I never expected to find myself walking this path but here I am, learning what it means to care for others not just as a coach, but as a chaplain-in-training. I’m sharing my journey honestly here ups, doubts, breakthroughs, and everything in between.
December 8, 2025
A Leader Who Carried Others
Moses understood the weight of leadership the responsibility of protecting others, making decisions for the greater good, and staying steady even when people questioned him. What set him apart was not perfection, but selflessness.
Great coaches and team leaders follow this same pattern:
- They take responsibility for mistakes.
- They protect the culture of the team.
- They build trust through honesty and consistency.
- They choose what is right, not what is easy.
Leadership built on selflessness creates teams that are united, resilient, and purpose-driven.
December 6, 2025
David’s Early Leadership Lessons
David’s leadership didn’t begin on the battlefield it began in hidden, quiet places. Watching sheep. Practicing discipline. Taking responsibility.
This is the foundation of authentic leadership:
small acts of integrity before big moments of influence.
Great captains, coaches, and team leaders embody this, not through speeches, but through consistent example.
December 5, 2025
Leadership Through Integrity
Nehemiah didn’t lead from above; he worked alongside his people. His strength came from integrity, not power. He taught an eternal leadership truth:
the work you do is a reflection of the person you are becoming.
When athletes and coaches act with honour, staying accountable, humble, and hardworking, their influence strengthens every person around them.
December 4, 2025
Joshua’s Leadership Under Pressure
Joshua inherited a nation, but he led with humility. His leadership was not based on charisma but on character, listening deeply, acting decisively, and placing the mission above himself.
Great leaders today do the same. They understand that commitment is not emotional; it is ethical. They remain stable when circumstances shift, guiding others through uncertainty with calm purpose.
November 22, 2025
The Coaches Who Led Like Shepherds
Throughout sports history, the most respected coaches — John Wooden, Gregg Popovich, Dawn Staley — all share a common trait: they lead like shepherds.
Wooden coached his players with discipline, yes, but also with deep personal care. Popovich is known for learning about his players’ families and cultures before coaching their game. Dawn Staley builds programs where every athlete knows they matter beyond wins and losses.
They all understood something simple: people don’t follow your strategy until they trust your heart.
A shepherd-leader guides with clarity, consistency, and genuine care — and the team becomes stronger because of it.
November 21, 2025
The Calm Leader in the Storm
Great leaders on teams, in classrooms, and in life are not the loudest. They are the calmest. They’re the ones who stay steady when frustration rises, when the game gets messy, when emotions flare. Their presence settles the room.
Think of coaches or mentors you’ve had who stayed composed during the toughest moments. They didn’t panic, and because they stayed calm, you stayed calm. That is what Jesus does for us. He doesn’t promise a storm free life; He promises to be with us in the storm, offering a peace that steadies us from the inside out.
Leadership begins with this: carrying peace into spaces that desperately need it.
“In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” — John 16:33
November 13, 2025
Rooted in Purpose and Community
As coaches, mentors, and educators, our greatest task isn’t to create perfect athletes, it’s to nurture rooted people. Young athletes, especially newcomers and immigrants finding their way in a new culture, need grounding. They need to know that their worth doesn’t depend on how they perform but on who they are.
When we model humility, unity, and patience, we remind them that strength doesn’t come from standing apart, but from standing together. A team that learns to stay connected to each other, to their purpose, to faith becomes unbreakable, even in defeat.
November 9, 2025
Leadership Through Alignment
True leadership doesn’t come from control; it comes from alignment living in tune with what is right, good, and eternal. Coaches and mentors who seek the Kingdom first model integrity in every decision.
This kind of leadership transforms teams and communities. When players see their leaders valuing fairness over winning, character over reputation, they learn to compete not just to achieve, but to honor.
As a coach or guide, you don’t just shape athletes you shape the moral landscape of their lives. Your influence becomes a living example of Kingdom centered living: strong, humble, and grounded.
“Let your light so shine before others, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
November 8, 2025
Coaching the Foundation
As a coach or mentor, your greatest task is not just to teach technique, it’s to help others build their lives on principles that last. A team’s culture, like a house, must be built carefully. Accountability, respect, honesty, and faith are the materials that give it strength.
