Ron Meyer, host of the Blessed2Play radio show, which airs on EWTN Radio and SiriusXM Satellite Radio, will receive the 2016 Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development Award on Thursday, October 20. The ceremony is scheduled for 7 p.m. in the main arena of the Mirenda Center for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development.
Meyer’s show uncovers the role that faith plays in the lives of athletes and sports professionals. A 30-minute weekly program, now in its fifth year, the show can be heard on over 300 affiliates across the country and is the longest-running radio program with a specialty format on faith and sports. Notable guests have included famed college football coach Lou Holtz, Haley Scott DeMaria, who received last year’s Institute Award, and Institute director Lee DelleMonache.
“I am honored to accept the 2016 Institute Award as it speaks to what I stand for, the essential role faith plays in the lives of athletes and coaches,” said Meyer. “The Institute for Sport, Spirituality and Character Development understands the duality of integrating sport with the formation of the human person and, having competed in athletics most of my life, I know firsthand how participation in sports, at any level, can play an integral part in shaping who we are.”
The Institute Award annually recognizes individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in athletics in alignment with the Institute’s mission. Recipients exhibit strong character through athletics, exemplify spirituality, and embody the good that exists in sports.
Meyer, a lifelong competitive athlete, gained a unique perspective on sports when, at the age of 20, he was sidelined with a neuromuscular condition. Despite the odds against him, Ron was able to resume play and has earned a college baseball MVP, five state racquetball titles, two USA Regional racquetball titles, and has completed four half-marathons. He regularly gives back through youth coaching and clinics and through his weekly radio show.
“Ron is such a natural fit with the Institute’s mission and the intent of the Institute Award, and it is inspiring to watch him promote the intersection of faith and sports through Blessed2Play,” said Institute director Lee DelleMonache. “His personal journey of resiliency and determination is inspiring. Through his good work and life’s example, Ron demonstrates that athletics beautifully serve as a venue for growth in faith and virtue.”
After receiving the award, Meyer will spend the weekend on campus to participate in the inaugural Perspectives on Sport and Inspiration (PSI) conference, October 21-22.
Past recipients of the Institute Award have included Haley Scott DeMaria (2015), the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation (2014), Ann Donovan (2013), Coaches vs. Cancer of Philadelphia (2012), and Keith Primeau (2011). Since 2014, the Award has been given in honor of the late Joseph P. McFadden, Bishop of Harrisburg, who believed Catholic colleges and universities possess a sacred responsibility to create opportunities to discover the good, the true, and the beautiful.
Learn more about Ron Meyer and Blessed2Play at blessed2play.com.