Catholic Athletes for Christ (CAC) in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois held its first ever "Senior Springboard" event April 26 in the Jim Belz Gymnasium at Sacred Heart-Griffin High School in Springfield. Originally begun with professional athletes, Bishop Thomas John Paprocki said that he and other American bishops believed getting much younger people involved in CAC would provide early benefits.
"We're starting small, but Jesus started small, with 12, but we're growing and I'm very happy to see this started in our diocese," said Bishop Paprocki.
The event highlighted faith witnesses by some of the students and coaches in attendance:
"I feel that it is very important to have strong faith in my life not only on the sports field but in everyday life. My faith allows me to stay focused and humble when I'm competing for my school. I see my faith in my daily life by the people I'm surrounded by. Something our football team did before every football game was to say our team prayer. This thanked God for giving us the opportunity to play for a great school like St. Teresa ... and that we couldn't do it without sticking together and to play as one to have a shot at winning." — Hayden Athey, St. Teresa High School, Decatur. Hayden plans to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville this fall.
"The summer before my junior year at the Mizzou football camp, I actually tore my ACL, MCL and miniscus on the last day of the last play of football camp. My passion was taken away from me. It was then that my faith was not only tested but came to be its strongest. A lot of prayer and support helped me through that... . I'm wearing this anchor tie today because it is the symbol of Bible verse Philippians 4:13 'I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.'" — Jake Bertrum, Quincy Notre Dame High School. Jake plans to attend the University of Missouri this fall.
"Faith to me is letting God lead you in your life. My faith is taking something negative and turning it into a positive. At St. Anthony's I've been blessed with great peers, great coaches and great family members ... . CAC has really shaped me to be the person that I am today. CAC is something I hope spreads around the nation and the world." — Connor Green, St. Anthony Catholic High School, Effingham. Connor plans to attend the University of Illinois this fall.
"By definition, faith is complete trust or confidence in someone or something. It is impossible to achieve perfect faith, but we can do our absolute best to try every day. Our purpose as Catholic athletes is to be disciples for Christ and to be good examples for others so that they will do even more good for others. We need to be happy and confident people so that when others see us they will say 'I want what they have.' I think of sports as a mini-version of the church. We practice together, act together, rejoice together and suffer together. I am very privileged to get to be among the very first Catholic Athletes for Christ at my high school." — Dani Healey, Sacred Heart-Griffin High School, Springfield. Dani plans to attend the University of Iowa this fall.
After former Notre Dame football star Mike McGlinn performed an inspirational message through song, Bishop Paprocki and Jean Johnson, superintendent of Catholic education, presented St. Sebastian medals and prayer cards to all the senior athletes.
Catholic Athletes for Christ chapters were started in all of the diocesan Catholic high schools at the beginning of the current school year. It is designed to provide student athletes, both boys and girls, with opportunities to embrace their Catholic faith and to be daily witnesses to their faith for others.
Bishop Paprocki and the CAC steering committee, under the leadership of Michael Stannard who emceed the event, said they were pleased to offer this culminating CAC activity to honor the senior athletes and to send them off to college and their future with prayers and blessings that they continue to keep Christ at the center of all that they do in the future.