When storms come, a tough season, internal conflict, or disappointment those shared values hold the team together. You can’t control every outcome, but you can build your program, your relationships, and your leadership on a rock-solid foundation of integrity and compassion.
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” — 1 Corinthians 3:11
October 26, 2025
Influence Through Example
True leadership comes from consistent example. Athletes like Hayley Wickenheiser or community mentors demonstrate that performance alone is not enough; it is the combination of skill, integrity, and the way you treat others that leaves a lasting impact.
Being salt and light means choosing to lift others, celebrate effort, and maintain honesty and respect, even when it is difficult. Influence is not about recognition; it is about creating environments where others can flourish.
“Do not hide your talents; use them to serve others and honor God.” — inspired by Matthew 25:14–30
October 19, 2025
Playing the Long Game of Faith
Grace under pressure is not a natural reaction; it’s a practiced posture. The best players know how to step back, breathe, and reset, not because they ignore the moment, but because they trust their preparation and their purpose. Spiritually, this means learning to surrender control while keeping your effort strong.
As a coach, teacher, or mentor, you see this play out in others too. The young player who keeps their composure after a mistake, the student who finds calm in a difficult new environment, those are victories that go deeper than scoreboards. Grace teaches that success is not found in domination, but in poise and persistence.
“Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.” James 1:4
October 13, 2025
The Gift of Divine Foresight
There is a quiet strength in trusting that God already sees the entire race even when we only see the next stride. Life does not always unfold in ways we expect; sometimes the dreams we plan evolve into purposes we could never have imagined. Divine foresight reminds us that our preparation is holy work because while we set the plan, it is God who gives direction.
As an immigrant, as a coach, as a believer, you learn to see life as a continuous act of beginning again. You plan, you hope, you build even when the future is uncertain. That courage is foresight in its most faithful form: walking into the unknown with peace in your heart.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.” Proverbs 3:5–6
October 12, 2025
The Story of Hayley Wickenheiser
Canadian hockey legend Hayley Wickenheiser was renowned not only for her skill but for her composure under pressure. During international tournaments, opponents, media, and fans created intense pressure, yet she maintained focus and grace.
Her secret? She trained her mind like she trained her body. Visualization, reflection, and disciplined routines allowed her to approach each game with clarity a lesson for athletes and coaches alike about the power of inner balance.
October 8, 2025
Christine Sinclair’s Lesson in Leadership
After leading Canada to Olympic gold, Christine Sinclair could have stepped away in triumph. Instead, she returned not chasing headlines, but guiding the next generation with patience and grace.
Her quiet presence on the field became a sermon in motion: leadership without ego. Sinclair reminds us that faith filled athletes don’t chase moments; they build legacies. Her example shows that consistency, not applause, is the real victory.
October 5, 2025
The Paradox of Greatness
Every great athlete eventually learns that greatness doesn’t mean standing above others. It means lifting them up. The paradox of humility is that it makes you a magnet for wisdom, trust, and respect.
Coaches value it. Teammates rely on it. Fans recognize it even when it’s quiet. True greatness doesn’t shout, it inspires.
September 28, 2025
Being Present in Loss
When Kobe Bryant passed away in 2020, chaplains and pastors across the NBA were called into one of their hardest roles: showing up in locker rooms and with families who were grieving. There were no right words in that moment. What mattered most was presence being there, sitting in silence, and letting players cry, process, and pray.
That’s the heart of chaplaincy: not fixing pain, but walking alongside it. Psalm 34:18 reminds us, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.” Sometimes, the chaplain’s role is simply to bring that closeness to life.
September 27, 2025
A Listening Ear
During the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles stunned the world by stepping back from competition to prioritize her mental health. While media debated, her chaplains and mentors stood quietly beside her, reminding her she was more than her medals. They didn’t fix her problem they offered space for her voice.
Chaplains often bring no solutions, just ears that listen and hearts that care. Proverbs 18:13 warns: “To answer before listening that is folly and shame.” True chaplaincy means creating a safe place for honesty.
September 22, 2025
Presence Over Words
One of the most overlooked gifts of a chaplain is presence. In 2020, NBA chaplains became a lifeline for players inside the Orlando “bubble.” Away from families, under enormous pressure, many players leaned on the chaplains just to talk, pray, or sit quietly with someone who understood. It wasn’t about preaching; it was about being there.
