Countries AIA Sports Performance Has Impacted

651 Taylor Drive Xenia, OH 45385 USA
www.aiasportsperformance.org
sportsperformance@athletesinaction.org
Countries AIA Sports Performance Has Impacted!
AIA Sports Performance’s goal is to serve our national staff in the following countries as a catalyst for the
spiritual movement being developed through sport. Sports medicine and strength & conditioning impact
every sport, in every age group, every day. Therefore, professionals and students in these fields are an
integral part of AIA’s vision to see a Christ follower on every team in every sport in every nation.
1997 INDIA: First of eight Strength and conditioning clinics with the Sports
Federations of India.
1998 INDIA: AIA Power started with a team of three coaches to India
1999 INDIA, BANGLADESH, MYANMAR & NEPAL: AIA Power
Expanded vision beyond India to teach at Olympic Training Centers and former
professional cricketers at their academies. Shared the love of Christ with over
5000 coaches and athletes.
2000 INDIA & BANGLADESH: Continued strength and conditioning clinics
with the Sports Federations.
2001 INDIA: Team of eight coaches went to India to continue clinics
2002 COTE D’IVOIRE: Exchanged educational information and donated Sports
medicine supplies to national basketball team physicians.
GUATEMALA: Taught strength and conditioning exercises to karate, baseball
softball, table tennis coaches and athletes and developed relationships with professional
soccer players and physiotherapists.
INDIA: First Woman travels with AIA Power on a strength & conditioning tour.
UNITED STATES: AIA Power holds sports performance camp with 24 high
school athletes in Ottumwa, IA
2003 ECUADOR:
Taught 90 exercise science professors and students at military sports institute.
GUATEMALA: First AIA Sports medicine conference hosted by
ConfeDe Guatemala (National Sports Federation) with doctors,
physiotherapists, coaches, athletes, and officials. Evaluated injuries and
demonstrated rehabilitation & conditioning exercises
for volleyball, baseball, fencing, triathlon, and basketball programs.
NICARAGUA: Held strength & conditioning clinics at universities
2004 GUATEMALA: One week strength & conditioning conference
with various sports including karate, basketball and baseball followed by a
one week sports medicine conference with various sports including the
national boxing team and junior national baseball program. Developed a
relationship with the Guatemala Olympic Sports Medicine Department.
NICARAGUA: Three day sports congress with over 70 coaches from a variety of sports including baseball, tennis,
martial arts, soccer, and sports medicine doctors.
SPAIN: Strength & conditioning educational sessions at the Spanish Olympic Training Center
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
2005 GUATEMALA: Sports medicine conference with 100 students from the National Physical Education School.
Evaluated and treated athletic injuries at the Wrestling Federation training facility, the ConfeDe training center in Antigua,
and at the Olympic Sports Medicine Department.
POLAND: Sports Performance Sciences International and AIA Power partner to hold educational clinics at the
Olympic Training Center.
2005-2007 INDIA: Strength & conditioning coach works for two years throughout India with university athletes and
federations building relationships and disciples.
2006 MEXICO:
March, Sports medicine/strength & conditioning
clinics with three government sports centers and the
Paralympics Training Center. Met with elite athlete
exercise testing & medical staffs and the University of
Mexico City Sports Medicine Department.
April, Sports Medicine Conference with basketball
coaches at the Olympic Training Center. Met the
president of the sports medicine department and
toured their facility.
July & December, Coaches clinics with the national
basketball federation
POLAND: Sent featured speaker and clinician
to the National Basketball Coaches Conference.
2007 MEXICO: Clinics with coaches from a Mexican
Sports Institute and at the Mexican Basketball Federation’s
National Tournament for 15 - 16 year olds. Met with medical
staff of the Pumas Professional Soccer Club
NORTH AFRICA: Hosted strength and conditioning
clinics during a two week multi-sport tour
2008 AIA Power renamed as AIA Sports Performance to
promote both sports medicine and strength & conditioning
GUATEMALA: Sports medicine conference hosted by
the Confederation de Autonoma Guatemala (national
confederation of 44 sports governing bodies) attended by
40 sports performance professionals ranging from exercise
scientists, physical therapists, nutritionist to physicians
attended including some from Cuba.
HONDURAS Sports medicine/strength & conditioning conference hosted by the Honduran Olympic
Committee and the Universidad Pedagogica Nacional with doctors, physical therapists, coaches, university professors and
students. 35 People asked Jesus into their hearts as their Lord & Savior!
MAURITANIA: 4 Sports medicine clinics and several
impromptu injury evaluations held in conjunction with the AIA
Women’s Basketball Team. Hundreds of people exposed to Christ.
