Category Archives: Athletes in Action

Picking up the pace

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

Thank you all for your prayers for Rick. We’re so grateful for the outpouring of love and support!! He is now working full time, walking 5-6 miles/day and building endurance. His stamina is close to normal. Jesus has been very near to us and has cared for us through you. Thank you!


We shared with you that the John Wooden Family Fieldhouse opened on the AIA campus in June. God is opening doors for ministry through activities there. Recently on campus we:

  • Involved almost 200 volunteers, including groups from AIA, Cru, LCA, Wittenberg and Wilberforce Universities
  • Verified 159 million impressions for Athletes in Action from that event, meaning people read, watched or listened 
  • Hosted our first-ever Prep Team Tournament with five games in three days
  • Hosted 122 soccer games, with more than 11,000 guests at the sports complex
  • Hosted two 300+ person banquets in Schindler on back-to-back nights
  • Welcomed 28 coaches from 15 countries for our International Coaches Academy
  • Hosted our second wrestling clinic in Wooden with more than 125 participants

Each of these events either started or deepened relationships with athletes, coaches and fans, which give us open doors for the gospel. Our Total Athlete focus means that we are committed to helping athletes develop physically, mentally and spiritually. Thank you for the part you play in making this happen!

To bring these big events down to a personal level, let me share something from Genevieve, a young woman I coached recently. Genevieve invited Clara (basketball) to step out in faith and leadership by following up with Marley (softball). Marley had expressed admiration for Clara’s faith, but Clara wasn’t sure about stepping out as a spiritual leader. Clara admitted, “I’m worried I won’t know the answers to her questions.” Genevieve shared 1 Corinthians 2:1-5:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.

When Genevieve asked how this might change her approach with Marley, Clara responded, “I don’t need to have impressive or ‘Christian’ words prepared; I just need to be a vessel for God to speak through me.”

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: November Hard Copy Newsletter.

Not the Sunday We Expected

Posted in Athletes in Action, Prayer by

Dear friends,

A couple of weeks ago, Rick and I were playing pickleball with friends when Rick suddenly didn’t feel well. He could tell that his heart rate had dropped and he just felt off. We went to the ER and consulted with a doctor there who said, “From just looking at you and talking to you, I might ask you why you’re here, but this EKG tells me you’re having a heart attack.”

Rick was immediately taken to an OR for heart catheterization which revealed blockages of 100% in one coronary artery, 90% in another and 80% in a third. He was then scheduled for open heart surgery which resulted in what the hospital calls coronary artery bypass graft(CABG) which they pronounce “cabbage.” Rick had FOUR cabbages, so he has enough for alot of coleslaw! During his week in the hospital, he had so many tubes and wires coming out of him that he said he felt like spaghetti. He maintained his sense of humor throughout his hospitalization which encouraged me.

Rick will have a long road to complete recovery, but he is making faster-than-average progress for which we are very grateful, especially since his heart issues seemingly came out of nowhere. Rick has walked about 7 miles a day for years, eats a very healthy diet and maintains a healthy weight. I guess heredity trumps lifestyle. He is already back up to walking about an hour a day, albeit much more slowly than he did before. I fondly refer to him as a “speed turtle.” He is currently seeing nurses and physical therapists daily, and he will continue cardiac rehab for the next several months.

Throughout this adventure, the Lord Jesus has been very near to us and God’s people have been a tremendous source of help and encouragement. We have felt greatly loved and cared for, and we thank God for wonderful family, friends and neighbors who have been so kind. As Rick was wheeled in for his heart catheterization, I shared with him Psalm 73:26 “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

Please pray about the impact of this event on our entire family and for continued recovery. God has more work for Rick to do on this earth. Yesterday we celebrated our 37th anniversary, and I am more thankful than ever for the opportunity to celebrate another day and another year with Rick.

Love,

Karen

PS: It looks like Rick will be discharged from PT very soon. Today the PT said this was the longest she has walked with a heart cardio patient in over 20 years.

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: September Hard Copy Newsletter.

Ready to help others …

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter by

Kory is an AIA staff member I am currently coaching who serves at Ohio Dominican University (ODU).  He shares here about some of what God is doing on that campus:

“How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction and he meditates on it day and night.”

