From the Touchline

Last week, the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) sprang back into action with the kickoff of the second annual Challenge Cup series. Major League Soccer (MLS) begins league play this weekend with its teams set to kick off across the US. With both leagues preparing to begin their respective seasons with what will, hopefully, be a bit of a return to normalcy for professional soccer in North America.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, Rev Brad is joined by Ben Dudley, co-chaplain of the Portland Timbers and Christina Garber, chaplain to the Portland Thorns. The three Soccer Chaplains United chaplains talk about the beginning of the season, contrast things with last year, and look ahead to the season in today’s podcast episode. Ben and Christina even share what the two professional soccer teams from Portland mean to the city and its people.

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.

Next week, the Swedish leagues (Allsvenskan, Superettan, etc.) kick off next week with the women’s league (Damallsvenskan) beginning the week after. With the global nature of the game of football (soccer) there have been many athletes and coaches who have played both in the United States and Sweden — and in honor of the season start, Mattias Ottestig joins me on the podcast today to share a little about his story as a footballer in Sweden and the ministry and work that he is part of today, known as KRIK. KRIK stands for Kristen Idrottskontakt or Christian Sports Contact is a youth organization that seeks to create and combine the joy in sports, the joy in the Christian faith and the joy in life for youth in Sweden.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, listen as Mattias shares his story and we even play a round of virtual ‘kubb’ where we both try to stump each other with pronouncing English and Swedish words — you can guess who likely wins!

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.

Today is known as Spy Wednesday. Coming in the middle of Holy Week, we are just days away from Easter, but tonight is the night when, according to the biblical account, Judas agreed to betray Jesus and disclose the disciple’s location so that the religious leaders could arrest Jesus. 30 pieces of silver. That was the price, that was the blood money that Judas took — the equivalent of paying off the life of a slave.

On today’s From the Touchline podcast, we look at Judas’ betrayal and betrayal moments that happen in football. If you have been around professional football for a length of time, it’s likely you have experienced some form of betrayal — whether as an athlete, a manger, or as a staffer. How do we respond to moments of betrayal in our lives. We take a closer look on today’s pod.

Scripture and resources mentioned on today’s podcast include:

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 stores.

In the wake of the shootings which occurred in Boulder, Colorado on Monday, March 22, 2021 one of the most difficult and penetrating questions that people ask is, “Where is God?” Where is God in the midst of suffering? Where is God in the midst of a shooting where ten people lose their lives?

Today’s From the Touchline podcast is different. I almost didn’t record one. It was difficult. But I share a few readings that can hopefully get us down the road a bit in wrestling with the question, “Where is God?” A passage from John Stott. A longer essay from Peter Kreeft, entitled Shared Hells. The ancient words of David from the text of Psalm 139. I have hyperlinked the resources below for quick reference.

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.

With the start of the season only a few days away, Christ Presbyterian Academy (Nashville) Chaplain Ryan Doyle joins to talk about his faith and family journey and what’s ahead for the CPA Lions. Rev Ryan Doyle, a long time soccer coach with CPA, now serves the team voluntarily as chaplain, a role that he really relishes.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, listen as Ryan shares about his faith story and how God took him as a young man and used a friend to confront him about his lifestyle — leading him to seek a different path. Ryan also shares about his family, especially his children — from adopting three of their six children and how his two sons are really enjoying being part of the CPA soccer program.

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.

Valor Christian High School Boy Soccer starts their season next Monday night. Soccer Chaplains United Chaplain, Greg Navitsky, who serves the team voluntarily, joins the podcast today for part two — sharing his soccer and life journey as well as his hopes and prayers for the Valor Eagles team.

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, listen as Chaplain Greg shares more about his Liverpool Academy experience and his journey that led him to Colorado and serving at Valor.

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.

Boys high school soccer in Colorado is just about to kickoff from a delayed started going back to last fall. Valor Christian High School chaplain, Greg Navitsky, joins the podcast today to share about his soccer and life story in this, part one of a two-episode podcast.

The From the Touchline podcast hosted by Rev Brad Kenney, features an interview with Chaplain Greg. Greg shares about how soccer was a huge part of his life growing up and how he reached a really high level, but was aware that maybe God was calling him to something different. Hear more about this former Liverpool Academy trialist who is a recent Denver Seminary graduate and addition to Soccer Chaplains United.

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.

2020 and 2021 have been difficult for college sports teams — seasons postponed, games canceled, college recruiting stopped, scholarships extended, and more. During such times, as coaches and athletes alike struggle with the every shifting, ever adapting changes it can be a vital space for a chaplain to step into and serve, and love, and speak truth.

Well today, on the From the Touchline podcast, Chaplain Miss Kim joins me on the podcast to share a bit about her life story and to talk about her work with the Trinity International University Men’s Soccer Team. Kim’s unique role wasn’t something she necessarily sought out, but God opened an amazing door and looking back over her life story, it’s easy to see how God was preparing her to not just be “Team Mom” but to be Team Chaplain.

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.

Today is Ash Wednesday and the time that the church and Christians around the world mark the beginning of the season of Lent and the 40 days or so leading up to Easter Sunday. 

Today, on the From the Touchline podcast, instead of doing a separate podcast, I have simply taken the audio (both English and Spanish and put it into our typical format). I encourage you to check out the recorded service on our YouTube page — we will have linked on the website, our social media outlets and on our app, but if you cannot watch the video service for some reason, I thought the audio would be at least better than nothing.

You can watch on our website, on the app SoccrChapUtd (iOS) (android) , or by linking through our social media pages: Facebook and LinkedIn.

YouTube English Version (40 min)

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.

Hoy es Miércoles de Ceniza y el momento en que la iglesia y los cristianos de todo el mundo marcan el comienzo de la temporada de Cuaresma y los 40 días previos al Domingo de Pascua. 

Hoy, en el podcast From the Touchline, en lugar de hacer un podcast separado, simplemente tomé el audio (tanto en inglés como en español y lo puse en nuestro formato típico). Te animo a que consultes el servicio grabado en nuestra página de YouTube; tendremos enlaces en el sitio web, nuestras redes sociales y nuestra aplicación, pero si no puedes ver el servicio de video por alguna razón, pensé que el audio estaría en menos mejor que nada. 

Doy una breve introducción en el podcast, así que perdonen mi mal español; sin embargo, mi capellán asociado Rubèn Rodríguez y su esposa proporcionan la traducción de audio al español para el servicio (y son mucho mejores).

Puedes mirar en nuestro sitio web, en la aplicación: SoccrChapUtd (iOS) (android), o enlazando a través de nuestras páginas de redes sociales: Facebook and LinkedIn.

YouTube Spanish Version (42 min)

From the Touchline es un podcast breve (generalmente de 10 a 15 minutos) con el reverendo Brad Kenney, fundador y director ejecutivo de Soccer Chaplains United y Volunteer Chaplain de los Rapids de Colorado de la Major League Soccer.

El reverendo Brad y los invitados ocasionales tocan varios temas relacionados con la fe, la familia y el fútbol (soccer).

Además, no olvide que puede escuchar en nuestra aplicación, SoccrChapUtd, en la tienda de Apple y Google.