The Sports Committee

All kids need is a little help, a little hope and somebody who believes in them.

~ Magic Johnson

Mission

The mission of the parish Athletic Program is to provide a fun, instructive, and positive sporting environment where members of the Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony parish community can learn sportsmanship and the fundamentals of various sports, along with other life skills that are consistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church. The program aims to give as many parishioners and school students the opportunity to both learn and participate in a variety of sporting experiences, regardless of gender, race, ethnic background, national origin, or ability, and no one shall be excluded from participating on any team due to the inability to pay the required fees.

One of the main tenets of the Athletic Program is to support and reinforce the spiritual formation of each participant according to Roman Catholic faith principles. This entails being a member and a spiritual ambassador of the Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony community, and includes following and promoting faith-based responsibilities, such as attendance at weekly Mass, frequent participation in the sacraments, meaningful and consistent prayer, and respect for all forms of life.

An integral part of the athletic program involves age-appropriate competition. For beginners, the program's major emphasis is to expose participants to a sport's rules while developing skills during event participation. As participants become more skilled, increased emphasis will be paid to real game strategies and tactics, while still fostering skill development. For advanced participants, the player's effort and ability to execute the desired skills will increasingly determine playing time, although practice time will remain the same for all.

Affiliation and Colors

The Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony Athletic Program is affiliated with the Mercer County Catholic Youth Organization (CYO) of the Diocese of Trenton, and shall comply with their authority.

The team colors for the Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony Athletic Program are royal blue and white.

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Membership

The Sports Committee executive board consists of the Chairperson, Treasurer, Vice Chairperson, Recording Secretary and Communication Officer, with the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony parish. This is the sole governing body of the program, and is selected at the May General Meeting. The term of office is two years. Parishioners are eligible to hold any one office at one time.

Sports Committee members must be members in good standing of Our Lady of Sorrows - St. Anthony parish, or have children attending Our Lady of Sorrows school. Voting members are officers of the executive board, coaches, and a few members determined by the executive board.

Responsibilities of the Sports Committee

1. Develop and maintain a program that promotes a variety of age-appropriate sporting experiences for as many parish and school particpants as reasonably possible. These experiences should provide a fun, self-esteem-building environment where sports fundamentals, sportsmanship, and other life skills consistent with the teaching of the Catholic Church and beliefs of the parish community are taught and reinforced.
2. Perform the necessary oversight of all program-sponsored activities.
3. Make a concerted effort to attend and participate in all sports committee meetings.
4. Actively volunteer for various program activities.
5. Become knowledgeable of and follow all appropriate diocesan, parish, and committee rules, policies, guidelines and regulatations, to the best of your ability.
6. Maintain appropriate communications with other committee members, league constituencies, coaches, parents, and players.

The current Excecutive Board of the Sports Committee is: