Be Available

Being a Sport Chaplain or Mentor for people of sport is not often convenient. Unless you do it as a full-time profession, it can be very inconvenient. This aspect of the role is most costly. Being available doesn’t mean just for periodic practices, competitions and such. It means making trips to the hospital to visit the ailing coach or player. It could mean a trip to the emergency room in an ambulance. It may mean painful visits to wakes and funerals.

Being there is most important. Noting can replace the investment of time and inconvenience that one pays when he breaks off an appointment or a dinner engagement to visit with a troubled young player. Nothing can devalue the hours spent over dinner in your home with a coaching staff or individual competitors.

During May of 2000, I received a call one evening from the head coach of the Men’s Track and Field team at the university. After some small talk he asked me what my plans were for the coming week and I shared them briefly with him. He then asked if I’d like to go with the team to the Missouri Valley Championships in Wichita. I asked why and the answer stunned me. One of the shot and discus throwers from the women’s team had recently been diagnosed with schizophrenia, had withdrawn from the team and the university and had just committed suicide that weekend. The coaches were really worried about their athletes and the administrators were very concerned about how the others on the team would react. I said, “Hey, I’m not a psychologist!” To which he responded, “Yeah, we already have one of those, but the kids know you and trust you.” After some quick consultation with my wife, I called him back and agreed to go. I didn’t know exactly what to expect, but I was willing to be of assistance however I could. I had several opportunities to speak with those athletes and their coaches about the real life and death spiritual issues surrounding this very troubling situation.

Being available to those in your care, on their schedule, is invaluable. If you’re not willing to be regularly inconvenienced for them, please don’t presume to be their Sport Mentor.