This echoes Job’s friends, who sat with him in silence for seven days when his life fell apart (Job 2:13). Sometimes presence speaks louder than words.
September 21, 2025
Listening Before Speaking
Too often in sports and life, advice comes quickly but listening comes slowly. A chaplain’s most powerful tool isn’t a sermon, but a listening ear. Proverbs 18:13 says: “To answer before listening that is folly and shame.”
When athletes feel heard, they often find clarity themselves. Sometimes, the presence of someone who truly listens is what gives a player strength to keep going.
September 19, 2025
The Ministry of Presence
In sports, everyone notices the coach calling plays or the player hitting a winning shot. But often, it’s the quiet chaplain or mentor who makes the deepest difference by simply being there. Presence says, “You matter, even when you’re not performing.”
Jesus modeled this beautifully. In Matthew 9:10, He sat and ate with people others ignored tax collectors and sinners. His presence alone restored dignity. For athletes under pressure, having someone who shows up not to judge or instruct, but just to be there can be life changing.
September 18, 2025
Listening Before Speaking
A sports chaplain isn’t just there to pray before a game or deliver a message; often, the most powerful ministry is simply listening. Athletes carry burdens pressure to perform, struggles at home, doubts about themselves. Sometimes they don’t need answers, just presence.
As James 1:19 says: “Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.” In leadership, in coaching, and in chaplaincy, being that quiet, safe presence is often what makes the biggest difference.
September 14, 2025
Trusting Teammates in the Heat of the Moment
One of the most beautiful truths in sports is that you cannot win alone. Even the greatest athletes need teammates. In 2019, the Toronto Raptors won their first NBA championship. Kawhi Leonard was the star, but it was the team’s collective trust, Fred VanVleet’s clutch shooting, Kyle Lowry’s leadership, Serge Ibaka’s energy that sealed the title.
This reminds us of Ecclesiastes 4:9: “Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.” Success always multiplies when shared.
September 12, 2025
Resilience After Defeat
One of the hardest lessons in both life and sports is how to respond when you lose. After the 2019 Women’s World Cup, Marta, the Brazilian forward, gave an emotional speech urging younger players to carry the torch for the next generation.
She reminded them that losses are not endings but beginnings. In faith, we are reminded of this same truth: “Though the righteous fall seven times, they rise again” (Proverbs 24:16). Defeat teaches resilience. It is not failure itself that defines us, but whether we choose to stand again.
September 9, 2025
Service Above Self
NBA Hall of Famer David Robinson, known as “The Admiral,” lived out humility and service long after basketball. He founded a school for underprivileged children in San Antonio, investing millions of his own earnings. Instead of chasing more spotlight, he chose to lift up the next generation.
Jesus said, “The greatest among you will be your servant” (Matthew 23:11). Robinson’s story proves that leadership is not measured by titles but by how deeply we serve others.
September 6, 2025
The Ministry of Presence
As a chaplain, one of the greatest gifts you bring is presence not always answers, not always solutions, but presence. In locker rooms and sidelines, sometimes the most powerful act is simply sitting with an athlete after a tough loss or during an injury.
One NFL team chaplain once recalled a player who tore his ACL in practice and immediately broke down, worried his career was over. The chaplain didn’t give advice or sermons. He just sat, listened, and prayed quietly with him. That moment simple presence was what the player remembered years later, not the recovery stats.
It’s a reminder that in sport and in life, being there is often greater than having the right words.
August 31, 2025
Leadership in Silence
At the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Japan lost their match and were eliminated from the tournament. Players were devastated. Their nation expected more, and yet they had come up short. Most teams would leave the locker room in frustration or bitterness. But the Japanese players quietly cleaned the entire locker room, left it spotless, and even wrote a handwritten note in Portuguese thanking Brazil for hosting.
The act had nothing to do with tactics or performance on the pitch. It was about character. Leadership isn’t always about speeches or victories sometimes it’s about the quiet things you do when no one is watching. That moment became global news because it showed that respect and humility are powerful forms of leadership too.