These words from Psalm 1:1-2 come to mind when I think of my interactions with my athletes. Kylen (football; gray hoody) and Manny (track & field; black coat) meet with me. We have been studying The Basics of the Christian Faith. Manny is ready to start sharing the Gospel with his teammates and will be joining me on some appointments. Kylen needs a little more time before he feels he is ready to share the Gospel. There are still some personal hurdles that he faces in taking his faith public, but he has come a long way. He has joined me in our work in the prisons and is even considering going on our spring break mission trip to Orlando to work with Cru Inner City. Both young men have decided they need a strong foundation in Christ for themselves and for their teammates.

I will be going on a sports-based mission trip with Athletes in Action to Albania. We will be ministering alongside in-country AIA staff to help accelerate the strategic ministry they have at key universities and villages in Albania. As we train and play sports with athletes, we will help them practice English and share what it means to begin a personal relationship with God.


For a long time, Albania was closed to the gospel, but believers grew from nearly zero to several thousand in a few years. Albania faces a long road to recovery from the destructive effects of atheism and Communism. The chaos and corruption of the 1990s and 2000s showed that to build a healthy and productive society, people must rebuild economically, but also morally and spiritually. Many people claim a religion, but do not practice their faith. The city where we’ll be staying is also home to 26 ethnic groups and some of the most spiritually unreached and unengaged people in the world. 

 I invited several of my athletes to join me. Cam (green shirt) and Alex (black hoody) both said yes and are excited to see how God might use them. Both are considering possibly joining staff with AIA and living in Albania for a year to do ministry.

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  February 2024 hard copy Newsletter.

Greatly Helped and Deeply Loved

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter by

Last week, 17 Albanians came to AIA’s headquarters in Xenia, Ohio: 11 Olympic athletes, the mayor of the capital city, the Albanian minister of sport, and the heads of the sports clubs from the two largest cities. They came for sports training, but they didn’t expect what else they would encounter while they were here.

In July 2022, AIA’s Global Team took a small group of staff and students to Tirana, Albania, where they held a sports camp for over 150 Albanian students. In November 2022 the Global Team went to Albania to meet with AIA national leaders from 18 Central and Eastern European countries to put on a launch event to help churches start sports ministries. Building on our existing ministry in Albania, we had the opportunity to invite this group to AIA’s campus to learn about competing as a Total Athlete: one committed to success physically, mentally and spiritually.

The consensus was that the group felt greatly helped and deeply loved. George, the head of sports for the capital city and a pro soccer player for 20 years, said, “I’ve traveled to a lot of places. I’ve never been treated like I was here, not anywhere.” Others said, “Here we’ve been treated as people; as human beings, rather than factories to get something done, accomplish a goal or make someone else happy.” The love of Christ compels us, and His love was evident!

AIA global director Bill who shared about the Total Athlete with a very engaged audience. “The Total Athlete concept created a space to help them begin to see the importance of their own souls,” Bill said. “There were great spiritual conversations, formally and informally, sometimes even into the wee hours of the night.” Four of our visitors went to church, some for the very first time. Tirana’s mayor posted on social media (to his almost 400,000 followers) multiple times during their visit, saying that AIA is a fantastic organization with great people with whom they want to partner.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  October 2023 hard copy. 

Shaped for His Purpose

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

Hailey’s Family

When Hailey D. was in college, she found her identity in running. Sport became her idol, but it was not an easy taskmaster. She thought being in control of everything in her life would make her happy, so she became very hard on herself, even on easy runs and practices. That devolved into a negative body image and disordered eating. A fellow runner invited Hailey to Athletes in Action where she learned that putting her faith in Jesus would give her a new identity in Him and that running could become a way for her to thank Him and bring Him glory. This is the first of the AIA 5 Principles.

Hailey became a student leader on her campus, discipling some of her teammates and helping them take steps of faith and obedience to Jesus. Her senior year, she realized that introducing other people to Jesus and helping them grow in their faith was something she wanted to spend her life doing. So Hailey joined the staff of Athletes in Action, and I had the privilege of being her coach. She is working at Wright State University in Dayton, OH with cross country athletes and will be adding track and soccer teams this fall. She is very open with other athletes about the struggles she faced, and God opens doors for the gospel through her vulnerability. One of the girls Hailey discipled was Alicia, whom Hailey helped to begin a team Bible study. Alicia looked for someone she could mentor and began helping Kaitlyn, who became a believer two years ago, to grow in her faith. Now Alicia is encouraging Kaitlyn to step out in faith to lead someone else.

