Pirates Promote Faith, Youth Sports Abroad

By Olivia Mulvihill, PSN Correspondent

Seton Hall University's mission is to prepare students to be leaders in their profession and community while living in a global society. One way students can gain valuable experience is by participating in one of the many mission trips offered by the institution.

Sophomore Olivia Gregorio (Kingston, Pa.) of the women's cross country team and freshman Blake Espinal (Bronx, N.Y.), a member of the baseball team, decided to take advantage of Varsity Catholic Mission Camps over this past winter break. The camps are run through Seton Hall's Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), and are designed to bring faith together with sports to serve impoverished youth around the globe.

Garrett Bernardo and Chelsea Young from FOCUS and the campus ministry work closely with the student-athletes, and were paramount in organizing the Varsity Catholic mission trips for Gregorio and Espinal.

"We were getting ready to leave for a cross country meet in the fall when Garrett and Chelsea spoke to the team about the opportunity to run sports camps abroad as part of a mission trip over winter break," said Gregorio. "I was immediately sold."

Two months later, Gregorio and Young traveled to Trinidad to run a soccer camp. At the same time, Espinal and Bernardo were off to the Dominican Republic for volleyball and baseball camp. The youth camps are designed to provide the opportunity to learn athletic skills, have fun and exercise, all while incorporating the importance of faith.

For Espinal, the trip also offered him the chance to reconnect with his roots.

"I am from Dominican Republic, and I saw this as a good opportunity to give back to kids in need and use my god given talents for a good purpose."

Bernardo, a former college baseball player, helps student-athletes and youth camp participants understand that sports are more than just an activity.

"Sports have the ability to invoke all types of emotions," said Bernardo. "With factors like teamwork, training, adversity, winning and losing, you are bound to grow closer to the people you share those experiences with. On this mission trip it was clear to see that the emotions and actions shared with these young kids were much more powerful than any words exchanged," he said.

The children learning how to play baseball and volleyball did not speak English, but Espinal and Bernardo were able to communicate effectively through the common language of sports.
"We didn't speak the same language, but that was not a problem," said Bernardo. "We bonded and grew close through the nature of playing a game we loved together."

The connection between sports and faith played a large role in both students' decisions to attend the mission trips.

"Where my spirituality definitely came into play was always through sports," said Gregorio. "My motivation for elevated achievement is not fueled by performance-based rewards. I'm doing it for a bigger purpose."

"I would highly encourage all of the student-athletes to get involved with activities like Varsity Catholic, because everything I experienced on this trip was life changing," said Espinal. "It was incredible to see how some people live in other parts of the world, and to experience powerful prayer with them."

Although the student-athletes were on the trips to serve others, the experience helped the two gain a valuable perspective of the rest of the world.

"As an athlete, it's important that you recognize your God given gift and use it to bring others joy," said Bernardo. "I see student-athletes as having one of the most leveraged influences on a college campus. To be able to use this platform for the good of others is the ultimate act of selflessness and love, and will undoubtedly inspire those around to do the same."

Scoreboard

Seton Hall University Athletics

Players Mentioned

Blake Espinal

Olivia Gregorio

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