In life, we often think people will remember our big accomplishments, but what usually lasts is the way we treated others. Japan’s example reminds us that true leaders lead even in defeat, not just in triumph.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” — Matthew 5:16
August 30, 2025
Guidance & Mentorship
Guidance is not about supplying answers but awakening direction. A true mentor does not mold another into their own image but calls forth the unique strength that already exists within them. The purpose of mentorship is to light a path, not to walk it on someone’s behalf.
To guide someone requires patience. People do not grow on our timetable; they grow on theirs. The role of a coach or mentor is to remain steady, encouraging, challenging, and believing even when progress seems invisible.
August 29, 2025
Leadership
True leadership is never about commanding people into obedience. It is about creating a space where others feel safe to grow, to risk, to fail, and to rise again. The best coaches, teachers, and mentors are those who see greatness in others long before it is visible.
Everyone needs someone who can look at them and say, “You are capable of more. I believe in you.” Those words might sound simple, but they often spark transformation. The lesson here is clear: leadership is not about what you demand but about what you cultivate.
August 28, 2025
A Teacher’s Ripple Effect
In Toronto, there’s a story of a coach who worked at a high school where many of the kids were newcomers. He started a free Saturday basketball program so kids had a safe place to play and grow. One of his players, a refugee from Somalia, once said, “Coach was the first person who told me I could do something great in life.” Years later, that student graduated, became a mentor himself, and came back to thank his coach.
That’s the ripple effect of mentorship: when you invest in one life, you unknowingly invest in a community. Coaches and mentors plant seeds they might never see grow but years later, the harvest becomes clear.
August 25, 2025
The Ripple Effect of a Teacher
There’s a story from Winnipeg about a high school teacher who started a lunchtime basketball club for immigrant and refugee students. Many of them had never played organized basketball, but he showed up every day, sometimes with his own money for equipment.
Years later, one of his former students returned as a youth worker and said: “He didn’t just teach me basketball; he made me believe I belonged in Canada.”
This is mentorship at its finest not about the sport itself, but the life doors it opens.
August 24, 2025
Fighting Back
Bethany Hamilton’s story is one of those that stays with you. At just 13 years old, she was attacked by a shark while surfing in Hawaii and lost her left arm. Most people even the toughest athletes would have quit after something like that. Surfing isn’t just about skill; it requires balance, strength, and the ability to paddle into waves. Losing an arm should have ended her career.
But Bethany refused to let that moment define her. Within a month, she was back in the water. She learned new techniques, adapted her movements, and rebuilt her confidence. Later, she went on to become a professional surfer, competing against the world’s best. More than her wins, what people remember is her courage to come back, to rise after being knocked down so violently.
Her journey reminds us that resilience is not about never getting hurt it’s about deciding to keep going anyway. Every athlete, every person, faces moments where the world says, “You can’t.” What Bethany showed is that with faith, determination, and support, you can prove that voice wrong.
Like Romans 5:3–4 says: “We rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope.”
August 20, 2025
Perseverance
The story of Michael Oher, told in The Blind Side, is one of resilience. Growing up in poverty, often without stability or safety, he found family, mentorship, and belief through sport. Football became the avenue through which he built a new life and future. His journey shows that sport can be a lifeline when paired with faith and love.
Sometimes, perseverance is simply refusing to give up when the odds are stacked against you. Isaiah 40:31 reminds us, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles.”
August 19, 2025
Redemption Through Sport
MLB player Josh Hamilton nearly lost everything to addiction. For years, drugs and alcohol controlled his life. But through recovery, accountability, and faith, he made a comeback winning the 2010 AL MVP award and inspiring countless people battling their own struggles. Hamilton often shared openly about his failures, pointing to grace as the reason for his second chance.
Redemption is possible. Our failures don’t have to define us they can refine us. Romans 8:1 says, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
August 17, 2025
Strength in Vulnerability
NBA All-Star Kevin Love shocked many when he opened up about his struggles with anxiety and panic attacks. At the height of his career, instead of hiding, he chose to speak honestly about his mental health, breaking a silence that many athletes carry. His courage didn’t just help himself it gave permission to countless athletes to admit their struggles and seek help.
True strength isn’t pretending to be invincible it’s admitting we’re human. Vulnerability doesn’t weaken leadership; it deepens it. Love’s honesty turned pain into purpose, and it reminds us that wholeness is more valuable than perfection.
