Sports Chaplaincy Australia

Bringing another level of investment to the game

We exist to see a chaplain serving in every sports club in Australia. This is because when you invest in the complete athlete – mind, body and soul – at all levels, across all codes of sport, the result is a whole new level of performance, both on and off the field.

About Sports Chaplaincy Australia

Sports Chaplaincy Australia is the national sports network for chaplains serving clubs and communities around Australia in sporting codes like football, cricket, netball, AFL, V8 Supercars, NRL and many other sports. We work alongside leagues, sports institutes and governing bodies like the AIS, CAMS and the ASP.

Established in 1984 in Sydney, we've grown to now have staff in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth, as well as key regional centres. SCA is a not-for-profit charity empowering chaplains to work in and through local sports clubs and communities.

Each chaplain works in connection with their local church, and is given best-practice training, compliance, suitability and support. Every one of them begins their journey at a new club with one goal in mind: complete investment in the athletes at their club.

Our Goal

To enrich the lives of all people involved in sport throughout Australia by demonstrating Christ’s love and hope to them. We achieve this by training dedicated men and women to provide pastoral care to high performance and local sports communities.

Our Commitment

We ensure our chaplains are:

  • Authentic in motivation and service
  • Respectful of all persons
  • Non-judgemental
  • Confidential
  • Caring
  • Always respectful guests
  • There to serve
  • Considerate
  • Trained in sports pastoral care

Our Promise to Help You

Our chaplains are authentic Christian people with a genuine love for Jesus Christ, and they serve any person of any faith or worldview. In fact, after 30 years of service to sports in Australia (including the AFL, NRL, V8s, etc) that’s what we’ve discovered makes an outstanding sports chaplain. Our chaplains serve under a common statement of faith as outlined in our SCA Professional Code of Conduct.

How Chaplains Fit into Your Club

Many people ask, “Why do we need a chaplain?” or “Where does a chaplain fit in a sports club?” Apart from primarily providing ‘Pastoral Care’, our chaplains also provide:

  • Clubs with a sustainable care strategy
  • A club with a ‘safe’ person you can confide in
  • A caring person for those in distress
  • Help to clubs or individuals to navigate grief and loss
  • Someone to help you build a healthy and strong community

Stories of Impact

You’re helping clubs to stand strong in crisis!

Posted on 17/11/2021
When clubs experience crisis – from economic devastation to career-ending injuries...