Rachael Popcak Isaac developed the Success and Performance Coaching Program and is our guest on this episode. Rachael grew up as a competitive figure skater and dancer, so she knows the love of competition. She has also experienced the intense pressure, anxiety, and stress inherent in sports or any high-pressure endeavor and this is the part of competition she did not like. Early in Rachael’s career, she leaned on her faith and the love God had for her, and something shifted in her spirit and this new perspective changed her life. Rachael was able to enjoy and flourish in her God-given talents.

Rachael is the daughter of Dr. Greg Popcak, founder of CatholicCounselors.com and the Success and Performance Coaching Program is a division of her father’s company. Rachael is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) and uses her skills and experience to help people who are in highly competitive, high-performance, high-pressure, high expectation, and/or high stress professions. Her clientele ranges from high school to professional athletes, dancers, doctors, lawyers, executives, anyone who has a position with high responsibility and high expectations. Common among these are people who have unbalanced competitive professions where stress and anxiety are the norm and which, if left unchecked, can lead to unhappy, anxious, and stress-filled lives apart from their field of endeavor. That is where Rachael’s new program can help.

Like the other services offered on CatholicCounselor.com, the Success and Performance Coaching Program uses tele-services to help clients achieve their goals. Unlike sports psychologists or other secular counseling services, CatholicCounselors.com bases their services on St. John Paul II’s teaching on the Theology of the Body. Rachael explains the importance of integrating mind, body, and spirit in the life of a competitor. Disintegration in a competitor can lead to failure, stress, and frustration in their endeavor and can spread to other areas of a person’s life. Integration can lead to a sense of calm and confidence that can make success much more attainable and offers a more fulfilling life outside a person’s field of endeavor. Rachael explains what to expect in counseling and the benefit of incorporating faith in the process. An added gem, Rachael explains her favorite definition of “confidence” and why it’s important in the life of a competitor (or anybody). Rachael also talks about how most competitors experience unique pressures, expectations, experiences, and their language might be a little different than people with other counseling needs and that’s the niche the Success and Performance Coaching Program aims to fill.

For everyone who enjoys participating in sports, or those who enjoy watching sports, Rachael suggests fostering and maintaining healthy relationships around sports is most important. Rachael ends with a heartfelt story where she experienced a time when fierce competition got in the way of enjoying her God-given gifts and those of others. It’s summed up in her adopted motto “I have nothing to prove and everything to share” and where it should lead us all… toward true confidence in relationships with others. It’s a motto that works everywhere, on or off the field.

Links:

Success and Performance Coaching - Catholic Counselors

Home - Catholic Counselors

https://catholiccounselors.com/playing-for-glory-how-theology-of-the-body-transforms-the-way-athletes-compete/

#catholicsports, #coachingforsuccess, #successandperformancecoaching, #godandathletes, #sportstheologyofthebody

Raquel Rose is the founder of the Little Rose Shop and is our guest on this episode. In addition to running her own business, Raquel is a wife and the mother of one girl and three boys. Growing up, she liked all sports, especially basketball. She tried to make the basketball team in college, even as a walk-on, but didn’t make it. Raquel and her friend tried out for the rugby team and made it. She recalls her experiences as a rugby player. Even though she didn’t make the basketball team, Raquel’s experience with getting on the rugby team taught her that your plan is not always God’s plan. She learned that God provides other opportunities.

At age 21, Raquel found out that she was pregnant and shares the feelings she had at that time in her life. It was at Mass, during the consecration of the Eucharist, that Raquel thought she was a failure but felt the deep love Jesus had for her. She explains what she experienced at this life-changing time in her life. Raquel also found acceptance from her parents and the few friends she confided in. Her experience at Mass and with the Eucharist caused a powerful “reconversion” in her faith journey and her life would be forever changed. As a single mother, Raquel began coaching and observed that while the drive to win and achieve success is common in sports, she found and emphasized that sports also provide opportunities for personal development.

