While the confetti softly floated to the bottom of the massive Dallas Cowboys’ stadium and the National Championship celebration lasted long into the North Texas night, one of the most overlooked aspects of Ohio State’s dominating victory over Oregon to win the 2015 College Football Championship was the use of chaplains by both teams.

While players like Heisman trophy winner, Oregon’s Marcus Mariota, and championship game MVP Ezekiel Elliott from Ohio State, were rightly celebrated, often overlooked are the roles of Oregon team chaplain Tony Overtake and Ohio State’s Duke Heller. Chaplains play a role in every phase of life, whether out on the playing fields or in the workplaces of the world.

Much like the sports chaplains, Marketplace Chaplains, America’s original and largest workplace chaplaincy organization, also works with many sports and recreational companies/organizations. Among some of Marketplace Chaplains’ clients are the prestigious Northwood Club and the Dallas Country Club, in Dallas, Texas, along with Litania Sports Group, Inc., in Champaign, Illinois, and Let’s Play Sports, with locations in Texas, Utah and Oklahoma.

While sports and recreation centers are often a place of carefree comfort and fun, Marketplace Chaplains have found that workers and members have many heartfelt problems as well.

“What they have done for our company is just amazing,” said Gary Archer, President of Let’s Play Sports. “Their response time to crises has been less than one hour. We just think that’s amazing and a great way to help our employees and their family members.”

“My father was in the hospital down in Austin while I was working in Dallas, and they were very faithful about giving me regular reports on him and his condition and that was a great comfort to me, something I really appreciated,” said Northwood Club head golf professional Bob Elliott.

“I’ve found Marketplace Chaplains to be a great aid to me personally and to my staff,” said Courtney Connell, head golf pro at Mira Vista Country Club, where Marketplace serves on an on-call basis.

Often at recreational facilities, employees (whether hourly minimum wage workers or highly paid professional staff members) must work long hours, especially over the weekends when others are off and involved in fun family activities.

Marketplace Chaplains offers a wide variety of services from regular weekly worksite visits to hospital visits and grief counseling, jail visits and support on a wide variety of issues important to the employees and their family members.

“Our chaplains have found that what may seem the carefree, tranquil, and relaxing setting of recreational centers or sports clubs can also mask many serious problems of employees and their family members. These client leaders have found just what the winning college football team has discovered, having a chaplain for your people and your players is the best strategy for victory both on and off the field,” said Gil A. Stricklin, Chairman and Founder of Marketplace Chaplains.

About Marketplace Chaplains

For more information on this unique employee benefit which has been featured with Marketplace Chaplains on CNN, NBC Nightly News, and in the Washington Post, the New York Times and Bloomberg BusinessWeek, visit https://mchapusa.com.

To arrange an interview with a Marketplace Chaplain contact Art Stricklin, Vice President Public Relations, at artstricklin@mchapusa.com or call 1-800-775-7657.