AIA exists to take the gospel where the gospel is not so we can pursue the vision of a Christ follower on every team, in every sport, in every nation. Your prayer and financial partnership is helping create spiritual movements everywhere through sports. Thank you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  September 2023 hard copy. 

When you are a commodity…

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports Ministry by

A significant part of Athletes in Action’s ministry is providing sports chaplains in several professional sports and for Olympians. Many people think that elite athletes have it made because of the fame and money they enjoy, but chaplains to these athletes share a different perspective. “An athlete is viewed as a commodity, not as a person,” says Reza Zadeh, AIA chaplain for the Denver Broncos. “They don’t know who to trust because everyone’s out to get something from them.” Former Boston Celtics chaplain Bill Alexson says, “People love them for what they do, not who they are. Their careers are temporary, and when it’s all done, they’re kind of left high and dry. At chapel, they come in and give their burdens to the Lord. A lot of these guys find peace for the first time.”

“The one thing we do more than anything,” says Mike Tatlock, chaplain to the Portland NBA team, “is to help them with their emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. We bring to the table the peace of Christ that passes all understanding. That is the remedy for the things that these guys struggle with.” Chaplains offer Bible studies, retreats, chapel services and individual discipleship with players, coaches and others in the organization. Many chaplains’ wives also conduct Bible studies for the players’ and coaches’ wives and girlfriends.

When Buffalo Bills player Damar Hamlin collapsed during the game with the Cincinnati Bengals in January, the medical team jumped into action, and so did Vincent Rey, AIA chaplain to the Bengals (and one of Karen’s coachees). He prayed with the Bills’ chaplain and then went to the locker room to support the team. “I gave out a couple dozen hugs just to let them know I’m here.” He also saw the opening for the gospel: “I had a chance to give a message to some people within the organization and management and even some of the coaches. Even though it was a hard thing to get through, I think the Lord used it to get glory throughout our nation.”

Please pray for AIA chaplains as ministers of the gospel and for major sporting events like the upcoming John Wooden Keys to Life breakfast in conjunction with the NCAA Final Four basketball championship.

Thank you for your prayers and gifts that enable us to serve the Lord and help others to serve Him. 

We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  March 2023 Newsletter hard copy. 

Opportunity to Impact

Posted in Athletes in Action, Hard Copy Newsletter by

AIA’s Men’s Soccer has been invited to assist with this year’s David Villa Academy (DV7) in Valencia, Spain from May 22 – June 7!AIASoccerCrest.jpg

David Villa is the all-time leading goal scorer for Spain’s National Men’s Soccer team.  His training methods are respected worldwide.  AIA’s main role will be assisting with their player development/leadership training.

This is a huge opportunity for AIA to move our coaching skills to the next level while sharing AIA’s Total Athlete Principles with premier youth soccer players in Spain!  The potential impact these players will have over a lifetime, not only in Spain but around the world will be significant.

The project leadership is super pumped about this opportunity.  Let’s get a glimpse of their perspective.

AIASoccerMen.jpg“I am excited for the tremendous opportunity the tour gives our student athletes to be challenged in their faith. Every tour is different, but in the ways that make my heart sing, they are the same in seeing new followers of Christ come alive on mission for our heavenly Father.” Zach

“I have always wanted to combine my passions for sports medicine and sports ministry in a different country, and I am so thankful that God has given me this opportunity. I am also looking forward to being immersed in the Spanish culture and utilizing the Spanish I have learned throughout college.” Melanie

“Using soccer as a way to tell others about Jesus is an amazing opportunity! For me, I see this as a moment to invest and help others, but the reality is, I know that my heart and life will be changed.” JonathanScreen Shot 2017-04-20 at 3.06.10 PM.png

You also have an opportunity to make an
impact by regularly (daily 5/22 – 6/7) following and sharing in your world about this project.  You can follow the team and their project at http://teamblogs.athletesinaction.org/soccer-spain-men.  You will also be able to follow on Facebook (Athletes in Action Soccer) and Instagram (aiasoccerusa)

The more we share about the team, the more people will be praying!  Through prayer, God does amazing things.  Don’t you want to be a part?  Please follow the blog, pray, and share through social media or email.  Thank you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.

Click the following: April 2017 Newsletter to print a hard copy newsletter.