In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast, Brady Steer and regular guest Ry Godde tackle one of the most universal struggles in sports: pressure.

If the Bible tells us “fear not” over and over… why do athletes feel so anxious about performance? The guys unpack where pressure really comes from (people-pleasing, identity, stat-chasing, expectations), how pressure can be healthy or disordered, and what it looks like to compete with freedom — not fear.

Along the way, Ry shares a painfully relatable slow-pitch softball moment (yes, prayer included), and Brady brings it home with a practical spiritual framework rooted in Philippians 4: pray, trust, play in peace, and glorify God no matter the outcome.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:
⚡ Why pressure hits athletes so hard (and where it actually comes from)
🙏 How prayer reorders performance — playing from love, not for love
📖 A simple Philippians 4 game plan for anxiety, confidence, and freedom
🏟️ Why stats, expectations, and comparison steal joy — and how to compete like a child again

If you’ve ever felt nervous before a game, crushed after a bad performance, or like you’re carrying the weight of everyone’s expectations — this episode will help you play freer, trust God deeper, and compete with peace.

Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode!

LISTEN & FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE:

Listen on Spotify →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4vnHBKphp6xEBUsJNerBdT?si=59poYSVvQVOzj8TOIaHPaQ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen on Apple Podcasts →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in/id1831854757⁠⁠⁠⁠

Listen on YouTube→⁠⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VarsityCatholicPodcast⁠⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram →⁠⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/varsitycatholic/?hl=en⁠⁠⁠

HAVE A QUESTION OR GUEST SUGGESTION?

Email us at ⁠⁠⁠varsitycatholic@focus.org⁠⁠⁠⁠ or leave a comment!

Join Our Email List → ⁠⁠⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

For more original content and early releases, please visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠⁠⁠

The Varsity Catholic Podcast is a production of FOCUS. ⁠⁠⁠⁠www.focus.org

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast, Brady Steir speaks with Ry Godde and Jared Spooner — former D1 hockey player, FOCUS missionary, and current college coach — to explore how hockey becomes a school of holiness.

Jared shares his journey from having his entire identity wrapped up in being a hockey player to discovering that the game could form him far beyond the ice. Through Bible study, prayer, and learning to see suffering as redemptive, Jared began to understand that competition isn’t opposed to faith — it can actually train us for it.

In This Episode You’ll Hear:
🏒 How hockey shapes virtue through sacrifice, discipline, and perseverance
✝️ The moment Jared realized he was more than just a hockey player
📖 Why “run so as to win” (1 Corinthians 9) changed how he viewed faith and competition
🔥 How team Bible studies and prayer transformed locker room culture
💪 Seeing workouts, losses, and adversity as opportunities for holiness
👨‍🏫 What it looks like to coach athletes as human beings, not human doings

If you’re an athlete trying to integrate faith and sport — or a coach looking to form the whole person — this episode will challenge you to see the game not just as something you play, but as something God uses to shape who you become.

Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode!

LISTEN & FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE:

Listen on Spotify →⁠⁠ ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4vnHBKphp6xEBUsJNerBdT?si=59poYSVvQVOzj8TOIaHPaQ⁠⁠⁠

Listen on Apple Podcasts →⁠⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in/id1831854757⁠⁠⁠

Listen on YouTube→⁠⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VarsityCatholicPodcast⁠⁠

CONNECT WITH FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram →⁠⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/varsitycatholic/?hl=en⁠⁠

HAVE A QUESTION OR GUEST SUGGESTION?

Email us at ⁠⁠varsitycatholic@focus.org⁠⁠⁠ or leave a comment!

Join Our Email List → ⁠⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠⁠

For more original content and early releases, please visit ⁠⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠⁠

The Varsity Catholic Podcast is a production of FOCUS. ⁠⁠⁠www.focus.org

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast, host Brady and regular guest Ry dive into why sports should build relationships—not break them.

Whether you're an athlete navigating the wildness of college sports or simply curious about how competition can strengthen your relationships with teammates, coaches, parents, and God, this conversation invites you to live boldly and place Christ at the center of your sport.

What You'll Hear:

🤝 The heart of a true teammate — Brady and Ry explore how growing in virtue and embodying the same relational qualities can define great teammates across every sport.

❓ Which sport makes being a good teammate hardest? They debate individualized sports, the unsung roles like offensive linemen on struggling teams, and the unique challenges sometimes found on women’s teams.

🙏 Practical ways to glorify God in your sport — from offering up your toughest moments (yes, even that 50th burpee or those 800-meter repeats) to turning daily sacrifices into prayer for others.

Hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode!

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LISTEN & FOLLOW US EVERYWHERE:

Listen on Spotify →⁠ ⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/4vnHBKphp6xEBUsJNerBdT?si=59poYSVvQVOzj8TOIaHPaQ⁠⁠

Listen on Apple Podcasts →⁠ ⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/all-in/id1831854757⁠⁠

Listen on YouTube→⁠https://www.youtube.com/@VarsityCatholicPodcast⁠

----------------------------------------------------------------------

CONNECT WITH FOCUS ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

Instagram →⁠ ⁠https://www.instagram.com/varsitycatholic/?hl=en⁠

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HAVE A QUESTION OR GUEST SUGGESTION?

Email us at ⁠varsitycatholic@focus.org⁠⁠ or leave a comment!

Join Our Email List → ⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠

For more original content and early releases, please visit ⁠⁠seekreplay.com⁠⁠

The Varsity Catholic Podcast is a production of FOCUS. ⁠⁠www.focus.org