Heavenly Father, through St. Paul you admonish us to "run so as to win" in our athletic pursuits, while keeping our eyes on the eternal glory of heaven. May we always take the lessons we learn in sports and use them to help us grow in faith, hope and love. Help us to follow the example of your saints, who showed great courage and proclaimed your glory no matter the cost. We lift our prayers to you and ask that you bless our teammates and coaches during this practice and in the week to come. Help us to strive to use our talents to the best of our abilities and to glorify you in doing so. We all these things through Christ, our Lord, Amen.