Ave Maria

Deeper in Christ; Deeper in Mission.

Blog Post - Joy and Identity 
by Head Coach Tyler Rosser

We are striving to help each woman understand and live her identity as a daughter of God through collegiate soccer. This means that through the day-to-day life of being a student-athlete (e.g. training, games, film sessions, strength and conditioning sessions, team bonding, etc.), we desire each woman to know she is seen, valued, and loved unconditionally by God. 

Our core values are meaningful achievement, shared belief, and sacrificial unity. Meaningful achievement means that we desire success, and we want to remain healthy spiritually, physically, academically, and emotionally. Shared belief means that, while very little of what we do in the program spiritually is mandatory, we love Jesus and desire others to love Him as well. Sacrificial unity means we put aside our personal preferences for the sake of the team.

So, if you want to experience playing soccer with freedom and joy, if you want to grow in your faith, and if you want to be friends with an incredibly talented, incredibly joyful, incredibly hard-working, and incredibly good group of women, come and see if this program is for you! 

If you are interested in scheduling a visit to Ave Maria and learn more about our women's soccer program, please contact Head Women's Soccer Coach, Tyler Rosser, at tyler.rosser@avemaria.edu.

*John 15:9-11

Blog Post #41: Discovering Ave
By Lexi Westgate

Discovering Ave Maria University felt like stumbling upon a hidden treasure. Although I have been blessed to attend parochial school my entire academic career, Ave has been a unique experience living in an authentic Christ-focused community. At first, I hesitated, uncertain if it would be the right fit for me. But from the moment I stepped onto campus, I was enveloped by warmth and acceptance. The coaches and team members greeted me with open arms, making me feel instantly at home.

What truly sets Ave Maria apart is its faith-focused, family-like community. Surrounded by fellow Catholics who radiate faith and joy, I've found myself inspired to become a better version of myself every day. Their unwavering support has encouraged me to embrace my faith more deeply and to strive to be a beacon of positivity for others.

Joining the soccer team at Ave Maria has been a transformative experience. I'll never forget my first week of preseason, where I found myself without roommates. Although I was alone in my dorm, I was quickly embraced by a group of girls who became my instant friends, guiding me through the transition with kindness and camaraderie.

During a particularly challenging time when my aunt unexpectedly passed away at the beginning of the Fall semester, I was overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from my teammates and coaches. Despite only knowing them for a short while, they stood by me, offering comfort and strength when I needed it most. Their compassion reminded me of the true power of friendship.

At Ave Maria, soccer isn't just about winning games—it's about fostering unity and sportsmanship. Our coaches prioritize not only our athletic success but also our personal growth and well-being. Even on the toughest days, when exhaustion threatened to overwhelm me, my teammates and coaches lifted my spirits, pushing me to become the best version of myself, both on and off the field.

After enduring a challenging freshman year filled with adversity and the typical struggles of being away from home for the first time, I feel incredibly blessed to have found my place on this team. As I look towards the future, I am filled with excitement and gratitude, knowing that I am surrounded by some of the most incredible people I've ever met. With their unwavering support, I can't wait to see what the journey ahead holds for me.

Blog Post #40: Overcoming Injury
By Katrina Earnhardt

Hi, my name is Katrina Earnhardt. I am currently a junior and a rising senior at Ave Maria. I had an ACL and both menisci tears in my right leg my junior year of high school. I had many complications due to the severity of it. I was not sure how that injury was going to affect my playing at a collegiate level. I remember my freshman year coming here super nervous and scared and was lacking confidence, and I was not sure about being here. Upon arriving at the first pre-season practice I was welcomed immediately and felt like I could succeed here very well and shortly after I gained the confidence to play all the while God was guiding me through this next milestone in my life.  

My spring season of my sophomore year here, I tore my meniscus again. I was devastated that I was going to have another surgery and setback in my career. I felt so behind and lost but I knew that Christ was going to get me through and stay positive through all of this. It is a little difficult now to be confident and feel ok to play normally again but the coaches and players have been super helpful and positive in helping me get through this. Christ has woven a path for me, and I have been choosing to accept this and play soccer through Christ and with love towards others. Playing again has been challenging, but it is through God’s will to keep playing and living through him by playing soccer.  

The core values here on the women’s soccer team have brought me closer to God in ways I would not have imagined. From team service and team dinners and masses together, I have felt very close to the women on the team and have formed great friendships because of it. I have an overwhelming sense of gratitude from the women on the team and they have been super positive and uplifting. I have grown so much from being here at Ave Maria and especially being on the team. I have made many friendships and have experienced so much joy and have been truly grateful for my time here and the upcoming fall season. The program is truly special, and I have felt one of a kind here and I will always cherish and continue to grow with the team and with God.  

Blog Post #39: SEEK 2024
By Chiara O'Keefe

Hi, my name is Chiara O’Keefe ! I’m in the AMU class of 2024 and I attended SEEK this past January. To share a little bit about myself, I am a homebody and an introvert. I love to bake and be surrounded by the people I know and love. If you know anything about SEEK, you must know that it is nothing like this. SEEK is loud, busy, and you're constantly surrounded by thousands of people you do not know. Not exactly an introverts ideal circumstance.

There were several moments at SEEK that I wanted to hide away and find a quiet place to process, but this was almost impossible. Yet, God provided - like he always does - amidst all the noise, and helped me quiet my heart and listen. It was during the sessions in which thousands of Catholics unanimously settled down in order to listen to the speakers share their testimonies and messages. This was where I could hear God most. In this silence, I could hear Him whispering words and phrases that spoke to my heart in a deep and personal way.

During one of the talks, the speaker mentioned the good thief - if you weren’t aware he’s known to be the saint who stole heaven. He is the man who died on the cross next to Christ and asked Jesus to remember him when He entered the kingdom of heaven. By his faith in God’s mercy he was saved. How could an imperfect, sinful man go straight to heaven without any form of penance? The answer, God’s limitless mercy and love, which He desires to gift to each of us. It was in this moment that I felt God uprooting a deep wound inside me that I had refused to let go of. I was convicted of my sins and imperfections, but I let my despair dictate my identity and self-confidence. I often felt lost when I failed in my friendships, when I played an imperfect soccer game, or when I baked something less than perfect. I wanted to hide from God and those I love because I felt like a fraud. It was in the words of Fr. Mike Schmitz that I could hear an echo in my soul saying I have inherited a broken heart that desperately needs healing.

Another speaker spoke on how mercy is the deepest kind of love, and this truly struck me. God’s love doesn’t seek revenge for faults nor ask for perfection from sinners, but forgives without limitations. I once heard that St. Therese of Lisieux was known for rejoicing in her faults because she knew she was loved by her redeemer, Jesus Christ. She had a humble confidence by which she was convicted of her sins yet confident in God's mercy. When I experienced adoration with thousands of Catholics, I felt tears fall down my face as God’s love and mercy embraced me in a new and indescribable way. He is a good father who simply wants me to come home and be with him in heaven. As I continue to reflect on my SEEK experience, I know God changed my heart in a small way with the conviction to become a saint everyday through his grace and mercy. Saints are simply sinners who have let themselves be saved and this is how I strive to live my life each day.

Blog Post #38: My First Semester at Ave
By Arianna Sebion Calvesio

Words cannot explain the sense of joy and freedom I found on the Ave Maria women's soccer team during my first semester. 

Arriving on campus for the move-in of my first semester of college, there were a lot of mixed emotions and doubts about whether this was indeed God's plan for me; those doubts dissipated from the start of our fitness test and continued throughout the season. Something that I really have never experienced before was the endless amounts of selfless support from my teammates. Throughout every fitness test, as soon as a teammate of mine was finished with hers, she would barely give herself a second to catch her breath before she cheered for one of our teammates. My teammates continued to go outside of themselves for one another during every drill, scrimmage, and game during our season. 

As a freshman, from the very first day, I felt like I belonged and was loved by my teammates. This is primarily due to the upperclassmen and the core values of the team that they worked so hard to instill. Something I always heard about on the Ave women's soccer team was the relationships and family you gain by being a part of it. Coming into my freshmen year, I was so excited to finally be a part of something great. I have only completed my first semester on the Ave women's soccer team, but I already know the friendships I have formed on the soccer team will last a lifetime. These friendships are virtuous and are not something you only see on the field; they continue throughout our time off the field. 

I never really associated freedom with soccer before playing for Ave, as I took the ability to let loose through a sport for granted. Throughout our 2023 season, the saying "play with freedom and joy" echoed throughout our locker room. This amazed me because, as an athlete, hearing this from your coaching staff is eye-opening to the reality of who your coaches are. The Ave coaching staff did not identify me as just another jersey number but as something so much more. Of course, there will always be a little bit of pressure as an athlete, but when you know that the coaches are on your side as your cheerleader, you will play more freely, thus becoming a better athlete while playing with joy. The Ave Maria Women's coaching staff pushed my teammates and me to play freely and joyfully and encouraged us to play with a smile. 

As much as I can go on about my first semester on the team, I can only sum it up as a gift. Soccer has become more than just a ball at my feet; I have been taught that there is a greater purpose behind why I play, which is so much more than the game's final score. Ultimately, the score isn't THE element of the game but just another part of it. Through the Ave Maria Women's soccer team, my relationship with Christ and my teammates has flourished, and I am only getting more excited for my next three years on the team!

Blog Post #37: Fifth Year Reflections
By Haley Iacona

Coming into my freshman year preseason here at Ave, I thought it was going to be the typical college experience: play soccer and go to class for 4 years. No one could have predicted that COVID would happen, and I certainly didn’t expect to get a fifth year of eligibility. The idea of staying a fifth year crossed my mind once or twice, but I never gave it any deep thought until my dad brought it up. He told me that it would be a good idea to do more school while I could, and reminded me that I only had so many years of soccer that I could play. 

After this conversation, staying for a fifth year was something that I thought about often, trying to weigh the pros and cons of each side. When the season ended my senior year, I realized that I wasn’t ready to be done playing college soccer, and I wanted to take the opportunity to play another year while I could. I finally shared my thoughts with the coaching staff, and they were all thrilled. Doing five years of college wasn’t something that I had planned on, but for some reason I just couldn’t say no.

Fast forward to preseason this year, I was a little excited, but more than anything I was nervous. Most of my close friends had graduated, and while I still had friends on the team, I wasn’t quite as close to everyone that was younger than me. I felt like an outsider, being the only fifth year, and I had no expectations for how the season was going to go. 

I remember sitting in my one-on-one meeting with Coach Rosser and Thalia, telling them how I felt. Thalia just looked at me and told me that I was here for a reason and that God brought me back here because He wasn’t done working with me. That really stuck with me. I decided that maybe she was right. From then on, I promised myself that I would make the best out of this year, and looking back on the season, I think I can say I did a pretty good job of that.

Playing a fifth year of college soccer here at Ave is a testament to the supportive atmosphere and culture of the team and coaching staff. Only around nine percent of females play college soccer and even less than that get to play a fifth year. I got lucky enough to do both, even more lucky that it was here at Ave. As I laced up my cleats for our first game of the season, my fifth and final year of soccer, I just remember feeling an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the group of women that I would be playing with. And this wasn’t just a one time feeling. 

Playing this season brought me so much joy, a joy that I hadn’t felt since I was playing as a little girl. Huddled in a circle after our last game, I told everyone that this was my favorite team to play on, and I truly mean that with my whole heart. I made so many friendships this season that I never thought I would, and the girls I played with made me feel so happy and loved. As I look back at how this season went, and the 4 seasons before that, I feel so blessed to be part of a program that has grown so much, and that will continue to grow. This season has been so special to me, and is one that I will always cherish and remember. The Ave Maria Women’s soccer program is truly so special, and I can’t wait to see everything that this program will accomplish.

Blog Post #36: Mission Trip in Mexico
By Sophia Egger

When I returned to Ave in January for the second semester of my freshman year, there was not the slightest inkling in my mind that I would be in Mexico on a mission trip 3 months later. Over the summer break before my freshman year and then winter break, my parents encouraged me to go and get my passport, but I dragged my feet. 

When the opportunity spontaneously arose in February for me to attend this mission trip, I began kicking myself for not heeding the sage promptings of my parents, since I had not even started applying for the passport that I would need in two months' time. 

After I completed the application process, all I could do was pray that it would arrive in time. And if not, then I would know that it was not God’s will for me to go. As it happened, my passport arrived four days before our departure. So many pieces had to fall into place for me to be able to go, which opened the door to many stirrings within my heart, changing my life in many subtle ways. 

One of the many lessons I learned in connection to my mission trip was “Mother knows best”. And I am not solely talking about my earthly mother, either, who I definitely should’ve listened to last summer! The Mother to whom I refer is the Mother of us all, Mama Mary. With the team, I prayed through the 33 day consecration to Mary, which ended on the Annunciation. 

Embracing my newfound love for Mary, I asked Mary to take my hand and guide me and to let me borrow her Immaculate heart so that I might love others better. I consecrated myself and the team to her, not knowing that I would have the opportunity to renew this Marian consecration and receive more graces in front of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City a couple days later. What a beautiful preparation for me to be able to serve the people of Mary’s beloved Mexico. 

A typical day on mission was long and required sacrifice, but there was also so much beauty and joy in each and every day. We got up and went to mass every morning, and then gathered to share breakfast together. The missionaries were split into groups of about 6 people, and each group would travel to an assigned neighboring town to minister to the people every day. My group went to a small town about twenty minutes from the town where we were staying. We visited the houses of the village for a couple hours every day, and were welcomed very warmly. 

Each house was so generous with what they had, insisting that we receive their offers of food and drink; I have never drank so much Coke in my life. We learned about their lives, spoke about our mission, and were witnesses of Christ to a town of cradle Catholics, stuck in their lukewarmness. In the afternoons, we planned “classes” that we would hold for the village: sessions for children, teenagers, and adults. During these sessions, we played games with the kids and teens (I got to play lots of Mexican street soccer!!). I absolutely loved playing with the kids; they showed me what true, unrestrained joy was. 

Then, we went into the church and gave talks about the daily topics, such as “encountering Christ alive” or “being a missionary”, prayed for a couple minutes of silence in adoration, and sang beautiful Catholic songs in spanish. 

In reflecting and contemplating upon the trip, a couple of details and thoughts stand out to me. One thing I realized upon returning to campus was the anxieties and fears that I was free from while I was on mission. I did not fully recognize the absence of these whisperings from the devil while I was in Mexico, but I certainly noticed when all of the murmurs flooded back into my mind after I came back to Ave Maria. For a while, I could not put my finger on why I was not plagued by certain lies from the devil about my worthiness and adequacy in certain areas of my life, and then I realized: 

My time in Mexico forced me to be outside of myself and to be more selfless as I sacrificed most of the daily comforts that I enjoyed in America. I was outside of my comfort zone in Mexico (whether that was speaking Spanish, sleeping on the floor, eating foods that I didn’t recognize, not showering for a week and a half, or standing up in front of the people of the town and giving a talk about the Lord) and I realized that I could continue to be outside of myself and put others first back home too, like checking in on a friend, intentionally praying for family and friends, offering up every sprint for someone, or even being more vocal and encouraging to my teammates on the turf. When you are living outside of yourself, you don’t have time to let your fears consume you and you can live confidently in Christ’s love. 

This trip changed my perspective on my Catholic faith. Even though I am no longer on the mission trip in Mexico, I am still a missionary, even when I feel unworthy of this responsibility. God does not call the equipped, He equips the called. And we are all called to be the face of Christ to others.

 I was reminded of this previous statement in a beautiful way when my group visited an older woman in her home. She welcomed us graciously into her humble abode, a testament to her–and every other family’s–willingness and generosity to welcome the stranger, and therefore Christ, into her home. Her words resonated with me; she told us that the moment we walked into their village, she could feel God’s presence. And when she looked into our eyes, she encountered the eyes of Christ. What a humbling experience to realize how broken by sin and unworthy you are to be used as Christ’s vessel to minister and be a witness to His children in Mexico. 

I have always been deeply invested in my faith, but this mission trip has made it much more real to me. I am more bold in my Catholic faith and am much more comfortable talking about the Lord with others. Despite these blessings, the temptations to sink back into the ease of lukewarmness are very much present. I feel so blessed that I got to go on this trip with my best friends, as I know that they can help to keep me accountable. 

The Lord taught me many lessons and has equipped me with many tools on the trip that have led me to be more secure in my identity and in my relationships with others. I pray that the graces I have received from my mission trip to Mexico will give me strength to cling to the truth of my worthiness as a daughter of God, striving for heaven. Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam. For the Greater Glory of God!

