• There is a unique activity that happens in a football (soccer) match as the supporters or fans of a particular club or team will stand and raise scarves that bear their team's colors and emblems. The practice, begun in the early 1900's in England, was a way of showing team spirit and support in the midst of cold weather. English fans would stand, raise their scarves, sing songs and anthems about their teams and show support in this unified way. The practice has migrated not only to the US, but really worldwide as teams today in climates hot and cold, produce team scarves as a way for fans to show their loyalty. Scarves can vary - but the most traditional

    May 24,
  • There is a story told in the scriptures of the Hebrew prophet Elisha and a widow who had two sons. The woman's husband had apparently been in service to Elisha at some point, but since his death she was unable to provide and unable to pay off debts that were owed. As 2 Kings 4 relates, Elisha asked the woman two questions - "How can I help you?" and "What do you have?" As I drove this past weekend to meet with and counsel a player, I looked at the gas gauge and reflected on this story and how some of you have supported the ministry of CrossTraining over the past few years. Interestingly, the woman in the story cannot

    May 15,
  • Toronto FC, at one time one of Major League Soccer's bright stars, has reached an embarrassing low. Starting the 2012 season with a league record of 0-8, the Toronto club has yet to get a win, or even a draw (tie), for any points on the season. The accompanying sense of frustration from the losing streak is one of the places where chaplains are often called to minister and speak into - sometimes with mixed results. For some, the presence of a team chaplain, can represent a desire to meet holistic needs of the individuals that make up a team (players, coaches, staff, etc.). To others, the team chaplain can also represent something of a religious token where by superstitions

    May 06,
  • In 11 seasons of serving as team chaplain, and three seasons in media relations with the Colorado Rapids, I feel like I have "seen it all." In those years, there have been many highs and many lows, that I have had the sacred privilege and honor of observing and participating in. But, there is perhaps no greater place of tension as a chaplain than ministering to those who are "waiting in the wings." Every professional team has them - those players who work tirelessly (sometimes even harder than the starters) to gain a starting position. And in no other sport is it more difficult to get a chance than for those who fill out the reserve squad for a football

    Apr 28,
  • When David Beckham first stepped foot on American soil to play for Major League Soccer, there was a division of opinion. Some said Beckham was merely the latest in a long line of world-renown footballers, past their prime, looking to make a last stab at financial gain before retirement. There were other pundits who claimed that soccer had officially made it in America and that the Beckham brand would forever change the American landscape and attitude toward a sport with a sketchy history of attraction in the U.S.A. Now, five years later, the jury may still be out on many points of the argument but there is at least one thing (there are more) from this chaplains perspective that Beckham's

    Apr 20,

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