Rod Underwood is the head coach of Chattanooga FC which plays in the NISA (National Independent Soccer Association) - part of the third tier of professional soccer in the United States. Rod also serves on Soccer Chaplains United's Board of Directors. A few weeks ago, as part of one of our board meetings, Rod shared with the board his personal life mission statement and I was encouraged to try and get Rod onto the podcast to share more. Today, on the Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline, in part one, Rod joins me to talk about his origins of learning to play soccer — beginning with mom helping to coach all the way to his days as a professional

We reach the end of episode five and lesson number 40 in our Lessons from Lasso series. Coach Lasso is saying "goodbye" to Michelle, his wife, while the two are standing out in the rain. It's a tearful moment, because Lasso is also saying goodbye in another sense — relationally and maritally. It's at this point that Lasso is mad at himself — he once promised himself he would never quit anything in life. What do we do with the vows, the oaths that we make in life? Usually the result of some painful or hurtful moment — we swear that we won't do that again. We won't make that same mistake that our parents made. We won't let anyone hurt

Our next Lessons from Lasso episode we see Coach Lasso and Coach Beard pontificate on the seeming "change" of tone, although not a change of the surly word that the fans are chanting post-game. Coach Lasso makes a time-reference — the 80's, when words meant the opposite of what was being said. How ought one to cope with the shifting sands of change — whether it’s found in 80’s lingo or modern-day text/snapchat culture? In today's Lesson from Lasso, I talk about the one who does not change — but is concstant and dependable and reliable . Listen to hear more. Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky,

Lesson 38 in our Lessons from Lasso series and AFC Richmond is in an interesting place. It's halftime. They've just come back from being down 2 goals to tie the game 2-2. However, Coach Lasso has benched their star striker, Jamie Tartt, not because of injury or strategy, but because of his arrogance and audacity — just plain selfishness. The tension in the locker room shows just how far the team will go in putting up with prima donna and bad behavior — but not so for Lasso. Coach Lasso's halftime speech gets at the heart of the human condition. We are broken — all of us. This is the beginning of the Christian apologetic. We begin with the sinfulness, the brokenness

Lesson 37 and we see Higgins rise to the top as he shares with Coach Lasso and Co. an insightful word about marriage and relationships — Being with the right person makes tough times easy. Lasso, in pain around what is happening with his wife, Michelle, and the impending trouble that their marriage is in, invites Higgins into the inner sanctum to give his "take." And Higgins, with 28 years of marriage, 5 boys, a dying cat, and house that is too small seems unfazed. In football, there are many challenges that face a couple — travel, physical, financial, and many more. In today's "Lessons from Lasso," I look at the value of being with the right person so that the tough