MOZAMBIQUE: A certified athletic trainer traveling
with AIA men’s basketball was able to do a sports medicine
clinic with coaches and kids in Mozambique.
MALI: A certified athletic trainer/certified strength
& conditioning specialist traveling with AIA men’s basketball
did clinics on sports medicine and strength & conditioning with elite
basketball teams & coaches from TOGO, MALI, GUINEA and
SENEGAL.
TURKEY: A Certified Strength & Conditioning Coach
begins to serve full-time in this predominantly Muslim country.
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
2009 ARMENIA: Sports Performance Conference held in
conjunction with the Physical Institute of Yerevan, a
university specializing in physical education and kinesiology.
90 people attended the three day conference. 7 Other clinics
were completed at wrestling and martial arts sports clubs. 17
children at a TaeKwonDo club prayed to receive Christ! In
total over 500 people were impacted by these conferences.
GUATEMALA: Sports medicine conference hosted
by the Confederation de Autonoma Guatemala; Presentations
were made at the monthly meeting of the Professional Soccer
Team Physicians’ Association and a clinic was held at the
Galileo University. Monthly Educational Conference Calls
were established in October through Skype in partnership with
the Association of Guatemala Futbol physicians (AGMF) and
volunteers at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga.
HONDURAS: A Sports Performance Clinic was held in partnership with the Honduran Olympic Committee
and the Universidad Pedagogica Nacional with doctors, physical therapists, coaches, university professors and students.
INDIA: A senior athletic training student traveled with the AIA South Asia project to assist in the teaching of
sports camps.
UNITED STATES: The 20th Annual Christian Sports
Medicine Association annual Fellowship was held in San
Antonio, TX at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association
Annual Meeting & Clinical Symposium. Four students served
as interns with the Sports Performance Department assisting
with the coverage of the Xenia, Ohio Great Lakes League AIA
baseball team and observing with Kettering Health Network
and Ignition Athletes Performance Group.
2010 GUATEMALA: The Sports Medicine Congress
planned to be co-hosted by the Association of Guatemala
Futbol (AGMF) and AIA Sports Performance was cancelled
due to the eruption of the Pacaya Volcano and Tropical Storm Agatha, however the team did hold clinics at World
Gym, SiDeporte Sports Academy, and the National Soccer Federation.
MEXICO: A team consisting of one orthopedic surgeon, two certified athletic trainers and one former
NFL football player with a degree in nutrition and exercise science held clinics in Merida, Mexico at the Institute
of Technology of Merida, Yucatan (ITMY) and the Medical School of the University of the Yucatan (UADY)
SOUTHEAST ASIA: A Certified Athletic Trainer traveling with a men’s basketball team held 10 clinics
on athletic training, physical conditioning and injury prevention with coaches and athletes during the competitive
sport tour.
INDIA: A senior athletic training student traveled with
the AIA South Asia project to assist in the teaching of sports
camps.
UNITED STATES: Four athletic training students and
one certified athletic trainer served as interns with the Sports
Performance Department while attending the AIA X-Project.
They covered the Xenia, Ohio Great Lakes League AIA
baseball team, and observed at Kettering Health Network,
Ignition Athletes Performance Group and Cedarville,
University.
KENYA & UGANDA: A certified athletic
trainer/certified strength and conditioning specialist held
clinics on first-aid, basketball strength & conditioning and
injury prevention while traveling with a basketball clinic
mission team.
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
2011 GUATEMALA: A team of 7 athletic healthcare
professionals including a Denver Broncos (NFL) athletic
trainer traveled to Guatemala for educational exchange. One
highlight of the tour was teaching at the country’s largest
Physical Education College. The lectures were transmitted by
Skype to a PE College in another city. Within months of the
team’s tour, 300 students from the PE College were
participating in a weekly Bible Study. The AIA Team also
taught at the VII National Congress on Medicine in Sport in
partnership with the Guatemala Soccer Physicians’
Association and the National Sports Federation. In addition,
the team spent time at a physical therapy school, and the sports
department at San Carlos University. 30 Students at San
Carlos University are being followed up by AIA staff. One day they were featured guests on a top national sports
radio show. The Gospel was shared with hundreds of people and 4 Bible Studies were started as a result of this
trip including the national badminton team and an indoor professional soccer team.
UNITED STATES: Three athletic training students and one certified athletic trainer served as AIA XProject interns during the summer covering the Xenia Scouts AIA baseball team and observing at Kettering
Health Network and Ignition Athletes Performance Group. The students also began to gather information for a
Health Tips DVD project to be used in conjunction with future
sports performance international tours.