Blog Post #35: The Holy Land
By Angelina Rubio

I always knew that I was going to go to the Holy Land, but I never thought that it would have been this soon. Spring Break of 2023 I was given the opportunity to travel to the Holy Land with 40+ Ave Maria University students and Faculty. I journeyed to the Holy Land with no expectations in mind of how I was going to feel emotionally and spiritually, I went to Israel with an open heart and mind.

It was around December that I received an email about there being five spots left to go on a pilgrimage to Israel, right then and there I called my dad and told him that there was an opportunity for me to go to Israel and he said, "you should definitely go." 

Keeping in mind that my great grandma and my dad got to go to Israel, and they would tell me the stories of all the places they got to go to, I thought to myself that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I must go on this pilgrimage.

February 25th, we landed in Israel and immediately got onto the bus to head to our hotel in Nazareth. On the bus ride to our hotel, we started off with a decade of the rosary and a brief conversation on how this pilgrimage to Israel will change our lives in different ways, and that we should be open hearted and minded to everything. 

Once we arrived to the hotel, we were told that Mary's Well was across the street so a bunch of us walked across the street and prayed at the well, that was one of the many powerful moments that was experienced while on the pilgrimage. 

We had visited many Holy sites including Mount Tabor, Church of Multiplication, The Church of Annunciation, Via Dolorosa, Church of the Holy Sepulchre, The Dead Sea, The Jordan River and many more. At each site we were given a talk about the importance of that site and some free time to walk around and explore the very location that Jesus walked many years ago. 

My favorite site that we visited was the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. We started that morning at 4am with the Via Dolorosa which led us to the Church. We walked into the church and up the stairs where we got to go touch the hole that the cross that Jesus was crucified on once stood, we got to kneel and pray at the stone slab that Jesus was laid on. At that site there were many tears shed.

Three months later I still have no words for the experience I had to be able to walk in The Holy Land and getting to experience first-hand the many areas that Jesus walked. I was once told that it could take years to finally be able to word a complete sentence on a very life changing experience. 

I am still processing the pilgrimage and still trying to find the words to truly explain the experience that I would love to experience again one day, and in hopes that I inspire other people to take that opportunity to go to the Holy Land and experience first-hand the base and foundation of the Catholic faith.

Blog Post #34: My Ave Experience
By Nina Laville

At my previous college I had great professors, connections, friends, and was only an hour away from home. Still, something was stirring my heart. Soccer began to be a burden, not a pleasure, and I felt unwanted. Despite the comfort I had outside of soccer, God was calling me to leave and not to give up on soccer. Through a series of events, I talked with Coach Rosser and decided to visit Ave in the fall of my sophomore year. 

When I visited, I realized that what Coach Rosser had been telling me about the women’s soccer team was true. I felt loved by the coaches and wanted. There was a noticeable joy and sincere love that women on the team possessed. After stepping into the Mother Teresa Museum, I saw a quote that said, “You know, Jesus, that I would go anywhere for you at a moment’s notice.” Quickly, I darted through the rest of the museum and refused to read anything else. That cinched the deal. I was convicted I needed to go to Ave. 

After first semester of sophomore year, I transferred to Ave Maria. Melodious songs resonated from my voice, and flowers sprang from the earth. I jest. Transferring was one of the hardest things I could do. Instantly, the lies of the Evil One forced me to question my decision. Why are you here, Nina? All my friends from my previous school texted and called, saying how much they missed me, and I felt so alone. Wouldn’t it have made more sense to stay and quit soccer? Does anyone really care about you here, Nina? Satan isn’t always obvious; he is subtle and desires us to be anxious and question God’s will. 

I realized that transferring would prove far more difficult than I had expected, and it would take time to cultivate the deep friendships I desired. My sisters on the team and coaches truly built me up; they wanted me here, even when I didn’t know why I was here. By the time the semester ended, I became more comfortable at Ave and experienced a renewed love for soccer. Soccer became fun again because I was given the space to take a risk. I feel like a little girl when I play now, not an anxious collegiate athlete. 

I was very excited for junior year because it would be the fall season, and I could not wait to get on the field and play. I had made good friendships on the team, and I looked with anticipation in getting to know those women better. After a couple games, I hurt my hamstring and was out for six weeks. Again, I heard the lies of Satan. Why are you here, Nina? If you can’t play, why did you come all this way? What do you have to give if you can’t play? I knew that my identity must be as a daughter of God, but I had begun to make soccer my identity. 

After some time, though, I realized that my teammates and coaches saw me as much more than a soccer player. I was loved for who I truly am, not what I can offer on the field. I may not have been able to offer much physically for the team, but I could offer my love and presence. When I realized that I had a purpose on the team regardless of my physical health, peace was rekindled in my soul. My worth comes from Christ’s eternal heart alone, not my soccer abilities, which I won’t possess forever and could always be taken from me. Playing soccer is a privilege, not a right, and Christ was asking me to give that to him too. 

Having coaches and teammates that support me and love me has been life-giving and beautiful. I’ve never felt closer to sweet Jesus. I have been supported through prayer, the sacraments, bible study, opportunities like the SEEK conference, and intentional conversation. I am not always certain of why I am here, but I know that I am supposed to be here. With Mary, I pray, “thy will be done.” 


Blog Post #33: March for Life
By Kennedy Ching

Several weeks ago, thousands of pro-life Americans gathered in our nation’s capital to peacefully walk to promote the sanctify of life. Kennedy Ching, a freshman on the Ave Maria Women’s soccer team, had the opportunity to participate in the March for Life. Below she shares her experience.

In the time leading up to the March I was faced with a lack of joy, perseverance, and most importantly gratitude. It was a difficult time for me to be present in each moment and to find joy in life. However, in the few days I was there the gift of life was a great reminder that touched not only my heart but influenced my mind. The fullness of joy was made manifest, revealing and reminding me the grandeur of God’s love.

Upon planning to attend the march for life it was a very frantic time, I was not certain if I would be able to go. However, by the grace of God all things fell into His Divine providence. I did not go with Ave, but with my brother, since he lives in DC. He is a part of the IVE (Institute of the Incarnate Word) seminary and I decided it would be a great opportunity to go with the religious family.

I arrived in D.C. in the evening the day before the march tired yet, anxious for the day to come. The following morning I attended mass with a large group of religious and youth. That morning was lively with over 400 people of religious and lay who were transported from the church to the march. Once we arrived at the march there were thousands of people gathered at the capitol. It was quite inspiring to see so many people but most importantly youth. It gave me inner confidence and pride to be a part of a beautiful mission. There was this recognition that there are thousands of witnesses of God’s love. (life is truly a gift). We lined up toward the end of the line and waited for about an hour and a half before we began to walk. However, during this hour we raised our spirits and our voices for life, we cheered and filled the air with joy. We finally began to walk continuing our rally for life and later prayed the rosary following with a song to Mary.

The next day in the evening we had benediction and adoration and during this time my friend gave me this book called Discernment of Spirits by Ignatius of Loyola and the first line I read was “....a character has just encountered God in an experience of deep joy.” Right at that moment I realized this whole weekend was an encounter of deep joy: the celebration of life and the communion with one another marching to the Supreme Court, but ultimately marching together towards the Supreme Courts of Heaven. Thus, in conclusion to this beautiful weekend, I experienced not only the great joys of life but the fullness of life.

Blog Post #32: Perspectives from SEEK
By Nina Laville, Ariana Dale, and Mari Stankovsky

I didn’t experience excitement about SEEK before attending; in fact, I initially had reservations. To me, it seemed like SEEK was a loud conference with little time for contemplation and so many people in one place that I would be overwhelmed. God moved me, however, and I decided to go. Still, even after many of my perceptions were corrected, I felt indifferent before I went. I didn’t know how badly I needed SEEK before I got there. 

The first day, I was overwhelmed. There were so many people to talk to. I loved talking to the religious sisters, but I began to feel anxious. One of my friends said I looked like a religious sister who gave a talk. Rather than receive her simple compliment, my thoughts escalated to anxiety about my vocation. After gentle direction from a priest who loves me, I realized that I had not allowed time for silent contemplation that day and felt pressured to attend as many talks as possible. I didn’t allow the gentle voice of Jesus to stir my heart, and I fell into the anxiety which does not come from God. 

On the second day, I set aside time for silent adoration with sweet Jesus and felt more at peace and more receptive to the talks I chose to attend. Cameron Fradd’s talk has helped me to begin overcoming my hyper-attention to what I think others are thinking about me. Simply, “people are not judging you. You’re not that cool.”  

The next day, I experienced more spiritual renewal. Emily Wilson’s talk centered around discerning your vocation, and she spoke into the same anxiety I had experienced with my vocation earlier in the week. Since her talk, I have begun to understand the meaning of vocation. Rather than some puzzle I must strain to figure out, God’s will for my vocation is a gift to be received from him. Truly, he leads me in gentleness, love, and peace—not anxiety. My duty today is to pray and live in the Sacraments; He will show me His will at the proper time. I also went to confession with the same priest I mentioned earlier. Through his gentle direction, I became more convicted of the gravity of my pride. In being hyper-critical of myself and in putting God’s will on my timeline, I had set ungodly standards for myself. Why did Cameron Fradd’s quip strike me? It means that you must be willing to laugh at yourself in order to trustfully embrace God’s will—even when you don’t know what it is. 

Praise God that this headstrong girl was convinced to go to SEEK. She didn’t realize what Jesus had in store for her. With sincere conviction for the first time in my life, I might whisper, “Jesus, I trust in you.”

-Nina Laville
 
Before heading to St. Louis, Missouri for SEEK23, a good friend of mine asked what I was hoping to get out of this new experience. I told her that since this was going to be my first time in-person at SEEK and that I didn’t have any expectations, I was just excited to see what Jesus had in store for me. However, as I reflect, I see now that I walked into SEEK wanting one thing and that was to rest in Christ’s arms. 

Life has been pretty wild lately and I just wanted to be with Jesus for a little while. When I first arrived at SEEK, I was insanely overwhelmed, and how could I not be? 17,000 people, 2 hour-long daily Masses and most days, there were over 20 different talks to choose from. To be honest, I was frustrated with God. I wanted to spend some quality time with Him and yet I was struggling to keep my focus on Him, even amidst all the goodness that was around me. It wasn’t until Adoration when I realized that Jesus was right in front of me, always in the Eucharist, but also in the people. SEEK offers you the chance to grow in community with the people around you, to learn about the faith and to worship Christ together. But Christ made this message very clear to me throughout my time in St. Louis: none of this would matter without Jesus. 

SEEK is a unique opportunity to grow in faith, both in heart and head, but you must pace yourself. You must pick and choose where you’ll spend your time; I think asking for the intercession of the Holy Spirit to guide my day was the best thing I could have done. Once I was able to slow down, Christ opened my eyes to actually witness the beauty around me rather than try to experience every single detail and end up spreading myself so thin that I missed Him in all of it. 

If I could put this new knowledge into words, it would go something like this: Amidst the talks about Christ and His Church, amidst the booths presenting all your potential vocations and more, amidst the many opportunities to grow in your faith, you will find that the greatest opportunity of all is to take a step back and witness Christ in abundance around you and delight in Him, just as He delights in you.

- Ariana Dale
 
My experience at the SEEK 23 conference was something nearly indescribable. The mere experience of being in the same room with 17,000 other Catholics who shared the same desire to go to greater heights in their relationship with the Lord left me with a rush of chills many times. 

From world-renowned speakers to celebrating daily Mass in a stadium to meeting Christ in the Eucharist to the small encounters and fellowship with people all over the world, this conference gifted me a new lens into the Catholic faith. As cliche as it is to say, I felt as though I didn’t have to feel so alone in this world anymore as it served as a great reminder of the Church’s strength. Not only that, but I felt as though that we, as Catholics, are some of the very few who have been given one of the greatest gifts of all, the truth, and my heart filled with joy knowing that I have had the opportunity to know God all the days of my life. 

Growing up, we are told that Jesus is always with us, always present, and that was something I truly witnessed while attending SEEK. I felt Him every waking minute. Moreover, it is as if this intimate time with the Lord opened my eyes to see Him more clearly in my day-to-day life, outside of the stadium in St. Louis. Truly, I am blessed to have been able to attend this conference and feel as though it led me to fall in love with Jesus all over again. 

Whether someone is young or old, Catholic or non-Catholic, I guarantee that by attending this conference, you can walk away with greater wisdom, a joyful heart and a deeper love and understanding of our Lord.

- Mari Stankovsky

Blog Post #30: Departing Thoughts
by Laura Spence

Leading up to graduation, as I’ve been reflecting on my time here at Ave Maria and about how the Women’s Soccer Team has shaped me and my experience here. Five years ago, when Coach Rosser offered me a spot on the Ave Maria women’s soccer team, I had no idea how saying “yes” to his offer would change my life. 
Choosing Ave was somewhat of a difficult decision for me at first, but after visiting campus and spending time with the team I knew it was where I needed to be. The women’s soccer program has definitely had some ups and downs, especially in the last four years, but despite everything, I truly believe that coming to Ave was the best decision I’ve made in my life up to this point. I arrived at Ave my freshman year, knowing that I was here for soccer and I was excited about the mission and vision of the program. However, I had no idea the kind of impact that this program would have on me and my life. 

My freshman and sophomore years on the team were extremely difficult because our program was in a re-building phase. My teammates and I were developing the culture that we currently have. It’s no secret that we lost a lot of games our first two years, but the adversity we experienced helped our team grow, helped the players and coaches discover the direction they really wanted to take our program, and helped me individually become a better version of myself. 

Before coming here, I was used to winning. Obviously, I had lost before but never so consistently and it was extremely difficult for me mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually. My first two years on the team really changed my idea of success and helped me really understand what the coaching staff meant when they said that my identity was not found in soccer, but in God. 

When your team is losing often, not by small margins, you’re forced to learn how to celebrate the small successes. Yea, we might have lost the game, but maybe our defense shifted really well, or maybe our forwards executed the runs that they worked on in practice the day before. During this time, I learned how to appreciate the small successes and how to respond to adversity (and on a few occasions, how not to). 

I am also grateful for the upperclassmen leadership I experienced during my freshman and sophomore year and I was surrounded by some pretty great people. They were some of the first people I ever encountered who were fully alive and on fire for Christ. They also showed me how to lead through words and actions and ultimately how to be a good captain. From the moment we started preseason freshman year, it was clear that these girls really cared about us as more than just soccer players; they showed us how to be good mentors and teammates. 

The last two years have been vastly different from my first two years in the program. While the lessons I learned the first two years were hard, they were so necessary for me to be able to fully embrace the last two years. My junior year we started actually winning games, we had a solid culture that everyone was on board with, and we had some great underclassmen come in. The underclassmen reminded me how fun soccer can be. They reminded me how to play with freedom and joy in practice and in games. They taught me that maturity isn’t about age, and that humility is not self-deprecation, but self- awareness. 

The last couple years have also been our first with two full teams. In order to manage two teams well, our coaches decided to also recruit a few student managers. These girls have also taught me some valuable lessons, the most important being how to serve others joyfully. I’ve seen them get up before our 6 am practices to set up and stay late after our 12-hour long bus rides after games to clean. I’ve seen them cheer us on in the 100+ degree heat and in the pelting rain, and in the midst of all of those things, which to most people might sound uncomfortable and hard, they were constantly smiling. 

Along with the student managers, there have also been injured players on the sidelines at every game. I’ve had my fair share of annoying injuries, which taught me a lot, but I learned a lot more watching my teammates suffer from injuries and come back just as strong if not stronger. Since preseason our freshman year, I’ve seen several teammates battle ACL tears with strength and courage that I can’t even imagine. These girls showed me what real mental toughness looks like, and that it’s just as important as physical toughness. They showed me that soccer is about more than what you do on the field during games, and they taught me that while sometimes just showing up is hard, you can do hard things. 

Finally, along with all of the girls, the coaches have had a huge impact on me and my life. Thalia, Kasey, and the other assistant coaches we’ve had throughout the years have taught me that passion is so good. You should be passionate about your sport, your team, and your faith. Aside from all of the things on the field, they taught me what it looks like to be intentional and present with the people you encounter. They taught me that sometimes people will expect things from you that you don’t even know you’re capable of. 

Most importantly, they taught me how to love people well and that it’s okay to not be okay. I think Coach Rosser has taught me more than anyone else in my life this far (besides my parents of course). He taught me how to recognize and celebrate when other people do things well. He taught me how to communicate well and have difficult conversations and how to laugh at yourself, even when things aren’t going your way. Through Coach Rosser I learned the importance and power of forgiveness, that God always has a plan (even if you can’t see it), and that I am so much more than a soccer player. 

