At the CYO Hall of Fame dinner, eighth grader Fiona McCaul from St. Gregory the Great, Bellerose, was awarded a $1,000 scholarship for winning the CYO’s essay contest.
She’s pictured above with CYO Director Rob Caldera, and she will be attending Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood, this fall.
She answered the question, “What values have you learned as a member of the Catholic Youth Organization that will influence you in the future?” Below is the full text of her essay:
Sports metaphors are used to talk about life. “The ball is in your court now.” “You hit a homerun in there.” “They’re in a league of their own.” We easily translate the ideas of winning and losing to different aspects of our life, but what do sports really teach us? I have been a member of the Catholic Youth Organization since I was five years old, wanting to play every sport such as soccer, swimming, volleyball, softball, basketball and cheerleading. Taking part in these activities has taught me many important lessons that have made me become the person I am today and will keep influencing my actions throughout my life.
One of the many important values I learned through CYO is teamwork. By definition, teamwork means a cooperative or coordinated effort on the part of a group of persons acting together as a team in the interests of a common cause. In a successful team, one person does not carry all of the responsibility. Everyone has a role to contribute, and together, all of us are stronger than we are alone. This is true for life. When I look at things that need to be accomplished, working in a group is more effective and more satisfying than working alone. In a family, in a community, in a parish, everyone contributes to the success of the group. No one person takes responsibility or credit for what can be accomplished.
Another one of the values I learned is sportsmanship. My coaches have always taught me to respect opposing teams, to play clean and fair games, and to take a knee out of respect and courtesy for injured players. Even though these examples apply to sports and games, you can practice sportsmanlike conduct in everyday life. When competing with someone for a job for example, earn the job fairly without trying to destroy someone else’s opportunities. Respect people for their ideas and their differences, even if they don’t agree with your own. We can all learn from each other. If someone is hurt or injured, show some compassion and help when you can. Small gestures can be very meaningful.
Another value I have acquired is determination and fortitude. Having made Confirmation this year, I have realized that fortitude, a gift of the Holy Spirit, is evident in all aspects of the Catholic Youth Organization. Fortitude is the strength of mind and determination towards a goal. In many games, you must be determined to win, or determined to come back if you are currently losing. I have learned you have to always work towards your goals and never give up. We play the game because we have a dream and a desire to win. In life, we have to show that fortitude to reach our dreams and fulfill our visions, even when things stand in our way. Sometimes we love. We lose the game, we lose the championship, we lose the job, but it doesn’t mean we can’t get up and try again.
Finally, CYO has taught me the importance of losing. That sounds like a strange statement, but the fact is, that learning how to lose is as important as learning how to win. In life, we are not always going to succeed at everything we attempt. There are days when we will not be the “the best,” and knowing not only how to handle that, but how to learn from it, are important life lessons. In CYO, my teams did not win every game. In fact, there were seasons where we won very little, but that never dissuaded us from coming back, practicing harder, enjoying the experience, and having fun. I remember one particular soccer game where our team lost, but we had so much fun playing the game, that when it was over, we were laughing and smiling so much the other team verified with the referee that we had in fact lost the game. Our joy at the competition, and our refusal to give in to the idea of losing confused them! We can always make a choice to find the good, even in a loss.
In conclusion, the Catholic Youth Organization has taught me many important values that will continue to influence my life in a positive way. The values of teamwork, sportsmanship, and fortitude are excellent qualities to possess, and I am very fortunate to have been educated by many coaches, referees, and umpires to develop these qualities. I am proud to have been a member of CYO, proud of the teams I have played on, and proud to bring the gifts and skills CYO has taught me to the next part of my life.
