Category Archives: Sports T.E.A.M.

Spiritual Generations

Posted in Hard Copy Newsletter, Sports T.E.A.M. by

Meet Katie. Growing up in Green Bay, WI, Katie studied exercise science and then pursued a masters in athletic training while playing on the golf team. Her family went to church when she was young but stopped going due to sports conflicts. Her last year in college, Katie’s roommate/teammate invited her to go to an AIA weekly meeting. “I went for the free food and to support my teammate,” she admits. When her teammate shared the gospel with her using the Knowing God Personally booklet, Katie was interested, but not ready to make a decision. She continued going to weekly meetings, and two months later, she felt like her eyes were opened and she started to see God everywhere. “It was like I was blind, but now I could see. They shared the gospel with me again, and it was a YES!” she says.


Katie attended AIA’s Ultimate Training Camp that summer and went back to school eager to start a Bible study with her golf team. More than half of them came. This year, she worked part-time with AIA and part time as an athletic trainer, but she felt pulled more toward ministry. “It’s been so encouraging seeing how God can use me,” Katie says, “and I thought, ‘What if I could spend all my time doing this?’” So now, Katie is pursuing a full-time internship with AIA.

Becca, Katie and Santina

Katie has been working as an athletic trainer with a college girls soccer team, and she’s discipling two of the players. Becca is a soccer player who transferred in this year and with whom Katie shared the gospel. Becca responded that she wanted to know Jesus more, and this semester, Becca invited her team to a Bible study, and she is currently discipling her teammate, Santina. Becca told Katie, “After graduation next year, I want to do what you’re doing.”

As Katie trusts God to provide for her spiritual and financial needs so that she can serve Him full time, I (Karen) have the privilege of having a front row seat to watch and encourage her growth as her coach. Thank you for your partnership with us – it is enabling the growth of spiritual generations!    

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ!

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: May 2025 Hard Copy Newsletter.

Big News from AIA & Cru

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Opening of the John Wooden Family Fieldhouse

On June 15, we had the privilege of attending Athletes in Action’s grand opening of the John Wooden Family Fieldhouse in Xenia, OH. An audience of 1,300 witnessed the opening of the 65,000 sq. ft. facility and enjoyed hearing from sports leaders like Kansas City Chiefs owner Clark Hunt, Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh, and Betsy McCormack, pro tennis champion and coach. Clark Kellogg, CBS college basketball broadcaster and longtime friend of AIA, emceed the event. It was a truly inspiring day.

We’ve already hosted an Italian professional women’s soccer team and a basketball team from Trinidad and Tobago. We look forward to how God will continue to use AIA through this facility to share the Good News of Jesus with many. Here’s a short video highlighting this special day. And you can read more about the fieldhouse here.

Cru Names New President

In June we received the following news from the chairman of Cru’s board of directors:

“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am pleased to announce that David Robbins has accepted the appointment to become the next president of Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru.

…[David] has been with Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru since 2000. His initial experience was in campus ministry, both in the U.S. and in Europe. His next assignment led him and his wife, Meg, to help launch Cru’s Millennials Ministry in New York City. Then, in 2017, we affirmed David’s selection as president of FamilyLife, where he currently serves until he begins this new appointment as president of Campus Crusade for Christ International/Cru.

You are invited to view the live stream of the installation ceremony of David Robbins as the new president of Campus Crusade for Christ Int. on July 18, 2024 at 8 a.m. EDT Cru.org for the service. Please pray for the Robbins family’s transition.

Paris Olympics

Later this month, the world will turn its attention to Paris, France for the XXXIII Olympiad. AIA has been planning our outreach at this event for the past several years. If you would like to pray for Olympic athletes, click this link and sign up to pray for 5 Olympians

Please review our prayer page and support needs and lift our ministry to the Lord. Click on the following: July Hard Copy Newsletter. (Does not contain all the information on this blog post.)

Watching God at Work

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In my (Karen’s) role as a coach for new staff members, I get a front row seat into what God is doing in their lives. Most of the people I coach are recent college graduates who have experienced God at work in their lives through AIA’s ministry. They have said, “yes,” to God’s call on their lives to make disciples of Jesus through the vehicle of sports, and they have said, “yes,” to trusting God to provide for their personal and ministry needs as they invite people to be prayer and financial partners. This is usually the biggest step of faith they have taken in their lives, apart from trusting God for their salvation, and my job is to walk beside them providing training, prayer, Scripture, accountability and encouragement.

