Breadbox Media

Catholic Answers Live - Vic Ferrari

He ran cross country track as a student-athlete, has coached flag football, and – now residing in Florida – continues to play competitive co-ed softball. He is a retired New York City Police Department detective who has written six books over the last six years, the latest of which just came out in the latter part of June and is titled, "Confessions of a Catholic High School Graduate." He also tells a fun story here about playing wiffleball in front of an eventual A-list celebrity.

Catholic Sports Radio - Jordan Langdon

She is a parent coach, motivational speaker, podcaster, and licensed counselor with Families of Character, which equips parents to lead their children with confidence and courage. As a student-athlete she played both basketball and volleyball, plus talks here about having even been on the men’s golf team, in addition to having ran track too. She also holds the all-important roles of being a wife and a mother (with children that play sports) and has thoughts about her experience at the gym and, “belonging to a team at home,” as she has discussed on *her* podcast and as is talked about during this episode.

Catholic Sports Radio - Matt Hoven

He is a professor and Kule Chair at St. Joseph's College, a Catholic college at the University of Alberta, in Edmonton, Canada. Three months ago marked the release of a book he co-authored, called, "On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport," and three years ago he was the lead editor of a book titled, "Sport and Christianity: Practices for the Twenty-First Century." He even has another book that he is working on, which is talked about in this interview. As part of his higher education, he studied at The Catholic University of America in Washington, DC. As a student-athlete he played high school basketball and in his adult years has done some coaching and has played recreational sports.

Catholic Sports Radio - Ed Hastings

He played college basketball at Villanova, including playing with the Wildcats for the national championship and being chosen by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Draft. He would go on to become an assistant coach for men's basketball at Villanova and nowadays is a professor in the Theology Religious Studies department there. At one point he was director of the Center for Sport, Spirituality, and Character Development at Neumann College, where he also served as the chaplain for the men's basketball team. He also spent 15-plus years as a priest.

Catholic Sports Radio - George Rose

He is the Executive Advisor of Pacific Rim Operations with the New York Yankees, which includes having served as a Japanese translator for the likes of Hideki Irabu, Masahiro Tanaka, and Hideki Matsui, among others. As a student-athlete he had competed in baseball, soccer, rugby, and track & field. He also serves as an advisor for Japan's Yomiuri Giants baseball team. He is a board member of "Catholic Men for Jesus Christ," a now 25-year old organization. He also has a radio show called, "Brothers in Arms," which airs monthly. And, he is a cancer survivor who by far is not only the first person to come on this show with a story about a miracle that would help confirm a saint, but probably the ONLY person who will be a guest and have that kind of witness to share -- the closest that any of us will come to hearing something like this firsthand.

 

 

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Catholic Sports Radio - Lance Mudd

From an early age, he wanted to be a cowboy. He loved working cattle with his dad and competing for ribbons and trophies in youth rodeos. In high school, he not only played football and other sports but won a national championship in the boy’s cutting horse contest. In college he competed in rodeo events for McNeese State University and, after college, as a steer wrestler at the professional level, and, he is still active in team roping today. Sports even carried over into his business, entertaining clients with hunting, golfing, fishing, and motorcycle trips.

Catholic Sports Radio - Joe McIlvaine

He spent parts of six decades in baseball, starting with the first of five seasons that he played as a pitcher in the Detroit Tigers organization. He went on to become a scout in the Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, and Milwaukee Brewers organizations, before becoming the scouting director for the New York Mets, who eventually promoted him to assistant general manager. He would then become the general manager of the San Diego Padres before returning to New York to take that same position with the Mets. He then went on to positions as special assistant to the general manager, first with the Minnesota Twins and then the Seattle Mariners, before joining the Baltimore Orioles in a senior advisory position.

Catholic Sports Radio - Sabby Piscitelli

He played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Cleveland Browns, and Kansas City Chiefs after having been a second-round pick in the 2007 NFL Draft by Tampa Bay. He had played his college football at Oregon State, playing in 50 games for the Beavers in his four years there. Back in his high school days he not only was the Boca Raton News Defensive Player of the Year and team MVP, but he also lettered four years in baseball as an outfielder. Following his NFL career, he went on to pro wrestling, first with WWE and then with AEW.

Catholic Sports Radio - Dan Venezia

He played three seasons in the Minnesota Twins organization and is a survivor of two near-death experiences. Back in his days as a student-athlete he led his high school to a city championship and received a college scholarship, going on to lead the nation in stolen bases in 1992 in NCAA Division II play. Later, during a seven-year span, his recreational coaching record was 85-5 with six championships along with three undefeated seasons. He is also a professional trainer and has not only published a children's book based around his being a coach, but also wrote a faith-based book on surviving Covid-19.

Catholic Sports Radio - Mario Lopez

He is a film actor, New York Times Best-Selling author, producer, host, and two-time Emmy winner. He currently hosts NBC’s “Access Hollywood” and “Access Daily” as well as a national radio show. Plus, he even has his own sports-related podcast that is talked about on this episode. He was recently inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, recognized as the 2022 Outstanding American, having wrestled for Chula Vista High School, finishing second in the San Diego section and seventh in the California Interscholastic Federation state tournament as a senior in one-class California in 1991. He also just held a golf classic for the Providence Saint Joseph Foundation. (Listen too as he also mentions boxing and jiu-jitsu.)

Catholic Sports Radio - Rudy Ruettiger

His story was told in a 1993 motion picture that USA Today ranked as the number one "Best Football Movie of All Time," centering on his time trying to get into Notre Dame and on their football team, and eventually into a game against Georgia Tech when he sacked the quarterback with less than 30 seconds to play in the game. He is a U.S. Navy Vietnam Veteran and has gone on to be a motivational keynote speaker, including having spoken at the White House under two presidents. He has co-authored several books and offered his message in his original production live on Broadway. He also is the co-founder of the Rudy Foundation.

Catholic Sports Radio - Victoria Everleigh

She is a highly accomplished figure skater, including being a U.S. Figure Skating Quadruple Gold Medalist. She has been both a national and international competitor in her sport, finishing Top 10 at the 2014 US National Solo Dance Championships, one year after having been US National Champion, Senior Theatre on Ice. She was also the 2013 Nation's Cup (World Championships) Silver Medalist, Senior Theatre on Ice and the 2012 US National Bronze Medalist, Senior Theatre on Ice. She has even performed at Central Park as well as in the US Synchronized Championship Opening Ceremonies. On the faith side she is a Catholic novelist with two books out and another coming in September. Plus, she has written for multiple Catholic publications, including America magazine, among others.

Catholic Sports Radio - Kent Lowe

The Senior Associate Sports Communications Director at Louisiana State University, serving as the primary media contact for the men's basketball team and assisting in the overall Sports Communications office in other sports as needed. He is about to celebrate 34 years as a member of the LSU Sports Communications staff and has also written an award-winning bowling column for The (Baton Rouge) Advocate for more than 25 years. In 2018 he was inducted into the Louisiana State Bowling Association Hall of Fame for his service to the sport. Prior to working at LSU, he had served as the publicity director for Louisiana Downs racetrack. He is also a past president of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.

Catholic Sports Radio - Tyler Rowley

He serves as the president of Servants of Christ, which defends life, family, and the Holy Faith through media and activism. He is a past leader in young adult ministry in the Diocese of Providence. His first book, “Because of Our Fathers,” was published last year. His second book, which he is co-authoring with Abby Johnson, is titled “Life to the Full” and will be published early next year. On the sports side, he played college football at Brown University.

 

 

Catholic Sports Radio - Zach Blaszak

He is the Director of Athletics and Activities at Central Catholic High School in Lawrence, Massachusetts. He has been supporting student-athletes as a member of the CCHS staff for ten years, and one year ago was promoted to his current role after having been Assistant Athletic Director and Athletic Trainer. In total he has had an 18-year career in secondary school athletics, working with hundreds of coaches and thousands of athletes. He did his undergrad in Athletic Training at Merrimack College and earned his Master’s in Health, Physical Education, and Recreation -- with a concentration in Athletic Training and Athletic Administration -- from Western Michigan University. As a student-athlete himself, he had played football in high school.

Catholic Answers Live - Paula Umana

She is a former professional tennis player who is now a speaker, an author, and the tennis coach at Holy Spirit Prep in Atlanta, Georgia, with an amazing story of a nervous system disorder that left her quadriplegic. She had been the Number 1 tennis player in her country of origin, Costa Rica, including having been Central American Champion for nine years and representing her country at the Central American Games. She has written a book called "40 Gifts of Hope: Encouragement in Times of Sickness and Suffering."

Catholic Sports Radio - Anna Wilgenbusch

She was the University of Dallas' first NCAA cross country two-time All-American. She holds the five thousand meter and ten thousand meter school records at the University of Dallas for track and field and the 5K and 6K school records for cross country. She was the only female NCAA Division III cross country All-American in the state of Texas in 2019 and 2021. She is headed to the University of St. Thomas in Minnesota to study for her master’s degree in Theology, and she writes and authors Catholic children's books.

Catholic Sports Radio - Tracy Guerrette

It’s amazing to hear what she ALMOST did, given that she is an elite marathon runner, having competed in the Boston Marathon, the U.S. Track and Field Marathon championships in California, and winning the 2017 Maine Marathon, which qualified her for the 2020 Olympic Marathon Trials. She currently coaches cross country and outdoor track at a Catholic high school in Maine. She was also the head women's basketball coach at an NCAA Division III school for four years. This all followed a career as a student-athlete that culminated with her having played college basketball for four years at the University of Maine, serving as a captain in both her junior and senior seasons after the team had made the NCAA tournament in her freshman and sophomore years. In high school she had been Female Athlete of the Year and earned MVP honors in three sports.

Catholic Sports Radio - Nicole Skoch

She has had an extensive career in volleyball. The sport has seen her in roles from head volleyball coach at Shawnee Mission East, a high school in Prairie Village, Kansas, to being a volunteer coach at the college level with the Kansas Jayhawks, and even coaching a club team, plus, having been a student-athlete at the University of Texas where she played for four years and was a member of the 2012 NCAA National Championship team. Prior to her time with the Longhorns, she played on the U.S. Girls’ Youth National Team that competed at the 2011 International Volleyball Federation Girls’ Youth World Championship. She led her high school to two Colorado 5A State Championships and was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year.

 

 

Catholic Sports Radio - Craig Stanmen

He is a veteran Major League Baseball pitcher. He has appeared in over 540 games and pitched close to 860 innings and is in his 13th season of MLB, with 2022 being his sixth season with San Diego, making him the second-longest tenured Padre. He spent seven years with the Washington Nationals, who had selected him in the 2005 MLB Amateur Draft out of the University of Dayton, where he made 60 pitching appearances after also having pitched for his high school baseball team as well.