Photo Courtesy of Catholic Metro Sports 

ATLANTA—A growing interparish ministry in the Archdiocese of Atlanta wants to serve even more families through the increasing popularity of sports such as flag football and cross country. 

Catholic Metro Sports operates recreational sports leagues for more than 5,900 youth athletes who find community and camaraderie on the fields and courts, said Rob Aldrich, the organization’s managing director. It manages and promotes hundreds of games annually at no cost to churches and schools while fostering Catholic values through good sportsmanship. 

The ministry started in 2019 to help parishes with tedious tasks once handled by volunteers such as ordering uniforms, creating game schedules and finding gyms and fields, said athletic director Trish Marmion. 

Catholic Metro Sports has helped smaller parishes get started with organized sports and now serves 14 parishes, three archdiocesan schools and four private schools. Interparish organized sports have been played in the archdiocese since the 1960s. 

“Sports leagues keep families involved in their parish,” Marmion said. “When players and parents go into church on a Sunday, they see other friends and parents from their games.” 

Interest in flag football has grown quicker than expected, Aldrich said. Games are played at Blessed Trinity High School, and the organization wants to add a second field for the sport to serve parishes inside the I-285 perimeter. Cross country and volleyball have also been popular, in addition to more conventional sports of basketball and soccer. 

Building community 

St. Peter Chanel Church in Roswell has 200 athletes in kindergarten through fifth grade playing flag football, said Rob Montepare, director of mission at the church. Flag football has reached community members that weren’t regularly attending Sunday Mass, he said. 

“What I love about offering sports to the community is it’s a way for people to get involved with the church who might never get involved,” Montepare said. “It’s like the front steps of the front porch of the church, bringing people together and evangelizing.” 

Coach Christine Shultz leads the St. Theresa girls’ volleyball team, part of Catholic Metro Sports, where faith and community are emphasized. Photo Courtesy of Catholic Metro Sports

St. Peter Chanel has focused on growing its sports ministry because it helps boost Mass attendance. Recently, a volleyball team attended Mass together then participated in a service project, he said. The church also offers basketball and soccer teams. 

As a parent of athletes who play on Catholic Metro Sports teams, Montepare said his family looks forward to league games because the emphasis is on faith, having fun and building community. 

Around 500 volunteer coaches receive training that teaches how to approach coaching as a ministry and incorporate faith throughout practice and games, Aldrich said. Coaches learn to lead prayer before games and ensure players receive even playing time. 

Our Lady of the Assumption parishioner Blake Smith was not Catholic when he volunteered to coach middle school basketball six years ago. He was looking to be more involved in his daughters’ school and meet requirements as an active parishioner. 

“The first season that I coached, I was reluctant but quickly fell in love with it,” Smith said. “It was a big stepping stone to me becoming Catholic.” 

Smith enjoys watching the team members build life skills and values such as fairness, sportsmanship, and teamwork. As a coach, he’s proud to teach young athletes that winning is not the only goal. 

Catholic Metro Sports is also committed to making recreational sports affordable to families, Aldrich said. The leagues offer an alternative to competitive club teams, he said.  

In January, the ministry hosted its annual charity basketball tournament and raised about $30,000 for childhood cancer research, Marmion said.