma, who… was a devout Catholic, she was leading us in the rosary… That was a very powerful moment.”

“I decided there was more to life than just my career goals and I wanted to put my faith first.”

“That definitely inspired me to start praying the rosary.  From that moment I completely decided to take my faith more seriously… and I’m sure God changed my life at that moment right there.”

“She encouraged me to go to confession and to start reading Catholic books… She helped me fall in love with God and the Catholic church and my faith.”

“Another great thing about working with him is that he’s Catholic and that’s another reason why we bonded.”

“I’ll go around and take pictures of Catholic churches and my wife and I will post them on our Instagram with captions of prayers… just to help people, just to share our faith.”

Related link:

Jake’s Sport Psych Tips website
His book reviews and blog posts site

(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.)

Scott Greve

The Director of Athletics AND the Head Men’s and Women’s Tennis Coach at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, where he has led those two teams to a combined seven conference championships and been named the Coach of the Year five times since taking over as head coach for the 2016-17 season.  He had previously worked at a Catholic high school and is currently pursuing a Master’s of Theology.

Notable guest quotes:

“I went to St. Mary’s Catholic School, which is a Catholic grade school… Then went on to the University of Dayton, (a) Catholic school, (a) Catholic college… I ended up minoring in religious studies.”

“Faith-wise, because I was minoring in religious studies, I took a lot of religious studies classes.  And so, I had priests and others who I felt must know their faith.”

“I call it my great salvation through my time in college was that my wife and I started dating during that time and although she was not Catholic, she was a devout Protestant and just really loved Jesus and from that experience in my life I started to see that and knew that that was something that I wanted in my life.”

“We were really intentional in our prayer life, that we were praying for friends and the first thing that happened to us was we met some old friends of ours that were family friends that invited us to come to Franciscan University for the Defending the Faith conference.  And that was a life-changing experience for both of us.”

“I always tell people, if you ever want to hear the Lord speak to you, take 3am in the morning as your Adoration hour.  It’s just a powerful experience.”

“I ended up, in 2004, really hearing God’s call in my life that He wanted me to go back to school and work on a Master’s in Theology.”

“It’s just a great story of how God’s divine providence, when we listen to it, even when those things seem insurmountable and unattainable, that He can make those things happen.”

“I tell the athletes that our goal, our mission every year is to help each other grow closer to Jesus.  If we succeed in doing that, then we have done what God has called us to do.”

“I encourage it for everybody.  If you haven’t made a consecration to the Blessed Mother, do so.  It’ll really change your life.”

Related link:

Scott’s bio on Franciscan University 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.)