AIA & FCA partnered together through the Christian Sports
Medicine Association (CSMA) to host the 22nd annual
fellowship at the NATA meeting in New Orleans, LA.
Highlights of the prayer breakfast included hearing from three
certified athletic trainers who are active in ministry beyond their
athletic training careers. Their experiences include taking
students on mission trips, developing a ministry in the distance
running community and serving as a WNBA Chaplain.
2012
ARMENIA: AIA Sports Performance returned to Armenia with a team of six including certified athletic
trainers, certified strength coaches and an athletic training student. Highlights of the tour included clinics with
soccer teams, a meeting with the Dean of the Physical Institute (Sports University) and a 3 day sports medicine
and strength & conditioning educational clinic with sports physicians, physical therapists, coaches and athletes.
The team used testimonies and small group discussions as a platform for sharing their faith. Among the lives
impacted by the tour were two sportsmen from the Physical Institute who prayed to receive Christ during the 3
day clinic!
GUATEMALA: AIA Sports Performance took a team of
8 to Guatemala, marking the 9th such tour to this Latin American
country. The team, comprised of certified athletic trainers, a
former AAA pitcher for the Yankees, and 3 recent college
graduates ministered to the coaches, athletes, physicians and
physical therapists at the Guatemalan Sports Federation and the
Medical School at the University of Rafael Landivar. This was
the first time AIA has been able to minister at Rafael Landivar.
Topics included injury management, strengthening, and
emergency preparedness. Ministry activities included personal
testimonies and small group discussions on spiritual matters.
One young man was brought back into a walk with the Lord after
hearing a team member’s testimony and his mother was VERY
grateful.
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
LONDON OLYMPIC PROJECT: A team of six
traveled to the Olympics as part of the More Than Gold
Outreach to minister to the athletic healthcare and strength &
conditioning professionals who are serving their countries
during the Games. Hundreds of thank you cards, customized
for athletic healthcare professionals were handed out to
Olympic athletes to give to their sport physicians, athletic trainers and physiotherapists. Thank you cards and
gifts of athletic tape and braces were given to athletic healthcare professionals from 11 countries. Contacts were
made with national team sports medicine professionals from Bermuda, Costa Rica, Nigeria, Palau, Puerto Rico,
Trinidad & Tobago and Uganda and others.
SOUTH AFRICA: A team of 10 made up of certified
athletic trainers, strength coaches, sport coaches, athletic
training students and the NBA Miami Heat’s Chaplain
traveled to Cape Town, South Africa to serve at the Exercise
Teachers Academy and Western Cape University as well as
with local basketball organizations. The team presented on
various sports medicine, sports psychology and strength &
conditioning topics to coaches, athletes, university faculty and
students from a variety of sports. 3 National Level basketball
coaches, 43 University and Intermediate level sport coaches,
over 300 university students and 80 boys and girls from the
local Youth Basketball League attended the clinics. 37 of the
students from Western Cape University were fourth year physiotherapy students.
UNITED STATES: AIA represented the Christian Sports Medicine Association (CSMA) in hosting a
chapel service at the American Medical Society for Sports Medicine (AMSSM) annual meeting in Atlanta, GA.
The chapel was an answer to a long-standing prayer of the CSMA to be able to minister to a sports medicine
physicians’ group.
Two athletic training students, a pre-PT major and an
exercise science major served as undergraduate interns along
with one certified athletic trainer who served as a graduate
intern during the summer. The group observed at Kettering
Health Network, Ignition Athletes Performance Group and
visited staff and facilities at Xavier University and the Ohio
State University during the summer.
AIA and FCA led the way as the Christian Sports
Medicine Association held its 23rd Annual Fellowship at the
National Athletic Trainers’ Association Annual Meeting and
Clinical Symposium in St. Louis, MO. 70 people attended
the event including some who came from Hawaii, Europe and
Ethiopia. The audience heard ministry updates and individual
testimonies from those in attendance.
GUATEMALA: AIA Sports Performance’s first volunteer led tour was it’s 10th tour to Guatemala and
continued the relationship AIA has with the Guatemalan Sports Federation (CDAG) and Guatemalan Olympic
Committee. The team, comprised of a baseball coach, athletic trainers, strength coaches, a sports psychologist,
and an athletic training student impacted lives and continued to build upon the relationships AIA has developed in
Guatemala. Four days of clinics with the Baseball Federation opened up new ministry doors for our AIA staff in
Guatemala and forged relationships with key coaches and players. The team conducted sport medicine and
strength & conditioning clinics at the CDAG headquarters and with the Guatemalan Olympic Committee. A
humanitarian aspect was added to the tour when the team worked with underprivileged children in the mountain
town of Cruz Blanca through a school, introducing them to different medical professions.
