2025 SJS Invitational - a Letter from Alex McCormick

January 3, 2025

To the annual St. John's Seminary Basketball Invitational:

After the final buzzer sounds and the media rushes to the court, field, or ring, they find the star of the game. This could be the athlete who hit the game-winning shot, broke a record, or put together another amazing performance. As the microphone is put to their face, they are given a platform to the millions watching; and they begin with the words “first and foremost.”

For those of us who recognize this sequence or ones like it, we know what comes next. Christian athletes like Tim Tebow, Tyson Fury, George Foreman, and Philip Rivers take this moment to “first and foremost” thank our Lord Jesus Christ.

At the pinnacle of their success, accomplished through sports, they identify with Him.

The Saint John's Seminary Basketball Invitational is an incredible opportunity for us to grow in our relationship with the Lord through sports. Let us cherish the competition, the opportunity to play in front of and represent our parishes and communities and the feeling of playing with jerseys and a scoreboard. I see the joy found in true fellowship as a significant part of the Catholic Church, and this will come to life through our shared efforts and competition on the court this Saturday. Whether we are here for cardio or to show our improved jump shots, we will have the ability to grow in our identity as Catholic men who “first and foremost” serve the Lord.

This year's tournament holds a deeply personal meaning for me. In last year's tournament, I suffered a Sudden Cardiac Arrest—a moment that changed my life forever. This stressed to me the value of life and gave me the medicine of gratitude to help me find happiness in all situations. One of my primary motivations in recovering was to be able to play in the SJS Invite on Saturday, to compete with and share in fellowship with all of you. To those who administered life-saving aid and those who prayed for me, I am enormously grateful. It is a profound honor of mine to write this and to share the same court with all of you again on Saturday.

May we all pursue victory and grow together in our devotion to the Lord while experiencing the joy and camaraderie that the St. John's Seminary Basketball Tournament has to offer.

— Alex McCormick, Immaculate Heart of Mary