What Is Catholic Youth Sports?
A diocese, parish or other Catholic institution sponsors a Catholic Youth Sports program, often called Catholic Youth Organization (CYO), as one dimension of its comprehensive ministry to youth. Athletic programs can help young people toward imperishable crowns as well as perishable ones. A Catholic Youth Sports program justifies its existence, and the sacrifice and expense it entails, only if it helps young people practice and live Gospel values through their athletic experience.
Catholic Values
As with any ministry to our youth, the three goals of a Catholic Youth Sports program are the same as enumerated in Renewing the Vision: A Framework for Catholic Youth Ministry:
- To empower young people to live as disciples of Jesus Christ in our world today.
- To draw young people to responsible participation in the life, mission and work of the Catholic faith community.
- To foster the total personal and spiritual growth of each young person.
In Catholic Youth Sports programs, emphasis rests not on the number of games won or lost, but on the participants' attitude in victory or defeat. Learning how to lose is just as important as learning how to win. Learning how to win graciously is more important than winning itself.
Catholic Youth Sports programs serve the needs of all youth and reflect the diversity of the community. They enable the gifted to excel, the less gifted to participate and improve. "Star" athletes and teams do not receive exclusive attention.
Principles of fair play and sportsmanship must govern every game. Dishonesty has no place in Catholic-sponsored competition. Competitors must not borrow from professional sports questionable techniques for winning at any cost.
All participants should have the respect of others on their own team and the opposing team. Competitors should regard the opposition as friends, not enemies.
CYO participants should have a spirit of loyalty to Catholic ideals, to parish, to coach, and to the team. They should learn patience with and tolerance of those with less ability. They should feel grateful to all who make the program happen. Speech and actions should reflect Christian values.
At times, during the heat of competition, a participant may temporarily forget some rule of conduct. Prompt correction can turn even failures into learning experiences.
Adult Involvement
Ultimate responsibility for the success of Catholic-sponsored programs lies with the volunteer adult participant. Adults involved must remember that the program exists for the Christian growth of young people. Conduct of adults must always model Christian values and virtues. When adults forget the primary focus of Catholic Youth Sports, the program becomes destructive. When adults remain faithful to the Christian ideals, they exercise a unique and rewarding ministry to the young with whom they come in contact.
"Run to win," St. Paul advises (I Cor. 9:24). In Catholic youth athletics and in CYO, all who compete can win, if they run to win the real prize; closer union with Jesus Christ.