RSU LASE Sports Chaplaincy celebrates 10th anniversary with event, discussion and activities

On Tuesday, 10 December, Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) Latvian Academy of Sport Education (LASE) will host a celebration to mark the 10th anniversary of its Sports Chaplaincy. We invite everyone to take part in this event, which will offer an opportunity to reflect on the values of sport and society in general.

The event will take place in the RSU LASE 1st-floor lounge (333 Brīvības gatve) and will include a full day of activities.

The event starts at 11.30, and you'll be able to enjoy coffee, tea, and treats throughout the day (until 18.00), as well as meet Gunita Tālberga, the RSU LASE Sports Chaplaincy Service Coordinator, PhD student Raimonds Mežiņš, Sports Chaplain, and Andrejs Goloborodko, Basketball Club Liepāja Chaplain.

From 12.00 to 13.30, Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis, an RSU LASE graduate, will hold a practical session for future basketball coaches to share his coaching experience and knowledge, as well as offer practical training exercises in physical fitness and basketball.

From 15.30 to 17.00, Ulvis Kravalis, Secretary General of the Latvian Christian Student Fellowship, will moderate a discussion on values in sport. Among the invited participants are Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis and Līga Piļkēviča, RSU LASE graduates, Mārtiņš Dimants, RSU graduate, and Andrejs Goloborodko, graduate of the Baltic Pastoral Institute.

Gunita Tālberga, Coordinator of the RSU LASE Sports Chaplaincy, says: ‘All the participants in the discussion are Christians and family-oriented people who are committed to universal human values in sport, both in their professional and everyday lives.

We will listen to their experiences, ask them about the challenges they see in both professional and children and youth sport, and invite them to share their visions for the future of Latvian sport and its values. 

The audience will also have a chance to ask questions.’

About the panelists

Artūrs Visockis-Rubenis is a graduate of the LASE Education and Sport Specialist First Level Professional Higher Education Programme and holds a FIBA Coaching Certificate. He is currently the Head Coach of the Liepāja Basketball Club and Assistant Head Coach of the Latvian national basketball team. Artūrs works closely with sports chaplain Andrejs Goloborodko. Līga Piļkēviča, a LASE postgraduate, played professional basketball and later coached youth basketball teams. Mārtiņš Dimants is the Director of the Latvian Anti-Doping Bureau and graduated from the RSU Health Sport Specialist First Level Professional Higher Education Programme in 2014

The tradition of sports chaplaincy in Latvia and worldwide

The tradition of sports chaplaincy in Europe and the USA dates back to the early 20th century, when religious workers began supporting athletes in a manner similar to their support of the military. The establishment of the RSU LASE chapel in 2014 marked a significant step, reflecting the arrival of this tradition in the Latvian sports community.

Ten years ago, the LASE Sports Chaplaincy was established in collaboration with the associations Sports Chaplaincy and Victory that Inspires. They renovated a room in the basement of the B building, transforming it into an ecumenical chapel. Over the years, the chapel has remained open and available to anyone in the LASE building, providing a space for silence, prayer, reading spiritual literature, Bible study, and conversation. Once a month, a worship service is held in the chapel.

Following the example of the Latvian National Defence Academy, RSU LASE was the second Latvian higher education institution to have its own chapel after the restoration of the independence of the Republic of Latvia. Later, Daugavpils University also opened a chapel.

The military and sporting traditions are historically closely linked, so it is no coincidence that these two Latvian universities were the first to recognise the importance of spiritual support. When high-performance sport became an important social and economic phenomenon at the beginning of the 20th century, religious personnel took the place of support staff in sports teams, just as chaplains had done in military units since the 4th century. In the second half of the last century, the ministry of sports chaplaincy increasingly entered the culture of sport in the Western world.

The International Olympic Committee also became aware of the importance of mental health after the brutal massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Munich Olympics. As a result, sports chaplains are now present at every Olympic Games.

The RSU LASE Chaplaincy is organising the event in collaboration with the Latvian Christian Student Fellowship and RSU Agape Students.