Each coachee is reaching out to people in the power of the Holy Spirit to invite them to be partners in growing God’s kingdom, and then they leave the results to God. It is a perfect training ground for their ministry on campus where they will reach out to athletes in the power of the Holy Spirit to invite them to be part of God’s family, and then they leave the results to God.

Donna is on the right.

Donna, one of my coachees says, “I’m learning that God’s provision for me is based on His faithfulness, not my effort. God’s provision was a concept before, but now I feel like a witness of this; now I’m living it. 

Holland is in the Braves T shirt

”Holland, another coachee says, “I’m learning that when I am working, but I don’t see results, God is still at work. And when I can’t work, God is still at work. Prayer has changed exponentially for me, and my perspective on it has changed. I’m expressing my dependence on God, and I’m praying more boldly and more expectantly. I’m sowing the habit of gratitude. God is obviously doing what He needs to do in me in this process.”

One coachee said she felt that trusting God to provide for her financial needs was an impossible task, but now she says, “It’s crazy how big a blessing this process has been. Even my family has grown through this. I want to give more; my parents want to give more. God’s not depending on me in order to move on my campus, but He invites me to be part of it, and I get to invite other people to be a part of it too.”

Your partnership with us is enabling us to mobilize the next generation of missionaries. In the last two years, 52 new AIA missionaries have been sent out for an average of one every two weeks.

Thank you for your part in reaching the world for Christ! We are grateful for you!

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

You fit here!

Posted in Sports T.E.A.M. by

Adele sharing her testimony

In July, coworkers Karen, Bill and Quinn (whom I coached) led a mission trip to Albania where they partnered with a local church and national Cru staff to put on a basketball, volleyball and soccer sports camp for over 150 Albanian students. Two college seniors went on that trip: Hannah and Adele. Adele was born in Albania and was adopted by a believing family in the U.S. This was her first time back. She grew up watching “Struggle and Triumph: The Prize,” a video produced by AIA featuring the faith stories of world-renowned soccer players. She is also a soccer player. During the camp Adele had a chance to share her testimony. She shared that when she found out she was adopted, she felt purposeless, rejected, and unwanted by her birth mother and her country of origin. But Adele learned that she was wanted and loved by her Creator, whom she now knows.

Students at the Sports Camp

Many of the students who heard Adele’s story came up to her afterward and said they also experienced feelings of being unwanted. Hannah (the other senior) and Alfrieda (a Cru staff member) met with some of those students later for coffee, and two of them prayed to receive Christ. Some of the Albanian students told Adele, “You fit here. We love you. You are wanted here. We’re so excited and happy you’re here.” It was redeeming for her.

Project Team

At least seven people came to Christ during this trip, and there will be others who can now connect to the church in Korçë, Albania. Adele shared her story; others followed up to share the gospel; still others will disciple these new believers. Win, build, send is in the DNA of Athletes in Action, and this trip had it all!

In college, I remember hearing a missionary’s report on the state of world missions. At that time he said there were NO KNOWN Christ followers in the country of Albania. But God has never stopped working. Next month the AIA Global Team will be in Albania to meet with 18 AIA national leaders and to put on a launch event with churches to equip them to start sports ministries. Praise God!

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 2022 newsletter hard copy. 

Living a “Sent” Life

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Gathering regularly means so much for every family. Until our recent national staff conference in Milwaukee, it had been three long and challenging years since all the Cru ministries were able to gather as a family, face-to-face! The Lord showed up in so many ways as we spent time in worship and prayer, heard messages from His Word and attended seminars to equip us to serve more effectively

We celebrate what God is doing through Cru ministries drawing people to Himself! In 2021 there were 764 million views of the Jesus Film Project with 19 million indicated decisions for Christ! We are releasing our 2,000th language version of the Jesus Film along with 200 other short films, and planning has begun on a new version in 2024. Did you know you can have these FREE resources in your pocket to share any time in all these languages? It’s available in the App store or Google play. Just search Jesus Film Project. There are countless stories of God using short, divine appointments where someone has heard the Good News in their heart language!


Our biggest personal takeaway from the Conference was the message on being sent. The #1 way Jesus referred to His Father was “the Father who sent me.” In John 20:21 He said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent Me, I am sending you.” If we are honest, we are excited and terrified by that verse.  Heather Holleman’s personal journey of learning what it means to be “sent” is priceless.  Heather talked about having a “rich theology of place” — understanding that wherever God takes us, even through personal pain, there’s more to the story. He may have us there to allow us to connect to a moment in eternity.