The last group that I have yet to mention is my class. We’ve lost and gained a few along the way, but they’re the ones who went through it all with me. Our experience has definitely been unique and without them I would not have made it through all of the difficult times, and all of the fun times wouldn’t have been what they were. 

They showed me not only what it is to be a good teammate, but also to be a good friend and sister. They showed me the importance of showing up for people as we shared in all of the good times and bad times each season. They were there for the really difficult lows, like losing to Keiser sophomore year, and for the incredible highs, like beating Southeastern senior year. I couldn’t have asked for better teammates or friends than the girls I’ve done the last 4 years of my life with, and it’s all thanks to Ave Maria Women’s Soccer.


Blog Post #30: Championing our Lives
by Lauren Brooks

God has given me many opportunities in life. He placed me in a good Catholic family and in a good Catholic school system. All my life I have been immersed in a culture surrounded by the Lord. I did nothing to deserve that, and most of the time, I took it for granted. I didn’t think about my faith very often and felt like I was just in a Catholic school because this was where my parents put me. All that time though, the Lord was patiently pursuing my heart even if I wasn’t responding to Him. This year, however, I am beginning to have more clarity about how the Lord is working in my life and my mission here at AMU. 

This increase in clarity started at the beginning of this spring semester when the team started to “champion our lives” by setting specific goals for ourselves. My goals were to pray in one of the chapels on campus every night before bed and to attend daily Mass two days out of the week. From the beginning, I was only halfway committing to my goals, and sadly, I didn’t care as much as I could have. I didn’t think those goals would change my life that much and I was also ashamed of my faults, weaknesses, and sins. 

However, the week before the team participated in Seek 2022, a Catholic college student conference hosted by FOCUS (The Fellowship of Catholic University Students), the Lord did something unexpected that changed by perspective. I was driving down Oil Well Road on my way back to Ave and my Spotify stopped working. I reluctantly turned on some worship music that I own, and suddenly I felt this overwhelming rush of peace. It’s hard to explain, but I perceived the Lord saying to me, “I want all of you.” I began to cry because I had barely even been giving Him the bare minimum. After that, I decided to give Him more. I started with my goals that I set at our team meeting a couple weeks prior. 

The week before Seek I went to daily Masses, frequented the Adoration chapel, and went to Sacrament of Confession. I know the Lord is always working, but that week I truly felt the Lord working. By the end of the week I was overwhelmed with excitement about spending an entire weekend dedicated to the Lord with my teammates. I didn’t feel an ounce of nervousness going into it, and normally I would have. 

From the moment we arrived to the house in Naples, my joy only increased. I prayed for the grace of clarity, and I could tell the Lord answered my prayer. I was able to see the Lord clearly in each and every one of my teammates, and I truly rejoiced in it. We opened our hearts to one another, and I got to know the beautiful hearts of some of my teammates that I hadn’t really spoken to that often. The Lord gave me the grace to open my heart and let Him in, and because of this, for the first time ever, I felt free to be myself around my teammates without fear of what they were thinking about me. 

In doing that, the Lord gave me clarity on what it really means to be a part of the Ave Maria Women’s Soccer Team. Since we focus on understanding and living our identities as daughters of God, I am called to love my teammates the way that God loves me. I am called to love them with a selfless kind of love. I can’t hold any part of myself back, because God did not hold anything back from me. He gave His whole self for you, for me, and my teammates. 

I didn’t embrace our mission as well as I would have liked during my freshman year and early in my sophomore year. I think I was a little too caught up in myself and other people’s opinions of me. Because of the Lord and the beautiful example of my teammates and coaches, I have learned to open my heart and will ask for God’s grace to play for Him and my teammates from here on out. I am fully known and fully loved. As an alumni of the program once told a couple of us, our women’s soccer program “is an all or nothing business.” Thanks to the Lord, I can now saw that I am “all in!”

Blog Post #29: Self-Sacrifice
by Colleen Walker

I was asked to write a blog post from my perspective as a student manager on the Women’s Soccer team. Quite honestly, the request has presented some difficulty. Unlike practically everyone else in the soccer program, soccer is not necessarily one of my passions which makes me somewhat of an odd-one-out on the field. 

As I was trying to decide what on earth I could write about soccer, (and how I could possibly follow-up Gabby Decker) a few ideas came to mind. I could talk about companionship; how the team works together supporting each other both on and off the field. I could talk about how grateful I am that the program integrates our faith into the sport. But though the sport itself, the companionship, friendship, faith dynamic, and coaches are so central to what the soccer program is to me, there is something else, something greater, that hides behind the glorious fruits that it produces and makes the team what it is and the girls who they are. 

This hidden gem which drives the team and continues to amaze me at every game, weights session, and practice is self-sacrifice. 

When I watch the girls play soccer, I watch as they make an offering of their bodies, time, and talent. I see the discipline it takes to wake up at 6am to run sprints and drills (as I sit there sipping my coffee). I see the self-denial it takes to forgive a teammate and have patience with each other’s weaknesses. I see the frustration the girls have at themselves when they fall short of perfection, and I see them allow it to propel them towards becoming better. I see their perseverance in the 100 degree heat, and the 45 degree rain. I watch as they give their all, every day to something that they love. And though I know there's much joy and reward in doing something they love so much, I see that it requires immense sacrifice. 

And perhaps what strikes me the most in the midst of it all is that the girls do not question whether their sacrifice is worth it. They know what they are working towards, they trust the coaches and their teammates to work towards it too, and they do not let difficulty stop them from building something greater than themselves.

And so I sit and watch as these women, who I am so blessed to call my friends, test, strengthen, and perfect their skills, bodies, and mentalities. I am humbled at least once every practice (the Lord knows, I need it) when the girls, usually after having finished a taxing drill, help me pick up balls, cones, and equipment. They sacrifice their energy, time, and comfort in both big ways and small, in order to help each other, to become better, and to work for something beyond themselves. And I realize this is how I need to live: full of passion, running as hard and fast as I can towards my goal, allowing nothing to stop me whether it be heat or storms, difficulty or exhaustion. 

I would like to say thank you to the soccer women who taught me (and are still teaching me) what it is to make an offering of myself, to preserve, to deny myself, and to self-sacrifice. You have shown me the virtues required to love with ferocity simply by the way you play soccer. I am so grateful for each one of you, and I want you to know that you will all go quite far if you simply live the way you play. 


Blog Post #28: Finding the Why
by Gabby Decker

My name is Gabby Decker, and I am a sophomore on the Ave Maria Women’s Soccer Team. At the beginning of the spring semester of my freshman year, I tore my ACL and Meniscus during practice. A month later, I had surgery. This past year I have spent most of my time on the sidelines watching my teammates grow as young women on and off the field. These past twelve months have given me a lot of time to take a step back from being a player and step into my role as a teammate and a friend. 

As a player, it is easy to get caught up in the emotions of the game and forget who you are playing for, or why you play at all. Recently, I have been wrestling with my “why” and trying to figure out my reasoning for wanting to be a part of this team. Some people will say it’s the love of the sport, it’s the feeling of winning and competition that drives them, or others will say it’s because they want to discipline their body and look fit. The culture document will tell you that the team’s “why” is “to help each woman understand and live her identity as a daughter of God through collegiate soccer” which is great. But as an individual, I needed to have my own reasoning for why I wake up at 5:30 AM to go to watch practice and why I lift weights, do rehab, and workout at 5 PM with the team after a long day of classes, homework, tests, and stress. I needed to figure out what was the one thing that I could focus on in order to motivate me when all I really feel like doing is quitting. 

This past year included a lot of personal growth off the field and my “why” needed to be a little deeper than just winning a game, scoring a goal, or passing a fitness test because I physically could not do any of those things. The reason why I continued to push my body through rehab, show up to all of the practices, and continue to pray and meet with my team, which is more like a family at this point, is because Ave Maria Women’s Soccer has given me the opportunity to love and be loved well. In all my years of playing soccer, I’ve never felt more loved or had more personal growth and development than I have with this coaching staff and young women. 

To suffer together, as your entire body is on fire while working out, is far greater than casually working out on my own. To pray in daily mass with your sisters in Christ, who are also your sisters on the field, working hard for each other, and sacrificing time and energy to glorify God, is far greater than just some girls that happen to be on the same team who are always arguing and blaming each other for the mistakes being made. 

Ave has taken my broken experiences on past teams and given me a chance to see all the ways that God can take a team and make them His Champions. When I’m struggling and need to focus in on what’s important, I look to Jesus’ Sacred Heart burning with love for me, and then I turn to my teammates and coaches as my heart burns with love for them. Love for the Lord, love for my team, and love for the game. They are my why. 


Blog Post #27: Living out Your Identity
by Hannah Dalton

Hi everyone! My name is Hannah Dalton, I am a rising senior currently attending Ave Maria University. I am from Venice, Florida where I have played soccer since I was three. I have played on the women's soccer team for all three years that I have attended Ave Maria, where I currently study Exercise Physiology.  I then plan on attending Physical Therapy school.

Through playing soccer at Ave Maria University, I have learned to understand and live out my identity. Before my time at Ave, this has always been a difficult thing to grasp. During my three years at the University, I have grown as an individual and developed into who I am today.  I went to camps, conferences, and talks about "how to live out your identity as a daughter of God" since seventh grade, but for some reason nothing ever sank in. I felt like I was always in the shadows of my sisters and always felt the need to do whatever they did. Because of this I was not fully confident in myself and in the choices that I made.

Taking the first step into college allowed me to understand who I was created to be to a greater extent as I had to learn how to be independent and spend time where I chose and to grow in areas that I realized I had to grow. This journey has not been an easy one, but it allowed me to understand my identity as a daughter of God. Much credit is due to the Ave Maria Women's soccer program which allowed me to have the resources to understand my identity not through a worldly sense but as a daughter of God.       

I know that there is so much more to learn as my relationship with God will only continue.  Without the Ave Maria Women's Soccer Program, I would not have been able to take the steps that I have taken or be the person that I have grown to be today. I would also not have the tools or relationships to help me grow in virtue.   

Blog Post #26: For the Love of the Game
by Haley Iacona

Hi! My name is Haley Iacona, but most people on the team call me Cona. I'm currently a sophomore here at Ave and I'm from Shelby Township, Michigan. 

I've been playing soccer for as long as I can remember. Once I got older, I realized that I wanted to play in college. I never thought I would end up here at Ave. I always dreamed about playing at a Division 1 school, so I was super excited and nervous when the recruiting process started. I was in contact with multiple schools, and ended up getting offers from some of them. But for some reason, I just wasn't happy. Soccer no longer was fun. It felt like a burden to play. 

When the spring of my senior year of high school came around, I decided that I didn't want to play soccer in college anymore. When I told that to my dad, he was disappointed because I had spent so much time with soccer, playing ECNL, which was the highest level for girls and working to become the best that I could. Being the good dad that he is, he looked online to find a smaller school that I would maybe like. When my dad heard about Ave, he told me about it and I tried to keep an open mind when I got in touch with the coaching staff. I came to visit Ave during Easter Break my senior year. I was shocked at how much I liked it. Meeting the coaching staff and practicing with the team really opened my eyes and made me realize that maybe I could find the love for soccer that I once had. 

Coming into Ave as a freshman, I felt like I had a clean slate and I could find out more about who I was. I hoped more than anything that I could find my love for soccer again. It wasn't until the spring of this year that I actually felt like I was playing soccer because I wanted to. I'm not really sure what happened, but I just felt free when I played, and I didn't care if I made a mistake on the field, because I knew that I could just work hard to fix it. I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders, and I started to have more fun when I played.  

Playing on the Ave Maria women's soccer team has given me the opportunity to find my love for soccer again, but it has also given me the chance to meet new people that have impacted my life immensely. At Ave, I am constantly given the chance to grow in who I am as a person and also in my faith as a Catholic. Something that the coaching staff really tries to instill in us is to be a good teammate. This idea has given me a new meaning to soccer. Ave has given me lifelong friends, and I will forever be thankful that I was given the opportunity to be here. 

Blog Post #25: Letting Go of Ego
by Chiara O'Keefe

Hi! My name is Chiara O'Keefe. I am a freshman at AMU and I'm from West Chester, Pennsylvania. I play center midfield position on the women's soccer team. I am planning on majoring in health science and hopefully going to graduate school for nutrition!

Freshman year has definitely been a journey for me filled with many ups and downs and lessons learned. I am not sure about you, but I believe all of it was for a greater purpose that was steering me closer to the plan God has laid out for me. I would love to share a little bit about myself, my experience in the women's soccer program, as well as how the past year has shaped me into the player I am today.  

Seemingly from the moment I was placed on my first recreational team at age five, I've always had a love for soccer. A gift of that initial size 3 soccer ball kicked off a devotion for the game that has stayed with me since. Practicing in my backyard, sporting Carli Lloyd and Alex Morgan gear, or even arriving early to practice to get extra shots in; soccer was it for me. Fast forward to high school and my love for the game changed. Maybe it was the stress of balancing a social life, school, or college applications, but soccer became a chore. Whatever it was, I had lost the enjoyment and freedom I had always found in the game. I no longer mirrored that carefree five year old who would travel hours in early mornings to be able to get out on the field, not because she had to but because it was fun! 

As a college freshman, I can confidently say the Ave Maria women's soccer program transformed my view on the sport. I started my first semester attempting to become this image of the ideal player who dominated the field, and I slowly forgot about playing for my team, my coaches, and even for God. Evidently, I still wasn't enjoying the game the way I wanted too. An awesome factor in the soccer program here at Ave, is that we foster a team culture that includes core values to pursue. 

At first, these team standards went over my head, but I eventually started to recognize their application on the game field and at practice. My coaches emphasized sacrificing our own comfort for the good of the team. This meant sprinting every sprint and completing every drill for the team and for God, because there is always a greater purpose beyond ourselves in the end. This meant even on bad days I had to give my all because it wasn't always about my performance and how I played. This took a while for me to grasp, because for so long, my bad practices were solely focused on my own performance. 

Ultimately, letting go of my ego on the field took a huge burden off my shoulders as I was no longer playing with unachievable expectations. This allowed me a sense of freedom on the field that I had not experienced for a long time. Although only a freshman continuing in my growth to be the best player for my team, I am confident I can rely on my coaches and teammates pushing me to become the best version of myself both on and off the field.

Blog Post #24: A New Start at Ave
by Maddie Samuelson

Hello! My name is Maddie Samuelson. I am a junior transfer at Ave and I am from Littleton, Colo.

I am a goalkeeper for the women's soccer team. I came here as an art major, emphasizing in metal sculpture at my last college and now I am a theology major. I am still getting used to all of the reading but it's well worth it. I would love to tell you about how I ended up at Ave so if you ever run into me on campus, ask me about it! But, in this blog I'll talk about what it has been like to transfer from a private liberal arts school, which has the stereotypical state school mentality, to Ave Maria University.
 
At first I was shocked when I came to Ave. Yeah I am sure most people could say that coming in as a freshman, but I guess I was shocked in a way difficult to explain fully. I was surprised at just how many people would say hi to me or give me a smile on campus when I had not met them, and how many people who would come and sit next to me at lunch without me asking. The kindness I experienced here in my first few weeks was from so many different people trying to connect with me first, which was incredible to me as the person who has almost always had to reach out to others first. At my last college, there was only a small handful of people like me on the whole campus who chose to not make drinking and partying the excitement of their lives, so the few of us stuck together. Just in our daily lives around campus we would start conversations with other people and branch out but often we got no response back. While sometimes that bore fruit, other times we would get no response. At Ave though, what I will remember from my first semester is how easy it was to be loved and to love others.
 
What I began to notice though over time was that those same people who would ask to sit with me at lunch and who would spark a conversation in the middle of a hallway were also the same people I noticed going to mass and to adoration everyday. Then that is when it clicked. I found that what made this campus special is that lots of people my age were making the daily commitment and sacrifice to put the sacraments first, and that naturally what followed was the gift to give their time and care to others without much thought, that kindness just flowed from them. At my last school, I knew my closest friends, and myself, were drained at the end of everyday as we tried to be a steward to everyone and saying yes to anyone who asked for help. Only one of my friends in my little friend group I knew was a practicing Christian, but we both felt drained giving so much of our time and energy without being spiritually built up ourselves. But, here at Ave, I noticed that many people serious about there faith took their lives one moment, and one person at a time. Then I decided after awhile "gee Maddie I really want that! I want to know how to serve others not just well but the best that I can and to be fully present!" So, I decided I would start my Ave experience by taking the next year or so as a listening and gathering period. I started by watching my friends and the couples I am close to, asking them questions, and taking mental notes about how they interacted with others, and how they approached prayer.
 
While I have gone through my ups and downs mentally and spiritually at Ave, I found that right now as I am still observing and learning from my friends, that I love this new role I am taking on here at Ave, which is to be more of a follower. So often at my previous school, and even sometimes here, I want to be the one to share in a group and to be in the center of the action. But, what I am most grateful for is the quite, prayerful, studious people here on campus, who remind me everyday that listening is far more important that being at the center of everything. Sometimes I still fall into wanting to be at the center of everything, but it's easy here at Ave to step away from that temptation when I have so many different types of friendships and people who can lead me higher in faith and discipline. At my former college, I was expected to become this women leader with all the ideas and to carry 5 roles well, but here at Ave I am constantly learning what serving can be at its best quality, and I am also learning how to humble myself in thought, words, and most importantly in prayer as well. So that one day, I can become the best form of a faithful leader that I can. The sacraments, my coaches, my team, my hallway buddies, and the example of the towns people here are also all to thank in helping me reshape my perspective on leading others in a fully Christian way.

Blog Post #23: Joining a Jesus Centered Mission Field
by Kasey Kaimann

This is my second semester at Ave Maria University as a grad-assistant coach for the Women's Soccer team and it has been one of the biggest blessings from the Lord. What is truly amazing about this program is the Lord's hand on it. There have been countless stories of the Lord at work whether that be bringing girls to our program or inspiring the girls to grow in faith. My story is nothing less. 

It was Divine providence that brought me here and it is Him who continues to call me to love and serve these girls in the program. There is truly no other program like it. Everything we do is ordered towards loving the girls and getting them to heaven. We do this by praying before and after each practice, praying for each other, going on retreats, attending mass, praying in the chapel before every game, attending bible study, and investing in the girls one-on-one. This Jesus centered culture is truly remarkable and something I've always dreamed of being a part of. 

At my previous school, I played college soccer for all four years, but the culture was quite different. Instead of being encouraged to pray together, it involved me trying not to be embarrassed for making the sign of the cross before games. Instead of attending mass together as a team, it was just me and maybe one more if they accepted the invitation. Trying to live your Catholic faith out while playing college soccer can be difficult especially if you feel like you are the only one. 

I truly believe we are all called to be missionaries and have an evangelistic heart for others and therefore, everywhere we go is a mission field. However, the mission field can look quite different. It can feel like it is just you swimming against the rough current or it could also feel like you are smooth sailing along with other amazing on fire for Jesus Catholics. At my previous college, it was the former. It was difficult, but I truly believe the Lord called me there to be a witness of His love. And now at Ave, I am living out the latter. I get to be a witness of Christ' love while running to Jesus alongside the coaching staff and team. It is still a mission field; it is just a different mission field. The Lord is so good and knows exactly what we need and where we are needed at the right time and I praise Him for sending me here. 

If you are a Catholic who not only desires to live their faith out but wants to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ while playing the game you love, Ave Maria University Women's Soccer program may just be your best bet. Whether the Lord calls you to be a part of our mission or not, I pray blessings upon you and your faith walk. 

Blog Post #22
by Libby and Lauren Brooks

October 24th was the day that we first visited Ave. Our original plan for the trip was to visit our brother Ethan who plays for the baseball team. Evidently, God had something else in mind. When we first arrived in Ave, all we could talk about was how beautiful the whole city was. It was truly like nothing we had ever seen before, and it was all centered around this marvelous church. The oratory was the first place that we visited, and we were immediately awestruck by its beauty. As we exited the church, both of us could not stop talking about how amazing and unique this college was, and how crazy it would be to go to college at such a beautiful place. The idea of actually going to college at Ave, however amazing it seemed, did not even cross our minds as a possible reality because we were already planning on playing soccer at another university. In fact, we had plans to sign at that school less than a month from that day. We searched up Ave’s soccer website and saw that they were not as competitive as the original school we were interested in. That still didn’t stop either of us from thinking about the hypotheticals.

In the meantime, we moved on to visit the bookstore and met the lovely bookstore manager, Mr. Scanlan. He greeted us with a welcoming smile, asked where we were from, and of course, commented on the sweatshirt that I (Lauren) was wearing that day (that day, I chose to wear a sweatshirt with the logo of the college that we were planning to attend). We told him that it was the university that we were planning to go to play soccer at next year, and he responded with “Well, we have a soccer team!” We told him that we already knew about the soccer team, and were already planning to play somewhere else. He persisted and said that he could give us Coach Rosser’s number if we wanted it. We politely declined the offer, said our goodbyes, and exited the store. We walked to the point where we were right in front of the church, we looked at each other, almost like we knew what the other one was thinking, and we decided to go back and get the coach’s number. Mr. Scanlan enthusiastically pulled out his phone and called Coach Rosser, but he didn’t answer, so we took his number and headed to the baseball field.

We started to watch the scrimmage, but we noticed two girls playing soccer on the turf. We thought it would be a good idea to talk to them, so we approached them, told them our situation, and they offered to take us right into the coach's office. Coach so graciously accepted us (this random family from the middle of Kansas) into his office, and we had about an hour-long meeting with him. We told him a few things about us, and he told us what the Ave soccer program was all about. One thing he said that struck us both was that the purpose of the program was to “help each woman live her identity as a daughter of God through collegiate soccer.” This was something that we had never heard from a college soccer coach before. Most programs would say that their main purpose was to win games and make it to the championship. Ave was different, and we liked that.

After we finished talking, Coach invited us to stay with some girls in the dorms and practice with them the next morning. We didn’t have any of our soccer gear, but we gladly accepted the invitation. Staying with the girls and practicing with them finalized our gut feeling that Ave was the right place for us. We talked to Coach again after practice, and told him what we were thinking. Within the next couple of weeks, we decided to not play at the other university. We received an offer from Coach Rosser and committed to Ave. Now, whenever we  talk about this experience, we can’t help bringing up the topic of Divine Intervention. We look back and laugh at how we thought the next four years of our lives were all planned out, and inthe course of a day, everything changed. It just shows how powerful and good our God is. God brought us to Ave, and we are so extremely grateful that He did! 

Blog Post #23 - Joining a Jesus Centered Mission Field
by Kasey Kaimann

This is my second semester at Ave Maria University as a grad-assistant coach for the Women’s Soccer team and it has been one of the biggest blessings from the Lord. What is truly amazing about this program is the Lord’s hand on it. There have been countless stories of the Lord at work whether that be bringing girls to our program or inspiring the girls to grow in faith. My story is nothing less. 

It was Divine providence that brought me here and it is Him who continues to call me to love and serve these girls in the program. There is truly no other program like it. Everything we do is ordered towards loving the girls and getting them to heaven. We do this by praying before and after each practice, praying for each other, going on retreats, attending mass, praying in the chapel before every game, attending bible study, and investing in the girls one-on-one. This Jesus centered culture is truly remarkable and something I’ve always dreamed of being a part of. 

At my previous school, I played college soccer for all four years, but the culture was quite different. Instead of being encouraged to pray together, it involved me trying not to be embarrassed for making the sign of the cross before games. Instead of attending mass together as a team, it was just me and maybe one more if they accepted the invitation. Trying to live your Catholic faith out while playing college soccer can be difficult especially if you feel like you are the only one. 

I truly believe we are all called to be missionaries and have an evangelistic heart for others and therefore, everywhere we go is a mission field. However, the mission field can look quite different. It can feel like it is just you swimming against the rough current or it could also feel like you are smooth sailing along with other amazing on fire for Jesus Catholics. At my previous college, it was the former. It was difficult, but I truly believe the Lord called me there to be a witness of His love. And now at Ave, I am living out the latter. I get to be a witness of Christ’ love while running to Jesus alongside the coaching staff and team. It is still a mission field; it is just a different mission field. The Lord is so good and knows exactly what we need and where we are needed at the right time and I praise Him for sending me here. 

If you are a Catholic who not only desires to live their faith out but wants to grow in a deeper relationship with Christ while playing the game you love, Ave Maria University Women’s Soccer program may just be your best bet. Whether the Lord calls you to be a part of our mission or not, I pray blessings upon you and your faith walk. 


Blog Post #21 - Coming to Ave Maria
By Caylee Feskanin

My name is Caylee Feskanin and I just finished up my freshman year. Being here at Ave Maria has been one of the best decisions of my life. It brought me some of the most amazing people and teammates I could have ever imagined, closer to God, and brought me back to the sport I love. 

In my senior year (of high school), I suffered an ACL tear and thought I would no longer have the chance to make it at the collegiate level. When I visited Ave Maria for the first time, it was about a month before my surgery. As soon as I saw the campus and met the women from this team with open arms, I knew this is where I belonged and could see my future of playing and studying here. Ave Maria quickly started to fill all the things I wanted in a college. I always knew I wanted to study nursing at a small school, play soccer, and be close enough to home and Ave fit all of those.

My first year at Ave Maria will always be one I will never forget. I have gained another family with the women in this program and could not have gotten through this year without the friendships I have created in them. Between preseason, practices, games, bus rides, and team bonding I have created lifelong friends, family, and sisters with these women and would have never imagined a better group to do it with. I am blessed to be surrounded by some of the most important people to me and get to play the sport we love while making lifelong friendships. Not only did Ave Maria introduce me to an amazing new family, but it gave me friends for life outside of the team. I have been able to meet new people from different backgrounds who I can now call some of my best friends.

I have been blessed to not only have grown as a student athlete in this past year, but I have also grown as a person. When you move away from home and must learn a new lifestyle you learn a lot about yourself. One of the most amazing things I have grown at Ave Maria is my relationship with the Lord. Coming to Ave I was never super deep in my faith, but since being here I have created such a beautiful relationship with God. Being surround by friends and teammates who encourage and support me in this growth has made my journey even greater than it already is. 

One of the best things about being at Ave Maria is that it is such a small school that you are basically in your own little community. I enjoy how much athletes support each other, as well as other students and professors. To me it is incredible the amount of support everyone has for their student athletes. With it being a small school classroom sizes are smaller, which personally I enjoy because you are a person not just a number. This was important to me because I find it easier to learn when your education is more personal with your classmates and professors. 

Ultimately, I could not have imagined being anywhere other than Ave Maria University for my first year of college and cannot wait for the next 3 years I have here. 
 

Blog Post #20 - Six Weeks in Rome
By Jessica Martinez

This past spring, I was blessed with the opportunity to spend 6 weeks in Rome. When I first got to Rome, I constantly heard that “Rome will change you.” I did not believe this at first and I found myself wondering how a month or so of living in a city could affect my life that much? Turns out it is a lot. One of the ways that Rome has changed me is through the different spiritual experiences that I underwent.
 
The eternal city is full of endless history and continues to flourish in the faith. The cobble stone streets that eat away at your shoes are always full of busses, small cars, and motorcycles. The buildings are built so high to accommodate the millions of people who live in the city. There is a café located on every corner and sometimes multiple ones on the streets that all smell of the best coffee that you will ever taste. However, below this bustling city, lies the history that has helped form this city. Rome is a city that continues to build on top of one another. As you walk through the city you can see where the foundation of a previous building ends and where a new one began. In the heart of Rome, one can find the Roman Forum, the Colosseum, and tons of other important monuments which plenty of us explored on the weekends if we didn’t go there in class.
 
We studied in a class room setting on Tuesdays and Thursdays, but my favorite days were Mondays and Wednesdays as those days were dedicated to my favorite class Art and Architecture. In this class we toured some of the most beautiful churches and landmarks that I had ever seen. Each church was so beautifully designed, and the presence of the Lord was noticeably clear.
 
I lived around a 20-minute walk away from the arms of Saint Peter’s Basilica. There are so many experiences that further intensified my spiritual life, but some here are some of my favorite ones. My fellow students and I were blessed with the amazing opportunity to see Pope Francis perform mass in Saint Peter’s. It was such a surreal moment that I could hardly believe had happen, even after the mass had ended. We also engaged in a class at the Mamertine prison where Saints Peter and Paul were held before their deaths. We were able to see where two important apostles were held captive and retrace some of their steps. One of the most amazing ones of all were climbing the Scala Sancta. The Scala Santa (the Holy Steps) are the stairs that Jesus Christ walked up as He was led to His trial with Pontius Pilate. I felt the most peace as I climbed these stairs. You had to climb these stairs on your knees and with every step you had to say a Hail Mary. You could feel the Lord’s presence with each step you took. There was no doubt in my mind after that day that Jesus really did love us and die for our Salvation.
 
I remember entering Italy terrified that I did not know a single person there. I doubted myself and how I could grow at all. I met some of the most amazing people who showed me what a true virtuous friendship looked like. They pushed me to get out of my comfort zone in a way that helped me grow spiritually and left me with lessons that I will carry with me throughout my life. I am profoundly grateful for all the people that I met and experiences that I had. Rome changed me for the better. It taught me lessons in how to put others before yourself and to love them even in times that it might be hard to. I highly recommend that anyone wanting to grow in their faith take this journey to Rome. It really will change your life.


Blog Post #19 - A Mi Me Lo Hiceste
By Sabrina Inzunza

["A mi me lo hiciste" Mateo 25:40] "You did it to me" Matthew 25:40. I didn't know how powerful this bible verse was until the end of my trip when I sat down and tried to process everything that had happened while on Mission in Mexico City this past spring break. 

My name is Sabrina Inzunza and I am currently a sophomore in the program. It also wasn't until this past spring break that I could firmly say I had a strong grasp on my faith and a life rooted in Christ. I have never had a desire or longing to partake on a mission trip of any kind until I was presented with the opportunity to travel to Mexico City and serve the poor alongside a few of my teammates. To say the least, God called me onto this trip and would not stop until I said, yes. Seven days, a team of eighteen, with a similar goal in mind—to encounter and embrace poverty. I cannot even begin to put in words how much I encountered the Lord and how much He changed my life in such a short amount of time. The Lord works in so many more ways than we can even imagine and I was truly put to the test while on mission.

A typical day consisted of a daily holy hour and private mass, before venturing out to a days work. We partnered with an Organization called Hope of the Poor in Mexico City—and together we were able to first encounter and then embrace poverty. What does this look like? Poverty is all around us, and takes many forms other than physical poverty. The people of Mexico City suffer from physical poverty, while we suffer more from emotional poverty. These people shined God's light in every aspect, even though they had nothing. They did not mourn in the fact that they had nothing, but rejoiced in the fact that God had in fact saved them. I went into the mission trip with the belief that I would share Christ's love with these people, however I believe they left a bigger imprint on me, than I, them. 

I saw Christ in every person I encountered, and this is where the verse  "A mi me lo hiciste" came into play. "You did it to me"—these five simple words carry so much meaning. I stared Christ in the face whether it was through the children who lived on the streets, the women in the women's shelter, all the way to the people I encountered who lived in the City dump. In other words, what we do to our neighbor, we do to Christ. Christ lives within us all, so how we treat each other is a direct encounter with Christ Himself. These people taught me the true meaning of loving others and how to share it with the world. 

An added bonus to this trip was visiting Our Lady at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. There, I encountered her in a way I never have before. She was alive in Juan Diegos Tilma that hung right before my eyes. She was a powerful influence on me throughout the course of the trip and led me to Christ through every experience and every prayer. It was truly unforgettable seeing her in that setting, alive and constantly leading me to Christ.  

The people of Mexico City left an impact on me much greater than they will ever know and they touched my heart in many ways—and it would take more than a brief blog post to fully explain what this trip meant to me. I was beyond blessed to be apart of this mission trip, and the memories made on this trip, I will carry in my heart forever. He truly changed me and my perspective on almost everything. Overall, how I can sum up my experience is by saying—Our Lady Of Guadalupe wrapped me up in her arms, and brought me closer to her Son, Jesus Christ. 


Blog Post #18 - A Pilgramage to the Holy Land
By Sarah Dalton

God took my summer and made it His. I had the amazing opportunity to pilgrimage to the Holy Land. This pilgrimage was a whirlwind of an experience that I highly recommend taking if the occasion arises. It is a place where Jesus’s presence was felt even in the busiest of days. God touched my heart in so many different places where so many miraculous and Holy Spirit driven events occurred.
 
While reading the Bible and the events that happened within the bible, we create images in our minds about how those places appeared. While those images are all we can hold onto, to put the bible in our individual perspective, going on this pilgrimage enhanced my understanding of the bible by bringing the events and stories to life. 

