FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Patrick McCaskey: 847-739-5361
Angela Tomlinson: cell: (847) 331-6994
atomlinson@sportsfaithinternational.com  

SPORTS FAITH INTERNATIONAL, in conjunction with CATHOLIC ATHLETES FOR CHRIST,  RELEVANT RADIO, and CATHOLIC KNIGHTS  announce 2010 Professional Inductees into Sports Faith Hall of Fame
 
Launches 2010 All Star Catholic High School and College competition for outstanding Athletes, Coaches, and Teams in conjunction with NCSA and AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY
 

LAKE FOREST, Il – December 4, 2009 – Three outstanding professional sports heroes, and the coach who holds the record for most victories in the history of college football , will be honored as the 2010 Inductees into the Sports Faith Hall of Fame on February 21st 2010 at 2:00 p.m. at Chicago Bears' Halas Hall by Sports Faith International, and its partners.  A “Meet and Greet” hosted by Ave Maria University will precede the event at 11:00 a.m. at a nearby location.

2010 Inductees are: Bill Bidwill, owner of the National Football League's Super Bowl XLIII Arizona Cardinals,  founder of Cardinals’ Charities, and trustee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame; Tom Monaghan, former owner of the Detroit Tigers, whose entrepreneurial accomplishments include founding Domino’s Pizza, The Thomas More Law Center, Legatus, and Ave Maria University; and Chicago Bear's fullback, Brian Piccolo of Brian’s Song fame (posthumously).  The “winningest coach” in college football, with 471 career victories, Coach John Gagliardi, of St. John’s College in Minnesota, will be inducted as the College Coach of the Year. Mr. Bidwill, Mr. Monaghan, and Coach Gagliardi will be present to accept the awards.  Joy Piccolo O’Connell will receive the award on behalf of her husband, Brian.  

Speaking to a standing room only audience at the Archdiocese of Chicago's Festival of Faith, Chicago Bears Patrick McCaskey, Chairman of Sports Faith International announced  the 2010 All-Star Catholic High School and College Competition for Athletes, Coaches, and Teams- The goal of the contest is to encourage and recognize outstanding Catholic High School  and College Athletes, Coaches, and Teams who are exemplary role models on and off the field. High School and College Winners will be inducted alongside the professional inductees at Chicago Bears Halas Hall on February 21st 2010.

2010 Awards will include Male and Female Athlete of the Year, Coach of the Year and Team of the Year.  The Fr. John Smyth Award will be presented to an Athlete, or Coach pursuing a religious vocation. 2009 Sports Faith Hall of Fame Inductee, Fr. Smyth, will be the celebrant of Holy Mass  and will  present the trophy to the 2010 winner. (The 2009 award winner was pro soccer star, Chase Hilgenbrinck, of the New England Revolution, who retired in 2008 to enroll in the seminary.)   Executives from Catholic Knights and Prayers for Life will present an award to an athlete, coach, or team active in the Pro-life movement. The ceremony will be broadcast on Relevant Radio, and audio/video services will be provided by Lighthouse Catholic Media   for distribution to Catholic parishes throughout the country and various websites.  Nomination and Application forms are available at www.sportsfaithinternational.com .

 In 2008, Sports Faith International created the The Sports Faith Hall of Fame to recognize and encourage outstanding professional athletes who are exemplary role models in Sport and in Faith.   2008 Inductees were legendary founder of the NFL George “Papa Bear” Halas; All-Pro, New York Giant Super Bowl XXI champion, Chris Godfrey, co-founder- president of Life Athletes,  and  EWTN’s Crossing the Goal host  Danny Abramowicz,  whose  NFL career  as an All-Pro player, coach and broadcaster includes induction  into the New Orleans Saints Hall of Fame, and serving as Assistant Coach for the Chicago Bears. In 2009 Sports Faith International inducted longtime owner of the New York Giants, Wellington Mara; NFL Hall of Fame and four- time All-Pro, Dave Casper, of the Super Bowl Champion Oakland Raiders, and Fr. John Smyth, pro basketball’s first round draft pick and MVP of the University of Notre Dame Championship Series, who chose to bypass his career in professional sports to pursue his vocation to religious life, with equally legendary results. An All Star Catholic High School competition for Catholic High School Athletes, Coaches and Teams was also introduced.  –

About Sports Faith International and its 2010 Partners:

Sports Faith International is a new media initiative dedicated to utilizing traditional and new media to showcase the connection between sports and faith. Programs for Catholic and mainstream media networks will feature some of the biggest names in the world of sports. Sports have been called a metaphor for life that can teach perseverance, discipline, loyalty, trust, dedication, and fair play. The shows will serve as a platform to discuss the many virtues and life lessons that can be learned from sports. It is part of BVM HELPING HANDS, a 501(c)3, tax-exempt organization. His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. Archbishop of Chicago, and President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, serves on the Board of Advisors in an Honorary Capacity.  

