At St. X, our Catholic faith is lived out in everything we do. It is in daily student life, sports programs, and other activities. Such as pre-game prayers, Friday morning Mass attended by teams, and Bible verses on team powerlifting shirts.
“Besides being my favorite verse in the Bible [Phil 4:13], it’s also posted on the weight room wall and our team shirt sleeve,” Gold said. “It’s a verse that means to us that literally when we’re battling a challenging weight we can overcome it, but more importantly that when we’re facing and battling obstacles and challenges in our lives that we can turn to Jesus Christ who is always there for us and through him we can find the necessary strength to do the right thing and overcome what we’re facing.”
Since the beginning, St. X’s sports programs have revolved around Christian principles and values. The combination of athletics and faith has evolved with the creation of the club Tigers for Christ last year. While available to all students, this initiative emphasizes the interplay between faith and sports.
Former St. X graduates have returned to discuss their experiences with faith and sports and how these have impacted their lives. Among them are Miguel Montano, Chris Burke, Kevin Klein, and Victor Anderson, just to name a few. These talks offer current students and faculty opportunities to learn about the transformative power of faith. Tomorrow, Carter Guillaume, a current senior football player and wrestler, is set to speak at Tigers for Christ.
“My faith journey started around a year and a half ago.” Guillaume said. “Before I found God, I was often left unsatisfied with my sports performances. I looked at my life as if I was worthless and all that I was put on this earth to do was perform. I lost the state championship match my sophomore year and felt worthless. The next year I struggled with my mental health the whole season. There were high highs and low lows. After that season I went on retreat. When I got home from retreat, I was invited to attend church with Coach Riddle. This was the turning point for me. This season has been so fun because I no longer saw myself as having to be perfect. I had finally found myself and my worth outside of sports.”
Though no longer in the Wills Basketball arena, there was a large print quote that hung on the back wall. The quote is my very first memory of St. X when I attended basketball camp. It encapsulated the main goal of St. X high school.
‘Athletics make men strong. Study makes men wise. Character makes men great. Faith makes it all possible.’
Even if it’s not still present in the gym, the notion still rings true in our halls and athletic programs.
