Sports chaplain a valuable addition for Rye Football Netball Club in MPNFL

RYE Football Netball Club has introduced a sports chaplain to provide support for players, officials and parents if they need it.

Sports chaplain Pierre Uri (left) with Rye coach Josh Moore.

RYE Football Netball Club has introduced a sports chaplain to provide support for players, officials and parents if they need it.

Rye senior coach Josh Moore said Pierre Uri, a professionally trained sports chaplain, would be “in the background’’ at the club on Thursday nights and at games.

“I’m really proud the club is going down this path,’’ Moore said.

“As a senior coach I have players coming up to me all the time with all sorts of problems and I’m always there as a sounding board and I give them my support but I’m not a therapist or a psychiatrist.

“Having a chaplain is great support for me and also for the individual player.’’

Moore said the chaplain is available to not just the players but also the support staff, parents and committee members.

“You just don’t know who is struggling with stuff and I just think it’s a really valuable tool,’’ he said.

Moore said the majority of AFL clubs have a chaplain and he believes other local clubs should look at getting one.

He said Pierre will be there to care, not preach.

“He will just be there in the background, he will be up there on a Thursday night when we have our meals, he will be at every game,’’ Moore said.

“If anyone has got issues or problems, they won’t do it at the club, they will get his phone number and he will be there for support out of hours as well.’’