Catholic Culture Part of the Student-Athlete Experience
Ben, a current Bishop McNamara senior, first started in Catholic education when he was in Kindergarten. An honor roll student and active member of the golf and basketball teams, Ben is one of many student-athletes at Bishop McNamara who have already begun their 2017-18 season. Student-athletes and coaches understand that participation in athletics is about so much more than winning and losing. Athletics in general teach kids about teamwork, empathy, and dedication. Athletics at Bishop McNamara takes it a step further by incorporating Catholic culture into the team dynamic. Teams pray before matches and games and many teams even gather in the school chapel before home competitions to pray and bond. As Ben puts it, “Being in a Catholic school means that we have a closer relationship with one another which makes us even stronger when competing as a team.”
Ben was a member of last year’s basketball team that brought home the third place IHSA trophy. When the Fightin’ Irish claimed the Sectional title and moved on to the Super-Sectional, he had a decision to make. Ben had always known that he wanted to attend Kairos, a weeklong faith-based student retreat, but that would mean he would miss the Super-Sectional tournament. When he chose to go on Kairos, his team and coaches supported him without hesitation.
The entire Bishop McNamara family understands the importance of faith formation. The faculty and staff live and breathe the Bishop McNamara mission and recognize that teaching our students about the mission will take them far in life. Pat Kennedy, Assistant Principal and Dean of Students and Ben’s most influential BMCS mentor, sees in Ben what he expects from all BMCS students, “Ben embodies all that any parent or teacher would expect of their child or student. His work ethic, compassion for others, and self-actualization help him serve as our model BMCS student. He is the BMCS mission made manifest.”
As our Fightin’ Irish athletic season begins, so does each student-athlete journey to becoming strong, positive leaders in our community.