The combination of faith and physical ability should not be a paradoxical characteristic of a Marquette athlete. For Marquette women's basketball head coach Terri Mitchell and former Marquette men's basketball head coach, Hank Raymonds, this is a belief the seminar aimed to emphasize.
On Saturday morning, the "Ignatian Spirituality in Coaching" seminar was open to coaches and parents and spotlighted these Marquette coaches.
In an effort to carry a team to a winning year, this theory of coaching brings forth the importance of teaching beyond just the sport, according to Mitchell. Having faith and spirituality in athletes' lives will assist them in the hardships and make for well-rounded players. The seminar was Raymonds' idea and although the turnout was smaller than what he hoped for, he said "if only two people would show up, it's worth it."
While many athletes begin their careers as children, it is at this time also that they have their "first experience of public loss," said John Novotny, the director of Law School Advancement. These losses, along with pressure from many outside sources, can cause stress for young players.
Mitchell emphasized that the ability to play with satisfaction and a healthy state of mind is the first step towards an athletic career coinciding with spirituality.
Coach Mitchell's initiative comes out of her own experience. Like her players, she grew up playing basketball and experienced stress, pressure and anxiety. With this in mind, she said she is able to add a personal touch to her coaching and relationships with her team.
Faith makes for a better coach, Mitchell believes, and she applies the five Jesuit ideals to her coaching philosophy. Belief, commit, mature, respect and thankfulness, in her words, are ground rules she coaches on. Stated the Jesuit way, those terms are magis, union of mind and heart, cura personalis, men and women for others, and ad majorem Dei gloriam.
Belief in yourself and your team maintains the focus needed to never settle for less than your best. Commitment is unifying one's mind to heart and putting belief into action. Mitchell said "trust on the small stuff" is the basis for teamwork.
Mature means care for the person; realizing there are children watching and being a positive role model, Mitchell said. Respect is for the team, coach, and yourself. Finally, thankfulness is for the greater glory of God and giving back to Him what you have been given, she said.
Just as God carries his children through life, Mitchell believes a coach's job to a team is to "carry them, love them."
Raymonds served as an assistant men's basketball coach from 1961 to 1977, coaching 13 seasons with Al McGuire. He was the head coach for the next six seasons and went 126-50 at Marquette.
As head coach, Mitchell has more wins, a higher winning percentage and more post-season action than any past Marquette women's basketball coach. Mitchell and Raymonds said they hope that the seminar will expand next year so the ideas can reach a larger audience.
This article was published in The Marquette Tribune on September 20, 2005.