The 2023 Major League Soccer playoffs begin today with the 8th and 9th seed play-in games and even though Colorado Rapids and the Portland Timbers are out of the playoffs, there is plenty to talk about. Or, at least when you get Ben, Troy, and Brad together — there’s stuff to talk about.
On today’s episode of From the Touchline, the three MLS chaplains talk about some of the highlights from this past season with their teams and the clubs that they serve. Troy Ready takes his first ever shot at Crosses with Rev— and it goes horribly wrong, no thanks to spotty internet in the Pacific Northwest. Ben gets inspired and writes two songs through the power of AI. It’s a fun podcast so tune in and listen!
From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.
Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-10-25 00:00:002024-08-20 11:31:552023 MLS Season Review and Playoff Preview with special guests Ben Dudley and Troy Ready
Wells Thompson is the Founder and CEO of Soccer Resilience. A former professional midfielder, drafted fifth overall by the New England Revolution and played for the Colorado Rapids and Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer, Wells has an incredible testimony. Even though he won the MLS Cup Championship, his career isn’t all glitz and glam.
Today, on the Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline, part three of three in our interview. Wells talks more about the night his parents intervened in a powerful way and what might have been. We also end the podcast on a fun and light note as Wells plays a game of Crosses with Rev.
From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-05-24 00:00:002024-08-20 11:45:07Union with God with special guest Wells Thompson — Part 3
Wells Thompson is the Founder and CEO of Soccer Resilience. A former professional midfielder who played in Major League Soccer, Wells has an amazing testimony. Much of his inspiration and work today comes out of the learning that he has had to do from his own lessons of life before, during, and after a professional soccer career..
Today, on the Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline, part two of three in our conversation. Wells shares a deeply vulnerable piece about a retreat that he recently went on and some of the heart and soul work that he did around life and his identity that has been tied into soccer for so long.
From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-05-17 00:00:002024-08-20 11:45:40Union with God with special guest Wells Thompson — Part 2
Major League Soccer, is set to start the league season this weekend and what a year it’s likely shaping up to be — a new deal with Apple TV+, rumors of an expanded playoff format, a new competition happening mid-year with Leagues Cup against all of the Mexican teams in the top division (Liga MX), extra competitions with US Open Cup and Champions Cup, and it’s promising to be a busy year.
If you don’t know by now, I am Rev Brad and this is the Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline. Today, I am joined by a couple special guests as Ben Dudley and Troy Ready, volunteer co-chaplains with the Portland Timbers and part of Soccer Chaplains United, jump on the pod to talk about their team — there might be some friendly banter and there will be a season preview of our teams and the league through our chaplain eyes.
From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.
Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-02-22 00:00:002024-08-20 11:51:132023 MLS Preview with special guests Troy Ready and Ben Dudley
Today on the From the Touchline podcast, I am joined by special guest and friend, Dillon Powers. Dillon is a midfielder for Orange County Soccer Club which plays in the United Soccer League — Championship division in the US. The team, based in Orange County, California, won the USL championship back in 2021 and Dillon enters his third season with the club after stints in MLS, Scotland, and Ireland.
I’ve known Dillon ever since he broke into Major League Soccer and was named MLS Rookie of the Year in 2013. This cagy midfielder joins me today to give more insight into what preseason looks like for the professional elite footballer and shares ways to get through the preseason and season — not just on the pitch, but off of it as well.
We dive into Dillon’s playing career and history, some fun tidbits about his life, we talk preseason preparation, and we play a fun little game of “Crosses with Rev” as a fun way to wrap up the interview.
From the Touchline is a short-feature (10-15 min) podcast with Rev Brad Kenney, Founder and Executive Director of Soccer Chaplains United and Volunteer Chaplain to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. Rev Brad and occasional guests touch on various issues around the topics of faith, family, and football (soccer).
Also, don’t forget that you can listen in our app, SoccrChapUtd,in the Apple and Google store.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/From-the-Touchline-Cover-Art.jpg15001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2023-02-15 00:00:002024-08-20 11:51:37Powering through the Preseason with Dillon Powers
Recently, Major League Soccer (MLS), National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) and United Soccer Leagues (USL) have all announced plans for returning to play. MLS has yet to declare or confirm actual dates, but the reported plan is to have a league-wide, 30-day tournament in Orlando, FL to re-start the season. NWSL have already revealed a schedule for the 2020 NWSL Challenge Cup, a 25-game tournament beginning June 27. The USL Championship has announced July 11 as the provisional “return to play” date, though many more logistics need to be confirmed and factored.
This week I have been in contact with Soccer Chaplains United chaplains throughout the U.S., and we are also seeing most of the college and high school teams (in varying capacities) readying to come back in the fall and resume collegiate and HS athletic programs, albeit with some likely changes and guidelines with the novel Coronavirus pandemic.
So what about chaplains? How have chaplains been serving during this time when sports and soccer, specifically, have been so significantly altered?
Well, there have been Zoom Bible studies, grocery store runs to help get toilet paper or diapers for athletes without a car and unable to make it to a store, hospital visits, phone call check-ins and much more.
If you were to have asked me at the beginning, how busy do you think you will be? I don’t think that I would have known how much time would actually be given to supporting people in the midst of the pandemic and now in the face of the protests that are happening around the U.S. and around the world.
For some, chaplains and those we serve, the time has been difficult. The suspension of sports and uncertainty of the future (some of which the uncertainty still exists) had been challenging. For many, the requisite lockdown and shut down of “normal” life has created a stress and strain on vocational life and marriages and on people’s faith.
But now, there seems to be some glimmer of hope — at least that things might begin to come back. Start to grow back. It reminded me of earlier this year when I pruned our rose bushes (see below). To be honest, it seemed to many that I had likely killed them cutting them back so far. It all seemed dead and lifeless.
March 18, 2020
But in due time (and with some proper water and sunlight) the roses are coming back. They are just now starting to bud out, so there won’t be as many roses this year, as in years past, but they are coming back. And sometimes simply coming back and flourishing, even in the midst of a difficult winter or heavy pruning season, can give us hope and room to breathe and believe. I know that I, for one, am glad to see new life beginning to emerge, again.
June 5, 2020
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/obxx10dszjk-scaled.jpg12801920Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2020-06-05 14:30:392020-06-05 14:28:06Coming Back
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?
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.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/20200415_DA_TW_Header.png5001500Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2020-04-23 13:00:512020-04-23 12:54:26Changes in U.S. Soccer
Well, technically, Major League Soccer (MLS) began on the last day of February for the 2020 season, but close enough. As the season kicked off last week (and the Colorado Rapids were the first game) it started the 25th season for the top flight soccer league in the U.S. The MLS season has had varied lengths in its 25-year history, and most recently the league condensed its season to run league competition games between the months of March and November.
34 games are par for the course — 17 home and 17 away; throw in a few exhibition games, an Open Cup tournament, weekly training sessions and travel and it makes for a busy 9 months. But this is just games! The preseason usually begins in the end of January and there is a draft in the second week of January.
Preseason is over and things start to count — games, yellow cards, everything.
For a chaplain and for the athletes and coaches, there is a short two months (mid-November to mid-January) to fit in some of the typical “life” moments — whether it is a vacation, or a wedding. Sometimes, players and their wives try to even work out their family planning so that they can have a newborn during the “offseason.” It helps athlete can be more present with their wife and family! It doesn’t always work out, but they certainly try.
March and the start of MLS also, though, can be a difficult time for those who have recently left the game. There can be a certain amount of grieving that accompanies the start up of the season — no matter if it is the first year or the tenth year away from the game. The transition can be really difficult and many struggle to move on to the next chapter.
So, this March — whether you are into March Madness (college basketball) or another sport (like baseball’s spring training) — remember to pray for those that are playing and participating in sports (professional and other levels). Whether the athletes, coaches, staff, or the chaplains — pray for them. Pray for the chaplain’s work and ministry.
Here are some things that you can be praying for:
Travel demands and pressures
Issues of performance
Struggles with injuries and identity
Thank you for your prayers and for your support.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/25th-Season-logo.png19221819Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2020-03-06 12:00:342020-03-09 13:45:15March Means MLS
I am excited to announce that I’ve been invited to take part in a panel presentation at the annual United Soccer Coaches Convention. United Soccer Coaches, which rebranded last year, has the largest soccer coach membership base in the world. Coaches from across all levels of the sport gather each year at its annual convention. The convention, in January, usually sees thousands of coaches gather for education, training, networking, and other soccer-related activities.
Major League Soccer typically holds its annual draft in conjunction with the convention. The draft and convention have also been the location for annual meetings hosted by Athletes in Action of those involved in chaplaincy amongst MLS, the United Soccer League (USL), and National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL).
This January, the convention is being held in Chicago and the panel on character will take place on Friday, January 11.
For me, this is an exciting opportunity — it’s an opportunity to represent Soccer Chaplains United on a much bigger stage and to a much broader membership group. It will also provide an opportunity to share about the issue of character and character formation and development within soccer.
Within the current state of the game, often times coaches are seen as primary teachers and builders of character into our young boys and girls. While it is true that coaches often help shape and mold character, part of what we will be talking about is the difficulties and challenges that are often present in that kind of task and pressure.
The panel is still being formed, but it looks as though we will have a representative from the Positive Coaching Alliance, a head coach in the USL, and a few other panelists that will round out the session.
Please be praying about this neat opportunity to speak into the lives of the coaches that attend the panel and to talk about the topic of character from the chaplain viewpoint.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/shield_300px.png373301Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2018-10-03 08:00:122018-10-05 09:07:58Soccer Chaplains United Invited to Speak on Panel about Character
Today, the summer transfer window for Major League Soccer opens. From July 10 – August 9, MLS teams can make trades and bring in foreign talent. For many teams, this window represents an opportunity to make improvements to a team — some teams bring in a player from another country or from a team within the league in an effort to try bolster team needs and win a coveted playoff position. For fans, many are hopeful that a playmaker or difference-maker brought in can propel their team to victory or help continue to sustain early-season efforts. But on the other side, the summer transfer window also represents a time of need for MLS teams and their respective chaplains or ministry folks.
Some of the challenges that come with mid-season trades include uprooting for families right before the beginning of the new school year. While the league offers financial help and support for players making mid-year transitions, those transition moments can still be tricky. Often, wives are left to manage details of packing and moving house while a player often reports immediately to a new team. Overseas transfers are even more difficult with some of the logistical challenges that are faced.
For players, the mid-year change can mean getting to know new teammates, learning a new city and culture, communicating at distance with family yet to make the move and a host of other challenges and issues. Some players relish a fresh start and new opportunities. Some players regret leaving behind a place where they have already begun to put down roots.
Certainly, there is opportunity, though to lift up in prayer those who will be facing transitions and changes during this period of time. Also, pray for the chaplains and counselors and community coordinators as we look to help soften the pains and difficulties that can come with these changes.
https://soccerchaplainsunited.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/251px-MLS_logo.svg_.png265251Brad Kenney/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/SCU_Seal_Logo-300x300.pngBrad Kenney2018-07-10 06:00:042018-07-06 15:39:57Transfer Window Opens, Opportunity and Need
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