"Nelson Cook established COIN twelve years ago in Los Angeles ministering specifically to high school, college and professional sport coaches, and these caps were to convey a message, how important a place coaches have in the lives of young people," M V Tronson noted.
He gave the caps to Baptist minister Mark Tronson last month when he and his wife Delma were in LA engaged in a week of ministry with COIN, prior to accepting an international award for their 27 years in Sports and Olympic ministry.
"Nelson asked me to ensure these two caps went to Australia's most influential coaches, and asked me to provide a photograph," M V Tronson explained. "I could not think of any two more worthy recipients than Greg Chappell and Brian McFadyen."
Mark Tronson was visiting the AIS Men's Cricket Unit, catching up with new head coach Greg Chappell, and promoting respite as part of the regular training program for young cricketers.
M V Tronson's ministry, Well-Being Australia, involves the Basil Sellers Tweed 'respite' facility which is available to each of the six south east Queensland AIS sport units – Diving, Softball, Squash, Flatwater Canoe, Men's and Women's Cricket.
"Greg Chappell visited the Basil Sellers Moruya respite facility in 1996 for Canberra based AIS Sport Units, when he graciously opened our Australia's Bush Orchestra (bird song) Tourism Ministry and is very familiar with Well-Being Australia's respite ministry," M V Tronson recalled.
Mark Tronson was the Australian Cricket Team chaplain for 17 years, and at the end of 2000 moved sideways to Life After Cricket. An initiative of this ministry is the Retired Australian Cricketers Bi-Annual Newsletter, which is now in its 9th year (its 18th edition was released on 30 March), which has a number of retired Australian cricketers including such greats as Greg Chappell, Allan Border, David Boon and Kim Hughes on its editorial committee.
The respite facility has also been made available to the wider 'Cricket community', including retired cricketers and cricketers' families, since 2007.
Interestingly, Mark Tronson explained to Greg Chappell, that the respite ministry over the past four years has blossomed, with the involvement of these young AIS cricketers.
These become top cricketers, some to the Australian team, and ministry relationships don't cease when advancing from the AIS cricket unit.