Catholic Youth Organization Athletics (CYO)

CYO athletics at St. Francis welcomes all boys and girls who are parish members and/or students at St. Francis School. We offer soccer and cross-country in the fall, basketball and volleyball in the winter, and baseball and track/field in the spring.

CYO is a ministry of the Catholic Church. In CYO, we gather as both competitors and as one community in Christ, praying together before every contest. At St. Francis we are blessed to have dedicated coaches who play by the rules and maximize the potential of our teams.

We encourage ALL our young participants to grow so they might maximize their individual and team potential. In that way, they might grow into becoming the best they are capable of being—as individual athletes, as members of a team, as sons and daughters of God, and as members of the Body of Christ. Our goal is that they all become Champions in everything they do, in all facets of life.

We would love to have your children participate and be a part of our Catholic Youth Organization Athletics! We currently do not have an Athletic Director for CYO.

We pray
for young athletes...Who through sports develop important values such as loyalty, perseverance, friendship and sharing.
for coaches...Who appreciate the gifts of all players and have respect for the game, who place players before winning and value sportsmanship.
for parents...Who love their children for who they are, not for how they perform.
for officials...Who inspire fair play and protect the integrity of the competition and the participating athletes.

O God, we pray for all who participate in games and meets. May their hearts be open to see your presence in and through sports; may their minds remember the element of fun reflective of your Spirit; may their bodies reflect the gracefulness and wonder of your creation. Let all who compete be enriched by your presence on the course, in the gym, on the field, and on the track.

Our pre-game prayer
Creator God, as we prepare to play this game, we ask your help and blessing that we may participate to the best of our abilities and with a true spirit of thankfulness so that our efforts give greater glory to you. We ask that you protect us from all injury and guide us in fair play. Help us to respect our opponents as they are our sisters/brothers, also under your guidance. For this we pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Prayer for Grade School/Middle School Sports
Creator God, As we prepare to play this (game/match), we ask your help and blessing that we may participate to the best of our abilities and with a true spirit of thankfulness so that our efforts give greater glory to you. We ask that you protect us from all injury and guide us in fair play. Help us to respect our opponents as they are our (sisters and/or brothers) also under Your Guidance. For this we pray, in Jesus’ name, Amen.

Prayer for High School Sports from Knute Rockne
Dear Lord,
In the struggle that goes on through life
We ask for a field that is fair,
A chance that is equal with all the strife,
The courage to strive and to dare;
and if we should win, let it be by the code,
With our faith and our honor held high;
And if we should lose, let us stand by the road
And cheer as the winners go by.
Amen.

COACH AS YOUTH MINISTER

In viewing sports as ministry, it is important that the coach see him/herself as minister, in response to the baptismal call. Not because coaches are required to speak profoundly on theological concepts or Catholic Church doctrine, but because they must help create the environment in which these are valued and lived out. One of the coach’s greatest responsibilities is to lead the team in creating a positive culture for Christian values and compassionate competition. Adherence to these is critical to the development of the individual and the team. In order to create this culture, coaches must be willing to incorporate the “Play Like a Champion Today” approach into their coaching practice.

It was St. Francis of Assisi who said, “Preach Always. Use words if necessary”. It is an age-old truth that what we do says so much more than the words we speak. This is particularly important in regard to our young people who look for congruency in what we tell them to do and how we act ourselves.

Our young people see and remember how we react to a poor call by an official; they witness our integrity and compassion when it is time for our least skilled player to get in the game; and they experience our response and perspective when we come up on the short end on the scoreboard.

Being a Champion is not based on the results on the scoreboard. Coaches need to be prepared to redefine success for themselves, the players and their parents. Ask the questions: Are you a good coach if your team wins a trophy? Are you a bad coach if your team doesn’t? Are players good if they win and bad if they lose? Being a Champion Coach is empowering individuals and teams to maximize their potential. Being a Champion Athlete is reflected in how personal and team growth occur in performance and how they carry themselves within the experience, not whether they have more points or a faster time than someone else at the end of the day.

Parent/Spectator Code of Conduct

Let’s all remember:

That the players are youth and are playing for their enjoyment, not yours.
To remain seated in the spectator area during all contests.
To respect decisions made by contest officials.
Be a role model by positively supporting both teams and not by shouting instructions or criticism to the players, coaches, or officials. Please do not coach from the stands!
Make no derogatory comments or gestures (including making noise to distract) to players, coaches, or fans of your own or the other team.
Remember that adults set the example for the behavior of their team. If you see negative behavior, please try toappeal to their conscience at the appropriate time.

Cheer for your team.
Show interest, enthusiasm, and support for your child.
Be in control of your emotions.
Help when asked by coaches or officials.
Thank the coaches, officials, and other volunteers who conducted the event.

DO NOT

Leave the spectator area during competitions.
Advise the coach on how to coach.
Try to coach your child during the contest.
Make derogatory comments to players, parents, coaches, or officials of either team.
Drink alcohol at contests or come to watch contests intoxicated.

Safe Environment

For the protection of our youth, volunteers and programs, it is a requirement of the Archdiocese of Seattle that ALL volunteers (Head and Assistant Coaches) with potential for unsupervised contact with youth:

Complete and pass a background check PRIOR to contact with youth
Read, understand and sign the following polices within 3 days of contact with youth
Policy for Prevention of & Response to Sexual Abuse, Sexual Misconduct & Sexual Harassment
Code of Professional Conduct for Church Personnel
First year coaches are required to complete the year 1 training (Called to Protect, 3 hour course) within 90 days of contact. They can have no contact with youth after 90 days until completed.
Those that have coached and taken CTP or the online refresher in the previous year (2008-09) are required to complete an online training prior to May 31, 2011. There will be no contact allowed in following year until completed.
If a coach from the previous year did not complete the required SEP training, they are not allowed to coach until they have done so.

The goal of CYO is to provide opportunities for youth to develop strong moral character, self worth, interpersonal competence, and a commitment to caring for others and their community. In order to succeed at St. Francis Parish, it takes the involvement of the student athletes as well as the involvement of parents. Please consider offering your time and talents to our CYO athletic program.