Future apostolic efforts to build the Catholic Church around the world will, in great part, have to come from younger men and women, and many of these future saints will come from the world of sports.
One of these courageous, faithful, young athletes is Keon Bernett, who is graduating from Holy Cross Regional Secondary in Surrey. Keon has proven to be equally versatile and devoted as a football player and Catholic. He has also accepted a football scholarship to Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, Wash., where he also wants to continue doing campus ministry (which he has been doing in Grades 11 and 12).
Keon was born in Atlanta, Georgia, and was adopted by Todd and Andrea Bernett (current principal of St. Joseph the Worker Elementary) who are legends at Vancouver College. Todd coached the very successful varsity football team for over two decades, while Andrea was not only a teacher at VC but also played a huge role in the football program. In fact, Andrea jumpstarted Keon’s budding football career by coaching his flag football team for three years. “She was a great coach and always pushed me to do my absolute best,” said Keon.
To say the whole Bernett family was hugely into football would be an understatement. “We lived and breathed football, with my sister Mya even playing flag football for two years,” Keon told The B.C. Catholic.
He said his father was a tremendous role model, on and off the field. “He has always worked to better the men beyond what is required. He has sacrificed his own well-being to make sure to make sure these men would be able to get where they are today.”
At Holy Cross, Keon excelled on both sides of the ball. Offensively he demonstrated his outstanding catching abilities as a tight end, while defensively he has used his quickness while playing defensive end.
His memories of the Catholic school are great. “They have been like a second family to me from the very beginning. After an overnight camp I was so happy to be there.”
Before his first competition, however, Keon was so nervous that his father had to help him soak in the experience and have fun. He had a great game, which resulted in some well-deserved recognition. The rest, as they say, is history.
He admires professional football players who have worked through tough times by their love of God and how they proudly profess their faith, among them, NFL pro-life Catholic quarterback Philip Rivers.
Canada has produced a number of players with faith, he said. Among them are Abbotsford’s Chase Claypool, who has played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Chicago Bears, Miami Dolphins, and Buffalo Bills.
Then there’s Vancouver-born Christian Covington, a defensive end who played in the NFL and recently signed with the BC Lions.
There are also Delta’s Philpot twins, Tyson and Jalen, who play for the Montreal Alouettes and Calgary Stampeders, respectively.
All of them “had trust in God’s plan for them and it has taken them a lot of places,” said Keon.
“I think sports is the most important tool for evangelization,” he said. “Kids love sports and they look up to athletes. With this example it will help the growth of faith and fortitude in youth. More athletes need to speak out about their faith, this is why God gave them this stage.”
Then he touchingly mentions that his biggest current mentor and hero (outside of his family) is Sister Hae-Jin Lim, a Salesian Sister at Holy Cross.
“She has been a very big part of my life ever since I got to Holy Cross,” he said. “I have been able to talk to her about any issue. I am forever thankful for her because I have no idea where I would be without her … I could be in a very different place now.”
Keon, who is a member of Star of the Sea Parish in Surrey, grew up in a Catholic household; he even remembers his Action Bible was one of his first books. He talks about his family involvement at church activities and how his parents helped him and his sister take ownership of their faith.
“I love the Catholic Church for its inviting community … everyone is invited to be part of God’s love.”
With the help and influence of Sister Lim, Keon joined campus ministry in Grade 11. Some of the projects he has been involved with include:
- Backpack run: making and handing out sandwiches to the less fortunate on the Downtown Eastside
- Funtastic Friday: volunteering for youth at Our Lady of Good Counsel Parish
- Expo Reverance4Life: helping coordinate the pro-life expo at Holy Cross
- Campus ministry usher: ushering during school Masses
- Catholic schools week assembly: serving as emcee
Keon hopes to continue working hard to grow his faith and encourage others at Pacific Lutheran even if his schedule will be extremely busy. “I want to bring everyone to a place where they can better know Jesus and understand our faith,” he said.
The real parallel between an individual’s faith and sports experience is something he is quick to point out. “I have seen ties between the challenges I face in my faith and in attempting to elevate my level of play. There is a spiritual trust that will help lead us to eternal life in God while there is a trust on the field that all the reps and the coaches will lead me where I want to go.”
The losses in real life are tougher than those in football, he notes, adding it’s important to pray and search hard to find answers. “I think I have been able to stay humble by looking at others who have had challenges like myself and how much more I need to keep myself locked in.”
Keon is grateful to his family, the Holy Cross school community, Sister Lim, and the Archdiocese of Vancouver for giving him a similar stage. “I will carry all the things that I have learned with me wherever I go for the rest of my life.”
When asked if he had one message for young people, Keon said: “Everyone has times where they have a rough day and they want to quit, be done with it. Just remember that Jesus could have dropped the cross and quit. The reason he didn’t is because he knew what was in each of our hearts and that, in saving us, you and I would use our hearts for good. Other people may laugh at you for falling along your path but like Jesus you must always get back up.”
