Meet the nun who coaches college football

Really. This is pretty terrific.

From The New York Times:

The celebration after the College of St. Scholastica won its fourth consecutive conference football championship resembled an extended family gathering this month. Oblivious to the numbing cold, players, coaches, family members and students lingered on the field, exchanging hugs and posing with the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference championship banner.

In the midst of it, Mike Lehmann, a beefy reserve offensive lineman, approached an assistant coach with a request. “Coach, my mom wants a picture,” he said.

So Lehmann wrapped an arm around the diminutive coach in the dark blue winter jacket and matching fleece headband, who is beloved around this little Catholic school for a quick smile and inspiring manner — Sister Lisa Maurer, the Benedictine nun who coaches kickers and punters for the 10-0 Saints.

“They’re good kids; they’re awesome,” she said. “It just adds another layer of living our mission and living our values. It brings it full circle. I find it an honor that I get to do this, that I get to represent my religious community in this way.”

Maurer, known as Sister Lisa, is one of 87 sisters from the Benedictine Order living in the monastery at St. Scholastica, a Division III college on a bluff overlooking Lake Superior.

“A lot of people who aren’t around the program say, ‘How is a nun coaching you?’ ” said Mike Theismann, a senior kicker. “She fits in seamlessly. It’s not a big deal, for the players or the coaches.”

Maurer, 44, is 5 feet 2 inches with blue eyes, a smattering of freckles and short brown hair. She grew up around sports. Her father, Gene, coached high school football in Sleepy Eye, Minn.; as a child, she occasionally helped him line the field. She played softball at Southwest Minnesota State, as a catcher. She coached basketball, volleyball and softball at a Catholic school in her hometown before entering the convent.

…Maurer never forgets her spiritual side. In a solemn church ceremony before the season, Maurer and Eckes gave each player a St. Benedict medal, which is said to protect them from harm. Most wear them under their pads or carry them in their equipment bag. At the pregame breakfast, Maurer passes out cards with a prayer for the day. Players often approach her for guidance about faith and life issues.

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“I’ve had a lot of the guys talk to me about her positive influence,” Ramler said. “Her being a member of the order doesn’t hurt, of course. It’s just the person she is. It helps all of us keep the right perspective on what matters most.”

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