The last year has seen not just the number of chaplains increase but also the variety of sports being served. At regionals we have seen chaplains involved in football, rugby union, rugby league, horse racing, cricket, athletics, ice hockey & triathlon.
From the early days of predominant involvement in football this shows how much we have developed as an organisation. It is also unusual to have a regional without female chaplains present showing the inroads being made in women’s sport.
The challenge with such diverse growth is to make our chaplains’ regionals not just a time of networking and prayer but also to provide relevant training. In recent years we have included training on handling the media and stress management and over the last 12 months we have added gambling addiction awareness and bereavement support in the case of an untimely death. We are particularly pleased to have linked with Care for the Family in the area of bereavement support and see this as another important partnership as we move forward. Striving for excellence is a key value in sports chaplaincy and we believe our regionals are important in empowering chaplains to do this.
Matt Baker
Pastoral Support Director in English Football
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