Going into this pilgrimage I was in a major state of desolation.  I felt a lack of God’s presence in my life, something I’ve never felt before. The only thing that really helped me through the past ten months of desolation was the Blessed Virgin Mary. On the first day we traveled to the Basilica of the Annunciation where Mary conveyed her “yes” to the Angle Gabriel. Mary is the perfect example of following God’s will with patience and trust. Her simple Fiat (yes) to God and His prefect will exemplifies how we should answer and follow God’s will for us. She trusted Him completely and through Her example I found myself trusting God, believing that in the seemingly impossible times and beautiful times God’s will for us is in motion and all we have to do is say yes with an open mind and heart. This yes applies to minor and major things in life whether it’s saying yes to volunteering at your local church or saying yes to the vocation God is laying before you. The more I said yes to God in the little daily things, the more joy I gained. 
        
The second day hit me like a truck. My energy was wearing out and jet lag was not my friend. We had many destinations where many important historical events happened planned. After 3 shots of espresso I found myself at the basilica of the Transfiguration. Here it is believed that Jesus became known to His closest disciples that He truly was the Son of God. “He was transfigured before them, and His face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white” Mathew 17:2. Mathew’s imagery depicts Jesus as a light as “His face shone like the sun and His clothes became dazzling white.” This isn’t the artificial yellowish type of light but a pure “dazzling white” light. It is a light that doesn’t diminish. As Christians we need to lead others to this light; lead them with kindness to love. The love of God the Father. Here I asked Jesus to transfigure my soul by modeling it after the light he contains. 
        
The last place I’ll talk about is Jerusalem. Jesus spent many agonizing moments in Jerusalem. One of these moments was when he was in the high priest Caiaphas’ house where he was held a prisoner the night before His crucifixion. In Psalm 88 Jesus’ thoughts are foreshadowed by the prophet David. One verse that stung and heaved my heart was Psalm 88:19 which goes: “Because of you friend and neighbor shun me; my only friend is darkness”. Imagine Jesus sitting in a small prison cell in darkness all alone. After spending years healing, loving and teaching His people He was betrayed by them. Imagine Him sitting there thinking “my only friend is darkness” alone knowing He is going to suffer immensely for those who chose to turn their backs on Him. He chose to suffer for us. He chooses us every day. He chose to create us to live in this day and age. How do we choose Him?  Or do we even choose Him when temptation arises? There were these steps outside of Caiaphas’ house. Archeologists believe these steps to be the steps Jesus used to walk to Gethsemane heading to the last supper. Sitting at these steps I imagined Jesus walking with a heavy heart surrounded by eleven apostles who had absolutely no idea what was about to happen and one apostle who was struggling heavily with an inner battle, a spiritual warfare within him, knowing he was about to betray Jesus. This apostle, Judas, chose not to choose Jesus. Because Judas was an apostle of Jesus, we know that in order to be an apostle you have to lay down your life and follow Jesus so therefore we know Judas initially chose Jesus but did not continue to choose Jesus. Constantly choosing Jesus is a battle. Judas was driven by greed just like we are tempted by different sins and we have to choose to follow Jesus. While choosing Jesus in the moment may be difficult, momentary “happiness” does not compare to the joy and ultimate happiness choosing Jesus will bring. 

Now I could go on and on about my trip and walk you through this pilgrimage day by day, but the reality is that God touched my heart in such immense ways. It made my relationship concrete with Him and helped me see Him in everyday events. It became real to me that I am a daughter of God. That He is my loving Father. And He is your loving Father. You are His child. You are chosen and loved in every way.   
 

Blog Post #17 - How Ave Has Helped Me Grow Closer to God
 
by Jessica Martinez

My name is Jessica Martinez and I just finished up my freshman year at Ave Maria University. I have been playing soccer ever since I could remember. I felt drawn to Ave due to just the atmosphere of the university, the culture that Coach Tyler Rosser had established for the team, the team itself, and just this gut feeling that I needed to go to this university. Summer came along the summer workout packet and before I knew it freshman season was already here.

I was so nervous, but then coach told us to play for a higher being, Jesus, and to just have fun. I grew up having attended church, but I felt sometimes that I never really knew God personally. I felt that everytime I walked onto the pitch that everything had to be perfect. That if it wasn’t it was my fault. I had forgotten why I had fallen in love with the game because I was always afraid of making a mistake, but with the help of my teammates I realized as to why I starting playing soccer. I fell in love with the game all over again because I was offering up the game and myself to Christ and no longer just focusing on the negatives out of fear.

The semester came with its ups and downs whether it was dealing with injury, hard losses, and struggling to know who you really are. I will remember this night for the rest of my life. It was late at night and the day was one of those days where you just feel discouraged. I had this feeling deep within my gut that I needed to go pray. I walked across campus to the adoration chapel and from the minute I sat down I felt God’s presence. That was so moving for me to push myself to build a relationship with God. I had never experienced anything like it before. From there I looked to my friends and teammates to help me grow more in my faith. The upper classmates on my team held team Bible studies and my close friends and roommates attended Church and Confession with me.

Ave Maria has taught me what it's like to truly have a team that feels like a family. I know that my teammates will have my back no matter what and I will have theirs. We truly are sisters and we push each other to strive for greatness every single day. Ave has also pushed me to further develop my relationship with Christ and develop friendships that I know will last for a lifetime. I cannot wait for next season and for the years to come.
 



Blog Post #15: Why I Came to Ave
by Laura Spence

My name is Laura Spence and I just finished my freshman year here at Ave. I chose Ave Maria University for the people, the atmosphere, and the culture that it has. In choosing which university I was going to attend last year, I had several decisions to make-whether or not I wanted to play soccer, attend a Catholic university or not, stay at home or go somewhere new, etc. Ultimately, after visiting several schools all over the place I decided that Ave was where I wanted to spend my next four years. I came on my recruiting visit to Ave in October of my senior year and fell in love. It was definitely something I hadn't yet seen in any university I had visited. I immediately knew that I wanted to be a part of this program and university. 

When I think of all of the reasons that I chose Ave Maria the one that sticks out the most is the culture that Coach Rosser has built into the women's soccer program. This culture is unique to Ave and was what made the program special. As a freshman coming into this program, I heard all about the culture from Coach from the first time I talked to him on the phone. It was something that I could not fully understand until I stepped on campus and saw how each of the girls already on the team lived it fully in everything they did. It was something I definitely wanted to be a part of so, I made my decision and signed with Ave. 

After signing, and a long summer of workouts, we finally got to move in for preseason! I was nervous, of course, but so excited to meet the girls who I would call teammates, and hopefully best friends, and maybe even sisters after four years. I finally got to be fully a part of the Ave Maria Women's Soccer team and was beyond happy. I knew I made the right decision because I felt at home and like part of a family from the beginning of preseason and, luckily, throughout my entire first year! 

In the beginning of preseason, we were each given a culture document that included our program's vision, mission and expectations. Our vision, "to be the most joyful collegiate soccer program in the country," and our mission, "to live as daughters of God with excellence in all things," are the basis of our culture and are essentially why I chose to be a part of this program. We each attempt to live this culture every day, with smiles on our faces, even when it's hard. This which is what makes our program so unique and so much fun to be a part of. Finally, after being part of this team for a full year now, I can honestly say that, I am one hundred percent happy with the decision I made to attend Ave and am so glad to be a part of a program, with a defined culture, that cares about more than my performance on the field.  

Blog Post #14: Genevieve Riley's Valedictorian Speech

The following is the valedictorian speech given by graduating senior Genevieve Riley at the 2019 Ave Maria University commencement exercises:

Dr. Martinez, thank you for that generous introduction, I’m humbled and filled with gratitude. Gratitude seems to be the name of the game today, so I’d like to start by giving thanks and recognition where it is due.

Firstly, to God, for the gift of every day here at Ave, for walking with us every day, through those good days and the ones that literally and figuratively torrentially down poured. 

Next, I want to thank our parents, siblings and family members. You can choose your friends, but you can’t choose your family so for the gift that they are, let’s say thank you. 

To my parents specifically, I have learned a lot from you…and not just because I was homeschooled by you. Everyone is probably thinking…ah, it makes sense why she’s a nerd. You’ve taught me by words and more importantly, by example that love is an action, not a feeling, love is sacrifice, love does not seek recognition…You’ve given everything to our family and you’ve been a model of humility, generosity, and hard work. You’ve always encouraged me to do my best and measure success by my effort. I wouldn’t be here without you all…so thank you.

I also want to thank our professors, faculty, staff, especially our fearless leader President Jim Towey; you’ve come a long way since our freshman year too, by not calling me Sarah McBride any more…so, thank you. To Vice President Kim King, our Dean Dr. Roger Nutt, and all the professors who have invested their time and energy to give us the best possible formation, thank you. I’d like to especially thank my advisor Dr. Dorothy Thompson.  She truly goes above and beyond for her students. 

Finally, to my incredible teammates, to Coach Tyler Rosser for his Christ-centered leadership of our program, to the athletics department, and to my household Talitha Koum, thank you. Also, to my friends, you guys are truly one of the greatest gifts I have received from Ave. Finally, to all of you who make up the class of 2019, I offer my sincere thanks. I am grateful to be a part of this joyful and talented class.

For 4 years, we’ve shared a mission – to train our minds, our wills, our bodies… united by this common dedication to formation. In a way, we’ve been practicing together, have we not? Athletes and nonathletes, think with me for a moment… training for 4 years. That is a long time to practice. Fellow athletes, you all know what the first game of the season is like; there’s so much anticipation and excitement and nervousness, and it’s a day that you know like your birthday! Fall athletes, you know when we got asked…what day does school start? …I don’t know…but our first game is August 23rd! Why, because it’s why you train, why you wake up early, why you work hard. I want to suggest to you that today is the first match of the season… the season of adulthood. So, the question is, when we walk outside, who is our opponent and are we ready? 

First thing, Jesus tells us who our opponent is. John 15:19 he says, “If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Sometimes, we forget this being at Ave. We’ve been blessed by 24-hour adoration, multiple daily Mass options, liberal arts class that explicitly teach the Truth, and so we forget about our imminent opponent. Okay, and perhaps being in swamplands surrounded by alligators contributes to that…but still, we lose sight of who we are training to battle.

Now, the world is going to tell you that great things are defined by money, recognition, power, honor, you name it. I saw this clearly when I was looking at other valedictorian speeches… these other speeches send this message of get out there, climb your way to the top and don’t let anyone hold you back. They all have this Hunger Games mentality of do whatever it takes, moral or immoral, to do great things. But let’s not forget Mother Teresa’s words, “In this life we cannot do great things. We can only do small things with great love.” That’s good news for us… especially for us who don’t know what the future holds. It shows that it’s less about what we do, and more about how much love we put in. 

Second question – are we ready to take on the world? My answer is yes. Even though we all came to Ave for different reasons, from different backgrounds with various levels of excitement, we all leave marked and changed by the Ave experience. How?

The Ave experience uniquely prioritizes the development of the whole person – to Ave, building our faith, character, friendships, and community is far more important than building our resumes. We have learned from this environment, from role models and peers how to listen, how to serve, and ultimately how to love.  My friends, what can make us more equipped! We are not prepared just for our jobs… to be doctors, lawyers, accountants, theologians, psychologists, engineers, writers, teachers, what have you, but we are equipped to discover and live our vocations. We are prepared not to be of the world, but to find our place in the world as husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, priests, religious…because here at Ave…we’ve cracked the code of happiness; that we find our lives when we lose them. 

The Ave experience is not like other schools. We just mentioned how other schools are training little Katniss’ who’s aim is to hunt for the best paying job and shoot for living the most comfortable life (Do you see what I did there)? No, the real question is - Do you see how our Ave experience is different from the majority of other schools, who believe that happiness is a function of wealth and that the goal in life is to be comfortable. 

As followers of Christ, we know that we are not made for comfort, but instead, as Pope Benedict said we are made for greatness. And believe it or not, we’ve been practicing this for 4 years. We have all experienced that joy from trading our short-term comfort for greatness! Anytime you went to the 24-hour room to study when you wanted to go to bed, anytime you woke up before crack o’ dawn to come here for weights with Coach Cory Nelms, or anytime you were busy but still made time to listen to a friend’s struggles by the canal or on a walk, or helped a friend study for an American Civ exam or write a lab report, or shared your notes with an athlete who missed class, or committed to a holy hour, you were saying no to comfort and yes to greatness. 

People are going to ask, why Ave Maria. Let’s take pride in being an Ave Maria Gyrene. Don’t be afraid to stick out, to share your faith, and what you’ve learned and how you grew. When you lie down tonight in bed, and the reflection and emotions and processing set in, you might be overwhelmed, I know I will. 4 years is a long time to be in formation and it’s easy to think that this day we prepare for would never come. But just as we athletes don’t go to practice for its own sake, none of us have come to Ave except to prepare us. After 4 long years of training, we’ve reached the first game of the season. And now look at us; we’re all geared up in our uniforms, we’ve lined up and said the anthem, we’ve read the names of the starting line-up. It’s finally time to perform and to put into play what we’ve practiced…You guys, it’s game time. 

Blog Post #13 - March for Life by Bernadette Hartney
 
Going to the March for Life was not originally in my plans for 2018. After less than two weeks into this spring semester of school, it’s not really ideal to leave for a weekend trip with missing a day of classes. Ave provides the options of busing or flying plans far in advance which I did not sign up for, so if you had asked me a week before the March if I was going, I would have said no. But when a friend from Maryland invited me on the Sunday before the March to come home with her, I started having some new thoughts. I knew that my teammate, Hannah Lawrence, was having reconstructive tendon surgery in her ankle the Wednesday before, and my friend from Maryland said we could go surprise her after the March, so that pretty much sealed the deal for me. We got two other girls to join us and put our plans into stone.
 
My friends and I took on a challenge to better prepare for the March. We decided that we would sacrifice something that we normally have on a regular basis to offer up for the millions of babies who have been aborted and have no one to pray for them. For me, the sacrifice started off as no coffee, and after the first day I was challenged by my friends to change it to no caffeine. This may or may not have been one of the most difficult sacrifices I’ve ever made. No caffeine means that you need to sleep, and to be brutally honest I don’t usually get more than 5-6 hours a night, especially when we have 5am workouts and are waking up at 4:30am. A typical day for me usually involves two cups of coffee (morning and afternoon) and sometimes either a third at night or a soda at some point. That being said, the caffeine headaches were profuse, my crankiness was in abundance, but God’s grace was even greater throughout the week. I don’t say this to brag or ask for pity in any way, I say this because accepting this challenge made me focus and prepare for a miniature pilgrimage to stand up for those who are unable to stand up for themselves. It paved the way for my trip and put everything into a different perspective.
 
When we actually set out for the March we could hardly believe the time had arrived. By the time we landed in Baltimore, Maryland and got to my friend’s house, it was around midnight and we graciously took our three-hour nap before departing at 4:30am to go to the March. We arrived around 6am which was early enough to go to the Youth Rally for Life which had multiple pro-life speakers and a mass. The speakers were amazing, but I would have to say that this event impacted me the most through its sheer numbers. We were in the Verizon Center Arena, and it was absolutely PACKED full of thousands high school and college aged students like myself. This gave me renewed hope for our generation. Just seeing thousands of other young adults my age made me realize that our individual efforts are not in vain, but rather are united all around the country. After that event, we walked to the National Mall where the rally before the March itself would begin. The crowd there was absolutely monstrous. It took us almost thirty minutes to navigate from one side of the field to another in order to find the other Ave students who came on bus or flew with Ave’s pro-life club, Students for Life. The speakers for the Rally itself were incredible. First, Vice President Mike Pence spoke and then introduced President Trump to speak to the crowds. After that, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Paul Ryan, spoke as well. Even though they weren’t on the stage in front of us for safety reasons, these speeches gave me the chills. I’d encourage you to look up their talks because it was extremely comforting to hear that the leaders of our nation are behind the pro-life movement and that they are for upholding the dignity of human life. The March itself was fairly uneventful other than the awesomeness of marching along with thousands of other like-minded individuals. It was very powerful, but came to an end rather quickly, and then I didn’t know what to do. However, the coolest thing was that when we went to mass the next day, I realized that just because the March itself was over, doesn’t mean that our fight for life is over. We went to 5pm mass on Saturday and during the homily the priest talked about the March and how the true anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade is Monday, January 22^nd. He encouraged the congregation to make a special sacrifice or fast on Monday. He said that there is something extremely powerful about sacrifice that strengthens our prayers since our sacrifices are being united with Christ’s sufferings. This was when things came full circle for me. No, I’m not saying his homily was a nice pat on the back from the offerings the week before the March, but rather it was an extremely helpful piece of advice to encourage us that our sacrifices aren’t in vain. They mean something, and they are worth it whether we see the fruits of them or not. It’s kind of hard when you can’t see the differences made as a result of your sacrifice, but I can say that the GRACES from offering up these were overflowing. Overall, our weekend was phenomenal, free from spiritual attack, and left everyone invigorated to stand behind what we believe in. That being said, I’ll be offering up some sacrifices on Monday the 22^nd and smaller ones throughout the year and would love for you to join me. If you read this after Monday, it doesn’t matter because God is outside of time and He’ll accept sacrifices as offerings any time of any day. Just because the March is over or the anniversary of Roe Vs. Wade is over doesn’t mean our duty to uphold the dignity of human life is over. We need to be praying each day for a better understanding of the inherent value each human has because of being created in the image and likeness of God. It can be hard at times, but it is most definitely well worth it because as the theme for this year’s March would conclude: “Love saves lives.” So let’s do this and work on living out what we say we believe in by loving others one person at a time. #lovealways
 
PS: We did surprise Hannah Lawrence Saturday, the day after the March, and it made my day. Her face was priceless and brought me so much happiness. She is a champ, and I can’t wait to see her through recovery and for her to be back on the field with us next season! Jesus is awesome and sure knows how to make an unexpected weekend trip absolutely phenomenal and so incredibly worth its “inconveniences”.
 

