Pflederer steps down from Rapids Academy Chaplaincy
Ben Pflederer recently announced that he is stepping back from his volunteer role serving as Colorado Rapids Academy chaplain. Ben began serving in 2024. He was the second chaplain in Colorado Rapids Academy history. He steps back as he and his family enter into a new stage of life with welcoming their first child in just a few months I asked Ben to share with me a few highlights from his time spent in the ministry:
One was the opportunities I had to counsel and minister to guys when they were in need or had questions. A lot of them don’t have a church or any kind of spiritual leader aside from their parents so it was a great honor to supply that need.
Ben Pflederer, on one of the highlights in serving as the volunteer Rapids Academy Chaplain
The Rapids academy is comprised of some 80+ players, spread over three age-group teams (U-14, U-15, and U-17). A majority of the program are enrolled in the online schooling program hosted by the Rapids at the stadium. This allows the athletes to be on-site and get in more training sessions as many of them strive to win a 1st-team contract someday. Many of the online school athletes are also part of the “Homestay Program” which means their families live out of state and they are living with local families here in Colorado while they train, study, and play for the Rapids.
The second highlight is simply all the times of laughing with the guys — we played a lot of games and had countless times of “rolling on the floor” kind of laughter and it felt special and hopefully a nice break from their very disciplined and regimented lives.
Ben, sharing highlights on his time with the Rapids Academy
There are very few chaplains that are specific to MLS academies. Soccer Chaplains United was the first to place an academy chaplain with Rubèn Rodríguez in 2018.
Soccer Chaplains United will now work with the Rapids in order to find a replacement for Ben. Please pray as we begin to engage the process to find a replacement for Ben.
My prayer is that the work continues and grows for such a unique set of communities. Especially for the academy level. I have grown to understand how isolated and strained so many of these young guys are—lacking faith communities and other normal support systems. So I pray God continues to call men into more of these places and roles to minister and share and teach the word of God to these amazing young men.
Ben, sharing his hope for the future of academy chaplaincy
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