This website is not just about basketball. It is about the world of basketball seen through a Catholic world view. That is; it’s about how to have a Catholic world view and how that view impacts our world of basketball. And it is not only how it impacts our world of basketball, but how catholic basketball players and teams can reflect that world view and become a light to the world. This is a world view that relates all things to God. It is a view that asks, not only how we can become holy people but also asks; how can we become holy through playing basketball?
Can we become holy through developing ourselves as athletes? Can holiness come through winning basketball games? Can we become holy through losing basketball games; through trials and tribulations, through frustration? Can we become holy through lifting weights, practicing skills, eating right? Can we become holy through teamwork, collective toughness, collective responsibility, and collective celebration?
The answer to all these questions is a resounding,Yes! We can, if we allow God to be Present in all facets of our lives. We can if we allow God to be present in our lives on the court as well as off the court. We can if we recognize that the key to all of life is to become fully alive in His Holy Presence. It is that presence that forms our very being; that sculpts our very souls. There is a saying that “doing, follows being.” It is this idea that who we are as people determines what we do in life.
Thus, if we are people who are living in the presence of God then we will do things that reflect that presence. In the same way, who we are as basketball players determines what we do as basketball players.Who you are as a person determines what your game looks like on the court. So in other words, this website is about how we as basketball players, coaches, trainers, administrators etc., allow God to be present in our lives, shaping who we are, while partaking in the thing that we love to do- namely basketball. So what does it mean to be fully alive in His Presence from a basketball standpoint? Being fully alive in His Presence is like scoring a triple-double in a three overtime game while winning it at the buzzer with a deep 3 point shot and two defenders hanging on you in a championship game. And while that is a rare experience for basketball players, it is not a rare experience for great Catholics.
If you can imagine what it is like to score a triple double, or win a shot at the buzzer, then you can imagine what it is like to live in the presence of God- the joy, the peace and the gratitude that brings. But the challenge to living a holy life is a process. It doesn’t just happen one day. Like basketball, it is something that we must work on every day. It is a work that is not done of our own toiling however. It is a work that can only be accomplished through cooperating with the Grace of God. He is the one that fuels our work, gives us energy and persistence. And without this infusion of grace, there is no accomplishment.
And so again, this is what this website is all about; how to live a holy life as a basketball player while responding to God’s grace, in a way that accomplishes, in us, a deeper and deeper living in the Presence of God! And living in the Presence of the God, ultimately means to live in communion with Christ. This is about living a life where we encounter Christ where He is. This means going to His church and taking part in His sacraments. It also means having His world view, understanding that what is important to Him is what should be important to us. Ultimately, it means becoming a co-creator with Him in building His Kingdom. Can we build His Kingdom through basketball? Again, the answer to this question is a resounding Yes! The future articles written here are geared towards this Yes! We will explore how basketball and building the Kingdom of God are compatible. Just like being a doctor, or a garbage collector or a police officer or a mother or a father is compatible with building the Kingdom of God. The first requirement to building God’s Kingdom is to recognize God’s Presence in your life in all that you are and all that you do. The second requirement is to live in Communion with God in all parts of your life.
Challenges:
- Can I be Holy and, be great at what I do in the world of basketball?