2013
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: AIA Sports Performance’s
first tour to Trinidad & Tobago consisted of a mixture of
strength coaches, athletic trainers and students in both fields.
With a goal towards helping to pioneer sport ministry on these
two islands, the team impacted several youth and professional
soccer teams, established a connection for AIA with an
influential pastor, and held conferences in conjunction with the
Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee. The sports medicine
and strength & conditioning conferences were attended by over
60 coaches, administrators, athletes, physicians, and physical
therapists. The team also did clinics at the Chinapoo School.
The team was able to give a testimony, share the Gospel, or
both at every venue with many of the 100 children at the
Chinapoo School praying to receive Christ. In addition one of
the country’s elite young track & field athletes took part in their
Bible studies and team times. The opportunity to pour into the
life of this young man was a blessing to the team, and may help
prepare him to impact his country for Christ through his career.
UNITED STATES: AIA Sports Performance recruited
74 volunteers to short-term mission tours and projects in the last
two years. The two year average increased from 17 in 2011to 37.
Included in that number were more athletic training students
participating in stateside projects than any previous year. One
highlight was recruiting a team of certified athletic trainers, a
massage therapist and athletic training students to provide
athletic healthcare coverage for the Ultimate Training Camp
(UTC). This “team” also attended all of the UTC talks and held
their own small group discussions to see how they could apply
The AIA Principles to athletic healthcare. One of the athletic
training students asked Christ into her life during the 1st week of
the project!
AIA continued its presence at the AMSSM annual meeting, arranging for a speaker for the meeting in San
Diego and encouraging the physicians in attendance how to have a ministry through their practice. The 24th annual
CSMA outreach was held at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association annual meeting in Las Vegas, NV thanks
to monies raised by volunteers.
2014 GUATEMALA: Several students from the Athletic Training Education
Program at Cedarville University assisted AIA Sports Performance in
developing a discipleship piece designed for those who serve in sports medicine
and strength & conditioning fields. That led to a team of 7 students, staff, and
alumni from Cedarville University’s Athletic Training Education Program
traveling to Guatemala in May. This was AIA Sports Performance’s first
university partnership team. The team taught at a physical therapy school and
presented their testimonies as part of their time with the staff and students. The
three days of building relationships, sharing their stories and the gospel with the
staff and students resulted in many favorable responded and two students
expressed interest in becoming local AIA volunteers.
The team also had the unique opportunity to work with a group of
surfers on the Pacific coast of Guatemala, teaching balance and core
strengthening using slack lines. The slack lines were brought by one of the AIA
volunteers and left as a gift for the surfers in this small coastal village. Using slack
lines as a tool to build relationships for ministry is certainly a novel idea but it worked great. The testimonies and
teaching on how to become a Christian were well received with some surfers praying to receive Christ!
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
PHILIPPINES: In July, three men from different countries
partnered together using their skills, knowledge and experience in
strength and conditioning to impact physical educators and basketball
coaches in the Philippines for Jesus Christ this summer. The three
strength coaches from the United States, Singapore and the Philippines
joined together to hold a 3 clinics in different provinces. This was part
of an effort by AIA spanning six months to focus on the islands, starting
with a humanitarian team in March that helped with typhoon relief
efforts and culminating with the basketball team and strength clinics.
All the efforts, including the strength clinics, have opened up the
provinces of Batangas and Laguna provinces and Laoag city for
ministry and two Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams for bible study.
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO: The Team to Trinidad & Tobago enjoyed a week sharing their faith through 4
clinics and a two evening conference on sports medicine and strength & conditioning in partnership with the
Trinidad & Tobago Olympic Committee. Made up of AIA staff and volunteers from the US and Canada, the team
of 8 joined together with AIA and Cru representatives in Trinidad to
share the love of Jesus Christ with coaches, athletes & administrators
from cricket, rugby, soccer, sambo mixed martial arts and other sports.
These opportunities are helping to open doors as AIA pioneers it’s
ministry in this two island nation. AIA hopes that T&T can become a
model for sport ministry throughout the Caribbean. Sports Performance
clinics were held with the Women’s National Cricket Federation, the
U16 Women’s National Soccer Team, the Sambo MMA Federation
and the Caledonia-AIA Pro Soccer Club and Academy. There are many
stories of the team sharing their testimonies to groups and one on one.
Many lives were changed during the week, especially those on the
team. Their presence has opened more doors for AIA’s ministry with
each sport they ministered to.
UNITED STATES: 42 sports performance professionals and students were recruited in 2014 to serve as
volunteers on short-term ministry projects, camps and tours, setting a new record for one year. AIA Sports
Performance continued its presence at the 3rd Annual Chapel at the American Medical Society for Sports
Medicine in New Orleans, LA. The chapel featured the first public use of discipleship materials developed for
sports performance professionals and students by AIA staff and volunteers. In June, the 25th annual CSMA
outreach was held at the National Athletic Trainers’ Association annual meeting in Indianapolis, IN. The evening
featured the WNBA Indiana Fever’s Krystal Thomas and assistant coach Sylvia Crawley sharing their testimonies
of life in professional basketball as a Christian. Ray Castle, the
Athletic Training Program Director at Louisiana State University
spoke to those in attendance about his journey following the Boston
Marathon Bombing. Castle was one of the first to cut through the
barricades and respond to the injured. He credited his family, pastor,
an LSU sports psychologist and a military chaplain as aiding his
recovery from memory blackouts and questions. David Ralston, one of
the original founders of the CSMA capped off the evening with a
personal message from Romans 8:28. Ralston shared his personal
testimony and captured the challenges many face when career choices
and faith intersect. His reminder is to remember to focus on the second
half of the verse… “for those who are called according to His purpose
purpose” rather than on personal gain or glory.
In November of 2014 AIA held the inaugural International Sports Medicine & Strength Coaches Academy in
Xenia, Ohio by hosting two strength coaches from the Philippines at its headquarters in Ohio. The two week
Academy included visits with high school, collegiate and professional strength coaches, and started with a speed
coaching workshop led by Ignition APG of Mason, Ohio. A Basketball coach from the Philippines and
Kazakhstan joined the two strength coaches from the Philippines to attend the Speed Coaching Workshop.
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory
2015 ARMENIA: A team of two athletic trainers and three athletic
training students traveled to Yerevan, Armenia to teach at the Physical
Institute. In addition to lecturing and interacting with students. The
team’s lectures were attended by the Dean of Sports Health &
Recovery and several Department Chairs. A discipleship small group
was established among Physical Institute students as well as the
agreement to hold regular Skype Faculty Exchanges with faculty from
American universities. The team also held clinics at a local sports club
teaching on taping and wrapping, special tests and other topics.
MYANMAR: An athletic trainer spent three weeks teaching on
critical issues in life at the Olympic Training Center in NayPyidaw as
part of a larger AIA team. The Medical Director extended an invitation
to him to speak with her staff on American sports medicine, common
knee injury mechanisms, and how to examine the knee.
SPAIN: A team of seven spent one week in Madrid, Spain teaching on sports medicine and strength &
conditioning while pouring into the lives of AIA Spain’s volunteer team in the city. The AIA team connected with
a local sports medicine physician to hold clinics at the Medicina Sportiva. Key relationships were built to allow
for plans to return to Spain and expand AIA Sports Performance’s presence to a sports medicine school in
Barcelona.
SOUTH AFRICA: Two strength coaches travelled South Africa
to work with athletes from the University of Johannesburg and
Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria. The two spent time
working with local AIA staff visiting with athletes at the rugby pitch,
the weight room, and holding team meetings. The AIA team provided
several meals for athletes where they spoke on the connection between
nutrition and athletic performance. Character talks in addition to talks
on strength & conditioning were held with the athletes. In one meeting
over 50 athletes expressed a desire to learn more about Christ.
UNITED STATES: A record 53 volunteers were to serve on AIA
projects, camps and teams during 2015! Ignition APG and AIA Sports
Performance co-hosted Cincinnati Bengals Assistant Strength Coach
Jeff Friday for a meet and greet at the National Strength Coaches’
Association Coaches’ Conference. AIA Sports Performance continued
its presence at the 4th Annual Chapel at the American Medical Society
for Sports Medicine in Hollywood, Florida. The 26th annual Christian
Sports Medicine Association’s NATA fellowship was held in St.
Louis, Missouri. November saw the 2nd Annual International Sports
Medicine & Strength Coaches Academy held in Xenia, Ohio. AIA
Sports Performance hosted four sports medicine and strength &
conditioning professionals from Guatemala, Honduras and
Singapore. In 2015, Totally Fit Life classes were started as an effort to
reach out to local churches and the community to enhance personal
wellness and fitness. The classes were kicked off with a two day
seminar by Don Nava, a nationally known fitness expert and inventor
of the Totally Fit Life.
ONE WORLD to reach, ONE LANGUAGE of sport, ONE MESSAGE of victory