september 17 - 23 | 2014
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Chaplain kicks goals By KYLIE WILSON
HERE TO LISTEN:
Phil Staff is committed to supporting local football players in his work as a sports chaplain. PHOTO: Kylie Wilson
GARDENING WITH
DEBBI
RSPCA
FILM
RATTLES
RUNNER
WITH
THE MAZE
WINE TALK WITH
ANITA
ON chilly winter Saturdays over the past few years, Phil Staff has done everything around Bright Football and Netball Club, from carrying the water, goal umpiring, manning the scoreboard and keeping the rooms tidy. But his real calling is his role as the club’s chaplain. It has become increasingly prevalent in sports, with teams such as the West Coast Eagles having their own chapel, and many AFL clubs having their own chaplain. Phil’s passion for the work stemmed from a pastoral care course at the Austin Repatriation Hospital, and someone connected with the course urged him to consider sports chaplaincy. The avid sports enthusiast, who has run several marathons, pursued the idea, first working as a sports chaplain at the 2009 Australian Masters Games in Geelong. “It was a really good experience, and it just followed on from there,” he said. Over the years Phil’s role has grown with the Bright Football and Netball Club, to the point where he and the players can talk as freely and as often as they need to. “It is an important task, and I really value that a lot,” he said. continued page |
3
AFSL 247298
WAW–
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