Recently, the Colorado Rapids cleaned house - boxes of used team gear were simply taking up too much space in the confines of Dick's Sporting Goods Park and after the annual "garage sale" for Rapids fans, there was still plenty left over. That's when team staff contacted Rapids Chaplain Brad Kenney. The text message read: Yo. We have 4 boxes of donations for you. Everything from boots to jerseys. You want to get them at some point? Well, four boxes turned into 20 - jerseys, boots, pants, compression shirts and shorts, socks - the amount was nearly overwhelming. Chaplain Kenney conferenced with Associate Chaplains Hugo Venegas and Ricardo Orellana - how can we quickly move this gear and get it into

On the last day of 2013, there is occasion to pause for reflection. There is much debate around looking backward in order to move forward in our culture. Some criticism - that the only reason we look back is so that we can make more efficient our practice or modernize our mechanistic attitude. Some wisdom - that we ought to learn from mistakes and strive to not repeat them, to teach our children how to overcome them. Some practical application - goal-setting, resolutions, and the like. Some fantastical dreaming - see above. In looking back and contemplating 2013, there are several poignant moments (notice I didn't use the word highlights) for 2013 that have shaped and framed 2013 as its

This past week, as I headed into training to spend time with the team, I watched as the odometer hit a  milestone: 200,000 miles. In that moment, I gave a brief prayer of thanksgiving to God, for safety of travel and His grace over the roads traveled and the paths walked over the years of doing ministry for CrossTraining. CrossTraining chaplains can travel upwards of 8-10,000 miles a year in serving the needs of the professional sports team. Sometimes a road trip to an away game, the weekly trip to the stadium or bible study, the occasional get together with a couple for counseling, helping a player move from one apartment to another, driving a player who has been cut

Throughout the years, one of the questions people ask about my role as team chaplain for the Colorado Rapids is, “Do you ever kick around with the guys?” Back in the days when I served the Colorado Rapids as a Public Relations Assistant, we used to have an annual event called the “Media Cup.” Here, there were sometimes an opportunity to play small sided games with the Rapids players, coaches, and media members to help promote awareness and build interest back in a day when soccer was trying to come into its own amongst the other professional sports like the NFL, NHL, MLB, and NBA. There was a time, too, in team history, when the Rapids trained at a facility