~ a few questions for Fr. Dave Anderson, SJ

1. What do you do as the chaplain to the men’s basketball team at Seattle University?

During the season (Nov-March), I check in on the team during some of the practices during the week and sit on the bench during both home and away games. I provide presence and support to both players and coaches during the year. Sometimes a player may feel more comfortable talking with me rather than a coach. Also, our coaches are new this year so I am helping them get settled and acclimated to the Seattle University (SU) community.

Several people during our away games last year mentioned to me they did not know SU was a Catholic school, so being on the bench in clerics helps people identify SU as a Catholic university. A priest on the bench is also a support to the players and coaches in some very challenging settings. It helps our fans and viewers see a connection the team has with the SU community and that Jesuits at SU have a variety of roles.

We also host pre and post game socials on game days – these are opportunities to socialize and network with our SU family as well as to meet new people. Last year we played LMU at the Key Arena and 5000 people came to the game and some 600 people attended our pre-game events. We hope to build on these events next year as we will host 12 games at the Key arena. We also host Alumni events during our away games, which gives people an opportunity to connect with fellow Alumni in other cities around the Northwest.

2. Any big surprises so far?

Yes – I love this role more than I thought I would. When I talked with Eric Guerra, our Assistant AD at SU, about what my role might be his response was “presence and support.” I immediately resonated with this. There is something to be said about our presence to one another. It shows we care about a person and want to see her or him do well and succeed.

Relationships take time and we should not hurry into them. I’m getting to know the basketball players slowly and developing their trust. They are wonderful men – they are serious and hard working when they need to be, but also are able to laugh and have fun together.

We’re really lucky to have a great coaching staff – Cameron Dollar is a great role model for the players and has already caught the spirit of SU.

3. You often hear that winning or losing is not as important as how you play the game. But isn’t winning or losing exactly that – about how well the game is played? What’s a good spirituality of athletics?

Joe Callero would often say Athletics is about people and building relationships. Coach Dollar couldn’t agree more. Basketball is a conduit for people, it’s a way for people to come together and have fun and engage in conversation. The game is important but it’s really the background for everything else that happens.

Likewise, going to a Mariners game is partly about baseball but it’s mostly about sharing something together. It’s about engaging in conversation with a friend, sharing a meal together, and meeting new people. This is the primary message most coaches want their athletes to hear. The negative side of athletics comes when an athlete sees him or herself as an individual rather than as a member of a team.

Phil Jackson of the LA Lakers, one of the most successful coaches, has helped his players to see themselves as “WE.” And just like that, we at SU are a team and we work and play together as a family.

Equally important is how players carry themselves both on and off the court. We were very successful last year; we won 21 games our first year in Division 1. We worked hard together, held off from complaining when the refs made a poor call (and there were plenty of opportunities for us to complain!), and we did not retaliate against an opposing player even though we played in some very physical games.

Many people complimented our players about how well behaved they were, both on and off the court and I was personally impressed about how well these young men treated waitresses and waiters at restaurants and how they carried themselves through the many airports and hotels we visited. Their behavior reflects well on our SU family and they are doing great things for our image.