Raquel started to make items to help remind her to pray often. She also made things to keep her little daughter busy and quiet during Mass. This led to her founding the Little Rose Shop. Raquel eventually got married and had more children. She launched herself into being a faithful wife, full-time mother and successful business owner. Raquel explains the mission of her business and what the Little Rose Shop offers. She holds a master’s degree in School Counseling and applies her knowledge and faith to the development of the products at the Little Rose Shop. Raquel talks about the how the “Ignatius Examen” was corroborated by her counseling studies as a great way to reduce anxiety and depression in life. Raquel also talks about how St. Thérèse of Lisieux is important to her.

Although the Little Rose Shop is predominantly geared toward moms, Raquel discusses how the website offers a few things for men. She also suggests that men can find gifts to help uplift the woman in their lives. Raquel talks about how sports can help children learn healthy virtues and relationships, sporting events can also bring families together. Raquel ends by encouraging listeners to say “yes” to God all the time, even when it's difficult. Her initial “yes” to God has brought much fruition into her life: a great marriage, family, and a thriving business.

Raquel’s life is a great example of Romans 8:28: We know that all things work for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.

Links:

Little Rose Shop: Catholic Christian gift and book shop for moms, kids, and baby

The Eucharist | USCCB

The Daily Examen - IgnatianSpirituality.com

St. Thérèse of Lisieux: The Little Flower Who Showed Us the Way of Love – Catholic Online News

#catholicsports, #littleroseshop, #trustingod, #godneverfails

NOVUS 1:12 Project - Dominican Republic - Baseball & Volleyball in Banica, Dominican Republic

Our guest on this episode is Joey Pontarelli who is the founder and president of Restored, a ministry that helps teens and young adults who come from divorced or dysfunctional families heal and build virtue so they can avoid repeating that cycle and build a better life. Joey holds a bachelor’s degree in finance from Franciscan University of Steubenville and an MBA from Benedictine College. Joey recalls growing up in a large Italian family with five boys and one girl. His early life was permeated with sports, whether he was goofing around with his siblings or playing an organized sport. He played club volleyball in college.

Around age 11, Joey’s life drastically changed when his parents separated and eventually divorced. He recounts the feelings, problems, and struggles he encountered during this time in his life.

Joey explains what changed in his life and how his return to God and the Church helped him. Joey felt there was a lack of resources for him when his parents divorced. After much prayer and spiritual direction, he felt called to start Restored. Joey is passionate about helping teens and young adults with resources which he highlights on the Restored website. The most popular resource on the Restored website is the podcast.

Other popular resources are a book entitled “It’s Not Your Fault” and a guide “7 Tips on Building a Thriving and Divorce-Proof Marriage”. These are only a few of many resources on the Restored website. Joey also talks about how sports is a great tool to help the healing process while building virtues necessary for healthy relationships.

Joey ends the podcast with practical advice for people who are, or were, in broken families and for people who are in intact families who want to help a friend who might be going through a difficult time in their family. If you find yourself anywhere on this continuum (that’s practically everybody), this podcast and Restored just might be for you.

Link: Restored - About — Restored

Resources discussed by Joey:

Jason Evert – author/speaker: Purified; Books by Jason Evert (Author of Saint John Paul the Great); Jason Evert - Wikipedia

Retreat: Lifegiving Wounds (Catholic), focus on adults whose parents were divorced: Life-Giving Wounds

Dr. Greg Bottaro – Catholic Psych Institute: Faith-Aligned Online Therapy at CatholicPsych Institute

Bob Schutts, PhD. – John Paul II Healing Center – Transformation in the Heart of the Church; Catholic Sportsman Show: https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-h779y-16b68c3

Sr. Miriam: Sr. Miriam James Heidland, SOLT - The GIVEN Institute

Fr. John Burns: Fr. John Burns - The GIVEN Institute

Leila Miller- author: Primal Loss: The Now-Adult Children of Divorce Speak - https://a.co/d/4jRcz3C

