Coach Joe Patterson - Director of Athletics at Ave Maria University

Joseph Patterson - Ave Maria Director of Athletics is a leader of young men and women in an environment that stresses faith, self-discipline, and hard work. In today's show, we have the pleasure of speaking with Ave Maria University's Director of Athletics, Joseph Patterson. From his position as coach and leader, Patterson is an authority on how Ave Maria University Athletics integrates the Catholic faith into collegiate athletics, promoting the formation of mind, body, and spirit. Show notes  Coach Patterson came to Ave Maria University as the head football coach and is now entering his eighth season in that role.  During his tenure with the Ave Maria University Gyrenes, the team's grade point average and student-athlete retention have dramatically improved. Success on the field followed as the Gyrenes went from a 0-10 season in 2016, his first season, to Sun Division Champions in 2018, a turnaround earning Patterson Sun Division Coach of the Year honors. Joseph Patterson was named Ave Maria Director of Athletics in May 2020, elevated to the President's Cabinet in 2021, and promoted to Vice President in 2022. Since Coach Patterson was named Director of Athletics, the University has added ten varsity intercollegiate sports, going from 14 teams in spring 2020 to 24 in fall 2022. Coach Patterson earned his master's degree in Catholic Leadership from the Catholic University of America and his undergraduate degree from Villanova University. An educator by trade, he taught literature at St. John's College High School in Washington, D.C., for 19 years, earning three teacher-of-the-year awards, including the Archdiocese of Washington Veteran Teacher of the Year. For his last 12 years at St. John's, he served as the head varsity coach, during which time his teams earned playoff berths in 10 of the 12 seasons. Coach Patterson and his wife, Jana, live with their six children in Ave Maria, Florida. Joining Coach Patterson in today's show is Brendan Clark. Brendan is a senior at Ave Maria majoring in politics with a minor in communications. Brendan is a kicker/punter for the Ave Maria Gyrenes and explains why athletics are important for the student and stresses the following points. Athletics are an avenue of evangelization and education.  Athletics gets to the heart of what it means to be a true competitor. Athletics encourages the pursuit of virtue throughout the entire life of the student-athlete. Brendan was a soccer player before college but decided to try something new. He applied to Ave because of the balance of sports, faith life, and academics.  He explains why time management is essential and sometimes fun has to take a back seat to training and academics. Sports help you learn to balance the parts of your life, and the supportive nature of Ave University's belief in helping the student balance mind, body, and soul. Closing words from Coach Patterson  "Embrace self-discipline and adversity. Embrace self-sacrificial effort, toughness, and love, animated by Christ's example and teachings. Embrace victory." Through recruiting and coaching, AMU Athletics creates an environment that stresses faith, self-discipline, and hard work. Athletes in season train 20 hours per week, out of season about 12 hours per week He advises student-athletes to "become attached to something that requires you to do something very specific and strenuous; this is good training for life." Athletics is fabricated adversity and trains students to overcome adversity. A hallmark of athletics is subjecting yourself to something bigger than yourself.  "No one accidentally ends up at Ave Maria."