Blog Post #12: Playing with Freedom by Sarah McBride

I came into my senior season excited about having the opportunity to “play with freedom,” and “live out my identity as a daughter of God with excellence in all things,” but I wasn’t prepared for how difficult either of these things would be for two reasons. First, I underestimated the extent to which I placed my identity in being a good soccer player. Second, I assumed playing with freedom was just a choice I had to make and then commit to. I anticipated that the level of freedom I experienced would directly correspond to the amount of effort I put forth. However, this attitude set me up for failure as I am weak and inconsistent. I am also prideful and stubborn at times, so rather than admit that I was failing, I tried to convince myself that I was experiencing something that didn’t yet exist in my life. I can be pretty persuasive when I want to be, so for most of the season I was actually convinced that I was playing with freedom and living out our team culture with excellence. Why then, I wondered, was I becoming more and more upset and losing confidence in myself and my teammates? The answer: because I was believing lies. The first lie was that I was playing with freedom. The second lie (once I realized that I wasn’t playing with freedom) was that things were “good enough” so I didn’t need to change. My complacency stood as an obstacle to God’s grace. 
 

As the season progressed, soccer gradually felt more and more like a burden. Mostly because each time I stepped on the field, I failed to meet the unrealistic standard I had set for myself. Then one game I experienced anger in a way that I never had in my life. It’s hard to admit that simply missing a penalty kick could bring about so much emotion, but it did because it was at that point that I fully realized how much worth I placed into being a good soccer player-- or at least having people think I was a good soccer player. It took witnessing my response to humiliation for me to accept that things were no longer “good enough.” Failure sparked in me a desire for genuine freedom, and I was finally ready to change. In my troubled state, I went to the only one who could provide the comfort and counsel that I longed for in the midst of all my confusion: I took my mess to God. I sat down in the adoration chapel, cried, and prayed for clarity. There, the Lord gently revealed to me the lies that I was tangled up in, and He presented to me the truth. The truth hurt, but it was real. He showed me all the ways that I had let lies lead me to live in the ideal instead of accepting reality. He revealed how I had allowed my freedom to be stolen by pride, fear, guilt, false obligations, comparisons, and discouragement, and He reminded me that as long as any of these factors exist in my life, things are not “good enough.” He expressed His sincere desire for me to play with freedom and for that freedom to extend to all areas of my life, through confidence in my true identity as a daughter of God.  

I left the chapel with a much better understanding of the ways that I had failed myself, my team, and my God this season. I went to confession the next morning and experienced the healing effects of the sacrament. Only then, did I feel the burden of all the things that were suppressing my freedom lifted. I went into the next game with a disposition of receptivity to allow the Holy Spirit to work in me and provide me with the grace to respond well to difficulty. I was not going to expect perfection of myself, I was not going to care about failing, nor was I going to care about disappointing my parents or my coach. We ended up losing the game, but for me it felt like a win. It was the first time since my childhood that I was able to play soccer without the fear of losing some aspect of my identity. I was finally able to accept what Coach had been telling us all along…that my identity is not in being a soccer player, but in being a beloved daughter of God.  I made plenty of mistakes that game, but I placed my effort in things that were in my power to control rather than concerning myself with things that could steal my freedom. This game was the highlight of my entire soccer career. It also ended up being the last game of my college career due to a knee injury. 

I don’t know what is keeping you from experiencing freedom as a son/daughter of God, but I extend an invitation to anyone reading this to examine your heart and honestly assess where you place your worth. It may be helpful to consider what you value most or what you invest the most time in. This could be a role, an ability, or a relationship, but really try to think about how you would respond if that role/ability/relationship was removed completely from your life. You know yourself best. Would you feel gratitude for having been blessed with that good for however long it was a part of your life, or would you feel empty and unfulfilled without it? Are there areas in your life that, like me, you settle with lies because you fear the discomfort of change? My guess is that we all place our worth in various places and gradually lose our sense of worth as we, in our weakness, fail to maintain excellence in these areas. I challenge you to join me in finding these areas and reclaiming your worth by removing your sense of identity from these fleeting things and placing trust in the eternal love of the Father who wants to protect your identity and remind you of your dignity as His son or daughter. I’ll be praying for you. 

Blog Post #11- by Emily Dalton

Surrender….what even is that and why should I do it? When we think of surrender it usually points us into a negative scene of a white flag waving from defeat. The enemy has won and the good side just wasn't strong enough. If this is what surrender is then why would anyone want to do it? Wave their white flag and expect the negative consequences to come their way. I have been the victim of this feeling many times. I would sit there and wallow in my feeling of defeat. I would let the negative feelings, of what I thought was surrender, overcome me.
 
I love soccer. Not only do I love the sport, but I allowed it to define me of who I was as a person. I would set the bar so high for myself and allowed what I thought other people's expectations were for me to define me and shape me into who I was. I was trapped. I was trapped in thoughts that I had to be "good enough" and that I had to be the athletic goal scoring soccer player that everyone knew that I was. That was me. The soccer player, and that's all I was known by. If I didn't live up to those expectations, then who was I?
 
You know how people say that they peaked in high school? Well my soccer career definitely peaked then. But as soon as I reached the top I quickly tumbled down that mountain, and not so gracefully I must say. I thought I was good, you know? A star on the soccer field. Scoring goals left and right, no one could stop me….except when God finally stepped in. He said, "okay, enough of yourself and your glory. I want you to see Me and My glory". And that is exactly what he did. He allowed me to be broken spiritually and physically. He allowed me to suffer through a total of three ACL tears and let me tell you… it was the best thing that has ever happened to me. I'm guessing you're thinking to yourself, "Why would you ever be thankful for suffering like that", but when people say that God works in mysterious ways there's nothing truer than that. There's this song lyric that really stuck out to me during my time of suffering and it was, "You turned my hurt into the first breath of my worship". This is so true for me because without my hurt, suffering, and pain I would not know God the way I do or be in a relationship with Him like I am right now.
 
I was a mess during this time of suffering and I just always wondered during that time why God would do this to me. Who else was I besides a soccer player? He had to rip away the one thing that I was comfortable with and knew I had under control. By doing this He showed me what else he has called me to be instead of just a soccer player. He took away those expectations that I held so high. Instead of looking at what others expected me to be I looked to God and what he wanted me to be. With God, there are no expectations. He met me where I was and helped me grow in so many different ways I never would have thought. So, long story short, God allows us to suffer so His glory and grace can shine through.
 
He calls us out of our comfort zones into the mysterious waters just so we can call out in faith and be able to SURRENDER. Yes, surrender. We give Him our hurts, worries, pain, and anxieties. We give them all to him and surrender ourselves. We get to waive that white flag that symbolizes purity and a new birth within ourselves. We are not being conquered, we are conquering the evil that wants to have power over us. Surrender isn't defeat, surrender is freedom.

Blog Post #10: Ale Vazquez Goes to Honduras

It was mid-way through my first semester of freshman year that I felt this pull to go on a mission trip. When I decided to go to Honduras, I knew that we were going to teach children different sports and show them the love of God, but what I didn’t know was how much they were going to do for me. This awesome part about this trip was I got to know my team mate, Clare Jordan, more and met some other really cool athletes.
 
Growing up, going to church felt like a chore. My sister and I would groan every time my parents would mention church. The thought of sitting in silence for an hour had to be the most dreadful thing. My sister and I would try our hardest not to make jokes and dodge our parent’s disapproving looks, but the older we got it didn’t seem so bad. Now as a 19-year-old, church isn’t a chore, but a privilege I have. I enjoy every minute of it. It’s a time to relieve any stress and surrender yourself to God. Especially during the school year, I have plenty of stress weighing down my shoulders.
 
In Honduras, we went to Mass every day and held Adoration for everyone in the village. I expected the older community to join us, but what I didn’t expect were children of all ages to come. Imagine two eleven-year-old best friends waking up at 6 AM for Mass. If I ever asked my best friend at that age to go to Mass, we would both laugh and think that’s ridiculous. It was so inspiring to see the children not only be there, but be the loudest ones responding and singing in Mass. It was truly a touching experience. These children were happy and kind-spirited despite their troubles. They find good in their situations and enjoy every moment. There wasn’t a time they didn’t have a smile on their face. They taught me that sometimes life isn’t good and you can’t control it, but what you can control is your attitude. Sure, I’ve heard this plenty of times, but it never really clicked with me. Until, I witnessed these children do exactly what so many people have tried to instill in me. I finally grasped the idea and realized how much I could apply it to not only my everyday life, but also soccer.
 
I remember riding on the bus to a game with my huge Chemistry book open trying so hard to figure out these problems that seemed so impossible. Having doubts if I could really handle the pressure of being a student-athlete. I’m sure my attitude was not the best at the time. It also didn’t help that we weren’t having our best season. This upcoming year I have a whole new perspective. I’m going to go into my sophomore year with a strong belief that I CAN do this. That I CAN pursue my desires of being a student-athlete. That I CAN make the grades I want and I CAN give 100% on the field. I wish I truly understood and could’ve practiced this concept last year, but there is no need to dwell on the past. So, I encourage any incoming freshmen to have faith in your abilities. There are going to be times where you feel you’re not strong enough to be a student-athlete. You’re not going to get the grade you wanted or your day isn’t going how you planned. Remember, the attitude you decide to have will affect how your student-athlete experience will go. Like the popular scripture verse goes, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)” You can do whatever your heart desires.
 
Coach asked me to write about my experience in Honduras, but the Holy Spirit led me somewhere else. To any student-athletes, you’re strong enough.
   

Blog Post #9: Advice for the Summer by Meghan Precord

Throughout the spring semester Coach Rosser asked some women on our team to write for our new blog. The topics included personal experiences during a mission trip to experiencing being away from home for the first time. I was just waiting for my time to come! When Coach asked me about a week ago to write one, I tried to figure out a topic that I could talk about. Just as he was asking me what I wanted to write about, we received our summer packets, the most anticipated thing for a college athlete! As I flipped through the pages of the packet I printed out, the idea of talking about the packet for my blog popped into my head.

When I was an incoming freshman, I was nervous and so many questions scrolled through my head when I received my summer workout packet. How religiously do I have to follow this packet? I wonder how hard the other girls think this packet is? Will this get me ready for preseason? Oh my gosh, how is preseason going to be?! As these all cluttered in my head, I took a deep breath and made a plan. I stuck to the plan for the summer and my hard work paid off.

My advice to the freshman coming in this year, the rest of the team, and any other Student-Athlete that attends Ave Maria in the future is to push yourself to be the best you can be because that in turn will create a team that is mindful in every situation, a team that is excellent on and off the field, and a team that loves always. So, as you flip through the packet, you will notice that there are not just instructions to run miles and sprints until you can't any more. Rather you see very important additions regarding your spiritual life, intellectual life, and social life. I do want to dive into the importance of the physical side first, however, I will be coming back to the other dimensions of this packet because they are just as important, if not more important!

Okay, so let's get to it! It is so important that you complete the workouts to the best of your ability, as well as push yourself because this is going to help you have a baseline for preseason. During preseason, you are going to be pushed passed limits you didn't even think you had. The harder you work during the summer, the easier it will be to push yourself during preseason and become a better athlete. When I was a freshman, I had a hard time because of a few things including that there was no one really holding me accountable except for myself and I do better and push myself more when I am with more people. I was also working full-time so I was very tired! Everyone is going to have their different struggles while trying to train during the summer, but a few things that helped me through my first summer up to this summer is that I remind myself that I am working to be a part of a team that is relying on me. This year I feel it is even easier to push myself because I am a part of a team that is striving to be the most joyful collegiate soccer program in the country. I need to invest in myself in order to lead for my team. We need a team of leaders who are going to strive to be excellent in everything they do. That should be enough motivation to keep you accountable. If you are like me, and you do better when you are pushed by the people around you, find a group of friends or join a pick up league!

Another thing implemented in our culture is "soccer sisters." We pair an upperclassmen with an underclassmen to help the transition from high school to college. They, as well as any other member of the team, are here to support you and if you are struggling to get a workout done, talk to them! See if you guys can push through it "together", whether it's physically or mentally. Like I said earlier, the work you put in during the summer is going to give you the baseline for preseason. As a team I encourage everyone to put the work in for not only yourself but for the girl that is soon to be one of your teammates, lifelong friend, and sister.

Our team culture and our mission, which is to grow closer together by growing closer to God and glorify God through our effort, was a huge focus of ours during this past spring season. Coach Rosser has added a few sections to the summer packet you will not find in other teams packets. This is going to be our game changer. They can be considered more important than the physical side because we already know that you know how to play soccer and are pretty fit! Our culture, camaraderie, and how well we love and know each other is going to be the difference when we need to band together to pull out the strength for a win. In order to do this, coach has given us guidelines or assignments in order to become well-rounded women. Although the spiritual dimension of the packet is not required, this is what is unique about Ave. We are not here to just get results on the field. We are here for the ultimate goal of getting our sisters to Heaven. Again, it is not required by anyone but the presence of God on our team is huge, whether it is through prayer or through the kindness and love that comes from each of our teammates. If we can grow closer to God as a team, there is no other bond that can beat that.

As for the intellectual dimension, at first I was like another book to read? During summer? Coach? Haha don't lie, you probably thought that too. But when you look at the reasoning behind why he is doing this, you realize he is only doing this because he loves us and wants the best for us. Each of the books that he put on the list has some kind of benefit to the team. If each girl can bring a different thing they learned from whichever book they read, do you know how much of an impact that is going to be on the team?! I am a little bit of nerd and I am already on my third book! I find books that have things that I can apply to my life very very interesting.

As for the social dimension, this is to help us grow to have virtuous friendships with each and every member of the team. The beginning of this is to connect with your "soccer sister" in order to help transition into college and to get excited and comfortable for the upcoming year. Once in preseason, the challenges and the triumphs we face will bring us closer than you can ever imagine!

Speaking of preseason!!! Who is excited?! Who is nervous?! So I assume more people nodded or raised their hands after the nervous question rather than the excited, but I hope you are both! Nerves are good because they keep you on your toes, but the excitement I have is REAL! I am so excited to meet each and every one of the new members of the team, and I am so ready to get back and see my girls! We have done so much to prepare ourselves for this next season and I cannot wait to establish everything we've learned and lead this team to a successful season! So as you guys continue to work on your packets throughout the summer, remember to be in the moment and take a deep breath! My dad has always told me "moment by moment." Whether that moment is "oh my goodness I cannot pass this one test!" or "HECK YEAH! I passed the time requirements!", remember that this moment will pass soon. Cherish it. It could be a defining moment of triumph or a time for learning. If it was the first one, get back on that line and run it again until you get it, or text a teammate for advice (we will ALL be there to encourage you!). Just remember that you are capable if you put your mind to it. If it's the latter, ,yes, get excited and text a teammate (we will always be there to celebrate! Oh p.s. we love bake nights to celebrate or just cuz haha!), but remember to push yourself past your limits and do it again, but better this time. Keep going and never stop becoming the best version of yourself,for yourself, for your team, and more importantly for God.
 

Blog Post #8: A Year in the Life of a Women's Soccer Player by Ally Williams

    Looking back at the past nine months of my freshman year at Ave Maria University, I realize how I quickly adapted to college, grew as an individual, and grew closer to God through Ave Maria and soccer. By attending a college over 1,000 miles away from home, I had to learn how to live on my own without my parents. I also had to go out of my comfort zone and make new friends. Being a part of the soccer team made the transition easy because we all became one big family and I instantly had 19 new friends. It also helped create a "home away from home" environment. Being a student athlete helped me learn how to do a better job with time management since I had both soccer and my school work to focus on. I also had to make time for God and for myself. When things got stressful with soccer and/or school, I would put all of my trust in God because I had to have faith that He would help me persevere through my struggles. Coach always told us to be mindful and to be in the present moment and in order to do that, we had to understand that God only gives us the strength we need in the current moment.

