Spirituality and Inclusivity in Sports Event to Feature Big East’s Val Ackerman   

Val Ackerman, Commissioner of the Big East Conference, will be a panelist at this event.

Ruth Tsuria, Ph.D. of Seton Hall’s Institute for Communication and Religion and Jane McManus at the Center for Sports Media are on a mission to explore issues of diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (DEAI) in sports. According to McManus, “When Val Ackerman and I met in Rome to take part in the Vatican’s Sport for All summit last September, we started a conversation about how to implement some of the spiritual lessons on our campus here at Seton Hall and at other Big East schools.”  

Tsuria, co-organizer of this event, added, “Sports is a big part of our life, but how do we engage in sports and make it more inclusive and supportive? I think religious traditions have a lot to contribute to our discussion and shaping the future of sports.”

This exploration began in February with “Equity, Influence, and the Next Generation in Sports with Billie Jean King and Ilana Kloss,” and continues March 29 with a panel on “Inclusivity in Sports: Building Bridges, Not Barriers.” This discussion will feature an exploration of the intersectionality between spirituality and sports, with a panel guided by McManus, executive director of the Center for Sports Media, featuring Commissioner of the Big East Conference Val Ackerman, along with Seton Hall’s Vice President for Mission and Ministry Father Colin Kay and Adjunct Professor of Catholic Studies Stephen Kass. 

Viewers are invited to tune in on Wednesday, March 29 from 12:30 - 1:45 p.m., and future audiences are encouraged to visit Seton Hall’s YouTube channel to view the recording. Register for the event here. 

Sports and spirituality are seldom linked in popular culture, outside of a few successful athletes who are open about their faiths. Kass teaches a course titled “Sports and Spirituality” which explores this link over the course of a semester. “The same cardinal virtues which guide Catholicism — prudence, temperance, fortitude and justice — also guide athletes,” explained Kass. “You can’t become a spiritual leader or an outstanding athlete without discipline and focus in these areas.” Kass explained that sports are life-affirming and offer the best of humanity, and thus should not be an exclusionary practice built on rivalry and a win/lose dichotomy.  

Further, Kass described how in the Catholic tradition, humans were created in both body and soul. There is a tendency in some religious organizations and individuals to prioritize the soul as the most important part to target for development, but this ignores the scriptural directive to treat the body as a temple (1 Cor., 6:19-20). As a parallel, many sports organizations elevate physical performance to the point of excluding non-elites. In fact, Kass asserts that the human person is a unified reality where both body and soul need to be formed and nurtured. This is why sports are on the radar for the Vatican and should be examined to advance Seton Hall University’s Catholic mission. “At its essence,” explained Kass, “If the human person is this confluence of body and soul, we should explore and nurture each of these components. The same virtues can guide us in both areas.”  

Jane McManus summarized, “One takeaway from [the Vatican] summit was the importance of play to all individuals and communities and tapping into that spirit as a way of celebrating our humanity and larger values. We look forward to talking about the connection between sports and spirituality.”

About the Institute for Communication and Religion  
Launched in Fall 2017, the Institute for Communication and Religion within the College of Communication and the Arts provides a nexus for ongoing scholarly exploration of communication topics critically important to religion and society. Guided by the spirit of ecumenical and interreligious cooperation, the Institute seeks to engage in public dialogue and debate, promote academic inquiry and support the religious dimension of creativity — all while upholding the values of servant leadership, curricular innovation and intellectual excellence. For more information about the Institute for Communication and Religion, click here.  

About Seton Hall's Center for Sports Media 
The Center for Sports Media within the College of Communication and the Arts redefines how students are trained in media, communications, sports business, engaging with the sports community, and producing groundbreaking content through University channels and partnerships with major media outlets. Established in Fall 2021, the Center for Sports Media provides an interdisciplinary foundation for academic training and theory with practical experience pertinent to excellence in the Sports Media discipline. 

Categories: Arts and Culture