August 16, 2025
Serving Others
Great leaders don’t just chase success; they lift others up. One example is Tim Tebow, who regardless of what people thought of his playing career used his platform to serve. Through the Tim Tebow Foundation, he created “Night to Shine,” a global prom event for people with special needs, giving them dignity and joy.
Service like this reminds us of Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
In sport and in faith, real greatness isn’t measured by trophies but by how many people you help shine.
August 15, 2025
Small Words, Big Impact
Pat Summitt, legendary coach of the Tennessee Lady Vols, was known for her intensity, but those who played for her often talk about the quiet moments that meant the most. One former player recalled being in the depths of a slump, feeling invisible and frustrated. After a tough practice, Summitt walked past her, put a hand on her shoulder, and simply said, “You matter to this team.”
It wasn’t a long conversation or a public gesture it was a small, private reminder that she was seen. That one sentence became a turning point in the player’s confidence and performance. It’s a reminder that encouragement doesn’t need a microphone it just needs to be sincere.
August 12, 2025
A Conversation That Changed Everything
Years ago, I had a short but powerful conversation with a young man who was struggling with discipline both in sport and in life. I didn’t lecture him. Instead, I asked, “What do you want your story to be when you look back on this chapter of your life?”.
He didn’t answer right away, but months later, he told me that question had stuck with him and pushed him to change his habits. Sometimes the most impactful mentorship isn’t giving answers, but asking the right questions.
August 10, 2025
Mentorship That Outlives the Moment
In 2015, Maya Moore, one of the greatest WNBA players, stepped away from basketball in her prime not for injury, not for rest but to help free an innocent man, Jonathan Irons, from wrongful imprisonment. She had met him through a prison ministry years earlier and believed in his innocence. Her mentorship and advocacy changed his life forever.
Mentorship isn’t just about guiding someone’s career it’s about showing up for them as a person, even when there’s nothing in it for you. The scoreboard fades, but the lives we impact remain.
August 7, 2025
The Quiet Impact of Belief
In 2014, a high school basketball coach in Georgia noticed one of his players staying late after practice, shooting alone. The player had a stutter and was often teased, but he had something rare: grit. The coach began spending extra hours with him, helping him not just shoot better, but speak with confidence. That player eventually gave a valedictorian speech in front of 2,000 people.
We often think coaching is about game plans and trophies. But sometimes it’s just about seeing someone, truly seeing them, when no one else does. That belief can change a life.
August 5, 2025
Lessons from Losing a Job You Loved
A chaplain in Manitoba shared how he lost his job coaching at a small college, budget cuts. At first, he felt betrayed, even humiliated. But he continued showing up in the community, volunteering, mentoring, staying connected. Two years later, he was asked to come back not just as a coach, but as the school’s spiritual advisor for all athletes.
He shared, “If I had walked away angry, I wouldn’t be here now. Losing my job made room for my calling.”
Sometimes God’s detours are not punishment they’re preparation. It’s okay to grieve the door that closed. But don’t ignore the window God is gently opening.
August 4, 2025
Grace in the Grey
One of the most difficult things in life is not being able to tell your side of the story, especially when others paint a version that benefits them. I’ve been there. What you once called friendship or mentorship becomes distorted when people see an opportunity.
But being a chaplain or someone who simply walks with others through hard things means you learn to live with grace in the grey areas. You can’t control every narrative, but you can control the energy you bring into a room. You can decide to keep loving, even when others misunderstand your intentions.
And sometimes, the best testimony isn’t the one you give out loud it’s the way you keep showing up, eyes forward, without needing applause or defense.
August 3, 2025
Beyond the Locker Room
I once had a conversation with a young athlete who shared that his biggest fear wasn’t losing it was being forgotten.
That reminded me why chaplaincy matters. You’re not there to hype people up, but to remind them they matter, even when the game is over. That athlete didn’t need strategy he needed presence. Sometimes the ministry is in sitting beside someone silently, letting them feel seen.
“Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.” — Romans 12:15
To be a chaplain is to show up for others not to fix but to be with.
August 2, 2025
Father David Bauer’s Visionary Ministry
Fr. David Bauer was a Canadian priest who refused an NHL contract, choosing instead to nurture young athletes through faith, education, and sports ministry.
