Course “Challenges” Participants Spiritually and Physically

One of the more popular resources at the Athletes in Action property in Xenia, Ohio, is the challenge course.

The course is comprised of a low ropes course which includes ground-based elements, including a 12-foot-high wall designed to test a team’s strategic communication and cooperative skills, and a high ropes course which runs through the trees.

“The high course is a double-decker system,” says interim challenge course director Bryan Dobkins. “The first level is 25 feet above the ground and the second level is 40 feet in the air.”

In total the course covers approximately 12-15 acres.

According to Dobkins, approximately 45-50 groups a year book the AIA challenge course. The types of groups who use the facility are varied.

“We get public and parochial schools, corporate groups, athletic teams, we have even had Cedarville (University) use the course during their prospective student recruiting weekends,” says Dobkins. “We also host several collegiate and university athletic teams including the Bulgarian national basketball team and AIA mission teams as part of their training.”

The course is designed to help foster an individual’s confidence, trust and communication skills.

“Most of the groups that utilize our facility are looking to improve group communication, problem-solving skills and trust,” Dobkins says. “The course also highlights group leadership dynamics. It is interesting and valuable for team leaders to see who takes what role in solving the problems on the course and analyzing individual strengths in the group setting.”

Dobkins explains the courses are designed to teach biblical principles, like encouraging and building one another up while working like a team and learning to listen.

“Overall, (after going through the challenge course) my team grew closer and stronger,” says Wright State University women’s softball coach Lynn Curylo, whose team visited the challenge courses in the summer of 2010.  “As a staff, we were able to stand back and learn what motivates our players to push beyond.  In some cases the motivation was failure, while in other cases, it was trust.”

More importantly, those utilizing the challenge course are offered an opportunity to hear and respond to the gospel.

“We want everyone to consider the spiritual side of life. We do that by asking questions about faith,” says Dobkins. “The primary reason we are here is to share the love of Christ.”

In most instances, challenge course attendees hear someone share a personal testimony about challenges he or she has overcome with God’s help, or an AIA staff member gives a clear gospel presentation.

Dobkins says 1,168 people utilized the challenge course between Sept. 1, 2010, and Aug. 31, 2011. More than 835 attendees were exposed to the gospel, and 95 indicated making decisions to follow Christ.

By Tommy Young, AIA Communications

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