For many parents, youth athletics are an outlet for their child(ren)’s pent-up energy, socialization and desire to keep them active. While these are very real benefits, when we look at youth sports through a Catholic lens, participation instills the Cardinal Virtues of prudence, justice, fortitude, temperance and so much more.
At the Diocesan Recreation Association, our objective has always been to unite the young people of our parishes to promote their spiritual, physical and social welfare to build character and good sportsmanship. However, as our schools continue to strengthen their Catholic culture and respect as men and women created in God’s image and the virtues of our faith, we, too, are making strides to strengthen the Catholic culture of our parish-based athletic programs.
Effective next month, the Diocesan Recreation Association will change its name to “Catholic Youth Organization” (CYO) to be more expressive of our Catholic faith. For nearly a century, this organization has been synonymous with connecting children more closely to Jesus through its mission to “inspire young people to know God, to love God and to serve God through athletics.” Furthermore, our new name connects us to other CYO sports programs throughout Ohio and the United States as part of a larger network of programs who share our Catholic faith through youth sports.
This shift to CYO is more than just a name change, though. We view this as an additional opportunity to place our Catholicity at the forefront to teach, cultivate and practice virtue. Our athletic programs then become real opportunities for our children to exercise compassion, self-discipline, honesty, loyalty, friendship, persistence and more. What better way to know, love and serve God than to model these virtues both in school and on the playing field.
Streamlined operations
Administrative changes also are in the works with our youth athletic programs. We recently launched a new online platform called Doodlio that will help automate many of the processes traditionally completed manually. Now, parents, coaches and athletic directors will reap the benefits of streamlined registration, scheduling and communication to provide the best possible experience for participating families. Additionally, athletes will have access to increased diocesan sports offerings and, in the future, high schoolers will have opportunities to engage with elementary students as referees and mentors.
Perhaps the greatest change in our youth athletic programs, however, is the retirement of Diocesan Recreation Association Director Marty Raines, effective October 31. For more than 15 years, she has been a familiar face on the sidelines at youth athletic contests throughout the diocese, cheering on our athletes, handing out medals and ribbons and ensuring that all of the programs run smoothly. As her successor, I am beyond thankful to have worked beside Marty over the past five months and most grateful for her guidance. She has both a wealth of knowledge about diocesan athletics and takes tremendous pride in ensuring there is an unmistakable connection between our Catholic faith and athletics. Her passion and love for our community has been inspirational and I pray that I effectively continue her legacy to ensure that every student-athlete has the best experience possible in our youth athletic programs. Marty will be greatly missed!