Us Aussies are an active bunch with an estimated 14.4 million people participating in some form of exercise, recreational or sporting activity each year. We love our sport and many of us find a rich sense of community within the various sporting clubs or groups in which we associate with.

Where does Sports Chaplaincy fit in all of this

Sports Chaplaincy Australia (SCA) was established in 1984 and today has over 400 chaplains serving as volunteers in local and high-performance sports across the sporting landscape in Australia. Some chaplains also serve in critical incident sports such as Motor Racing, Surf Lifesaving and Horse Racing. The Bendigo Football League currently has five chaplains serving across four clubs (South Bendigo, Golden Square, Strathfieldsaye, Kangaroo Flat and Maryborough) with other clubs seeking chaplains as part of their strategy of care.

People often ask me what a sports chaplain does at a sporting club. The simple answer is we "loiter with intent." Sporting clubs are full of ordinary people who at various times face some extraordinary problems. Sports chaplains are trained to provide genuine pastoral care and wellbeing support for the members of their sporting communities in their time of need.

While chaplains provide a range of different services to clubs (e.g., mentoring, crisis management, grief, loss and bereavement care, a caring person for those in distress etc.), our goal, as chaplains, is to play our part in helping create a healthy, positive culture within the sporting communities that we serve.

I’ve been around the South Bendigo FNC for several years and I've really enjoyed getting to meet and know many different people during this time. Make sure you come and introduce yourself to me as there are a lot of people connected to the "Bloods" that I still must meet.

Don’t hesitate to be in touch with me via my club email welfare@southbendigofnc.com.au if you ever need anything. I can also be contacted on 0408 413 026.

Loitering with intent...