Maintaining Focus and Vision: AIA Celebrates 10 Years in Xenia Facility

As Athletes in Action celebrates 10 years this month at its current location in Xenia, Ohio, the big-picture vision for the property from a decade ago is in full swing with current projects and staff in place.

Through various programs at the AIA World Training and Resource Center, the impact and potential reach of the gospel message through sports and recreation is abundantly clear. Scott Shepherd has learned this first-hand.

When Shepherd, campus director for AIA at the University of Georgia, answered the call to spend part of his summer working at the sports complex and conference center at the AIA headquarters in Xenia, Ohio, he wasn’t sure what he was going to be doing.

“Opportunities started opening up for doing manual labor, like helping maintain the fields, as well as opportunities to get to teach and share with those visiting the complex,” Shepherd says.

7-on-7 camp brings high schoolers to the campus

Shepherd said the first opportunity to get involved was with a 7-on-7 camp hosted by Xenia High School.

“We were able to have the ‘Total Athlete’ talks with them,” says Shepherd. “We told them how as an athlete they have to train physically and mentally, but not ignore the spiritual side of their training. We made sure they understood we are here as a spiritual resource.”

Shepherd said he was excited about the chance to visit with a demographic that Athletes in Action does not normally target: the high school athlete.

“We are normally focused on college and pro athlete ministry and don’t get to interact with that age group which is very important to reach with the gospel,” he continues. “We shared the concept of ‘Audience of One’ with them and talked about spiritual movements.”

Shepherd hopes to see more 7-on-7 camps and clinics take advantage of the football and soccer facilities at the sports complex in the near future.

“If we can host more of those type camps, we can see more high school teams coming to the campus. That gives us an opportunity to come closer to the ‘every’ concept AIA embraces.”

FCA camps also using the AIA headquarters

Shepherd was also able to participate in a camp sponsored by the Columbus, Ohio, chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. FCA Columbus Director Tim Brown conducted a football and soccer camp for 90-100 inner-city children from Columbus and Cincinnati at the AIA Sports Complex.

“I was the huddle speaker for that camp,” Shepherd says. “To be the speaker at an FCA camp being held at an AIA facility, I was on cloud nine.”

Shepherd was able to share the gospel of Christ with the campers, and around 40 of those in attendance made commitments to follow Christ.

“The more people we get on the property, the more opportunities we will have to see more people giving their lives to Christ,” says Shepherd. “The biggest challenge we have is lack of manpower. Our current staff do such a great job in running the facility and making sure visitors are taken care of and the programming side of things runs smoothly, that they don’t always have the time and resources to focus on the ministry side of things.”

Shepherd believes that is where volunteers – including campus ministry field staff – can play an important role in the life of the sports complex.

“If more field staff were to come during the summer or over spring break and get more of their students involved, it would free the sports complex staff up to excel at ministering to the needs of the visitors,” he continues. “There are a ton of opportunities for field staff and others to help out here at headquarters.”

AIA Facility Facts at a Glance

• AIA is founded in 1966 by Dave and Elaine Hannah, then campus ministers with Campus Crusade. The first “office” is in a two-bedroom apartment in Orange County, Calif.
• Then-president Wendel Deyo moves AIA to Cincinnati due to his pro ministry ties and AIA is officed in the basement of his home.
• The ministry moves to Oregonia, Ohio, in 1991, relocating to the campus of King’s Domain, a former camp and conference center.
• In 2002, AIA headquarters moves to Xenia, Ohio, to the Legacy Center, a former orphanage for Civil War veterans’ children.
• The sports complex (pictured above from overhead) and conference center is established at the headquarters facility in 2007 to expand AIA’s vision and reach.
• The complex features two softball fields, two soccer fields, a baseball field and a football field with track – all with synthetic turf – and a ropes course. The facility is home to camps, tournaments and training time for athletes in varied sports.

By Tommy Young, AIA Communications

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