Catholic Sports Radio

Bruce Wawrzyniak

Helping listeners find the right balance and priority when it comes to their faith life versus their sports life, interviews are done with guests who are Catholics in sports - current or former athletes, coaches, officials, clergy, administrators, and more, from the pro, amateur, and scholastic ranks. Whether you're an athlete or a fan, youth or adult, Catholic or not, this show will deliver content that speaks to you and provides opportunities for ongoing reflection for your daily life.

  • 33 minutes 28 seconds
    CSR 303 Fabio Marino

    He started playing tennis when he was eight years old and started teaching the sport at age 19.  Two years into his college years he started a tennis academy that became one of the biggest such schools in his hometown.  In 1990 he started at an exclusive resort in California, teaching the sport there for what would be 32 years.  Along the way, one of the kids he taught there not only became a No. 1 player in college but went on to become a pro athlete in the sport.  On the faith side, he pursued a master’s degree in theology from Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, even though he wasn't baptized Catholic until age 27.  He emotionally shares his story of tragic loss in his family.

    18 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 44 minutes 20 seconds
    CSR 302 Deanne Miller

    She competed in hockey, figure skating, gymnastics, soccer, and dance team as a young girl and teenager, and in her adult years moved into sports pursuits such as tennis/pickleball, receiving Pilates and TRX certifications, and creating a physical certification program under the banner of SoulCore, a Catholic fitness apostolate that she is co-founder of, with a mission to amplify the experience of prayer through physical movement. On the faith side, she has a conversion story to the Catholic faith, which she talks about during this interview.

    11 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 47 minutes 14 seconds
    CSR 301 Deacon Michael Hill

    He ran track in high school, competed in intramural sports, later taught himself golf, and coached youth league basketball and baseball, winning a regular season and a post-season title. In 2011 he was ordained to the Diaconate in the first class in the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.  He has been a 4th degree member of the Knights of Columbus, and this year was awarded a Licentiate in Canon Law from St. Paul University in Ottawa, Ontario.  He is a Board member of Deacons Of Hope, a pro-life, non-profit ministry.

    4 November 2024, 8:00 am
  • 38 minutes 2 seconds
    CSR 300 Steven Thomas

    He spent years playing basketball, including grade school, high school, and college, and then went on to coach basketball for close to 15 years.  Along the way he also coached football, including jobs at two Catholic high schools.  Two years ago, he walked with a group of guys in the form of a cross across the United States, covering approximately 4,500 miles. He spent five years in the seminary, has written a novel called, "Catholic Joe: Superhero," and is working on another book to be called, "The Team," which he talks about during this interview.

    28 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 38 minutes 17 seconds
    CSR 299 Mark Bruener

    He is a College Scout with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was a first round draft pick in the 1995 NFL Draft and went on to play nine years with Pittsburgh and then five years with the Houston Texans.  In total he played in 188 regular season games and five in the playoffs.  He also served on the NFL Players Association Executive Committee.  Back in his days as a student-athlete he played college football for the Washington Huskies, earning All-American honors in 1993.  Five years ago, he was enshrined in the Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame.

    21 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 41 minutes 53 seconds
    CSR 298 Juan Cotto

    He has spent many years working in sports, from being the Head Football Coach at two different high schools in Washington state to having been an assistant football coach at a third. In addition, he developed a program with the Washington Officials Association and the Pacific Ten Conference in tribute to a high school football coach who passed away from cancer. His work in sports also extends to having been a part of two Major League Baseball front offices, the Atlanta Braves and then the Seattle Mariners. On the faith side, he was Director of Development at the largest Catholic elementary school in the Pacific Northwest.

    14 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 31 minutes 45 seconds
    CSR 297 Bob Katz

    He independently produces faith-based films. His most current film, "Average Joe," releases exclusively in theaters nationwide this Friday, October 11th, and is based on the true story of a high school football coach, Joe Kennedy, whose fight for religious freedom — the right to pray on the field following games — went all the way to the Supreme Court, where he won his case. This guest was also executive producer of the film "God's Not Dead." He played on his high school golf team and went on to be an avid racquetball player for most of his life. He also has a story of conversion to the Catholic faith, which he shares during this interview.

    7 October 2024, 7:00 am
  • 35 minutes 58 seconds
    CSR 296 Jessica Cox

    She is an author and motivational speaker who has been featured on TV shows like "Ellen" and "FOX and Friends," and on networks such as CNN, BBC News, and National Geographic. Despite being born without arms, she is a fourth-degree black belt in taekwondo. She has participated in numerous other sports – either competitively or recreationally – including cycling, scuba diving, surfing, golf, horseback riding, and Philippines martial arts arnis / escrima. In 2011 she received the Guinness World Record for being the first person certified to fly an airplane with only their feet. She not only met Pope Benedict XVI but gave him her Guinness World Record Medal.

    30 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • 38 minutes 47 seconds
    CSR 295 Dr Max Engel

    He has a long résumé in sports as an athlete, coach, and educator. After being a varsity soccer captain and varsity basketball captain in high school, he went on to compete in rowing at Boston College. Next, he became a boys basketball coach at St. Jude High School in Montgomery, Alabama, and then a girls basketball coach at Mercy High School in Omaha, Nebraska, and now for the last ten years he has been youth soccer and basketball coach at St. Pius X / St. Leo School. He is a life-long bicyclist and from 2007-2013 was a recreational triathlete. Two years ago, he co-authored a book called, "On the Eighth Day: A Catholic Theology of Sport," and teaches in the Theology department at Creighton University.

    23 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • 33 minutes 5 seconds
    CSR 294 Megan Harrington

    She played volleyball, tennis, and basketball in high school and then went on to be a decorated athlete in college, playing Division I basketball, including being co-captain, getting named to the Holiday Classic All-Tournament Team, and her team having four NCAA appearances. She is the producer of many films, including last year's "Native Ball: Legacy of a Trailblazer," about a Native American female basketball player, and the documentary, "Playing Like a Girl: The House That Rob Built," which will be available to PBS stations nationwide and the PBS Amazon Prime documentary channel starting November 1st.

    16 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • 41 minutes 44 seconds
    CSR 293 Kevin Reilly

    He was drafted by the NFL's Miami Dolphins and went on to play for both the Philadelphia Eagles and the New England Patriots after having played college football at Villanova University on a full athletic scholarship. He is a member of three halls of fame, went on to become a radio announcer for the Philadelphia Eagles, and has even run five half-marathons. Also an inspirational speaker, he has an amazing story of being a cancer survivor and amputee. He is currently writing a book about his Catholic journey, which follows a book he previously wrote, called, "Tackling Life: How Faith, Family, Friends, and Fortitude Kept an NFL Linebacker in the Game."

    9 September 2024, 7:00 am
  • More Episodes? Get the App
© MoonFM 2024. All rights reserved.