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Soccer Chaplains United Invited to Speak on Panel about Character

Oct 03, 2018

I am excited to announce that I’ve been invited to take part in a panel presentation at the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention. United Soccer Coaches, which rebranded last year, has the largest soccer coach membership base in the world. Coaches from across all levels of the sport gather each year at its annual convention. The convention, in January, usually sees thousands of  coaches gather for education, training, networking, and other soccer-related activities.

Major League Soccer typically holds  its annual draft in conjunction with the convention. The draft and convention have also been the location for annual meetings hosted by Athletes in Action of those involved in chaplaincy amongst MLS, the United Soccer League (USL), and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).

This January, the convention is being held in Chicago and the panel on character will take place on Friday, January 11.

For me, this is an exciting opportunity — it’s an opportunity to represent Soccer Chaplains United on a much bigger stage and to a much broader membership group. It will also provide an opportunity to share about the issue of character and character formation and development within soccer.

Within the current state of the game, often times coaches are seen as primary teachers and builders of character into our young boys and girls. While it is true that coaches often help shape and mold character, part of what we will be talking about is the difficulties and challenges that are often present in that kind of task and pressure.

The panel is still being formed, but it looks as though we will have a representative from the Positive Coaching Alliance, a head coach in the USL, and a few other panelists that will round out the session.

Please be praying about this neat opportunity to speak into the lives of the coaches that attend the panel and to talk about the topic of character from the chaplain viewpoint.

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