AS THE NBA Finals draw near, the Diocese has its own highly anticipated game coming up.
The annual basketball game pitting diocesan priests against seminarians has consistently drawn large crowds at the Mater Dei High School gymnasium, giving the public the opportunity to see current and future priests in a different light, without their vestments and outside of traditional religious settings.
While the game is about fun, the money from ticket sales goes toward supporting vocations in the Diocese.
DR. RICHARD YOON, PRINCIPAL OF ST. BONAVENTURE CATHOLIC SCHOOL IN HUNTINGTON BEACH, WILL BE COACHING THE DIOCESAN SEMINARIANS IN THIS YEAR’S BASKETBALL GAME. PHOTO BY ALAN WENDELL/DIOCESE OF ORANGE
Since the inaugural game in 2015, the priests have dominated their protégées and future religious leaders, winning every game.
But the outcome might be different this year, because when the competitors step onto the court on June 13, the seminarians will have an experienced coach with a record of success calling instructions from the bench.
Dr. Richard Yoon, who coached the Rosary Academy basketball team for more than 30 years before leaving to become principal at St. Bonaventure Catholic School, is returning courtside to coach the seminarians.
“I’ve never been part of it before,” Dr. Yoon said. “I’m excited.”
Fr. Cheeyoon Chun, the director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese of Orange and former colleague of Dr. Yoon at Rosary, asked Dr. Yoon if he’d be willing to coach the seminarians for this year’s game.
“I think he’s a really good guy and I know him from the past,” Dr. Yoon said. “So, I didn’t want to say no to him.”
By gameday, he will have led three practices, during which time he plans to evaluate his team’s talent and draw up a basic game plan.
“I think in the beginning, I’ll see what the cards I’m dealt with are and then from there try to devise some kind of scheme that they can remember in the three practices,” Dr. Yoon said. “It would be nice if I saw some tape on the priests or something to have a clue of what we’re dealing with, but I would probably just venture that it’s a fun game. I’ll try to do the best I can. Although I am very ultra-competitive.”
While the priests’ squad doesn’t have a bonafide coach, Fr. Brandon Dang, the former director of Priestly Vocations for the Diocese and one of the original organizers for the game is serving as a player-manager.
By having a coach, the seminarians are obviously taking the game seriously, Fr. Dang said.
“We’re hoping for the win ourselves,” said Fr. Dang, who currently serves as the parochial administrator of Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Aliso Viejo. “But more so putting on a competitive and close game with the seminarians as we have done in the last few years when the format was North County vs. South County. We hope to put on a sacred and holy show for our fans and parishioners.”
The first game between the priests and seminarians took place back in 2015 inside the gym at St. Jeanne de Lestonnac School in Tustin. There was no game in 2019 and then the coronavirus forced the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 games.
The money raised in the 2015 game was used to help pay for the priests’ trip to see Pope Francis at the World Meeting of Families in Philadelphia.
This year’s game takes place on June 13 at Mater Dei High School.
Food and fellowship begin at 5:30 p.m. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and tip-off is scheduled for 7 p.m.
For information and to purchase tickets, go to www.rcbo.org/basketball