    Even though we practiced early almost every morning, it was helpful to get practice out of the way early so that we had the rest of the day to focus on our school work. One of our cultural virtues we focused on as a team was excellence, both on the field and in the classroom. By having the majority of the day to focus on our schoolwork, we were able to become excellent in the classroom which was demonstrated by the team receiving the Women's Team GPA Award this season. In order to obtain this award, we had to manage our time with soccer and school in a way that would benefit us both academically and athletically. Although it wasn't always easy to balance both the academic and athletic parts of my life, I was always able to make time for both.

    Our team mission statement was and still is to grow closer together by growing closer to God and glorify God through our efforts. One thing we did in order obtain this goal was have a weekly team bible study where we would talk about how our faith plays into soccer. We also frequently attended mass together as a team which helped us grow closer together and grow closer to God. By attending team mass and weekly team bible study, I was able to use that time for God which helped me personally grow closer to Him.

    Being so far away from my friends and family from back home I had to make new friends and build new relationships. While moving to a new place and having to make new friends might not always be the easiest, being a part of the soccer team helped with the process. Going into preseason I didn't know anyone on the team but as the weeks went on I started to build friendships which continued to grow throughout the season and school year. I know the friendships I have made will continue to grow over the next three years while I also build new relationships with incoming players.

    Choosing to attend Ave Maria University for both academics and athletics has helped me grow as an individual, grow closer to God, and adapt to life as not only a college student but also as a college athlete.

 

Blog Post #7: Genevieve Riley
 

This Spring Break, I had the incredible opportunity to spend a week venturing into the backcountry of Utah with 7 fellow Ave Maria students (one of which was Bernadette, who also plays soccer) 1 token student from Tennessee, and 3 instructors that graduated from Wyoming Catholic College. The canoeing/camping/rock climbing trip was run by Catholic Outdoor Renewal Expeditions. Their mission? "To provide transformative wilderness experiences which renew the HEART (COR) of those who participate." Leading into this trip, I wanted to learn about trust: What does it mean to trust? What does it look like? Who do I trust? Wait…Do I have to trust people?! Am I failing to trust people that I should be trusting?! Am I trusting the wrong people?? I know I struggled with trusting; myself, my friends, my future. So, considering that the only things I knew about this trip were that I would 1) inevitably have to face my fear of heights 2) be camping for the first time in my life and 3) be led by 3 people I didn't know, my expectations to learn about trust seemed reasonable. By the end, I found answers to these questions on trust in light of 1) Beauty of God's creation and 2) Faith. 

One day during our lunch break on the bank of the Green River, I was sitting in the sun, just looking at the cliffs of Labyrinth Canyon around me, towering at hundreds of feet tall. Typically, I feel small standing next to people with average height, so this was on an entirely new scale. Still stunned by the massive rock walls, the "Wow…I'm so tiny…I guess this is what ants experience every day," thoughts turned into "this world is so big…and my life seems so small and insignificant in comparison to the size of this world and beauty." Then it became a slippery slope of anxieties and lies… "I have to make a difference on this world and it's a big world so I need to aim for something big. Wait… What are my post-graduation plans? I don't even know what I am doing to do with my summer…What should I do?" Etc. My mind was rapidly firing at 100 MPH, telling me to make ALL the decisions at once and if I didn't, to put it on the back burner and let the stress and anxiety just simmer on low, until gradually bubbling over another day. So, this is when I realized that beauty and faith are the means to shut the hypothetical stove off completely.

First, beauty. I picked up a short booklet, containing various excerpts from the Bible,
reflections, poems, books, etc. This is an excerpt I read from C.S. Lewis' The Weight of Glory: "Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses." Think about it, next to Jesus Himself, YOU are the holiest object on earth – holy as in revered, dignified, blessed, sacred, and set apart from all of creation. That concept hit me… Because what does it mean? Well, the quotation definitely didn't say "…the cliffs of Labyrinth Canyon in Utah are the holiest object presented to your senses" or "the dazzling reflections of the Northern Lights…" or "the great Redwood forests" or "the peaks of the Swiss Alps." No, not even the sum of all those natural wonders compares to our beauty; the beauty, dignity, and purpose of a single person. Hard to imagine, right? So, looking up from the booklet, when I saw the beauty all around me, I pondered this quotation. In this way, the beauty of nature put into perspective our own beauty and worth.  No, it isn't easy to rectify in my mind that of ALL the overwhelming sights and landscapes which elicit such wonder and awe, we are even more set apart and valued among creation. However, that's just the truth…and the only way to really accept this is to trust the truth – The truth that God made you with a plan and purpose. Everything God made, for that matter, has a plan and purpose. How then, could He not have an incredible plan and purpose for you, the crown of His creation?

Okay, so that turned the stove of stress down. Whether I know my life's plan or not, I trust that God has one for me, because has made me in His image, as a precious and irreplaceable member of His creation (like each individual human being). Of course, this is all easier said than done. Trust is built by relationship and action, rather than just words. Perhaps the greatest barrier to trust is feeling deceived or disappointed…which reminds me of the first night in the wilderness.

Picture this: a 12-passenger van jammed to full capacity with 9 eager students and 3 energetic instructors, with bags and supplies under seats, on laps; all of us just sitting there, like little vacuum-packed sardines, ready to escape the crowded van and hit the ground. Finally, we roll up to the campsite; a flat, round piece of dusty ground next to the Green River, in all of its glory. We filed out of the van, repeatedly reminding ourselves "Guys…we're in Utah right now!" For about 20 minutes, our group shuffled around, exploring the campground, admiring the countless stars above, and taking in the reality of being so far from civilization. Then, the adrenaline and anticipation were gone. 

To tell a long story short, the first night at camp was the greatest trial, between the cold air, a lack of headlamps for visibility, fatigue from an 8-hour van ride, and empty stomachs. We fumbled around in the dark with uncoordinated fingers, looked aimlessly for rocks to pound in the stakes, all while trying to remember the concept of feeling warm. In the back of my mind, I couldn't help thinking, "I didn't know this is what I signed up for." That everyone who had been on trip in years past said it was incredible and the instructors seemed so enthusiastic about a great week, I was lowkey in despair, feeling deceived. 

By 8:30p.m., it was dinner time; the hunger was so real, we literally could have eaten dry rice and been fine with it. But instead, we made macaroni with sausage and peppers. After a half-hour of preparation, everyone ate in perhaps less than 5 minutes, not because it was a 5-star meal, but to just have something warm in their bodies. Eventually, we hit the hay…but that's just an expression. Hay would have been nice. No, more accurately, we hit the ground in our sleeping bags, tossing and turning, trying to find the right position and accepting the possibility of having less toes by the morning. 
I promise this isn't just my opportunity to complain about being cold, or being in solidarity with 8 other students, or a success story of how I kept all 10 toes. The point is point #2 – faith. Faith is conviction and belief in things hoped for, which are not seen. I had hope that I would leave Utah with a better understanding of what it meant to trust. I believed that this would be a joyful week. Without a doubt, my hopes of growing in trust and finding joy were unseen, especially since that first night felt like an episode of Naked and Afraid: Utah Edition. Without faith in my instructors and group, I might have broken down and snuck into the van the first night to sleep (it totally crossed my mind). Which is why trusting those on your team is essential. 

Trusting that the instructors did not plan a strictly week long mental toughness training camp was not easy. We struggled to see the benefit of that first night, but later, the team realized that the first night, as well as every small and large difficulty, had meaning and purpose. Our faith and perseverance was certainly rewarded, because that initial night built a foundation of trust among the team. We all learned to push ourselves beyond our comfort zones to help the group, such as collectively pitching tents and helping prepare meals, despite being cold and fatigued. We learned that in the beauty of solidarity, that is, unity among individuals with common interests (or in our case, common discomfort) we became more capable of putting others before ourselves. We became more accepting of small tasks and sacrifices, such as doing dishes after meals or collecting firewood, because we understood firsthand the discomfort we were gratuitously saving others from experiencing. To the extent that we were all sacrificing our comfort in those tasks for the benefit of others, the greatest merit we received was learning to truly love each other. And isn't that the goal in life?

So, trust. "What does it mean to trust?" To believe in the reliability or truth of something, even without knowing all of the information. "What does it look like?" It looks like peace and patience and confidence. It does NOT, for that matter, look like anxiety or stress or fear. "Who do I trust?" Trust those who have your best interest at heart. Among the team, we knew that every person in the group was dedicated to helping each other before themselves. This trust that we were all working for each other toward a common goal pulled us through the times of discomfort. 

"Wait…do I have to trust people?!" Ideally, yes. Perhaps you don't know anyone who fits the criteria of who to truly trust. Maybe you know someone you think you trust, but may need to reconsider if he or she actually wants what is best for you before anything else. Reflecting on friendship in this light will illuminate those whom you can trust. And above all, do not be afraid to trust God. Trust that He has a plan for you, that His plan will bring you joy (even if you don't think it will), and that He loves you personally and uniquely. Why? Because He wants what is best for you more than anyone else; so much, that He died for it.

Finally,… "Am I failing to trust people that I should be trusting? Am I trusting the wrong people?" Well…Those are the questions only you can answer.
 

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Blog Post #6: Prayer to an Injured Athlete, Written by Hannah Lawrence

Dear Ed,
I know there have probably been a thousand different thoughts racing through your head since the time of your injury. Some of them may have sounded like this:
"Why me?"
"Again?"
"Are you flipping kidding me?!!"
 "I can't go through this one more time."
 "I'm done."
"God, seriously?"
"Why am I still doing this?"
"Is my sport worth it?"
"How can I move forward from this?"
"What's my next step?"
"Without my sport, what will I do?"
I could go on, but I think you get the point. You are so overwhelmed with what just happened. You weren't expecting this. You didn't want this. And frankly with everything else going on in your life right now you didn't need or deserve this, but for some reason God did. God is funny like that sometimes. Even though this isn't funny, He loves to intervene and put His foot out just when you're about to jump and take off. And then you trip. Why?
Because He knows you by name.
He knew before you were born that this one is going to be a fighter.
This one is MY strong and MY beloved child.
I'm going to put obstacles in her way, but she will gracefully and joyfully accept them.
I'm going to knock him/her down, but she will get back up and carry her crosses with tolerance.
I will push her, but he/she trusts.
I will test her, but he/she is patient.
I will take away her sight and control, but I will give her insight, awareness, and understanding.
I always seem to be taking things away from her, but I promise that I will always replace them with something much greater.
My love.
After each injury, I cut you a little deeper. I made each time harder and harder to come back. But I have my reasons.
I love you, and if you haven't fully realized this yet. Listen now.
Press into me.
Press into me more deeply.
Press into me more hastily.
Allow my love to consume you.
Recklessly love me as I love you.
Lay your hardships at my feet and I will carry them for you.
Give me your weakness and I will give you my strength.
You are not alone.
I know your pain.
I see, feel, hear, and understand your suffering.
Let me wipe away your tears and have fruitful clarity washed into your eyes to be made anew.
To be reopened.
Reset your gaze on me.
Allow me to show you what I have instore for you.
My beloved son/daughter.
Give me this time to move in your heart.
Don't rush.
My plans are in perfect timing.
I will let you know when to take the next step.
And when you do, I will be there right beside you to walk hand in hand.
Hold on tight, and don't let go.
Because I never will.
I love you.
                                                                                                Yours truly,
                                                                                                                                -J.C.

 

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Blog Post #5 by Head Coach Tyler Rosser

The high school soccer season for Montgomery Catholic Preparatory School began in mid-February 2017. 11 losses and six torn ACLs later, it was a Friday in late April and the week of our first round playoff game against

Carroll High School. The year previous the team had made it to the playoffs for the first time in three years. With the majority of our starters returning, I had high hopes for the season. When the season didn’t go as expected, especially in the win-loss column, I began to become frustrated with God. Why did God allow so many injuries? Why did God allow so many losses? I knew He was trying to teach me a lesson, teach us a lesson, but I kept thinking, “Wouldn’t just one win against a formidable opponent be ok?”

It had been an odd spring off of the field as well. My grandmother with whom I was very close passed away. I was turned down after applying for an administrative position at our elementary school that I thought I was sure to receive. I came down with the flu one week before the season began. All of these things led me to ask, “Lord, why do you want me to be at Montgomery Catholic? Why do you want me to coach? What do You want from me?”

I spent a little bit of extra time in prayer in the days leading up to our match against Carroll. I reread a fiction book called Lead for God’s Sake by Todd Gongwer about a high school basketball coach who, after losing more games than he thought his team would in a season, asked the same questions I was asking, but eventually found his “Why?” Finally, the morning of our playoff game, I read this passage from Saint Matthew’s Gospel, “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth…but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven…” It finally clicked. Like a student finally figuring out a math equation after many attempts-AHA!-I not only knew but experienced and felt the reason God wants me to coach: to help the student-athletes I coach get to heaven. Was I doing that before? Maybe, but I can honestly say that I focused more on more immediate goals such as winning than I did the ultimate end goal.

I remained in the chapel for a little while to plan a speech to give to the team that day about this new purpose. I was feeling great! Then, right when I walked out of the chapel, I looked to my right to see Ale Vazquez and Riley Aaron running down the hall towards me. Ale and Riley signed to play soccer at Ave Maria University, my alma mater, several days before. A little out of breath, one of them said, “Coach, Ave Maria is looking for a new soccer coach. You should apply!”

The team ended the season 8-12-1 and was the only losing team to be ranked in the state. We advanced in penalty kicks against Carroll and ended up losing to the eventual state runner-up, Faith Academy, 2-1, after a hard-fought match. When we walked off the field after that match, I was so proud of the girls because they had responded to this new found purpose-to play for God, to help one another get to heaven-perfectly. And, though the discernment was a bit rocky-selling our house, leaving a prestigious grad school program, etc.-my wife, Dene’, and I made the decision to move down to Ave Maria, Florida for this new adventure! It was quite the move with our three-year old James, and one-year old Johnny, in toe!  

As the months have gone by, I know the Lord had a plan all along. He was preparing my family and me for this amazing mission we have here in southwest Florida. It hasn’t been easy, but I can honestly say that my purpose for coaching is to work with the team to build a culture that helps each team member be on the path to heaven. We believe our vision, mission, and virtues, put us in a great position to be successful on the field, to build long-lasting virtuous friendships with one another, and to set the world on fire for Christ now and when the student-athletes graduate. If we do those three things, we will be on the path to heaven!

If you are interested in learning more about Ave Maria Women’s Soccer, please visit our website, http://www.avemariagyrenes.com/index.aspx?path=wsoc You can look specifically at our blog and our team culture page. We look for young ladies who are simply open to our culture and live it with a smile on their face, who can succeed academically at Ave Maria, and who will impact us positively on the field. If you are interested, come and see! 
 

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Blog Post #4 by Junior Midfielder, Sarah McBride, on her experience working with the Little Sisters of the Poor

How awesome would our lives be if we lived every day like it was our last? What would we do differently to make sure that our time on earth is time well spent? Would we treat those around us differently? Pray more? Forgive more? These are questions that we, as Christians, are called to carefully consider everyday. In fact, we are actually advised to meditate upon our own mortality in order to more fully appreciate God’s divinity.

Now it probably seems strange that a healthy 20-year-old girl would choose to write about the end of our time on earth; a topic that many people try to avoid thinking about until they either become old or an illness or tragedy reminds them of the brevity of life. So why did I choose to write about death? I guess because recently I have come to see death in a new light—as the sacred and beautiful means by which we attain new and everlasting life with Christ. This came about because for the past two summers I have been blessed with the opportunity to live and work in nursing homes. It all started when I was introduced to a group of religious sisters who visited Ave Maria. They belonged to the Little Sisters of the Poor, a group of incredible sisters who take care of the aged in both the US and all across the world. The whole purpose of their religious order is to “become little” (as in humble) so that they can love, accompany, and prepare the elderly poor in the last leg of their journey to eternal life. They do this by running homes for the elderly that offer apartments, assisted living, and full time nursing care.

One unique thing about the Little Sisters is that in addition to the traditional vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience that all religious profess, they take a fourth trademark vow of hospitality. My job these past couple summers was to aid in that hospitality aspect of their mission. Practically speaking, it meant helping the sisters and staff make the nursing home feel more like home and less like a nursing care facility. Literally my job was to have fun with the residents—how cool is that? By doing so many activities with the residents-going on field trips, baking, exercising, and gardening to name a few-I got to know the residents, their stories, and their likes and dislikes. For instance, one resident taught elementary school for many years and developed a love for literature over the years. She generously spent hours poring over the residents’ library in order to make her favorite books available to anyone who wished to read them. She greatly appreciated my height which allowed her to retrieve those hard to reach books on the top shelf. Another resident and I bonded over our shared love for iced coffee. However, rather than drinking it in the traditional way, this resident enjoyed a cup of steaming hot coffee along with a separate cup of ice. We may have taken different approaches to indulging in our favorite treat, but it brought us together and began a friendship. As I got to know preferences like these and those of the other residents, I learned little ways that I could love them better.

While I got to do lots of fun stuff with the more physically able and mentally alert residents, I also cherish the time that spent with the residents who were even closer to meeting Christ. I am naturally a shy and quiet person for the most part, but in order to love these residents, I had to step out of my comfort zone and do things that I don't even do around my closest friends. For example, one day during the morning activity, I was called to love the residents by singing along for music bingo. Knowing very well that I am tone deaf, you can imagine that this required A LOT of humility. It was difficult to intentionally make a fool out of myself, but it was worth it just to see the residents smile and laugh at me. Loving the residents meant dying to myself and offering up my discomfort along with the discomfort that the they felt. It helped us grow closer to one another.

One experience from this past summer that I will never forget is the night that I sat beside the sweetest, holiest priest I ever met during his last hours on earth. Every day he would concelebrate mass and spend not one, but two holy hours in the chapel with Jesus. Often times I would visit his room, and he would be praying the Divine Office or the rosary. I don’t know if you have been able to spend time with someone you love during his or her transition to one life to the next, but all I can say is that it is something special. It is a sacred time. As I prayed silently at his bedside along with some of the sisters the night he entered into eternal life, I was in awe of the sense of peace in the room. Being with Father at the end of his life reminded me about my own ultimate end. Seeing this priest, who served the Church faithfully for 65 years all the way until the very end of his life, instilled in me the desire to give my life to God too. His exemplar faith to prayer was a reminder of the importance of daily conversion to Christ. In this way, I realized that every day is an opportunity to love and sacrifice for one another.

Death seems scary. It sounds painful and tough. It’s not a comfortable experience, but it’s not supposed to be. I think that Pope Benedict XVI said it best: “The world offers you comfort, but you were not made for comfort, you were made for greatness.” We can strive for greatness by stepping out of our comfort zones and by preparing ourselves for that inevitable moment—making little sacrifices to help us grow in love—choosing to grow in humility now before we become old and suffering and sacrifice are no longer a choice. We must practice humility today so that the suffering of tomorrow is no longer an affliction, but a gift. It’s not easy, but it’s totally worth it.

 

 

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Blog Post #3 by Sophomore Forward, Emily Dalton, on her experience at the Student Leadership Summit (SLS), a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) event in Chicago, Illinois held January 2nd through January 6th.

Let me start out by saying, God is SO good. The last week of my winter break I was forced, (yes forced), to go on a FOCUS conference with 8,000 other collegiate students. FOCUS is an organization that teaches college students how to reach others on campus with authentic love and create authentic friendship. They show the students how to grow in relationship with Christ and then go out to different campuses around the country to evangelize others so that they may be able to do the exact same. My roommate, Hannah, and I would pass by the FOCUS table in the school cafeteria before almost every meal and say, “Oh, that would be nice to go to,” but had every excuse in the world why we couldn’t do it. Then, one day, our coach called both of us into his office and told us straight up that we had no choice, no excuse…you’re both going. For Hannah and me, this was a sign from God that He wanted to get to know us more at this particular conference. As the days leading up to the conference were getting fewer and fewer, I had less desire to go. The temperature was going to be in the negatives (and I had been in chilly PA the entire week before). I just wanted my sunny Florida. Little did I know how much the Lord was going to impact my life that upcoming week.

Do you have that one friend that you would do anything for? You just love them so much and thank God every day that he placed them in your life? For me, that friend is my roommate Hannah. She has taught me the true virtues of authentic friendship. This was one of our first topics at SLS…how to create and give of ourselves for the outcome of true authentic friendship. As we ventured through the day we learned more and more about what being a true friend and what authentic friendship truly meant. If one is not pursuing virtue, he or she is incapable of having a virtuous friendship. Virtue is the basis of authentic friendship. From this basis, you are able to accomplish so much, from authentic friendships to discipleship. You will be able to teach others about Christ from the depths of your heart and God will be able to work through you in ways that you never thought were possible. Discipleship is rooted in friendship. I remember a certain part of one of the talks by an author named Sarah Swafford. She was telling us about some advice a priest gave her in confession one time. He told her to put everything she had in a box-her mess ups, her desires, her hurt, her happiness, everything-and place it at the foot of Jesus. After you do that, just start running towards Him and don’t look back. When the time is right, look next to you and see who is running with you and then you’ll know that’s the person you want to run with. After doing that, she found true, authentic, genuine, friendships. These are the people that will truly help you fight the good fight. They won’t only cheer you on, but fight with you and help you win souls for Christ. If you allow yourself to give your all to God He will bring to you the holy desires of your heart including genuine friendships. You just have to trust.
           
Eucharistic Adoration has always been my favorite time of any type of Catholic conference. It’s just so powerful the way the Holy Spirit moves. Something was different about this prayer experience though. People weren’t kneeling because they had to or everyone else was. They were literally falling to the ground in awe because the God of the universe was being processed throughout the room. The worship music felt like it was lifting our prayers to the Lord. The priest walked around with the monstrance with Christ inside, allowing everyone in that 8,000-person crowd to get a glimpse of the Savior.  It was so beautiful. I’m positive many lives were changed that night.
           
I’ve been to many Catholic camps and conferences throughout the years, but I have to say this past FOCUS one tops them all. I can use the tools I learned there for life. It’s so important to be transparent and vulnerable so that others may see your heart and be able to love you for who you truly are. This is very difficult because honestly, what person wants to show other people her or her failures and struggles? But once you allow Christ to enter you and love you the way He wants to-which is a love no human can give-you will be able to reach many other people. This will allow you to show others the depth of Christ’s love and mercy. He is standing at the door of your heart waiting for you to let him in. Once you let him, beautiful things do happen. We’re all called to be saints…simple saints. Saints who are known for genuine love and kindness. Saints who walk hand-in-hand with Christ and join hands with others along the way. So, come be a saint with me and let’s set the world on fire for Christ! (SEEK 19 anyone??)
 

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Blog Post #2 by Junior Midfielder, Bernadette Hartney, on her experience from her week-long mission trip to Haiti beginning on January 2nd.

On New Years Day, I made my way down to Ave almost grudgingly because I was not ready for my Christmas break to be over so soon. Every year Ave Maria's Mother Teresa Program sends a group of students to serve with the Missionaries of Charity for about a week in Haiti. For us, this meant we'd spend the first two weeks of Christmas Break at home and the last week in Haiti. I knew this opportunity would be a great experience, but I had no idea what the Lord actually had in store for the eight of us.
 

We arrived to Haiti on Tuesday, January 2^nd in the afternoon. We were shown where we'd be staying and immediately went to mass in the Missionary of Charity chapel. The Missionaries of Charity are the order that St. Teresa of Kolkata founded. If you've ever been in one of these chapels, you know that you immediately feel at peace and can almost sense God's presence. Afterwards, we were given the breakdown of what our week would look like. The Missionaries of Charity have three houses in Haiti and we would be working in two of them. The first is the Children's Home. The Children's Home is where children who are extremely sick and malnourished are brought and the MC's nourish them back to health. They have multiple rooms that have twenty or so beds per room, filled with kids who are in desperate need of food, medicine, care, and above all, love. Their ages ranged from five months to 13 years. The second home we went to was called Carrefour, which is the Home of the Sick and Dying. This complex primarily housed adults, though some children were there as well. Most of the patients in both homes have either AIDS, HIV, or Tuberculosis. Other problems included skin diseases, parasites, and various problems as a result of extreme malnutrition. Our job in both places was essentially to go and love the patients however we could. For the guys in our group, this meant cutting all the fingernails and toenails of the men in Carrefour in addition to shaving their faces. For us girls, this meant we'd lotion women's legs and paint their nails. You would be shocked to see how much this impacted the patients. Women went from being dejected and alone at the end of the room to glowing from excitement in the course of minutes. The most challenging stumbling block we encountered was the language barrier. In Haiti they speak Creole, a version of French. None of us spoke Creole or French, so we were stuck with acting like mimes and rubbing our own hands on our legs in order to gesture to the women what we were going to do for them. I'm sure if you were an on the outside looking in watching us you would have been quite amused.
 

After the first day of lotioning probably over 100 people's legs, I was quite tired. However, soon after we went to the Children's house so it was time to play with some kids. Most people would normally grab the children who rush up to their legs begging to be held and loved. However, I decided I would take a slightly different approach and chose to hold one child who was so sick that he could hardly lift his head off his bed. He had a 103 degree fever and his eyes were swollen shut. As I held this baby, I thought of my own nephew who is about the same age, and my heart broke by thinking of the pain I could only imagine this child was feeling. It was hard feeling like there was nothing I could do to really help the child, so I just prayed that somehow showing the child he was loved through physical contact would be enough. Sometime around the middle of the week, one of the leaders of our group told us that touch is one of the most important sensations. There is something about skin to skin contact that makes someone feel that he or she is cared for, valued, and loved. I was able to witness this first-hand as I held these children who would just nestle in on my chest. The emotions I had during this interaction are pretty much inexpressible. I have no words, because there were no words. There was just a simple touch which held in it more meaning than I can convey.

Although there are some things which I can't express fully about this mission trip, I can say that it completely opened my eyes in a new way. Never have I seen such poverty and sickness in one place as I did this week. However, amidst this pain and suffering, there was undeniable joy. How? How could people have JOY when they are in such states? I'll tell you. It's because they have Jesus.

The Missionaries of Charity spread joy everywhere they go. It's absolutely amazing and sometimes seems miraculous. This was probably one of the most impacting realizations I had during the trip. I witnessed firsthand that greater than any poverty of the world is the poverty of the soul. Therefore, if you have what you need in your soul, it doesn't matter what the world throws at you because you can still keep your joy. But how do you get this joy? Well, during one of our bumpy car rides Mrs. Towey read to us a reflection about Joy by a Missionary of Charity Father. He talks about the pillars of the Missionaries of Charity's spirit: loving trust, total surrender, and cheerfulness. He goes on to say that "cheerfulness is simply applied joy; it's joy for others". These pillars all really struck a cord with me as I thought about my own life and how often I say that I trust God and His plans, but then my actions and anxiety about my future prove otherwise. He goes on to say "Joy is the fruit of surrender," "Joy springs from forgetfulness of self," and that "Joy will always be a measure of our generosity." Therefore, it makes perfect sense that the Missionaries of Charity are joyful because they live out their pillars and most definitely give generously! I realized that if I want joy in my life, I've got a lot to work on.

If it is the fruit of surrender, how does one get to the point of total surrender? Well you can't have total surrender without trust. But there's even another step before having trust because who automatically trusts others? Not many people do that. No, even before trust there must be an acceptance of love. For if you never truly believe in His radical love, and accept it despite your own imperfections, you won't be able to share that love with others because we can't give what we don't have. First you have to accept God's never-ending love for YOU individually, then you will begin to trust Him in all His goodness, and only once you believe these, will you be able to surrender your life, plans, goals, and aspirations to Him and live a life of joy! This is my goal, but it's a slow process. No one changes over night, and no matter how much I want that now, it's still a struggle that requires conscious effort and willpower every day. But I'm confident that if I keep these steps in the forefront of my mind each day, I can slowly, but surely turn more towards God and ultimate joy each and every day. So I challenge you to join me. Look for joy in your own life. Ask God where you have areas you need to work on and how you can live a more joy-filled life. I promise you, it will be well worth it.
 

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Blog Post #1 by Junior Center Back, Hannah Lawrence, about her experience at the Student Leadership Summit (SLS), a FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students) event in Chicago, Illinois held January 2nd through January 6th.

When you have a life changing experience I wish there was a way that you could replicate that same feeling for everyone else so that they too could know exactly what you had felt. You can try your best to share every detail in the hopes that it will allow them to receive the same reaction you did, but in reality they will only get a small glimpse into what you are actually trying to convey. The things that you experienced that brought light to your eyes may not be the same things that light up the eyes of others. This is how I feel about my trip to the Student Leadership Summit (SLS) in Chicago, Illinois.

First, let me give you the run down on what this conference is all about. SLS is a FOCUS, Fellowship of Catholic University Students, run conference that provides you the opportunity to accept Christ's invitation to join Him on His mission of discipleship. Well that sounds great and all, but what does that really mean? I'm glad you asked. This conference helps give you the tools and guidance necessary to truly transform yourself by going deeper in Christ's life and love so that you can than inspire and lead others to Him. The conference offers daily Mass, training sessions, talks by well-known speakers, adoration, confession, concerts, and informational booths about events, vocations, and schools/organizations to gain more insight into the possible opportunities for your future. The best part about it is that you get to be there with thousands of other college aged students who are all striving for the same thing. Heaven.
Wow. Doesn't that sound incredible? You can imagine that it was hard to leave and since I've returned back to campus after such a pivotal week in my life, I've struggled to truly portray what I witnessed without just saying, "It was awesome", "Life changing", or "My break was good". Just good? No. It was so much more than that. Instead of giving someone in passing a quick response about my experience from now on I'll say, "Let's grab lunch together", or "Let's talk about it when we have more time" because I want them to see my eyes. I want to bring light to their eyes in the same way that Christ brought light to mine.
 

Well, I might as well start with where it all began. How did I get there? I was forced. Allow me to elaborate. Do you ever look at events, clubs, or things and say I could see myself wanting to do that, but never actually following through with them? That for me was my relationship with SLS. I would pass by their table walking into the cafeteria everyday knowing that this was something I could see myself doing, but never making any effort to get more information about it. I only made excuses. Some of them sounded like this: "I don't want to give up a week of my break", "Chicago is too cold", "and I don't know anyone else who's going", etc. That all changed when my soccer coach sat me down and gave me the extra push that I needed to officially sign up by saying, "Hannah, you are going to the conference. No excuses." And after that I was on my way to The Windy City with no idea that just a few short days later I would be leaving a completely different person than when I first arrived.
Now when I was asked to write about my trip I had no idea where to start. I had so many things I wanted to say, but I was only given a 500 word limit. I'm at 611. I could approach this from any angle, but I'm going to share this one moment that struck straight to my heart and to me is the reason I love being Catholic.

This moment happened in Eucharistic Adoration. Adoration is such a blessing because we GET to have the opportunity to be present before our Lord. Imagine a giant convention center room filled with more than 8,000 college students, priests, consecrated, and lay people hitting their knees on this hard concrete floor to worship our God. Not only is there power in numbers, but there is just something so moving and so powerful to be surrounded by so many people with their hands raised to meet His and tears rolling down the sides of their cheeks. In that moment we all brought our messy lives to Him and He met us right where we were all at and said, "I'll take it from here". But wait it gets better. It wasn't just Adoration where he resides in the monstrance on the altar. No, the priest actually processed up and down each aisle with the monstrance so that everyone had the opportunity to get closer to Him!
 

I'll never forget looking over to my right to see my roommate, who's had not one, not two, but three ACL tears, kneeling on that unforgiving concrete. She has a hard enough time kneeling in Church using the risers and they have cushions! And when I looked in front of me I saw Luke, a student from Ave who had been using a wheelchair to get around due to a leg injury, who was also fully kneeling in despite of his pain. They didn't have to kneel. No one said you had to kneel and even if they did both of them had valid reasons as to why they couldn't. What a beautiful witness to see these two people so consumed in Christ's love that they overcame and offered their suffering up to Him. Neither of them will ever know how much their act of kneeling moved my heart. And to other's looking at them they may have never known their stories and how hard this "simple" act of kneeling was for them. And that's the beauty of it. To each them it was how they were showing their love to Christ, but through them Christ was showing His love to me.

He used these two people as examples to set my own heart of fire with His love. When he passed by my aisle in the monstrance I have never in my life felt what I had felt in that moment. It was a truly extraordinary and unforgettable feeling and glimpse into the love that He has and will always have for me and into His heart. I gave Him everything. All that I am. All that I have. And never have I been so free.

So yeah I can say my experience was life changing because my life will never be the same, but come talk to me or anyone else who went to this conference so that Christ, through us, can help change your life too.

#SEEK2019 #BETHEREORBESQUARE #IALREADYSIGNEDUP #JESUSLOVESYOU #LIT