WELCOME TO THE PRO SOCCER CHAPLAINS ASSOCIATION

WHO WE ARE

The Pro Soccer Chaplains Association is a collective of chaplains committed to working together to support and encourage chaplains serving the players, coaches, and staff within professional soccer. We seek to empower chaplains to serve the spiritual, emotional, social, and mental health needs and challenges of all players and staff, regardless of their spiritual or religious background. The foundation of this work is built on trust and accessibility, offering a safe space where players feel seen, supported, and valued.

WHAT WE DO

The PSCA is a collective of chaplains committed to standards that support, encourage and edify each other to best serve the players, coaches and staff of professional soccer. We seek to establish best practice standards and provide the resources to help both chaplain and club be successful. We do this through three distinct strategic imperatives:

    • The PSCA seeks to create a supportive TEAM for soccer chaplains. To provide opportunities that facilitate a sense of partnership among chaplains.

    • We accomplish this by holding regularly scheduled virtual meetings and in-person regional gatherings.

  • The PSCA creates resources, and shares best practices, to educate PSCA chaplains to better serve their club.

    • This includes providing guest speakers from successful clubs, creating a repository of resources, facilitating the sharing of best practices, etc.

  • The PSCA sets the standard for chaplains. Currently, PSCA chaplains are asked to:

    • Be affiliated with one of the founding member organizations and accountable to uphold the values of their organization as well as the standards of the PSCA.

    • To complete a background check with their respective member organization and to participate in additional screening at the request of the club they serve.

    • To complete SafeSport training annually.

    • To provide their club with the contact information of their organization’s supervisor.

    • To participate in PSCA ongoing virtual and in-person trainings.

THE CHAPLAIN

From the earliest days of professional soccer in North America, chaplaincy has been quietly and consistently present, walking alongside players, coaches, and staff through every stage of their careers and lives. As the leagues themselves have matured and expanded, so too has the ministry of chaplaincy—now two to three generations deep. What began as a grassroots effort to offer spiritual care and guidance has grown into a trusted and embedded presence across teams and cities. Over the years, chaplains have provided care for thousands of players, offering a steady source of encouragement, counsel, and prayer. Many athletes trace key moments of spiritual growth and transformation to the faithful presence of their chaplain, whose impact often extends far beyond the pitch. As the leagues continue to develop, chaplaincy remains a vital part of that growth, accelerating faith journeys and shaping lives within the ever-evolving landscape of professional soccer.
A chaplain’s role and responsibilities will vary by club. The PSCA recommends that all aspects of the chaplain’s role be discussed prior to serving and regularly reviewed by the club’s assigned contact. The following services are often provided by a chaplain within the professional soccer community:

  • Many players benefit from participating in a pre-game chapel and/or Bible study to prepare themselves for the time before, during and after competition. All interactions and services are offered voluntarily, with full respect for the player's autonomy in choosing if, how, and when to engage.

  • Professional sports and all that comes with it can present real and ongoing challenges for players and staff. Research has shown:

    • 35% of elite athletes suffer a mental health crisis, which may appear as stress, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, or drug use.

    • 58% of young adults (18-25) say they lack "meaning or purpose."

    • 45% of professional athletes struggle with anxiety & depression.

    • Manchester United reported in May 2021 that their analysis had found that there had been a 350% increase in social media abuse directed towards its players since September 2019.

    With these challenges in view, team chaplains seek to provide encouragement, guidance, practical care, and growth opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible. In professional soccer the environment is inherently isolating due to constant travel, shifting team dynamics, and the high- pressure nature of the sport. Players and staff often lack immediate access to a supportive community where they can thrive and flourish as whole beings.

  • The following areas are commonly addressed under the careful counsel & guidance of chaplains:

    • Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Dating, Engagement, Marriage, Living Away From Home, Living In Another Culture, Having Difficult Conversations with Teammates, Coaches, and Agents, Parenting Financial Budgeting, Time Management, Finding Inner Joy and Peace, Media Consumption and Addiction, Financial Planning and Stewardship, Grief and Loss, Finding Purpose, Combating Fear, Living According to One's Values, Growing Closer to God, Prayer, Meditation, and Mindfulness, Addressing Shame and Guilt, Transfers & Trades.

  • PSCA chaplains seek to improve their ability to serve their club by:

    • Being affiliated with one of the founding member organizations and accountable to uphold their values as well as the standards of the PSCA.

    • By regularly meeting with their founding member organization, as well as their pro soccer chaplain peers, to seek out best practices and learning.

    • By regularly attending PSCA training calls and attending in-person regional training gatherings

IMPACT

  • "Chaplaincy has enriched and humanized my professional soccer experience in a way that I never thought was possible. In this industry, we are so often exclusively viewed as what we do, and how we perform. Chaplaincy is the only space where we are are not asked what we can do for them, but what they can do for us. It is also the only space where we are truly seen and valued for who we are and not just what we do. There isn’t a market I go to in the NWSL where I am not greeted by someone I now know and love — where I’m not prayed for, encouraged, cared for, tended to, and loved deeply. I don’t want to imagine a league experience without it."

