On God's Team

July/August 2009 Issue | Posted by Joseph Pronechen in Everyday Apostles

Going the Distance

Monica Rust, Franciscan University of Steubenville

Monica Rust makes no secret about why she runs track and cross country at Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio.

“Being part of the team here really transformed why I run and what I get out of it,” says the 20-year-old student, a junior. “We’re running for the glory of God. And we make running a sacrificial offering.”

Indeed, Monica, like her teammates, kisses the white tau cross on her uniform as she puts it on. It’s a reminder to pick up their daily crosses and a symbol of their own daily dose of redemptive suffering.

“Knowing we’re running for the glory of God gives me more motivation to really push myself,” she explains. “I know my suffering isn’t just for my good time, but can be used for the souls in purgatory. That makes running a lot more meaningful and worthwhile.”

Practice runs mean praying together the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and the Rosary. The prayers and sacrifice are most often offered for the souls in purgatory, quite often the souls of those in the local cemetery on their regular practice route.

For Monica, the spiritual side of sports doesn’t end at the finish line, either. Having learned to pray the Divine Mercy Chaplet with the team, she made it a part of her Lenten observance. And she finds untold benefits from integrating faith and sports, like prayer before all practices and the team’s weekly holy hour in the perpetual Eucharistic adoration chapel.

“It really helps the team with bonding,” says Monica, “and gives us a sense of unity and purpose.”

And it was their firm anchor early last season when teammate Kelly Roggensack died in a car accident.

“If we didn’t have that faith,” Monica says, “I don’t know how we would have gone through that. But now we have an intercessor looking out for us. Not only do we grow closer as a team, but it’s really good for the healing, knowing Kelly is interceding for us and that we can pray for her. She is still a part of the team.”

Every day Monica feels blessed to run and grow in faith. Although the team won its Collegiate Conference championship last season, “The focus doesn’t revolve solely around winning,” she explains. “At the same time we would like to win, we consider we’re doing well as long as we’re running with the right intention — glorifying God.”

The Greatest Goal

Michael D’Onofrio, St. Joseph’s Catholic School

Michael D’Onofrio knows the ultimate goal for his soccer team.

“We play for something higher than ourselves and for our school,” he explains. “We go out there to do our best for the Lord.”

The 17-year-old junior at St. Joseph’s Catholic School in Greenville, S.C., started playing soccer 12 years ago in Florida, but as a freshman at St. Joseph’s, he was his own biggest critic.

“Then I started realizing I needed to relax before a game, not get frustrated,” he says. He quickly found the perfect remedy. “I go to our school’s daily Mass and adoration chapel and pray to the Lord,” Michael explains. “Then I feel calm, and I’m ready to play and do my best.”

He finds prayer the winning strategy, both alone and together with teammates before every practice and game. The team prays the Our Father, Guardian Angel prayer, and school prayer, with the intention that each of them will do their finest on the field. Naturally there’s a prayer of thankfulness on the way back from games, too.

During the 10 quiet minutes the coach gives everyone before game time, even if on the bus, Michael always offers an Our Father, Hail Mary, and Glory Be “to keep myself and my teammates safe and to play to our best abilities.”

During soccer games, this player’s faith doesn’t sit on the bench. Every time Michael scores or makes an outstanding play, he goes to the corner flag, kneels on one knee, makes the Sign of the Cross, and says thanks, looking up to “the One who gave me the skills to do what I just did,” he says.

That also goes for his ability to help others combine faith and soccer, like the player “who reminded me of myself,” says Michael. The teammate would “make one little mistake and beat himself up over it.” He counseled his teammate to think about something greater than himself and his mistakes — and to play with his heart. Soon the teammate began to join Michael in the chapel before games. Now he’s a starting player.

Michael’s advice to other athletes: “The biggest thing,” he says, “is to go out and give it all your heart. Play with your heart. Your heart is what links you and teammates to your school and, most importantly of all, to the Lord. If you play with your heart, the Lord is with you when you play, and if the Lord is with you, you can never be wrong.”

For the Team

Elizabeth Crawford & Alexandra Noack, Trinity Academy

“Amen,” would answer the Trinity Academy girls’ field hockey team in Pewaukee, Wis. They played a David-beats-Goliath season. The K-12 school has 175 students — with only 43 in the high school — but last October beat schools with more than 2,800 students combined for the 2008 varsity state championship.

The Sentinels, whose name is inspired by John Paul II’s challenge to youth to become “sentinels at the dawn of the new millennium,” see the results of putting faith and hard work hand in hand.

“We didn’t think we were going to win the state because we were the rookies,” says 17-year-old captain and goalie Elizabeth Crawford. “But we decided to play our hearts out.”

“If I didn’t have faith, I would crumble,” she says about nerve-racking games. “When that ball came near me, I started spouting Hail Marys.”

The team’s tremendous faith prompted them to work together without rivalry. Together, they prayed before all practices and games. Their unofficial mot­ to: “Do your best and God will do the rest.”

“We don’t pray necessarily to win, but to know we gave it all we’ve got,” says Elizabeth.

She and 16-year-old assistant captain Alexandra Noack see the team definitely developing in the virtues of patience, perseverance, and self-discipline.

“Your faith grows in sports because of all the discipline it takes to practice hard and play hard,” Alexandra explains. “And because inevitably there are going to be bad calls by the refs, it takes patience and perseverance to get you through those times.” Instead of being frustrated, the team realizes “you’re doing it for the glory of God, and it’s just a game.”

Alexandra shared how during the state semi-finals, the opposing side challenged the game-winning goal scored by her friend Ellie Banholzer. The referees ruled it a goal, but the rival team insisted the ball came off her foot, making it invalid. With great character, Ellie admitted to the referee that it had.

“She showed a lot of honesty,” says Alexandra. The Sentinels won that crucial game in overtime.

They’re also winning the most important game of all.

Staff writer Joseph Pronechen

is based in Trumbull, Connecticut.

Reach teens with the faith: OurFaithInAction.org • Homework. Tell us about an Everyday Apostle. Contact info., page 6.

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