Trevor Williams, Washington Nationals pitcher and father of five, pitched points on balancing his role in professional sports with his vocation as a husband and father to the 60 men gathered March 29 at the Fierce Fatherhood conference at St. Rita Church in Alexandria.
“What if we had dad stats or like, dad cards. How was your performance in 2022? How many diapers have you changed?” Williams joked with the men. Seasoned fathers of eight, new dads with infants, and even several expectant fathers gathered in the dugout-like school hall.
Donning a St. Rita School baseball cap, and fresh at the start of baseball season, Williams drove home how his Catholic faith is central to being a good player and a great dad.
“If you see me staring at the mound, I’m probably screaming inside. Be where your feet are. This is the problem right now. If your feet are on the mound, be there,” Williams said, honing in on how it’s all about being there in the moment. “When you’re at home … all that is important is to be present to your kids and your wife; it’s huge.”
In order to score high, Williams gave three points on being a great dad that he learned from his own father. First, rest on Sundays and go to Mass, like Williams’ father did with him growing up with his two brothers. Second, do hard things and stick it out no matter what.
“When you commit to your spouse and commit to your children, it’s a simple thing that requires great commitment. As fathers and husbands there is really nothing else to do, truly,” Williams said.
Third, show up. From flying to Florida and Cuba to be present for important moments early in Williams’ career, to attending his first week of spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates, despite being in the middle of cancer treatment, his father was consistently present for him.
Touching on one of the conference’s goals — to help fathers find ways to become better fathers and husbands — Williams shared, “I just try to be 1 percent better every day as a dad, as a player. Put your head down and work. Put your head down and pray, and over the course of your life you will do great things.”
Knowing there would be other Catholic men who also desire to strengthen their family life and be better men and fathers was what brought Paul Hamm, a father in the parish, to the conference. In addition to Williams, other speakers included Deacon Marques Silva, director of the diocesan Office of Child Protection and Safety; Art Bennett, author and former president and CEO of diocesan Catholic Charities; and a roundtable discussion with veteran parish fathers.
“Hearing from all these speakers from a variety of disciplines, because fatherhood is so multi-faceted,” and “hearing from Trevor Williams, a professional baseball player and how serious he takes his faith and applies himself to his professional career and also to his family,” were highlights for Hamm.
Hamm also emphasized the community-building aspect of the conference, as did other attendees. Dylan Perera, one of the attendees who recently moved to the area, thought the conference achieved the goal of fostering community.
“It’s great to meet the other dads and get to know them and hear what they think,” Perera said.
Engaging in a community with other believers was a theme repeated throughout the conference. Tomàs Bethencourt, event emcee, stressed that being connected with others with shared values is critical for families.
Williams said that he and other teammates cultivate community even while on the road for games, attending Mass together in a room off the field and enjoying Sunday dinners together. “We just throw a ball. It’s a silly sport,” said Williams, comparing baseball to family, recognizing that a thriving family is of higher value.
Goss is a freelancer in Arlington.
