Varsity Catholic Podcast

What drives a person to give up their lifelong dream? In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast, host Brady Stier sits down with the remarkable Fr. Chase Hilgenbrinck: a former D1 soccer player at Clemson University, a professional athlete who competed in Chile, and now a Catholic priest serving as Vocation Director for the Diocese of Peoria, Illinois. Fr. Chase is a beloved speaker and spir...

Unlock the secret to transforming athletes and coaches alike by mastering the art of calling them up, not out. This episode reveals how a leadership philosophy rooted in vulnerability, belief, and systemic routines can revolutionize sports, faith, and personal growth. If you've ever wondered how to cultivate resilience, confidence, and authentic leadership in your life, this conversation is your b...

What happens when sports are the only thing keeping you sane? For Dylan Lanoue — a record-breaking triple jumper and four-time NEC gold medalist at Mount St. Mary's University — athletics were more than a passion. Growing up in a home marked by his father's drug addiction, domestic tension, and constant instability, sport was his escape and his survival. But no amount of wins or PRs could fill the...

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast , Brady and Ry sit down with Ian to talk about one of the hardest lessons in sports and in life: what happens when weakness, injury, and disappointment force you to confront who you really are. Ian shares his journey through repeated injuries, diabetes, football, lacrosse, and the painful process of letting go of an athletic identity that once define...

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast, Brady and Ry sit down with Texas softball standout Teagan Kavan to talk about what it really looks like to pursue greatness at the highest level without losing your identity along the way. As a national champion and one of the top players in the country, Teagan shares how her Catholic faith has remained a steady foundation in the middle of pressure,...

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast , Brady and Ry sit down with Savannah Imholte —CrossFit athlete, coach, missionary, and mom of two—to talk about one of the most misunderstood ideas in both sports and the spiritual life: discipline . From college athletics to CrossFit coaching to raising a young family overseas, Savannah shares how her understanding of working out has evolved—from o...

Live from SEEK 26 , Brady sits down with Seton Hall track & cross country athletes Michael Kelton and Steven Beeman for a conversation about the surprising overlap between faith and endurance sports . They share their first-ever SEEK experience (opening Mass, the atmosphere, and why conferences remind you you’re not alone), then get real about what running teaches: perseverance, suffering, com...

Live from SEEK 26 , Brady sits down with MIT football athletes Luke Pelletier and Dominic Hess , plus Varsity Catholic missionary Jakin Miller , for a conversation about what people don’t expect from MIT: a growing Catholic brotherhood inside the locker room. They talk football at a high-academic school, faith in fraternity life, and what it looks like to go from “a couple guys in a room” to Bible...

Track & field is a grind—months of work for inches and seconds. 🏋️‍♂️🎯 In this episode, we sit down with Cade Moran , a D1 Big Ten thrower , to talk about how that same drive for excellence led him to something bigger than sport. ✝️ Cade shares how chasing the “college life” left him emptier, why transferring to Nebraska became a turning point, and how a simple invite to Mass started a journe...

In this episode, we sit down with college baseball player Cade Bernardo to talk about what happens when your plans fall apart—and God starts building something better. ⚾️🙏 Cade shares how a major injury just before college forced him to wrestle with identity, purpose, and trust. What started as a season on the sidelines became an unexpected opportunity to invest in teammates, grow in faith, and...

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast , Brady Steir and regular guest Ry sit down with Coach Carly Brousek — Division II softball coach, FOCUS missionary, and living proof that relationship shapes identity, and identity fuels mission . Coach B shares her journey from growing up in a deeply supportive, faith-filled family to becoming a college athlete whose identity slowly became tied to...

In this episode of the Varsity Catholic Podcast , host Brady Stier sits down with MLB pitcher Trevor Williams — World Series champion, devoted husband and father, and a witness to what it looks like to live faith boldly at the highest level of professional sports. Trevor opens up about growing up in San Diego, where baseball and family shaped his earliest dreams, and how his Catholic faith quietly...

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...

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 st...

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...

In this episode of The Varsity Catholic Podcast , host Brady Steir is joined by regular guest Ry Godde to kick off the first episode by diving into their shared love of the Catholic faith and their love of sports , asking the big question: What does it even mean to be a varsity Catholic? . They break down the appeal of competition and debate the best sports movies of all time , sharing their perso...

Here is a short preview of the upcoming Varsity Catholic Podcast!