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Pflederer Begins Serving as Rapids Academy Chaplain

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For Ben Pflederer, soccer has always been a part of life. From playing at a strong youth club in his childhood, to joining the Vanderbilt University Men’s Club Soccer team during his college days, to today and continuing to play pick-up in and around Denver, soccer has been a joy and a passion.

For Ben, another passion has been ministry and understanding the call of God on his life leading him into exploring full-time ministry. Beginning with serving as a YoungLife group leader in Nashville, to serving with Ubuntu Sports Outreach in Cape Town, South Africa in the summer of 2010, and (now) as Youth Ministry Coordinator of Denver Presbyterian Church, Ben is continuing to explore all that God has in store for him.

Part of that journey has him currently completing a Master’s of Divinity at Denver Seminary.

Recently, Ben came to our attention when, after a Soccer Chaplains United Board Meeting, Vice-Chair Jeremy Tittle started sharing about a youth pastor at his church that might be a fit for the Rapids Academy vacancy.

I don’t know why I didn’t think of this earlier…but there’s a guy that plays pick-up soccer and he’s involved in the youth ministry at the church. He’s recently been promoted at the church and he’s in seminary…

Jeremy Tittle, with a dawning realization about Ben

Of course, I had to give Jeremy a hard time. “Why have you been holding out on us? You know we’ve been looking for an academy chaplain for over a year now!” I laughed.

Since that late October meeting and Jeremy’s realization that Ben might be a fit to serve with Soccer Chaplains United, we’ve undergone a process with Ben. A number of interviews, application and screening process, and now beginning an onboarding process while he balances school and work.

This position is a perfect combination of my greatest passions and experience: ministry, youth, mentoring, counseling, and soccer. I have recently learned more about Pastoral Care and Chaplaincy in seminary and it has deeply sparked my interest in this particular form of ministry, especially outside of the formal church setting.

Ben Pflederer, on his interest in exploring and serving as academy chaplain

The Rapids academy is currently some 80+ players strong, spread over three age-group teams (U-14, U-15, and U-17). Of the 80 or so players, 40 of them are enrolled in the online schooling program hosted by the Rapids which allows the athletes to be on-site at the stadium to get in more training sessions as many of them strive to win a 1st team contract someday. 25 of those athletes are 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.

Ben’s work and role with begin with offering a weekly presence and our initial thoughts are to offer a weekly group study or time with looking at the Bible and other character and life-building types of issues made optional for athletes in the academy program. Additionally, Ben will serve as an extra layer of resource and support for the athletes and their families as they undergo the pressures of working to achieve the professional soccer dream.

While playing in an academy environment can mean a greater chance of successfully becoming a professional soccer player, it is estimated that currently less than 2% of NCAA athletes make it into the professional levels of their sport. Historically, the Colorado Rapids have signed 1 or 2 academy products to a next level contract (Rapids 2 or the official 1st Team), but it is still a difficult journey for many and few will see the reward of playing pro soccer at the end.

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. Currently, there are three academy specific chaplains with Ben’s placement. The other is Soccer Chaplains United’s Michael Kell with LAFC appointed in late 2022 and another sports ministry person in Saint Louis serving the MLS academy there. Ben now becomes the second chaplain in Colorado Rapids academy history.

More than anything these kids need care and need to know God’s care and desire to work in their lives. It is such a challenging and formative time for them and any bit I can do to help and guide them spiritually, emotionally, developmentally is such valuable and rewarding work. I can envision doing this position for many years and the joy of developing those relationships and the fruits God can bring.

Ben, on his future vision of the role

We are excited to welcome Ben to the team, and we’d ask our supporters to pray for his work amongst the Rapids academy athletes.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our chaplains and our work. Click the link below to make a gift or check out our Donate page for different giving options.

Rodríguez Ends Time with Heartfelt Letter

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Chaplain Rubèn Rodríguez, the volunteer serving with me and with Colorado Rapids, closes this chapter with a heartfelt letter signaling his stepping away. Rubèn came to work with me after stepping in for a Rapids Development Academy Life Skills training night. I remember watching as he commanded the attention of the young boys that were gathered and we talked through a difficult issue of discrimination and some of the impacts on the game. Not long after, he agreed to come on board as chaplain for the DA and when Gerardo Alvarez, my assistant at the time, moved on, he helped me with first team duties as well.

Nicknamed the “preachers” by stadium security, me (left), Rubèn (middle) and Gerardo (right) get ready to lead a life skills session for the Rapids DA.

I asked Ruben to share a little bit about his time working with me, Soccer Chaplains United, and the Colorado Rapids. He shared a warm and heartfelt letter,

I am preparing to step out of my role with Soccer Chaplains United, serving the Colorado Rapids here in Denver. 

In my time with SCU, I have felt proud to serve alongside Brad Kenney, and many of the SCU and Rapids’ staff.  But the brightest and fondest memories of which I feel most proud, are the moments I got to spend alongside players from the Rapids Development Academy and First Team.  

Whether it was meeting a player to talk through their personal and professional issues on and off the pitch, or just finding the time for a quick prayer before a game or important conversation, these small intermissions between games, practices, and daily life are the moments I will miss most.  These fractional interruptions between and before whistles were where I often found the most joy and peace, and where true relationships seemed to form.  

One of my very favorite memories came after the SCU staff had conducted a life-skills session at the stadium one evening.  The players all rose, bound for the parking lot, but they took the time to line up and shake our hands before they left.  A simple formality, yes.  And anyone familiar with the sport will recognize its ritual as one that is often practiced between players on opposing teams before matches.  

And yet this ritual is the crux of the memory: the shaking of hands is a show of respect, but even more so, of solidarity.  It is an acknowledgement of same-ness, of respect for the mutual drive of sport and competition and passion for something much loved. 

With this simple gesture, those young men helped form a bond between us that said, “You are like us, and we are like you.”  And this solidarity was the basis for all conversation and relationship to come – it was the moment that made all others possible.

I am a writer by trade, and the demands on my time as both a commercial and creative writer have become such that it is no longer fair for me to split my time between SCU and my work.  I am looking forward to spending more time on my craft and to creating better pieces for others to read and enjoy. 

But I will deeply miss the SCU and Rapids families, and all the little moments that came with them.  Though I will be stepping out of my position as chaplain, you’ll be sure to find me on some scorching afternoon or chilly October night, standing in the seats, watching the boys in burgundy play the beautiful game.  

I hope to see you there.

Cheers.  

I am sad to see Rubèn move on. I had shared with him that my hope would be that he might one day replace me as the lead person providing chaplaincy to the Rapids, but I am really hopeful that God’s call on Rubèn’s life for writing becomes a place of flourishing for he, Kayla, and his daughters.

I told Rubèn my favorite memory will forever be the “Rapids Faith Day Game” that never was — I will never forget I was out of town on business trip to visit one of our other chaplains and he called asking me where the Faith Night event setup was because he hadn’t been able to find anyone. Unbeknownst to me, the Rapids had canceled it last minute. Rubèn had wandered around the stadium for at least a good 30 minutes asking people about it before he called me. 😂😂

Rubèn, God bless you in your next endeavors and thanks for being part of the work and ministry these past few years.

First Counseling Internship Ends Successfully

white and gray Adidas soccerball on lawn grass

Perhaps, there was never a more difficult time but more important time for the first counseling internship for Soccer Chaplains United. This past January, saw the first-ever joint venture internship to feature a counseling intern working with the pre-professional soccer players and families that comprise the Colorado Rapids Development Academy.

And just as the internship got off to a start with select age-groups, the global pandemic hit. Shutdown. Quarantine. And everyone had to pivot. Coaches. Players. Families. And more. There was a major shift and transition to zoom and online. There were at-home programs created and developed to help the athletes stay in soccer shape as much as possible while being apart from their teammates.

Just as the Rapids U-17 team earned a spot in the DA Championships, the Coronavirus pandemic shutdown soccer across the US.

And in spite of all the different challenges and barriers to creating a good system of mental health and mentality support for desiring DA athletes and family members, perhaps there has never been a more timely moment to begin.

Brooke Ewert, Soccer Chaplains United’s volunteer Director of Counseling offered this observation:

We were able to normalize mental health services to the developmental academy in a way that they got use to seeing a counselor around and knowing they could talk at any point in the season if they needed support.

Brooke, on the impact of the first-ever internship

In the final review, the counseling internship (which recently ended) might be deemed a success. A number of athletes and families were helped and supported in the midst of a pandemic shutdown and a lost season — which also saw major changes within the academy and soccer scene, itself. There looks to be a precedent set for the future — one in which the mental health needs of some of the youngest of athletes who might one-day don a 1st-team shirt have been helped from the beginning of their journey.

Soccer Chaplains United is non-profit, 501(c)3 and depends upon the financial support of our partners to carry out our work of developing chaplaincy, counseling, and community service across all levels of soccer. Please consider making a contribution today to help us continue growing our work.

Changes in U.S. Soccer

The United States Soccer Federation announced last week, that it will cease operations and management of the Development Academy (DA). The announcement comes as a bit of shock to some, a bit of cynicism to others, and a lot of criticism. The USSF noted that the COVID—19 pandemic was the cause of shuttering the DA program.

So what does this mean for Soccer Chaplains United and Rubèn Rodríguez, who serves as chaplain to the Colorado Rapids DA?