 Catholic Athletes for Christ, www.catholicathletesforchrist.com  (CAC), is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization working to promote a Catholic identity in athletics. CAC assists Catholic athletes in the practice of their faith and shares the Gospel in and through sports.  It works with athletes at all levels of sport in an effort to promote a Catholic sports culture. CAC was formed in response to Pope John Paul II's call to evangelize the world of sports and his establishment of the Vatican's Office of Sports.

Catholic Knights is a not-for-profit, fraternal membership organization focused on putting Catholic values in action. For 125 years, Catholic Knights has offered a wide range of financial services to Catholics, including 401K rollovers, IRA’s, life insurance and annuities. It also provides valuable membership benefits, social and charitable activities and support for parishes and schools. Each year, Catholic Knights members help to raise nearly $1 million in support of parishes, schools and communities. For more information contact Matthew Tomlinson at 847-548-6288 or matt.tomlinson@catholicknights.org.                    

 Relevant Radio bridges the gap between faith and everyday life featuring Catholic talk radio powered by you. It can be heard in markets including  Chicago, Minneapolis St. Paul, Milwaukee, and across the world at  www.relevantradio.com  .

Ave Maria University was founded in 1998 as Ave Maria College in Ypsilanti, Mich., to provide a liberal arts education in the Catholic tradition.  In 2002 the college relocated to a temporary campus in Naples, Fla., and added graduate level programs, as it became Ave Maria University.  In 2007 the university relocated to its permanent campus in beautiful Ave Maria, Fla.  Founded on the principles of the apostolic document Ex Corde Ecclesiae, Ave Maria University is dedicated to the advancement of human culture, the promotion of dialogue between faith and reason, the formation of men and women in the intellectual and moral virtues of the Catholic faith, and the development of professional and pre-professional programs in response to local and societal needs.  The university has attracted students from 49 states and more than 25 foreign countries.  Apply online at www.avemaria.edu.

NCSA (National Collegiate Scouting Association)  Since 2000, NCSA has quickly grown to be the leading collegiate recruiting source for more than 35,000 college coaches and over 100,000 student athletes across the country. With a rate of more than 90% of NCSA athletes succeeding to play collegiate athletics, NCSA is the leading educational resource for parents, athletes and coaches who are involved in the recruitment process. Through the educational resources on their website, www.ncsasports.org, and more than 1,000 presentations of the critically acclaimed seminar “College Recruiting Simplified,” the organization has helped over 1,000,000 athletes and parents learn about the process.

Prayers For Life National Apostolate is a nonprofit organization founded in 1998 with the goal of raising up incremental, sacrificial prayer for the pro-life movement.  The first outreach began with the development of a national Rosary Quilt of Prayer in which participants pledged, then prayed, 50 incremental rosaries, for Our Lady’s Pro-life intentions. Their names were then placed on the quilt.   Twenty State Rosary Quilts soon followed: many currently being displayed at  the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington DC. The Parish Pro-life Mass Line, requests each pastor to offer one or more Masses for Our Lady's pro-life intentions without a stipend.  Thousands of Masses have been offered and request letters continue to be sent to parishes across the United States. For more information  contact Mary Ann Harold at 781-391-1396.

Lighthouse Catholic Media, www.LighthouseCatholicMedia.com is a not-for-profit 501(c)3 corporation that promotes the Catholic Faith through inspirational presentations, available to both parishes and individuals.  The Apostolate seeks to help answer the call of Pope John Paul II for a New Evangelization.

For more information about Sports Faith International or the Sports Faith Hall of Fame, contact Angela Tomlinson, atomlinson@sportsfaithinternatonal.com or Call (847)331-6994.