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This week, I've had the special privilege of spending time with Greg Aydt, serving as chaplain with Memphis 901FC, an expansion team with USL-Championship, the second division of professional soccer in the US. Greg has been serving the club since the beginning of the year. It's not just a new team to Memphis, but a new opportunity for Greg who serves as a pastor at Advent Presbyterian and today passed his examination for ordination in the Evangelical Presbyterian Church. Greg and I pose outside Autozone Park, home stadium of Memphis 901 FC. Memphis 901 FC has captured the hearts of many in the city of Memphis. As a professional soccer team, coming to this city has meant a lot, especially

It's rare — and as chaplains, we much prefer to be behind the scenes and supporting the cast. But this recent article gives a little insight into the work that a chaplain does with a soccer team. Billy Cerveny has been serving Nashville SC for a little over a year and this article only gives a glimpse of some of his work. https://www.nashvillesc.com/news_article/show/1014159 If you would like to personally support Billy and his chaplaincy and pastoral work, check out Redbird. To support the Soccer Chaplains United's chaplaincy work and development in Nashville and other parts of Tennessee, select the Chaplaincy fund from PushPay. Your donations help to offset the coaching and development work for chaplains across the various levels of

I am excited to announce that Soccer Chaplains United has had two proposals accepted for presentation at the Second Global Congress on Sport and Christianity. The congress, taking place at Calvin College later this year, will feature speakers, writers, practitioners, academics, and more that are constantly wrestling with issue of faith, life, and sport. I had the privilege of presenting at the Inaugural Congress in 2016 in York, England. It was a challenging and encouraging time all in the same breath. Theologians and academics mixing with sports ministry practitioners — for me, there was some new thinking and challenges around how I understand faith and sport. I also did my part, challenging a few academics into considerations that, as a

Recently, one of our chaplains reached out to me via text: Greg, our Memphis chaplain recently texted me... One of the key characteristics about soccer is that there is a very transient population — whether athletes, coaches, or staff — there is a nearly nomadic lifestyle that each one takes as they ply their trade in this industry. And at the USL—Championship level, this movement is more frequent. Contracts are usually only for one season — 8-months. On a typically low wage ($500-$3/4k, sometimes slightly higher). There is a lot of movement as everyone is looking for an opportunity to advance and climb higher. Sometimes, the decisions are out of one's hands — there is a willing (and unwilling) surrender to

In the lower divisions of professional soccer in the United States, there is a wide disparity of income. There is no minimum salary and athletes below MLS are not represented by a union, at this time. Athletes in the USL - Championship can make as much as $2,000-3,000/month for an eight-month contract or sometimes as little as $500/month. Often times, teams will also work out a housing arrangement to offer housing for the athletes as well. So, when a chaplain at the USL levels offers to buy a meal for a player or coach or staff member — it means a lot. Recently, Chaplain Isidro Piña shared about an opportunity that he and his church had to serve the Rio Grande

Imagine getting the first bit of news: Sorry, we won't be offering you a contract for the next season.. It's okay. You're young — well, late twenties in professional soccer isn't exactly young, but you've still got some miles in the legs. But then the second bit of news follows, too closely: Sorry, your spouse has cancer. Pressures on. What to do. Insurance is ending as the contract expires on Dec 31. Next season, what team will take you on? How do you get a contract when your spouse needs help and support? And, oh by the way, your usual bills are still coming due — rent, utilities, and so on and so on. So what do you do? Where do you turn? Where do you go? Unfortunately, this story is common in professional sport