The Neumann University Institute
for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development

  • organizes, supervises, and trains chaplains to support the student-athletes and staff of the Neumann University Athletic Department.
  • plans and facilitates 23 evenings of reflection and 3 seasonal commissioning masses for varsity and club athletes over the course of the academic year.
  • trains sports captains in leadership, communication and team building skills.
  • serves as a source of education, counsel and support for Neumann Coaches in their work with student-athletes.
  • develops curriculum for and in partnership with the Divisions of Business and Education at Neumann University.
  • connects with internal Neumann academic departments through classroom teaching and guest lecture.
  • produces practical resources for groups seeking to develop programming around sport, spirituality and character development, (such as reflection guides, training workshop exercises, team activity templates).
  • provides programming for high school students, coaches and administrators in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and other regional dioceses.
  • collaborates with Seattle University and the University of Notre Dame to host a conference on sport and spirituality for the member institutions of the NCEA (National Catholic Educational Association).
  • researches and publishes information on topics in sport, spirituality and character development, (such as mission integration in athletics, storytelling in sports, spirituality and the Ignatian spiritual exercises).
  • develops an expert voice on current moral and ethical issues in athletics.