Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson says that coaching staff are as important as athletes within a sports ministry. His credentials in this area go back to 1982, when he pioneered the Sports and Leisure Ministry in association with Australian Heads of Churches, and he held the Australian cricket chaplaincy from 1984.
"Much of my sports ministry has been devoted to coaches and their families. I took the lead from Nelson Cook, who ministers specifically to leading coaches, within the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) in Los Angeles," M V Tronson, a Baptist Minister, explained.
Nelson Cook relocated from Dallas to Los Angeles to take up this specific role in 1988 as something of a trial run. It has been so effective that it now throughout the FCA across the United States and to other countries.
"This is one aspect of my ministry that has developed more by chance than by design. My ministry at 'Basil Sellers House' the respite facility for Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) athletes and coaches at Moruya on the New South Wales south coast, gave me ample time for long relaxing chats with coaches," M V Tronson reminisced.
Retiring from the Australian cricket team chaplaincy at the end of 2000, M V Tronson in 2001 collaborated with a number of retired Australian captains and vice captains to initiate 'Life After Cricket'. In 2007, he was able to open 'Cricket family respite' at 'Basil Sellers Tweed' in Casuarina on the NSW north coast.
"Cricket has a major focus on coaching, and a recent conversation affirmed cricket coaches continue to be very open to ministry," M V Tronson noted. "At the Tweed respite facility, we have deliberately involved both coaches and administrators."
"A key component of this ministry is visiting coaches of the AIS sport units based in south-east Queensland," M V Tronson commented. "They've recognised the value of respite, the coaches have taken up the challenge and become involved."
Moreover, elite coaches relocate to different cities from time to time. This means they have all the same home and family situations as others whose high-pressured jobs involve relocation and travel, such as military personnel, corporate leaders, middle managers who want a promotion, and even locomotive drivers.
"Coaches at this elite level are even more vulnerable because they can be relocated to other countries. This is quite common with Australian Institute of Sport coaching positions with overseas coaches; and the public sees it happen within the international cricket community," M V Tronson stated.
After having recently been asked by coach to define the chaplaincy role, M V Tronson explained the position by giving numerous examples, describing both practical situations and the nature of philosophical and religious discussions.
"This coach then realised that the central role of chaplaincy is a one-to-one encounter, where an individual can be cared for. He expressed his regret that no-one had previously explained it in this way. He recognised a promotional flyer hardly does the subtlety or intimacy of such a relationship, justice," M V Tronson mused.
This illustrates a miracle of the times. Between 1982-2000 Mark Tronson introduced Christian ministry to Australia's professional sports where he spoke of this subtlety.
"Sometimes I took a colleague with me and they witnessed the nature of these discussions, and intuitively as the Lord led my heart, I picked up on a tone or a reflection and tapped into that genuine expression of openness," M V Tronson noted.
Mark Tronson was released by Heads of Churches in 2000 having fallen seriously ill with stress after 18 years of national leadership. Well-Being Australia was established for Mark and his wife Delma, retaining the cricket and respite ministries.