Greg Chappell on Australian Missionary News IPTV

The 'Basil Sellers Australian Missionary News IPTV' (Internet Protocol Television) is a ministry of Well-Being Australia. Its chairman and cricket chaplain, Mark Tronson (who stammers), can be viewed interviewing Greg Chappell on the topic of 'athlete respite' on both Australian Missionary News and Safe Worlds.

This is the first of many 'sports' interviews that will be on air in coming years. This follows a number of short video testimonies from the Cairns South Pacific / Australasian BWA conference in May. There is also the Missionary News Service Dan Wooding's interview of Mark Tronson from Los Angeles in February.

Greg Chappell discussed five Respite issues based around questions asked by Mark.

First, in explaining how he catered for respite in his own career, particularly in the early 80s as his own career drew to a close, Chappell spoke of his love of surfing, and how it helped him to relax from the pressures of cricket.

Second, Mark Tronson asked if cricketers have sometimes been their own worst enemy, and the response was that usually, young cricketers aspire to play many forms of the game, but they find it is a different scenario when children come along. They have to make choices according to their family responsibilities as they become more mature.

Next, Tronson and Chappell discussed the demands of international cricket, citing the Australian cricketers in 2009 which are to have 10 months away. Greg indicated that, in practical terms, it was important to continue to reflect and to attain a balanced attitude to life.

As the AIS Head Coach, Greg Chappell explained that he has instigated some new initiatives to help young cricketers cope with these stresses.

Fifthly, finally and most pertinently, Mark Tronson alluded to the Well-Being Australia mission that provides two facilities for AIS athlete and coach respite, Basil Sellers Moruya for Canberra AIS and Basil Sellers Tweed for the AIS Units based in south east Queensland.

Greg Chappell added that there were a number of Christian young men in the AIS Cricket Unit in Brisbane and that the Tweed respite facility is so close that it was ideal for those cricketers with Christian faith (as well as the others), as these in particular recognised there is more to life other than full-on training and playing cricket!

In summary, Chappell and Tronson agreed that the issue of Respite is very important. It is also recognised as such by the Australian Institute of Sport and the Cricket fraternity, who both affirm the two Basil Sellers Respite facilities (Moruya and the Tweed).

On th web: http://www.safeworlds.net/ and http://www.tv.bushorchestra.com