GREEN BAY — Even though he regularly speaks to men in his profession, Green Bay Packer coach Mike McCarthy admitted he was a bit nervous prior to speaking to about 1,500 men gathered for the 2016 “Men for All Seasons,” Green Bay Catholic men’s conference on March 5 at the KI Convention Center.
Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy delivers his keynote address at the Green Bay Men’s Conference March 5. “I wouldn’t be here without my family. I wouldn’t be here without my faith,” he told the crowd. (photo by Sam Lucero, The Compass)Talking about himself professionally is part of his job. Talking about himself personally presented a different challenge.
“He really worked hard on his talk,” said Green Bay Bishop David L. Ricken. “He’s nervous like I’m nervous when I throw out the pass (at the annual Bishop’s Charities Game).”
McCarthy incorporated humor in his presentation. He made an early note that Jesus (a crucifix was on stage) was looking over his shoulder.
“I knew he was going to be here, but I didn’t know that he was going to be right there,” he said, drawing laughs from the crowd.
The coach, in his 11th season as the head man of the Packers, spoke about growing up in an Irish Catholic family and his experiences at St. Rosalia on Greenfield Avenue in Pittsburgh. As a boy, McCarthy was an altar server. The stories he shared from his youth included going overboard with the incense at a funeral Mass and his first fight after being called a fish eater on the playground of the public school he attended in fourth or fifth grade.
“I am so thankful for growing up Catholic,” said McCarthy. “It’s the foundation of everything I believe in.”
A discussion among Packers’ coaches and players that involved offensive coordinator Edgar Bennett was the source for a challenge by McCarthy to the men at the conference.
“What is your why?” Bennett asked. For the head coach, that “why” is his faith, family and football.
“My why has always been the same,” said McCarthy. “It’s what I was taught. God’s plan is the why. The next step is the how. What do you do with God’s plan? What do you do with this opportunity? When he opens that door, what are you going to do?”
He explained that faith plus family equals foundation.
“I wouldn’t be here without my family,” he said. “I wouldn’t be here without my faith. Football is important. It’s the way I make a living. It’s a game that I love, a lot of people love. I’m fortunate to have the best job in professional sports, but faith and family are first. That’s the story for me.”
The why and how lead to the mission, which for McCarthy is three-tiered.
“Mission is reflection, where you came from, how you built that foundation; ambition, go for it; and the third part is giving back,” he explained.
Videos, featuring Packer highlights, movie clips and McCarthy’s trip to Pittsburgh during last season’s bye week were shown to represent reflection, ambition and giving back. The McCarthy Family Foundation supports numerous charities and projects. In addition to providing outreach in Green Bay and Pittsburgh, he has also supported the Seven Loaves Project, which builds bakeries in Rwanda.
A fourth video, which showcased several highlight plays by the Packers, promoted inspiration.
“Sometimes we need a little kick, a little fuel, and there’s no better inspiration than the Bible,” said McCarthy. “I use the Bible quite a bit.”
McCarthy encouraged the men to exhibit faith and family at work. He spoke about the final three minutes of preparation for the Packers prior to a game. He reads from Scripture and then invites the three captains for that week to share some words. He closed with one more challenge for the men.
“Let’s be remembered for what we do for others,” he said.
Jim VandeHey, an experienced outdoorsman in the world of hunting and outdoor adventure and founder of “Man Camp” and “Hunting for God” bow hunting retreats, kicked off the keynotes of the day with his presentation “An Outdoorsman for All Seasons.” While the outdoors served as the background for his talk, his message was broad. VandeHey encouraged the men to help overcome the shortage of holy families teaching children how to pray and the need to see God in their lives.
“Prayer doesn’t change events,” he said. “Prayer changes us.”
VandeHey showed a video about his son, Cole, who was stricken with a life threatening illness in 2010. The block in Cole’s spine that caused paralysis eventually went away. VandeHey has no explanation about why his prayers were answered.
“We need to become hopeful people because it changes us,” he said.
Antonio Soave, acting Secretary of Commerce for the State of Kansas and chair of the Global Foundation for Peace through Soccer, delivered the keynote “A CEO for All Seasons.” Among his messages was to avoid measuring yourself by how much money you make.
Harry Sydney, former Packers player and coach and founder of My Brother’s Keeper, a male mentoring program in Green Bay, served as the emcee for the day, which also included eucharistic adoration, presentations by numerous apostolates, and displays and booths by various vendors, apostolates and organizations.
“I like the messages we’ve heard today,” said Sydney who played for the Packers in 1992 and served as the team’s running backs coach from 1994 to 1999, including the Super Bowl championship year in 1996. “It’s about what type of man you are going to be. It’s about who you are when nobody is looking.”
