Friendships across the decades lead a coach to create lasting bonds for his players
By John Shaughnessy
The photograph of Joe Cripe with three of his closest friends just after he received the St. John Bosco Medal reveals as much about him as the honor itself.
When Sean Keating, Kevin Davey and Mike Farrell learned that Cripe would receive the highest award that the archdiocese’s Catholic Youth Organization gives an outstanding volunteer, they wanted to be there to honor a friendship that dates back to the 1970s.
“My best friends to this day are guys that I played CYO sports with or against,” says Cripe about the three friends who showed up for him during the volunteer awards ceremony on May 12 at SS. Peter and Paul Cathedral in Indianapolis. “The CYO is such a powerful thing. And I think what makes it powerful is that the Catholic faith is intertwined throughout it.
“When you can come together through faith, through common interests like basketball, and being there for each other as a teammate, that’s powerful stuff. I think that’s held us together. We’ve all been in each other’s weddings. We’ve all been at the funerals of each other’s parents. And all of that is part of that bond we built through CYO sports.”
Cripe passed that emphasis on relationships to his players during the 33 years he coached basketball at Immaculate Heart of Mary (IHM) Parish in Indianapolis. It’s the parish where he grew up, where he played for a coach who taught him to love the game and savor the bonds it creates.
“My coach at IHM was Steve Wolkoff,” Cripe says. “He was a wonderful coach and a lifelong mentor to me. I talk to him every week to this day, checking in on him. What I love about Steve is the carrying on of those relationships. When we took that photo of the four of us, we sent it to Steve, knowing it would make him proud. We wanted to make sure he knew we were grateful to him for being such a great coach.”
That’s the kind of coach Cripe always strived to be.
“Over the years, I’ve hired kids I’ve coached. I’ve helped them network for jobs. I’ve been their confirmation sponsors.
“It’s so gratifying today when you see someone you coached succeeding in life or better yet coaching in CYO. It makes me feel great. They wouldn’t be coaching today unless they had a great experience.”
For Cripe, it’s all part of his great experience in CYO.
“It’s great to be part of life in the parish where you grew up and that set you on a course for 16 years of Catholic education,” he says. “It gives you a moral compass for your life.
“Some of my best memories have been coaching with my best friends over the years. And there’s the kids who have bought into what you’re doing, and they’re having fun and working together. That was the biggest thing. You don’t remember the wins or losses. You remember those funny things in practice that happened or things that kids said that made everybody laugh.”
He especially remembers the one person behind the scenes who made it all possible—his wife of 34 years and the mother of their three children.
“I’ve got to give the ultimate thanks to Molly for letting me do this so long,” Cripe says.
Here’s further proof of her behind-the-scenes grace: Molly was the one who took the photo of her husband and his three friends on the night he received the St. John Bosco Medal.
Now the picture is complete. †
Related story: CYO recognition highlights volunteer efforts of adults and youths