Catholic teacher uses athletic ability to bridge cultures

MORRIS PLAINS, N.J. -- In many ways, Diesa Seidel, physical education teacher at St. Virgil School here and a former basketball star, is a real "globe-trotter." And she has years of frequent-flier miles to prove it.

The 25-year-old Seidel, a St. Virgil's teacher since September 2004, has coached in an inter-religious basketball league in South Korea, played professional women's basketball in France and Italy, built Habitat for Humanity homes in Guyana and helped spruce up a poor neighborhood in Trinidad and Tobago. In high school and college, the 6-foot-3 Seidel lit up the scoreboards with her considerable basketball talents. Today, she loves lighting up the faces of the St. Virgil's students she teaches, encouraging them to eat right and exercise regularly. On her international service trips, she loved trading smiles and making friends with the many warm people of various cultures and religions she met along the way. Siedel's interest in international outreach comes naturally. Born in Toronto, with French and Canadian citizenship, she was raised in Red Hook, N.Y. "Diesa has the ability to work with people beyond all differences," said Carol Pobanz of the New York-based Religious Youth Service, which ran the service trips to Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. "She is interested in all kinds of people. She invests her heart, not only in the work, but in the people." Last fall, Seidel raised more than $4,000 for Religious Youth Service by collecting pledges before running the 26.2-mile New York City Marathon. With a time of 4:17:34, the talented athlete placed in the fastest one-third overall - 12,933 out of 37,300 runners - and in the fastest one-quarter among women. "The marathon was very challenging. There was a lot of pain involved," said Seidel, who was sent off to the run by students, faculty and staff with a lively pep rally, complete with cheerleaders. "You don't know what you can do until you do it," she said. "I saw the clock at the end of the run, and thought 'Wow, I just ran a marathon!'" Last summer, the former pro basketball player in France and Italy scored points for peace, serving as games coordinator at the Inter-religious Peace Sports Festival in Asan, South Korea. There, college-age young people from the world's various religions gained understanding of each other by coming together to play in a series of competitive sports tournaments. "We learned about each other's religions and cultures by attending each other's services," said Seidel, who last year coached a Christian girls' basketball team at the festival. "We all made friends and accepted each other," she said. "If we can all get along playing basketball, why can't the world get along?" In 2004, Seidel carried out her quest for a better world in the South American nation of Guyana. There, she called on her physical strength, serving as work site coordinator to build Habitat for Humanity houses and a local hospital. Volunteers also attended worship services of the area's various religions, she said. "Diesa was so strong," said Pobanz, now peace parks director for Religious Youth Service and formerly the organization's pan-American director. "In Guyana, she helped carry these large pieces of fence" at the housing sites. In the summer of 2003, she started her globe-trotting for social justice when she traveled to the Caribbean island nation of Trinidad and Tobago with a Religious Youth Service team. She and her team conducted "environmental cleanup," sprucing up a poor neighborhood. In the sweltering heat, her team also assisted in building a school for underprivileged kids. She called the people of Trinidad and Tobago "warm and welcoming." "It's powerful to bring together people of all religions united in one task: to serve others," she said of her two Religious Youth Service trips. "Through service comes love." At St. Virgil's, Seidel said her goal is to "instill in my kids a love of sports and physical activity so they continue them on their own." "Diesa keeps the kids moving around," said Joyce Middleton, St. Virgil's principal. "It's fun to see kids doing push-ups on the front lawn. Diesa wants them to be fit. She is a wonderful role model for the kids." Copyright (c) 2006 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

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Copyright (c) 2007 Catholic News Service/U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops