There is perhaps no larger stage for a single sport sporting event than the World Cup - the National Football League's Super Bowl ranks high on the list with a large American viewer base and the Olympic Games also have a broad global appeal, but in terms of reach - there is no comparing to an event like the World Cup where, literally, the world is watching (some recent statistics have the US vs. Germany game with a higher viewership than the most recent NFL Super Bowl). The question, though, is what do they see? Is the world seeing the poverty and social justice issues that are seemingly "behind the scenes" in Brazil? Brazilian street artist Paulo Ito and others have

If you were watching the United States vs. Mexico World Cup Qualifier earlier this year, you could hear the familiar chant begin in the crowd as the game got underway: I Believe...I Believe that...I Believe that we... I Believe that we will win! I Believe that we will win! My daughter was watching part of the game with me and asked me, "Daddy, what are they saying?" I explained to my daughter what the chant was and some of the story behind its origins (which are obscure at best, but may point back to a Navy vs. Air Force football game in 2003). As the night continued and the USMNT went on to win 2-0, I reflected back to the chant

CrossTraining announced it's latest Timothy Project award recipient for 2013. Zocalo Outreach and it's summer day camp program are looking to introduce soccer into the programs and services that they use to reach out to under-privileged children. Approximately 200 under-privileged children, ages 5-12, participate in the program every summer with many of the children facing serious problems of delinquency, school failure, drug and alcohol abuse, violence and teen parenting. The mission of ZOCALO Outreach is to improve the quality of life for children in the inner city of Denver and surrounding impoverished areas through teaching practical life skills in order to develop responsible, educated and caring youth. This is done through a summer day camp, an after school program and a

Today is most important day in Christendom. It is the day that we celebrate the resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth from the dead. It is the day when we those who have embraced Christ are reconciled to God the Father. It is the day when we are awakened out of spiritual deadness to new life. It is the day that is above all days - until the next coming of Jesus to call to himself all who belong to him. On this day, I find it compelling to look at my own life and see the places where I need resurrection. Where are the places that need to die, in order to be raised to life in a new, whole,

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