As we prepare to turn the calendar and welcome 2026, we close the books on another year of competition and grace that saw some dramatic finishes, especially:

  • The World Series (where the Toronto Blue Jays reached the Fall Classic for the first time in 32 years, only to fall just short)
  • The NBA Finals (where Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Hamilton, Ont., led the Oklahoma City Thunder to a historic victory over the Indiana Pacers in a decisive Game 7)
  • The NHL Stanley Cup Final (where Edmonton Oilers captain Connor McDavid was again denied the championship).

We also saw an exciting Masters finish won by Catholic Rory McIlroy, and Catholic stars cemented their supremacy in all four tennis Grand Slams. Beyond the scores, there were many fine examples of faith, virtue, and sportsmanship. Let’s look at some of these in this year-in-review.

A new phenomenon in professional and college sports is the vast number of Catholic and other Christian athletes who are outwardly professing their faith. In post-game interviews and on social media, demonstrations of faith are becoming a regular occurrence.

The strength and courage of the Catholic faith is particularly encouraging among the stars who make up my Catholic “all-star” team, including Lionel Messi, Jannik Sinner, Carlos Alcaraz, Caitlin Clark, and Harrison Butker, as well as coaches John Harbaugh, Marcus Freeman, and Joe Mazzulla.

Courage and toughness are vital to success at the highest levels of sport, and acknowledging a strong faith has sometimes been viewed as a weakness. Today, courage is very much needed to speak of one’s personal faith, and these athletes and coaches must be commended.

Some might believe these professionals are speaking out because it is the “cool” thing to do, but I don’t believe this is the case; speaking up in 2025 can still result in significant criticism and the loss of fans. I look forward to hearing more of these faith-filled messages in 2026.

In 2025, we also witnessed the election of our new Pope, Leo XIV (who, as an aside, has twice visited my home parish of Sacred Heart in Ladner).

During his lifetime, Robert Prevost has been both a very good athlete—especially in tennis—and a devoted sports fan, specifically of the Chicago Cubs. He supported the Jubilee of Sport on June 14–15, 2025, asking pilgrims who belong to sports teams and associations to glorify God through their daily training. He also often uses sports analogies in his messages.

This year also saw the canonization of two young holy men with connections to sports: Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. St. Pier Giorgio was known as a prolific hiker, climber, and skier, while St. Carlo used video game sports to help evangelize.

Frassati sports camps, which include a formation aspect, are growing in popularity in the United States. I hope every diocese will consider this model moving forward, as sports have become a tremendous source of evangelization.

Sportsmanship was also very much alive in 2025.

In the NFL, there were numerous examples of players being injured on the field and opponents coming over to pray for them while trainers provided help. In serious cases, it is now not uncommon to see both teams take a knee together in prayer.

Similarly, in tennis, players frequently rushed across the court to help opponents in distress; Jannik Sinner did this at least twice. Australia’s Alex de Minaur was seen consoling a tearful player he had just beaten in a close match, and Carlos Alcaraz overruled umpires several times to give his opponents points.

I am also reminded of a high school championship game where a pitcher struck out his close friend to win the title. While his teammates rushed the field to celebrate, the pitcher pulled away to hug and comfort his friend in his sadness.

There were also many examples of persistence after setbacks, including the Blue Jays and McIlroy. Players showing fortitude by returning from or playing through injury has become commonplace. Teamwork and magnanimity remain necessities in athletic preparation.

While professional sports management still faces significant image problems—such as issues surrounding “wokeness” and gambling—the athletes themselves are often doing what they can to bring respectability, decency, and faith back to the game.

I wish all of you a blessed and healthy 2026.

Jannik Sinner, the No. 1 rated tennis player in the world, jokes with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican in May. Sinner’s sportsmanship was on display at Wimbledon on July 7 when his opponent Grigor Dimitrov was injured during play. Sinner crossed the court to check on him and remained with him as medical staff helped him from the court. (CNS photo/Vatican Media) 

Moments of sportsmanship that stood out in 2025

Several widely shared moments of on-field prayer during the 2025 NFL season followed a notable preseason incident.

On Aug. 8, 2025, during a preseason game between the Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons, Lions safety Morice Norris suffered a serious neck injury. As medical staff attended to him on the field, players from both teams gathered at midfield, holding hands in prayer. After Norris was taken off the field, head coaches from both teams agreed to suspend the game, a decision praised for placing concern for the injured player ahead of competition.

The 2025 tennis season offered several high-profile examples of sportsmanship at the elite level.

At Wimbledon on July 7, Jannik Sinner crossed the court to check on Grigor Dimitrov after Dimitrov suffered a pectoral injury and was forced to retire from their match. Sinner remained with his opponent as medical staff assisted him from the court, drawing a standing ovation from the crowd.

At the Washington Open on July 28, Alex de Minaur went to his opponent’s bench after winning a close final against Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, consoling him as he struggled to hold back tears rather than immediately celebrating his title.

At the French Open on June 1, Carlos Alcaraz conceded a point during a fourth-round match against Ben Shelton after acknowledging that he had committed a violation on a winning volley, voluntarily overturning a call in his own favour.

One of the most enduring examples of sportsmanship often recalled in 2025 actually took place several years earlier and resurfaced widely on social media.

In June 2018, Ty Koehn struck out his longtime friend Jack Kocon to win a Minnesota high school section championship. As teammates rushed the mound to celebrate, Koehn stepped away to embrace and comfort Kocon at home plate, later saying their friendship mattered more than the game’s outcome.

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