Notes from Adrian Despres

This week’s notes come from Adrian Despres, a chaplain at the University of South Carolina in the USA.

At the University of South Carolina, I teach our Chaplains that there are four Commandments of Chaplaincy. Here they are:

Commandment 1. Never Coach! I played in college. I know football, but the coach has probably forgotten more than I know. Coaches do not want us coaching.

Commandment 2. Never get in the way. Do not talk to players at practice if there is the slightest chance that a coach wants them paying attention. Talk to them at breaks and after practice.

Commandment 3. Never be a fan. We are allowed to cheer a little and encourage, but fans yell at the guys when things are not going well and fans even yell at the refs!!!! NEVER!!

Commandment 4. NEVER deal with the media. The media will twist just about everything we say. Like the guy in Florida who had the headlines in USA Today saying all Jews are going to Hell. He was probably misquoted, but the next week of articles asked the question, "Should sports have Chaplains after all?" USA Today said NO! The ACLU is looking for us and they find us in the paper!!!! We do not want to get our coaches sued.

So as nice as it would be to have our pictures in the paper (Stroke our pride), do not do it - EVER.

Adrian Despres
Vice President Kingdom Building Ministries
Itinerant Evangelist
Chaplain USC Football
www.adriandespres.com