History

Catholic Sports Camps began as a charitable non-profit organization in 2019, however our journey began a few years earlier. Fr. Burke Masters, then the Vocations Director of the Diocese of Joliet in Illinois, was intrigued after hearing about the Mike Sweeney Catholic Baseball Camp. Fr. Burke had been an all-star baseball player on the Mississippi State Bulldogs and was hoping he could find a way to combine his love for God and baseball to serve the Lord. He became friends with Mike Sweeney, former MLB Kansas City Royals pro, who agreed to help him bring this special baseball camp to the Chicagoland area in 2015. In 2017, the Diocese of Joliet offered Catholic Soccer Camp and Spirit Hockey Camp. In 2019, Catholic Sports Camps was born and included camps for Baseball, Soccer, Hockey, Basketball, Football, and Volleyball. In 2020, Softball was added to the Baseball Camp.

Message from Mike Sweeney, Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame

The greatest treasure in my life is my Catholic faith! After my 16-year Major League Baseball career ended in 2011, I thought to myself: “What’s next?” There were plenty of sandy beaches and golf courses to “retire” at and many opportunities within Major League Baseball surfaced, but I knew I was created for more… READ MORE

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Mission

Inspire a more active and life-long relationship with Christ through sports excellence, friendship and Catholic faith-building activities for children and their families.

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Vision

Expand the Catholic Sports Camp model to serve as an ongoing Catholic resource that inspires athletic excellence,
​life-long spiritual growth and the development of Missionary Disciples of children and their families.