Leila Miller: Impossible - Marriages Redeemed, They Didn’t End the Story in the Middle - https://a.co/d/fCXLIfu

Fr. Mike Schmitz: Why Does God Let Bad Things Happen - https://youtu.be/0NOTU1g0Z8w

Greg and Julie Alexander: authors - Marriage 911: How God Saved Our Marriage and Can Save Yours Too - https://a.co/d/clwhJxH

Alexander House: Hope & Healing for Marriage

#catholicsports, #childrenofdivorcedfamilies, #childrenhealingfromdivorce, #dontletdivorcewin

Josh Brooks is a seminarian in the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia and is our guest on this episode. Throughout his life, Josh has had a huge passion for basketball. He tried out for his high school team but didn’t make it, God had other plans for Josh. He was raised in the Baptist faith, and his parents sent him to Catholic school. While in a relationship with his girlfriend, Josh felt a call to the priesthood. He explains that being a priest is being set apart, and he feels called to that life.

Josh became Catholic and is now going into his fourth year of the seminary’s college program, then he will have four more years of theological studies prior to being ordained a priest. Along the way, Josh will continually be discerning his vocation… is God really calling him to the priesthood? Josh is blessed to have the support of his parents. Josh talks about what he likes most about being in the seminary and what he likes least. He explains the difference between the Ordinary Form of the Mass and the Extraordinary Form.

Josh hopes to use sports, especially basketball, as a tool in his ministry if God wills that he be ordained a priest. Josh ends the podcast with wonderful encouragement for both young men and women as they discern their vocations… married, priesthood, religious life, or a single consecrated life. As you listen to Josh humbly present his story, please offer a prayer for his vocation and all vocations, that we will all follow our Lord wherever He leads. Pray also that we follow the admonition of Jesus’s mother Mary to “do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).

Scott Carter is our guest on this episode. He is the coordinator of the office for the Beatification of Venerable Fr. Emil Kapaun. Fr. Kapaun is one of the newest deceased persons to be declared Venerable by the late Pope Francis in February 2025, which is a step closer to being declared a saint in the Catholic Church. Fr. Kapaun is best known for his faith-filled and heroic participation in the Korean war. Scott tells us about the young Emil’s penchant for being an outdoorsman at a young age and his love for sports while he was in the seminary. Fr. Kapaun was ordained on June 9, 1949, and was assigned to a parish in Kansas.

Fr. Kapaun’s real calling was to minister to and serve soldiers in the war. He served as a chaplain in World War II and returned to the States when the war ended. In 1949 the Army put out a letter requesting chaplains for the Korean War and Fr. Kapaun told his bishop that he wanted to go. Scott says that Fr. Kapaun had a missionary spirit. There is an iconic picture of Fr. Kapaun celebrating Mass on the hood of a jeep. While in the Korean War, Fr. Kapaun was awarded the Bronze Star for Valor and the Medal of Honor for saving a soldier about to be shot. Eventually Fr. Kapaun was captured and sent to a prison camp.

While in the prison camp, Fr. Kapaun did everything he could to help his fellow prisoners maintain their dignity while encouraging those that wanted to give up. While his captors took Fr. Kapaun to his death, he asked forgiveness for any wrong he might have done to any one of them. Throughout his life and at the hour of his death, Fr. Kapaun put his faith into action. Miraculously, Fr. Kapaun’s remains were found many years after his death in Korea and were returned to Kansas where he is buried at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Wichita. Scott ends the podcast by recalling a reflection given by Fr. Kapaun on the radio in Tokyo in April of 1950 on the Beatitude found in Matthew 5:9 “Blessed are the peacemakers…”

Scott asks anyone who is praying for the intercession of Fr. Kapaun to contact him at the website listed below.

For more information about Fr. Kapaun and/or to contact Scott: Venerable Emil J. Kapaun | Official Home Page

For information about the process of sainthood in the Catholic Church: Saints | USCCB

#catholicsports, #frkaupaun, #frkapaunkoreanwar