Catholic schools have long embraced a spirit of wholesome competition in athletics, but sometimes opponents join together for a good cause.

Elder High School’s football team hosted Philadelphia- based Saints Neumann Goretti High School for a week- two contest at The Pit this season. While the Panthers came out on top 35-14, the next day, 60 or so players and coaches from Neumann Goretti joined Elder’s team captains for a day of service at Bayley, a Catholic retirement community on Cincinnati’s West Side.

Student and coach volunteers cleaned dirt and mold off mailboxes and picked up trash around Bayley grounds for two hours. The visiting team gave impetus for the project.

“Any time we travel out of state, we also do a community service project,” said Byron Barnes, assistant head coach and director of football operations for Neumann Goretti. “Our student athletes and coaches were excited about the chance to give back. This is something we hold dear to our hearts. I know, personally, that all the volunteers enjoyed the opportunity, and more importantly, the chance to speak with many of the residents who came out to greet us. It definitely was an amazing experience.”

Kevin Espelage, Elder’s athletic director, noted that while Elder students perform many service hours each year, teaming up with an opponent was unique.

“[We’ll do] anything to let the kids see that they can be a part of something bigger than themselves,” he said. “We do a lot as a high school, and to do projects like this as a team is a good way to build a lot of things and serve the community.”

Elder Community Service Coordinator Tom Nugent said the project had three-fold benefits. The residents and staff of Bayley benefited from the service, and the players were able to do a good deed while building fellowship with an opponent.

“It was about doing the good work and serving,” Nugent said. “As a community service coordinator, I always say the only day worth living is a day you help someone who can never repay you. The team from Philly and the Elder guys won’t see these residents.”

“All those little things [like cleaning mailboxes] become quite cumbersome for someone in the latter stage of life,” he added. “Having those things done, though they might seem trivial to the people that can move around easily, is a big deal. For Bayley, they don’t have the staffing to be able to take on that project, particularly in the time we were able to do it. It was a great opportunity to not only help the members of the Bayley retirement center but also to spend some time with the team and coaches and players on a different level than you usually would.”

Pat Devenney, athletic director at Neumann Goretti, noted that the shared faith between the schools enabled them to make the trip to Ohio about “more than football.”

“Being a Catholic school, it adds that extra layer,” he said. “Elder was fantastic… . We’re coming from Philly and they’re in Cincinnati, but the Catholic values are the same.”

This article appeared in the November 2023 edition of The Catholic Telegraph Magazine. For your complimentary subscription, click here.