Bauer’s theology saw sport as pilgrimage not performance. He believed development of character was more important than trophies. He coached, taught, and prayed alongside athletes to shape a new identity rooted in service and faith.
His theological legacy reminds me: chaplaincy is less about programs and more about forming souls one conversation, one life at a time.
August 1, 2025
Unexpected Ministry Moments
Once, a CFL chaplain shared a story: after a heavy loss, one player stayed behind alone in the locker room. Helmet still on, head hung low. The chaplain didn’t need words he simply sat. For over an hour, he stayed, quietly listening to a grieving athlete.
That night, the player said:
“Just having someone there made me feel like I mattered.”
Chaplaincy isn’t always scheduled. It’s often solitary presence. Faith isn’t always spoken, it’s felt in the stillness alongside someone carrying pain alone.
July 30, 2025
Coaching in the Margins
Years ago, a Canadian college assistant coach I met was asked to run drills and “just keep the bench players engaged.” He didn’t complain. He went to work. He noticed a freshman who always arrived early but barely got playing time.
He started talking with him, asking about his family, his goals, his fears. They built trust.
Three years later, that same player became team captain not because of talent, but because of how he carried himself. He later told the coach, “You were the first adult who made me feel I wasn’t invisible.”
That’s chaplaincy in action. No stage. No title. Just presence and care.
July 28, 2025
A Small Moment with Big Impact
A story I recently came across was about a Division III assistant basketball coach in the U.S. who sat down one day with a walk on player during a team trip. The player had been quiet all season and barely got any minutes. The coach casually asked how he was doing and the player broke down.
What followed was a 90 minute conversation. The coach didn’t give life changing advice. He just listened. A year later, that same player wrote a letter saying, “That talk saved me. I was thinking of dropping out of school. You showed me I mattered.”
That coach wasn’t trying to be a chaplain. But he was doing chaplaincy. He was present, kind, and available.
Sometimes you don’t need to quote Scripture to preach. Just show up and care.
July 27, 2025
Father David Bauer
Father David Bauer was a Catholic priest who also coached Team Canada’s national hockey team through the 1960s and his approach changed Canadian sports forever. He insisted on students finishing school rather than chasing pro contracts at age 15, and he built a national program centered on character, faith, and service.
When asked why he gave up a potential NHL career, Bauer said his purpose was bigger than trophies it was about bringing long term identity and meaning to athletes, even if it meant turning down professional glory.
“You are not here to score goals, you’re here to help shape lives.”
This shaped how I see chaplaincy: not as decoration, but as foundation. Whether mentoring a coach in conflict, or sitting with a player wrestling with purpose, I’m reminded that our influence is often measured in character impact not highlight reels.
July 24, 2025
When Faith Walked Into the Locker Room
Sometimes chaplaincy doesn’t come with a title, it comes with a presence.
Michael “Pinball” Clemons, a legendary CFL player and executive with the Toronto Argonauts, is known for far more than his football stats. His spiritual life runs deep, but it’s his way of carrying faith without forcing it that has left a lasting mark. Throughout his career, players recall that Pinball listened before he spoke, and when he did speak it was never preachy. It was meaningful.
He once said:
“It’s not about religion; it’s about relationship. God gave me this position not for titles or touchdowns, but to serve.”
What makes this powerful is not just the platform he had but how he used his influence to guide, mentor, and uplift others in ways that felt deeply human, not institutional.
I’ve come to believe that chaplaincy isn’t always wearing a badge or standing behind a pulpit. It’s the quiet voice in the back of the bus, the shared prayer before a game, or the hand on a shoulder after a tough loss. It’s being there really being there.
“Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” – Matthew 5:16
July 23, 2025
Voice Beyond the Mic
Longtime Raptors announcer and chaplain Herbie Kuhn shared a pivotal moment in Pickering, ON, invited to speak modestly at a youth camp, he chose Philippians 4:13:
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
That day, he realized his voice was meant for more than play by play, it was meant to reflect hope, belonging, and transformation. It reminds me that sometimes our first step into a spiritual role is simply showing up with honesty.
July 21, 2025
Standing Beside The Game
There’s a quiet honor in being present not preaching, not correcting, just being there when the moment matters.
Chaplain David Wells, who served during the Pan Am Games in Toronto, said: “It’s not always about quoting Scripture. Sometimes, the most spiritual thing you can do is sit beside an athlete who lost.”
That resonated with me. As someone preparing to serve in a similar way, I remind myself: success in chaplaincy isn’t measured by words it’s measured by presence, compassion, and listening. Your silence might be someone else’s stability.
July 20, 2025
From the Court to the Heart
Last week, I spent three full days in Medicine Hat going through training to become an instructor for the Roots of Empathy program. I went in expecting to gain tools for working with youth and emotional development, but what I walked away with was something far deeper something that’s still sitting with me now.
The training wasn’t just about identifying emotions or teaching emotional literacy. It was about connection. Real, human connection, the kind that sits heart to heart, not just face to face. The kind that changes the way you listen, how you see people, and even how you carry yourself in silence. It reminded me of something I’m starting to understand more deeply in my life which is empathy is a form of leadership.
As a coach, I’ve always seen my role as bigger than basketball. But now, as I step into the journey of becoming a chaplain, I see even more clearly how much emotional presence matters. And not just on the surface, not just saying “I’m here for you” but actually being present. Feeling what someone else is feeling, without fixing, without preaching, without trying to be the hero.
During my chaplaincy training through the Christian Leaders Institute, I came across a video that hit me like a brick in the best way. It’s called “Empathy: The Human Connection to Patient Care”.
Even though it’s based in a hospital setting, the truth it carries reaches far beyond medicine. It speaks to what it means to be with people in their pain, their fear, their moments of uncertainty and not trying to rush them through it.
“Empathy is feeling with people.” – Brené Brown
That simple idea, shown so powerfully in the video and echoed in the Roots of Empathy training, shook something in me. In the fast paced world of sports, and honestly in life, we often overlook this. We want answers. Results. Action. But sometimes, the most powerful thing we can offer is our quiet presence, our shared humanity.
When I think about the chaplain I want to become, and the coach I continue striving to be, I realize they share the same foundation: presence, empathy, trust.
These past few weeks have been transformational for me. Not because I learned a list of strategies or quotes to repeat. But because I was reminded that the most important thing I can bring to the people I lead is my full self vulnerable, honest, and willing to sit with them in the highs and the lows.
As I move forward, I carry this with me:
- As a coach: to see beyond the stat sheet and recognize the story each player carries.
- As a chaplain-in-training: to walk gently with people in their brokenness, not as someone with all the answers, but as someone who truly cares.
- As a human being: to keep choosing empathy, especially when it’s easier not to.
If you’ve ever felt misunderstood, unheard, or emotionally alone you’re not weak. You’re human. And sometimes all we need is for someone to truly see us.
This is what I’m learning. This is what I hope to bring into every space I serve on the court, in the community, and beyond.
July 19, 2025
Serve Without Needing the Stage
There’s a hidden cost to caring for others, you might give more than you ever receive back.
For years, I’ve shown up in the background of people’s lives not as a hero, but simply as someone who saw their worth when they couldn’t. I’ve guided athletes through rough seasons, personal pain, isolation, and doubt. And often, it was thankless work. Sometimes even misunderstood.
Still, I’d do it again.
Why?
Because leadership, true leadership isn’t about being right or being praised. It’s about presence. It’s about being there when everyone else walks out. Not to fix people, but to remind them that they are not alone.
In Philippians 2:3–4, Paul writes, “Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves.” That isn’t about becoming a doormat. It’s about remembering that dignity and care aren’t transactional.
Sometimes, your impact won’t be recognized until years later. Maybe never.
That’s okay.
Plant the seed anyway.
July 18, 2025
One Sentence That Changed My Whole Night
Last night, my daughter just two years old looked at me with those big eyes and said, “Good night, Daddy.” That’s it. But something about the way she said it… it stayed with me.
I slept better than I had in weeks. I woke up lighter. And in that small moment, I was reminded how powerful love is even in just a few words.
Being a chaplain or mentor doesn’t always mean preaching, fixing, or advising. Sometimes, it’s just showing up consistently in someone’s life and saying, “I’m here.”
That little sentence from my daughter gave me strength. And that’s the kind of presence I want to carry into every gym, every practice, every life I walk alongside.
July 17, 2025
The Ministry of Showing Up
There’s a story that’s stayed with me about chaplains serving Utah college football teams. They weren’t preaching sermons or handing out Bible tracts. They were just there. At practice. In the locker room. After the losses. When players broke down or felt lost, they didn’t rush in with answers they stayed, listened, and simply showed up.
I think about how often I’ve been in rooms where someone just needed a human being to sit with them not a coach, not a leader, not a fixer. Just someone willing to be present.
That’s what chaplaincy is becoming for me not about knowing everything or saying the perfect thing, but carrying a quiet authority that says, “I won’t let you go through this alone.” That’s the kind of person I want to be more of.
July 16, 2025
For the Ones Left Out
There were two players once, sisters, close, inseparable. They were part of a university team where being different or standing out came at a cost. Teammates turned cold. The locker room got quieter. Eyes rolled. Whispers started.
They were isolated, but they didn’t back down. And even when their voices got ignored, they still showed up. They cried. They hurt. And every day, I did my best to be someone they could trust. Not just a coach, but a steady presence.
I didn’t always have the right answers, but I had time. I had care. Sometimes that’s all people need.
They eventually left that environment and found new places that saw their worth. And when I think of what chaplaincy means to me, not officially, but in my spirit, I think of them. I think of what it means to be there when no one else is.
July 15, 2025
The Power of Seeing Someone
I’ve always been what people call a “players’ coach.” Not just on the court, but off it too. I didn’t set out to be anyone’s chaplain, but maybe I’ve been practicing that role for years without knowing it.
There was an athlete I coached at the University of Toronto MBB, quiet, kind, and deeply misunderstood. He was Black. He was different. And he was ridiculed constantly, sometimes in subtle ways, sometimes not. His skill was overlooked, and his spirit was bruised. But he kept showing up.
One day, I told him something simple but true: I think you’d make a great firefighter. He didn’t see it at the time. But I saw his courage, his protectiveness, his discipline. Years later, long after I left the program, he messaged me a long thank-you. He had become a firefighter. He was thriving. And he said my words had stayed with him.
That moment taught me something sacred, sometimes being a chaplain isn’t about quoting scripture or saying the perfect thing. It’s about seeing someone clearly and telling them the truth they’ve stopped believing.
July 14, 2025
Why I Said Yes
When Pastor Brent (Foothills Alliance Church) sat with me and brought up the idea of stepping into a volunteer chaplain role for the sports ministry, my first reaction was: Me? Really?
I’m not a pastor. I don’t have years of seminary training. I’m not perfect. I’ve made mistakes. I still struggle with doubt and questions about my faith. But the more we talked, the more I realized: maybe that’s exactly why this matters.
I’ve spent my life in the world of sports playing, coaching, mentoring, listening. I’ve seen the pressure that athletes carry. The weight that builds behind the scenes. And I know how often people walk into practices, games, and even victories while silently carrying pain, anxiety, fear, grief.
I said yes to this chaplain journey not because I had all the answers, but because I believe in showing up for people. Being present. Listening. Sharing whatever wisdom I’ve learned through my own mess. Sometimes it’s not about preaching it’s just being someone who’s willing to sit with others and say, “I get it. You’re not alone.”
That’s ministry. That’s what I think chaplaincy can look like. Just being there when people need someone with skin on, someone who will remind them that God isn’t just in the church building. He’s in the locker room. On the sideline. In the bus rides after losses. In the quiet tears and the nervous laughter.
This is just the beginning of my chaplain journey. I don’t know all the steps yet. But I’m walking by faith, and I’m open to whatever God wants to do next.
July 13, 2025
I Never Thought I’d Be Here
To be honest, I never imagined myself in chaplaincy. I was a coach. An athlete. A mentor, maybe. But a “chaplain”? That felt far from reach.
Then God started to press something deeper on my heart. He showed me the brokenness behind the strong faces. The loneliness behind the hustle. And I knew I couldn’t just coach skill. I had to care for souls.
So I said yes. Even though I felt unqualified. Even though I’m still learning. I’m now training through Christian Leaders Institute (CLI), and every module, every prayer, every tear is forming something new in me.
This is my journey. I’m not perfect. But I’m present. And if God can use my story, my wounds, my coaching shoes, he can use yours too.
You’re invited to walk this road with me. One faithful step at a time.
fatihakser.ca 