Typical Process
Soccer Chaplains United has successfully placed chaplains and built chaplain teams across all levels of the sport. We have a fairly standard “parallel process” whereby a club or organization demonstrates interest or makes a request. Soccer Chaplains United begins the candidate search for qualified and appropriate individuals to serve a team or club. Certain contexts may create a slightly different step or adjustment, but what follows is an outline of our typical process:
Step 1
A club or organization reaches out to Soccer Chaplains United or we become aware of a particular need within a team or community (a new organization, for example) and approach the organization from our developed network of over 20+ years in soccer.
Step 2
Meet with club executives or administrators to understand the expressed needs of the organization and the cultural nuances and difficulties that are faced. This is also a time when Soccer Chaplains United provides education and dialogue about the role and benefits of chaplaincy and the form, structure, and process. (sometimes this step is bypassed if the organization already has experience with a form of chaplaincy)
Step 3
Once an initial agreement is reached, Soccer Chaplains United begins to develop a candidate pool of candidates that meet Soccer Chaplains United requirements and the stated needs or desires of the organization. Soccer Chaplains United vets and examines the educational and clerical background and ascertains a chaplain candidates particular “fit” with a club.
Step 4
Once a clear leading candidate(s) is/are established and has agreed to Soccer Chaplains United’s code of conduct and practice and other requirements, the candidate is presented to the club or organization for approval and any additional vetting or on-boarding (should the candidate meet with the approval of the club).
Step 5
If a candidate is acceptable, Soccer Chaplains United and the club form (formally or informally) a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) outlining expectations, hopes and anticipated outcomes, boundaries, and review markers going forward. Soccer Chaplains United supports the chaplain with coaching, training and educational and development opportunities.
Step 6
Once the agreed upon time trial or review has passed and the club deems the chaplain a fit and success, the chaplain can begin to grow out a chaplaincy team and other service extensions of Soccer Chaplains United to address the particular needs of a club or organization, per the relationship and agreement with the club.