Do you ever think, “I must be missing something about being sent,” or feel bad about your role in the Great Commission? Heather shares her journey through these struggles in the tough world of academia. Our original post contained a link to view Heather’s message. However, due to circumstances beyond our control, her session is no longer available. You can get her book “Sent” and many other resources from Heather at heatherholleman.com. By the way, other main sessions from Cru22 are currently at https://www.cru.org/us/en/about/cru22-sessions.html.

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:  August 2022 newsletter hard copy. 

We Couldn’t Do It …

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Because of your prayer and financial partnership with us, men and women, boys and girls are hearing the gospel and learning to walk with Jesus. We could not do this work without a team partnering with us and sending us out so we can also send others out. Thank you!

Here are highlights from the ministries of a few people you helped send through your partnership.

Marie ministers to collegiate athletes in Puerto Rico. The women’s basketball team now pray together before and after their games, and she holds a AO1 sign at their games to remind them that their play is a gift of worship for their Audience of One.

Marie and some of her team.

Kory builds into student leaders like Zach and Mike at Ohio Dominican who shared the gospel with Ty. After many conversations with them about Jesus, Ty recently received Christ saying he didn’t want another day to pass without saying, “yes” to Jesus. Kory went to prison last weekend. He took a group of athletes to play basketball with inmates as part of a prison ministry. Gang leaders gather to watch and discuss Christian rap videos, and God has blessed the ministry through friendships that have developed and violence that has been reduced in the prison yard as a result.

Kory’s bible study

Vincent, a former linebacker and now chaplain for the Cincinnati Bengals, spoke recently to 100+ youth at Anthony Muñoz’s Impact for Eternity camp, encouraging them to know God’s Word in community with other believers. Vincent and his wife Noel hold a Bible study with players and their wives and girlfriends.

Ashley has been ministering to women’s basketball coaches at the U. of GA and has seen them experience true life change because of their pursuit of Jesus. She also had several athletes attend AIA’s Ultimate Training Camp for the first time with significant growth resulting from the experience.

Kaylyn’s softball team at CIU finished 2nd in the NCCAA World Series where they participated in a service event with underprivileged youth in Kansas City. Several want to partner with a local school in NC when they get back by adopting a class and creating a mentorship program where they can share the love of Jesus through sports.

Hailey works with student athletes at several colleges in the (937) area code, including track and cross country girls at Wright State University. Kaitlyn, one of the runners there, was recently baptized as God placed it on her heart to live her life completely for Him.

Haley’s bible study

Thank you for sending laborers like these into the harvest field.  We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  June 2022 hard copy newsletter to print a card copy. 

Shaped for His Purpose

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Meet Kaylyn, one of the new staff members Karen coaches. Kaylyn grew up playing softball and played for both D1 and NAIA teams in college. She coached at Columbia International University in Columbia, SC while she completed her master’s degree in organizational leadership and afterward. Kaylyn will lead a new softball department at Athletes in Action’s headquarters in Xenia, OH.

God has shaped her life for this role through adversity and opportunity. In college Kaylyn went on three mission trips to the Middle East with Competitive Edge International. In her role with AIA Softball, she will recruit for, and lead similar mission trips with softball players from around the US. These trips have the dual purpose of sharing Christ in the places they go and discipling the players who go on them.

While Kaylyn is a very positive person, she has been shaped through adversity. Besides losing her final softball season due to covid, Kaylyn had unexplained hearing loss as a child and had to get hearing aids. Sports was her escape because she was athletically gifted and because listening and speaking on the field didn’t mark her as different. Then when she was a high school junior, Kaylyn developed tinnitus in its most severe form, resulting in anxiety and depression. Medication and counseling have helped, but God has given her a desire to use her weakness for His glory, and He is using her story. Because some of her players deal with anxiety, Kaylyn can uniquely minister to them through her openness about her own journey.

Kaylyn currently disciples the players at the Christian college where she coaches. One of her pitchers recently said, “I honestly forgot how much I loved playing the game. It has been so freeing to just worship instead of being caught up in my performance all the time.” Kaylyn says: “I could not have been more excited for her! Seeing this shift happen in her and knowing the work the Lord has been doing in her life is incredible.”

Right now, Kaylyn’s team is in Kansas City, MO at the NAIA softball World Series. Pray for their witness and pray they’ll play for the glory of God.

Thank you for helping us mobilize laborers like Kaylyn to grow God’s kingdom through sports.   We are grateful for you!

Please review our prayer page  and support needs and lift up our ministry to the Lord.  Click the following:  May 2022 hard copy newsletter to print a card copy.