1. Thanks for being a coach in Catholic Youth Athletics!
Archdiocese of Cincinnati
Thanks for being a coach in Catholic Youth Athletics!
St. Sebastian
Patron Saint of Athletes

2. AGENDA Prayer Mission, Goals & Guiding Principles Code of Conduct
Q & A

3. LET US PRAY
 We pray for young athletes…
Who through sports, develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship and sharing.
We pray for coaches…
Who appreciate the gifts of all players and have respect for the game, who place players before winning and value sportsmanship.
We pray for parents…
Who love their children for who they are, not for how they perform.
We pray for officials…
Who inspire fair play and protect the integrity of the competition and the participating athletes.

4. O God, we pray for all who participate in games and meets: May their hearts be open to see your presence in and through sports; may their minds remember the element of fun reflective of your Spirit; may their bodies reflect the gracefulness and wonder of your creation. Let all who compete be enriched by your presence on the course, in the gym, on the field, and on the track.
AMEN!
Adapted from the prayer by the National CYO Sports

5. OUR MISSION IN CATHOLIC YOUTH ATHLETICS
Further the mission of the Catholic Church
By providing sports experiences firmly rooted in the Catholic faith tradition
Based on the goals of Catholic youth ministry
Aligned with the evangelizing mission of the Catholic Church

6. National Study on Youth & Religion
This recent study found that Mormons have the highest percentage of their youth who know and practice their faith, followed by…
2. Conservative Protestant
3. Black Protestant
4. Mainline Protestant
5. Catholic
6. Jewish
7. Non-religious 6

7. URGENT!
“…Catholic teenagers, who represent nearly one-quarter of all U.S. teens, stand out among the U.S. Christian teenagers as consistently scoring lower on most measures of religiosity… 7

8. YOUR Coaching Can Help Turn The Tide!
“…5 to 25 percentage points lower than their conservative, mainline, and black Protestant peers on many of a variety of religious beliefs, practices, experiences, commitments, and evaluations.” (Soul Searching, p. 194)
YOUR Coaching Can Help Turn The Tide! 8

9. POSITIVE COACHING
Bob Crable, star athlete from Moeller HS, holds standing NCAA records from his time at Notre Dame, and played with the Jets for 7 years. He discusses the traits of an excellent faith-based coach:

10. CATHOLIC COACHING Coaching competence Sense of humor Listening ear
Shoulders that bear the struggles of athletes
Heart on fire for developing healthy, happy youth
Fair-handed with discipline
Love of the sport
Dedicated to the mission of Catholic Youth Athletics
Knees that bend to worship
Walks the talk and talks the walk of a Catholic follower of Christ
Feet planted firmly in the desire to follow Christ

11. 3 Goals of Catholic Youth Ministry
Discipleship
A coach is a mentor who assists his/her athletes to live as disciples of Christ.
Participation
A coach encourages his/her athletes to participate fully in the life of the Church, especially Sunday Eucharist.
Growth
A coach fosters the total personal and spiritual growth of the athlete.

12. 7 Guiding Principles 1. Discipleship, Faith and Family First
In Catholic Youth Athletics we have our priorities right: following Christ and putting faith, fun and family ahead of winning.
2. Evangelizing Mission
A coach in Catholic Youth Athletics brings the good news of Jesus Christ to his/her athletes in the context of coaching.

13. 7 Guiding Principles 3. Responsible Participation in the Church
Catholic Youth Athletics will reflect the priority of regular and responsible participation in the Church, in her worship, education, community, ministries and service to the world.
4. Faith, Character and Virtue Development
Winning, performing, and succeeding are always subordinate to the development of faith, character and virtues in participants and their families.

14. 7 Guiding Principles
5. Coaches and Athletics Leaders Are Trained and Competent …
In the sport they are coaching
In modeling and sharing faith
In developing young Catholic disciples
In helping families stay connected to the Church

15. 7 Guiding Principles
6. Safety and Well-being of Children are Paramount
7. Good Stewardship and Accountability
We demonstrate good stewardship of money and other resources, with trustworthy and transparent systems of financial accountability.

16. YOU ARE NOT ALONE Feeling a bit overwhelmed?
Worried about not having what it takes?
Uncomfortable with the faith dimension?
FEAR NOT! The Charter calls for every athletics organization to have a SPIRITUAL LIAISON to provide resources, prayers, ideas, and support. Our Spiritual Liaison is ______________________________________and here’s how you can best contact our Spiritual Liaison: _______________________________________.

17. IN GROUPS OF THREE
Come up with some practical ways you can foster the mission, goals and guiding principles in your coaching.
Be prepared to share your top one or two ideas with the larger group.

18. CODE of CONDUCT Pages 43-44 of the Charter
Spirit of Catholic Youth Athletics
Adherence to Laws, Rules and Policies
Specific Violations
General Violations

19. The power of a team that cares about others: