Today, the Vatican Press Centre published the text of a message which was sent by the Holy Father, Pope Francis to the President of the Pontifical Council, His Eminence, Stanisław Cardinal Ryłko on the occasion of the International Study Seminar which is focusing on the theme: Coaches - people's educators. This seminar is organized by the Church and Sports section of the Pontifical Council for the Laity and is taking place in Rome in the auditorium at the Villa Aurelia from May 14 to 15, 2015.
To the Venerable Brother
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko
President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
I extend my cordial greetings to Your Eminence and to all the participants in the International Study Seminar on the topic Coaches: Educators of Persons, organized by the Church and Sport Office of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Continuing on your path of reflection and promotion of human and Christian values in sports activity, in this fourth Seminar you have opportunely taken into consideration the figure of the coach, putting the accent on his role of educator, be it in the professional or amateur environment.
All of us, in life, are in need of educators, mature, wise and balanced persons that help us grow in the family, in study, in work, in the faith. Educators that encourage us to take the first steps in a new activity without being afraid of the obstacles and the challenges to be faced, that spur us to surmount difficult moments, that exhort us to have confidence in ourselves and in our companions, that are at our side be it in moments of disappointment and loss or in those of joy and success. The sports coach, especially in Catholic environments of amateur sport, can become for many young people one of these good educators, so important for the development of a mature, harmonic and complete personality.
The presence of a good coach-educator is revealed providentially especially in the years of adolescence and early youth, when the personality is in full development and in search of models of reference and identification; when the need for appreciation and esteem on the part not only of contemporaries but also of adults is keenly perceived; when the danger is more real of being lost behind bad examples and in the search for false happiness. In this delicate phase of life, the responsibility of a coach is great, who often has the privilege of spending many hours a week with young people and of having great influence on them by his conduct and personality. The influence of an educator, especially for young people, depends more on what he is as a person and the way he lives than what he says. Therefore, how important it is that a coach be an example of integrity, of coherence, of good judgment, of impartiality, but also of joy of living, of patience, of capacity to esteem and of benevolence to all, especially the most disadvantaged! And how important it is that he be an example of faith! Faith, in fact, always helps us to raise our gaze to God, not to absolutize one of our activities, including sport, be it amateur or competitive and thus have the right detachment and wisdom to relativize the successes or the failures. Our faith gives us a look of kindness on others that makes us overcome the temptation to over inflamed rivalry and aggressiveness; it makes us understand the dignity of the person, also of the one less gifted and disadvantaged. In this connection, the coach can give a very precious contribution to create a climate of solidarity and inclusion in dealing with marginalized young people at risk of drifting socially, succeeding in finding appropriate ways and means to bring them also close to sports practice and to experiences of socialization. If he has human and spiritual balance, he will be able to persevere in the genuine values of sport and its fundamental nature of play and of socializing activity, impeding its perversion under the pressure of so many interests, especially economic interests, increasingly invasive today.
Therefore, the coach can be a valid formator of young people, besides parents, teachers, priests and catechists. However, every good formator must receive a solid formation. It is necessary to form the formators. Therefore, it is opportune that your Seminar should appeal to all the organizations that operate in the field of sport, the international and national federations, the lay and ecclesial sports associations to give due attention and to invest the necessary resources for the professional, human and spiritual formation of coaches. How good it would be if in all sports, and at all levels, from the great international competitions to the tournaments of parish oratories, young people found in their coaches authentic witnesses of life and of lived faith!
I pray to the Lord, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that your work during these days may be rich in fruits for the pastoral efforts of sport, and that Christian holiness will continue to be promoted also in this environment, in which so many young lives can be reached and transformed by joyful witnesses of the Gospel. I ask you, please, to pray for me and I bless you affectionately.
From the Vatican
May 14, 2015
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Francis
Message of the Holy Father, Pope Francis
to His Eminence, Stanislaw Rylko
and participants at the International Study Seminar
To the Venerable Brother
Cardinal Stanislaw Rylko
President of the Pontifical Council for the Laity
I extend my cordial greetings to Your Eminence and to all the participants in the International Study Seminar on the topic Coaches: Educators of Persons, organized by the Church and Sport Office of the Pontifical Council for the Laity. Continuing on your path of reflection and promotion of human and Christian values in sports activity, in this fourth Seminar you have opportunely taken into consideration the figure of the coach, putting the accent on his role of educator, be it in the professional or amateur environment.
All of us, in life, are in need of educators, mature, wise and balanced persons that help us grow in the family, in study, in work, in the faith. Educators that encourage us to take the first steps in a new activity without being afraid of the obstacles and the challenges to be faced, that spur us to surmount difficult moments, that exhort us to have confidence in ourselves and in our companions, that are at our side be it in moments of disappointment and loss or in those of joy and success. The sports coach, especially in Catholic environments of amateur sport, can become for many young people one of these good educators, so important for the development of a mature, harmonic and complete personality.
The presence of a good coach-educator is revealed providentially especially in the years of adolescence and early youth, when the personality is in full development and in search of models of reference and identification; when the need for appreciation and esteem on the part not only of contemporaries but also of adults is keenly perceived; when the danger is more real of being lost behind bad examples and in the search for false happiness. In this delicate phase of life, the responsibility of a coach is great, who often has the privilege of spending many hours a week with young people and of having great influence on them by his conduct and personality. The influence of an educator, especially for young people, depends more on what he is as a person and the way he lives than what he says. Therefore, how important it is that a coach be an example of integrity, of coherence, of good judgment, of impartiality, but also of joy of living, of patience, of capacity to esteem and of benevolence to all, especially the most disadvantaged! And how important it is that he be an example of faith! Faith, in fact, always helps us to raise our gaze to God, not to absolutize one of our activities, including sport, be it amateur or competitive and thus have the right detachment and wisdom to relativize the successes or the failures. Our faith gives us a look of kindness on others that makes us overcome the temptation to over inflamed rivalry and aggressiveness; it makes us understand the dignity of the person, also of the one less gifted and disadvantaged. In this connection, the coach can give a very precious contribution to create a climate of solidarity and inclusion in dealing with marginalized young people at risk of drifting socially, succeeding in finding appropriate ways and means to bring them also close to sports practice and to experiences of socialization. If he has human and spiritual balance, he will be able to persevere in the genuine values of sport and its fundamental nature of play and of socializing activity, impeding its perversion under the pressure of so many interests, especially economic interests, increasingly invasive today.
Therefore, the coach can be a valid formator of young people, besides parents, teachers, priests and catechists. However, every good formator must receive a solid formation. It is necessary to form the formators. Therefore, it is opportune that your Seminar should appeal to all the organizations that operate in the field of sport, the international and national federations, the lay and ecclesial sports associations to give due attention and to invest the necessary resources for the professional, human and spiritual formation of coaches. How good it would be if in all sports, and at all levels, from the great international competitions to the tournaments of parish oratories, young people found in their coaches authentic witnesses of life and of lived faith!
I pray to the Lord, through the intercession of the Holy Virgin, that your work during these days may be rich in fruits for the pastoral efforts of sport, and that Christian holiness will continue to be promoted also in this environment, in which so many young lives can be reached and transformed by joyful witnesses of the Gospel. I ask you, please, to pray for me and I bless you affectionately.
From the Vatican
May 14, 2015
Feast of Saint Matthias, Apostle
Francis
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