From the Touchline

Rod Underwood, former professional soccer player and current head coach of Chattanooga FC (NISA) joins the podcast today to share more about his life in soccer and his development as a coach for the beautiful game.

Today, on the Soccer Chaplains United podcast, From the Touchline, in part two of a four part series, Rod shares about his transition from being a professional player to becoming coach. He shares about the major influencers and friendships he has developed in the coaching ranks and his particular philosophy and style which he has adopted tactically, as coach.

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.

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 soccer player which preceded the formation of Major League Soccer.

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.

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 us again. We speak words quickly and rashly — that often put us under a tremendous burden and a curse, especially when we don’t or can’t live up to it. Today, I look at what the Bible says about making an oath or a promise and how we ought to approach such things.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

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, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

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 that separates us from God, and then we go from there. In today’s Lesson from Lasso, we look at the need for change — but for Christian people we understand that there is only One true source of change. Listen to hear more.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

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 times are a bit easier and one is able to better endure.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

It’s not long into episode five, and we gain more insight into Coach Lasso’s marriage to Michelle and the difficulties that the couple are facing. Lasso shares with the coaching staff that he’s taken this position (some 4,438 miles away) in order to “give a little space” in his marriage to his wife. Giving a little space is sometimes the wisest counsel that a couple, or two individuals with relationship discord can receive.

But how do we make that time or moment of “giving a little space” fruitful and intentional? In today’s “Lessons from Lasso,” I look at a couple of passages in the New Testament that speak to creating space around conflict and give steps for addressing issues in a thoughtful way — emotionally and spiritually, especially. While it can be helpful to have physical “space,” merely giving space and thinking that it will help (on its own) to change or transform hurt or pain, well, it’s likely to fall quite a bit short.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

We start episode five, season one and Coach Lasso makes the comment, “It feels good to laugh.” Lasso has just been opening up to Rebecca about his marital issues and some of the struggle its been to try and preserve the marriage. His joke about couple’s therapy breaks some of the tension he feels and reveals the depth of hurt and pain in the same moment.

Perhaps you have heard it said, “laughter is the best medicine”? That phrase may have originated from a verse in Proverbs (17:22) which says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine.” In today’s “Lessons from Lasso,” we look at the role of laughter in helping us cope when life is hard or things go bad — there is a fine balance to be struck with humor and laughter, and we must be careful to know the right time and place, but laughter can help us spiritually, emotionally, and mentally.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

Sorry — it could be due to travel, work, or other commitments, but we just couldn’t get the show produced for today. Don’t give up on us yet! Listen to a past podcast, or, better yet — write us a review on your favorite podcast distribution platform.

Thanks for being a faithful listener and follower, we don’t take it lightly!

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.

We finally come to the end of episode four, season one and we see Coach Lasso and Coach Beard walking home after the gala. Beard is a mess — his girlfriend has dumped him. He put the “game” (of chess) before the dame, and it seems like this isn’t the first time.

In today’s “Lessons from Lasso,” we talk about first things — and how when we get our priorities wrong, it tends to mess up a lot of different things. Jesus and C.S. Lewis offer us wisdom and instruction into how to correctly prioritize things in life — and for my friends in football, the simple way that I remember it is with the phrase, “Faith, family, football.” It’s a helpful way to think about the priorities that I should have in my life.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, Coach ‘Ted Lasso.’ Lasso first appeared a number of years ago as a comedic character as NBC purchased the broadcast rights to the English Premier League. Played by Jason Sudeikis, Lasso (as a coach) brings change to the difficult football (soccer) team that he has traveled overseas to coach.

In the ‘Lessons from Lasso’ series, I (Rev Brad) look at some of the different life learning points brought up in the show from a chaplain’s point of view.

From the Touchline is a short-feature (usually 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.