From the Touchline

How does a coach get his team to have buy-in to what he is trying to do, what he is trying to achieve? Much of it begins at the heart level — at least when it comes to talking about long-lasting change.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, in our Lessons From Lasso series we look at Coach Lasso who is working at getting to the heart issues of some of his team in order to produce the turnaround and to make the kind impact that only Ted Lasso can make. And football isn’t the only place where the heart has a primary importance — it’s critical when we are talking about spiritual things and one’s relationship with God, too. Listen as I talk more about the importance of gaining the heart in today’s show.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

Have you been bullied? As a child? Because of a physical attribute? Or, for something else or some other reason? Bullying is an issue that has gone on for a long time and for a number of different reasons.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, we pick up with Lesson 20 in our Lessons From Lasso series and we talk about dealing with bullies. Do you agree with Coach Lasso’s take on dealing with bullies? Well, regardless on whether you agree with Lasso’s tactics, I share some of how I see God dealing with bullies in scripture.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

Preseason. It’s here. For many teams in the US professional soccer, they will begin reporting to their particular teams in the next few days and weeks. It’s the preseason, and with the World Cup happening in November and December, it’s coming fast and furious for many professional footballers.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I look at a biblical example of a “preseason” moment – this one, from Jesus’ life when he spends 40 days out in the wilderness before beginning his earthly ministry. There are some characteristics between Jesus’ time of testing and the same kind of preseason that a footballer will face with their own teams and I draw on the parallels.

Here are links to the Scripture verses mentioned in today’s podcast:

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.

Devastating fires rocked the northwestern suburbs of Denver along the Denver/Boulder corridor. 1000 homes damaged and many people displaced from their homes as the start of 2022 comes. It has been a difficult couple of years — COVID, effects of the pandemic, social unrest, injustices left and right — and yet, with the start of every new year, we have hopes and dreams and resolutions, that this year will be the year.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I look at the subject of blessing and I offer a blessing for the year of 2022. But the blessing comes at the end — it’s important that we understand the nature and the power of blessing before we utter a single word. You see, blessings aren’t based on any power that I have (at least no power of my own). Take a listen to learn more of what I am talking about.

Here are links to the Scripture verses mentioned in today’s podcast:

Here are links to the book referenced in today’s podcast:

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.

Maybe you’re the kind of person that has a hard time believing in yourself. Perhaps in life or in football or in relationships you’ve been beat down, oppressed, disregarded or otherwise so maligned that you no longer have a voice or lack any sort of confidence. Or, maybe you’re in a different position — maybe you’re a person who has power, prestige, and influence. Maybe you’re in a position to elevate someone who is low or help them gain or regain confidence in themself.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, we continue in our Lessons From Lasso, as we dive into Season 1, Episode Three and look at how Coach Lasso elevates the team’s kit man (equipment) Nate into considering his idea for a potential play that might help the team. Nate lacks the confidence despite that his soccer knowledge far outweighs Coach Lasso’s. AS we consider Lasso and Nate’s exchange, we consider, too, how Jesus elevate the young men around him (his disciples).

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

How do we see ourselves? Special? Unique? Genius? World-talent? Many times, our selfishness takes over and we forget that we are part of a team, we forget that we are part of something bigger than ourself — it might be that we are part of a football team, a family, or another larger body.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, another of our Lessons From Lasso, we look at Coach Lasso’s sidebar conversation with Striker Jamie Tartt — Tartt is the epitome of selfishness and Lasso tries to win him over and see that he is actually part of a team, not just a 1 in a million player. So, too, people of faith, Christians, are to be people who recognize that they are part of a larger body — part of the church.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

Have you ever had a test that lasted just 90 minutes? Maybe it was a job interview or it was a first date impression. Did you get it right? Or, did you bomb it a miserably fail? In professional sport, the elite athlete, the coach has a certain time frame to prove themselves — to get it right, to succeed. And if they don’t — well, it’s a short-lived life sometimes in the midst of the professional game.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, in lesson 17 of our Lessons From Lasso series, I talk about the times of trial and testing that come into our lives. Usually, we will have more than 90 minutes to establish ourselves or to try and get it right. But not always — I have seen some scouts give a mere 30 seconds of viewing someone’s demo tape. Whether you have 90 minutes or 90 seconds, I want to encourage you with how God uses testing and trial in our lives.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

I can commiserate with Coach Lasso — not everyone comes from your same background and at times, in an honest attempt to support people, we can sometimes fail miserably. In today’s Lesson from Lasso, we are reminded of the sensitivity that we must often approach people with because “not everyone is fond of the American military” as we come to learn from star defender Sam Obisanya.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, in lesson 16 of our Lessons From Lasso series, I look at the awkward, pre-game moment between Sam and Coach Lasso. Lasso tries to encourage Sam, but essentially has to walk back the attempt because it just doesn’t suit him. I correlate this moment with a moment where we see Jesus in a particularly awkward moment as well.

Ted Lasso, the immensely popular streaming TV show in its second season on Apple TV+ features the antics and quirky, ‘Ted Lasso’ character brought to life in his own TV show series. 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, Rev Brad looks 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.

This Friday, December 3, is the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. With this in mind, we take a look at disability sport — it’s origins, some of the challenges, and the story of someone who is firmly entrenched in serving the disability sporting world as a chaplain.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, my friend and fellow sports chaplaincy colleague, Rev Steve Jones, joins us to share more on disability (sometimes called adaptive) sport. Steve is the UK Disability Lead for Sports Chaplaincy UK and we’ve had occasion to share a curry in England from one of my trips across the pond.

I pray that today’s podcast will help to open your eyes and my own toward those who participate in disability and all-ability sports.

Mentioned on today’s podcast:

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.

A few weeks ago, my friends, Dr Chad Carlson of Hope College and Dr Brian Bolt of Calvin University on their podcast Sport.Faith.Life ask the question, Would Jesus Play…Soccer? It’s part of a new series whereby they are looking at some of the different sports that Jesus would have participated in back in his day and what about that sport Jesus might have liked and what he would not have liked.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, I look at each of the reasons that Chad and Brian offer and then I offer a few of my own — on why I believe Jesus would have played soccer. And I can definitely say that I think Jesus would have.

Here’s the link to the Sport.Faith.Life podcast and blog if you want to give it a listen beforehand:

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.