    Sam Coffey (Portland Thorns)

  • "As athletes, we face incredible pressures and emotional highs and lows. For me, my faith provides a framework to navigate these ups and downs. I deeply appreciate having a chaplain on the team because they offer a different kind of support – a focus on the person behind the performance. They provide a confidential space to process challenges, offer comfort in difficult times, and remind us that our worth isn't solely tied to our athletic achievements. That holistic care benefits every single one of us."

    Mark McKenzie (Toulouse FC)

  • "Chaplains have been an invaluable presence in my life over the years, offering unwavering support and guidance. Their impact has been profound, providing spiritual strength off the field that has allowed me to bring my best self to work everyday. I’ve always trusted them to offer wisdom, encouragement, and a safe space to navigate the challenges I’ve faced on and off the field. Their support has been instrumental in helping me grow and stay grounded through life's most pivotal moments. The women who have stepped into these roles have been a blessing to myself and made this league a safer and better place."

    Morgan Gautrat (Orlando Pride)

  • "Chaplains have been a tremendous resource for me. They really help me stay in routine and stay ready for the trainings and games from a mental but also a spiritual perspective. The chaplains have helped foster closer relationships amongst my teammates too. Through the chapels and other programming, I have made a lot of connections with people that extend outside of camp and continue on down the line - being there for each other and understanding certain struggles or successes that I wouldn’t have known about. Chaplaincy has really created a bigger family and support system in my journey and career as a professional player."

    Tanner Tessman (Olympique Lyonnais)

The PSCA includes more than 80 chaplains serving in the MLS, NWSL, USL, USL Super League, MLS Next, USSF, USWNT, and USMNT. The PSCA Management Team includes the following individuals:

OUR TEAM

  • Fleceia Comeaux (Houston)

    BOARD CHAIR

  • Andy Young (Philadelphia)

    US SOCCER CO-CHAIR & MLS CO-CHAIR

  • Lori Krueger (Kansas City)

    US SOCCER AND USL CO-CHAIR

  • Andy Searles (Orlando)

    MLS CO-CHAIR & UNITE TEAM CO-CHAIR

  • Steve Hawthorne (New York)

    MLS CO-CHAIR

  • Melissa Lopez (Louisville)

    NWSL CO-CHAIR & UNITE TEAM CO-CHAIR

  • Sarah March (Chicago)

    NWSL CO-CHAIR

  • Steve Wagner (San Antonio)

    USL CHAIR

  • Jeff Hancock (Atlanta)

    EQUIP TEAM

  • Garrett Bates (Lexington)

    DEVELOP/ACCREDIT TEAM

  • Jim Garvin (St. Louis)

    MLS CO-CHAIR & TREASURER

FOUNDING PARTNERS

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The PSCA is a collective of chaplains committed to standards that support, encourage and edify each other to best serve the players, coaches and staff of professional soccer. We seek to establish best practice standards and provide the resources to h
We love to see God at work through our chaplains. Some have been doing this for decades and others are new laborers God brings into the fold. @brett.miller shared with us, how is his first full year as a chaplain, he has been so encouraged to see th
Whether it’s on the field or off, whatever your role is; let’s do everything for the Lord, just as Colossians 3:17 says. #chaplaincy #prosoccer #prosports #doitallforgod #soccerforgod #onthefield #sportsministry
Last summer was the launch of the new USL super league. With the first eight teams in the league’s inaugural year, the PSCA was working hard to ensure every team was equipped with a Chaplain. As the teams built camaraderie and started to get
“The strong bond between players has played an important role in [a] team’s success, and an active Bible study [can] help build a strong foundation of faith in the locker room.” This is a quote from Emily Sams who is a regular part
Who are we? We- the PSCA (Pro Soccer Chaplains Association)-are a collective of chaplains committed to working together to support and encourage chaplains serving the players, coaches, and staff within professional soccer. We seek to empower chapl
The PSCA is a collective of chaplains committed to standards that support, encourage and edify each other to best serve the players, coaches and staff of professional soccer. We seek to establish best practice standards and provide the resources to h
Our very own, Fleceia Comeaux serves as a chaplain for the Houston DASH and oversees the chaplain network for the WNBA to support professional athletes achieve spiritual and emotional balance as they compete at the top of their game. In the article
Be courageous. What does that mean to you? For me, that involves stepping out, up and going for it! This is my verse of the year and it is pertinent because God is consistently calling me into new waters. New ministry with a female USL Super League t
How do you respond to a win or a loss? Whether you are a player, coach or anyone on the team, your value doesn’t lie in the score board but in who God made you to be. Colossians 3:23-24 says “Whatever you do, work at it with all your he
Godliness holds value for ALL things! 1 Timothy 4:8 NIV For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come. Thank you God that you care about our whole bein
Another method of ours: We do life, we break bread, we make collages with silly magazines! We show up for professional soccer coaches, players and staff to remind them that God is with them, for them and only He defines their identity not the worl
This is one of our methods. We get together with players, coaches and staff, checking in on them and supporting them spiritually with prayer, scripture encouragement and connecting them with churches to plug in. #coffeeandbible #oneononetime❤️
Delivering care and compassion to all, within the guidelines of the clubs and leagues we serve, the Pro Soccer Chaplains Association (PSCA) provides clear standards and pathways-of-accountability for volunteer chaplaincy. We accredit our member organ