Major League Soccer released a statement on April 16, about launching a new, elite player development league that will seek to take on the MLS and non-MLS DA teams that formerly participated in the the DA.

So likely we will see MLS DA teams remain as well as the club teams that have the finical wherewithal to play in a newly formed league. MLS will likely take over the scheduling and management of their DA teams, more is to come on this front.

For Soccer Chaplains United it means that we will continue to seek to develop out DA chaplains — though the teams that were once part of the DA may choose to align themselves with a different elite league or programs. Whether those teams are part of local youth clubs, United Soccer League (USL) teams, or MLS organizations.

We are trying to understand all the changes as they occur during this critical time. Stay tuned.

LIFE with the Developmental Academy

One of the most exciting spaces for the chaplains and counselors with Soccer Chaplains United is something that has developed over the past couple of years — working with the athletes, coaches, and families with the Developmental Academy (DA).

In the picture above, the “preachers” as Larry the stadium security guard likes to call us, get ready to lead a life skills session for the Colorado Rapids DA. Rev Brad Kenney and Chaplains Rubèn Rodríguez and Gerardo Alvarez pose for a quick pic.

For those unfamiliar with the DA, these are essentially the cream of the crop in soccer. The young athletes in the DA are potential professional soccer players in the making. Professional clubs often pay all of the expenses for these athletes and have them under their tutelage and coaching direction with the express purpose of turning them into professional soccer players one day. At any moment, a professional club could offer a contract to one of the players within the academy system! Imagine, at the age of 12 or 13 feeling that you were only steps away from taking the field and earning a living as a soccer player?

To learn more about US Soccer’s Developmental Academies click here

Needless to say, this all comes with a tremendous amount of pressure — families have to commit to the time, players have to commit to soccer only (no other sports, can’t participate in many school type of activities) as the focus narrows to the sport of soccer alone. And then there are the pressures that come from not just making the team, but earning a starting spot! Many times, the best players from all parts of the state get put into one team – where someone might have been a star player with their club team, now they might be on the outside looking in.

In the midst of this, we’ve been given the tremendous privilege and opportunity to support the athletes and families, and coaches of the DA. And one of the areas that we have been able to provide support is in the Colorado Rapids DA life skills curriculum sessions that the club provides for the athletes every couple of months.

Topics like Prejudice, Privilege and Responsibility, Developing Supportive Relationships are amongst some of the topics that we’ve already spoken on and worked with the academy boys!

Your support of Soccer Chaplains United, allows us to continue to develop and offer life skills training and support — in group environments and in one-to-one family situations. Our chaplains and counselors are constantly developing new topics with engaging content to capture the attention and to work through with these 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, and 18-year olds — topics like bullying, self-care, and others will soon feature at an upcoming life skills session.

Introducing Rubèn Rodríguez to Soccer Chaplains United

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It’s my pleasure to introduce Rubèn Rodríguez as the latest member of Soccer Chaplains United. Ruben will serve as a chaplain serving on the team working with the Colorado Rapids with the specific aim of serving the athletes and families within the Rapids Development Academy. The DA for the Rapids has approximately 115 athletes and families represented for the 2018-2019 season.

Rubèn came and assisted as a facilitator last year during one of the life skill sessions that Soccer Chaplains United chaplains and counselors helped facilitate for the DA. One of the first things that I noticed about Rubèn was his ability to grab and retain the young boys attention as we talked about some important character issues. This, coupled with Rubèn’s bilingual ability makes him an excellent choice to serve as chaplain and be part of our team.

Currently, Rubèn is about to begin the work of developing a local parish (church) near the stadium. Several of the DA athletes and families live in or near the parish geography that Ruben will be working to establish and serve. As a pastor, Rubèn is part of The Sacred Grace network of churches.

The Sacred Grace exists to be in, for, and with our neighbors and friends in the parish.  As a Parish church, we take social and spirituality responsibility over a specific geography, tending to the needs, celebrating the victories, and walking alongside those in our neighborhood through big things and small, experiencing life with them.  This desire as a Parish church, translates well to my new work with Soccer Chaplains United.  I’m excited to bring the energy and tools I use as a Parish Pastor and apply them to the locker room, the training field, the stadium, etc.  Whether it’s in my own Parish or on the soccer field, the truth is people need others in their corner, rooting for them, and walking through the ups and downs with them.  And I’m excited to get a new place and group of people to do that with.

In addition to helping develop and facilitate life skills sessions with the DA, chaplains also serve to help provide spiritual and pastoral care for the members of the entire organization. Whether an injury suffered on the field, a family need off the field, or just an uplifting and encouraging presence Rubèn’s addition as a chaplain will be helpful given the numbers present within the academy system.

Check out Rubèn’s profile page to learn more about him and what his calling and vision is for this newest parish and for the Colorado Rapids DA.

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