Buckeye Practice at AIA Sports Complex a Success

On Friday, August 20, The Ohio State University football team spent the entire day in a retreat and practice session at the Legacy Center in Xenia, Ohio, home of Athletes in Action. The day featured two practice sessions by the 2009 Rose Bowl and recent five-time defending Big Ten champion Ohio State Buckeyes. The morning started out with a light practice session, and continued, after lunch, with a full inter-squad scrimmage. The practices were closed per NCAA regulations.

The Buckeyes are ranked #2 in some 2010 pre-season forecasts. The team has nine returning starters, and the expectations are high for the first preseason game on September 2 against Marshall University.

The team had access to the 253-acre Legacy Center, and they used the four dormitories, the conference and retreat center along with the state-of-the-art sports complex with its high-quality synthetic turf.

Athletes in Action staff member Jim Schmidtke reported that the OSU coaching staff were extremely impressed with AIA personnel and the facilities. One of the OSU coordinators said to Schmidtke, “Your people were fantastic. Being in a place with such a meaningful history gave the young men a sense of destiny.”

Ohio State head coach Jim Tressel is a strong supporter of AIA, and he will be starting his 10th season at Ohio State after several successful seasons as head coach at Youngstown State.

Schmidtke first met Tressel when he was a quarterback coach at OSU in the early 1980’s. “He is really the same guy now. I remember telling my wife then that he was one of the best coaches I have ever met. Last night Coach Tressel was talking to the players about this facility, and the players were hanging on his every word,” Schmidtke  said.

Mark Householder, president of Athletes in Action, added, “Hosting part of the OSU football camp was a dream come true for AIA.  It legitimizes our sports complex and the dedicated staff who know how to serve and care for athletes and teams.  We hope this is the beginning of a long-term relationship with Ohio State football.”

News | General | Campus Ministry