Leadership Development

The Complete Champion Approach (CCA) involves a strong commitment to leadership development in which student-athletes are encouraged to become Godly Christian leaders who positively impact their teams, sports, communities and cultures.

Leadership Opportunities:

• Athletes in Action and Club Coaching Opportunities
• Athletics Leadership Opportunities
• Community Service Opportunities
• Cross-Cultural Missions Opportunities
• Captains Club
• University Leadership Opportunities

West Coast Retreat

The West Coast Retreat is an opportunity for Athletes in Action to help develop Christian community with athletes in B.C. as well as develop strong Christian leaders to help grow the AIA ministries on university campuses.

In the spring of 2012, AIA, in conjunction with Trinity Western Athletics, hosted the second annual West Coast Retreat at Camp Luther in Mission, B.C. from March 30 to April 1 and for everyone involved it was no doubt a rousing Christ-inspired success.

The West Coast Retreat consists of educational learning sessions, largely led by AIA staff, student-led worship times, discussion opportunities and social activities. Throughout the weekend there is a special emphasis on helping the students build relationships with each other and develop a community of Christian support.

“It is a small window of opportunity for ministry leaders to build up their student leaders,” said AIA leader Jason Keegstra. “This is vitally important to the ministry’s growth as our staff continues to pursue the multiplication of disciples within each campus community. We want to help build confidence within students through helping them to realize they aren’t alone on their journey towards living a life committed to the advancement of the gospel.”

This past year the theme of the weekend was “Surrender” and what it means to surrender to the plan God has for your life. With each session came an opportunity to wrestle with the topics in smaller discussion groups as well as time for personal reflection and prayer. The weekend also had an allotted time for a gender-separated breakout time which gave guys and girls the opportunity to discuss the difficulties of Christian living within the context of their own sex.

“This offered a place to be open and honest about what might be holding people back from fully engaging in a relationship with Christ,” Keegstra said. “For many it was an invaluable experience.”

Following this most recent retreat and because of it, there were at least two participants who openly committed or recommitted their lives to Christ.

“God is always at work and as followers of Him we are called to aid in that process,” Keegstra said. “What a God we serve.”

Spartans Athletes Interviewed After the 2012 Retreat

Laurelle Weigl
Calvin Westbrook

Captains Club Leadership Training

The purpose this training is to grow student-athlete leaders within Spartan athletics. These meetings are led by athletics staff and members include Spartan captains and other team leaders who meet bi-monthly to develop leadership capability, grow in spiritual leadership and discuss department business. In this way, athletes function as an important line of communication between the Athletics department and Spartan athletes. These members are involved with:

• Discussing and implementing ways of growing the Complete Champion Culture within the department and sports teams
• Helping create a sense of ownership amongst the student athletes for department and C.I.S. (Canadian Interuniversity Sport) issues
• Helping to integrate new athletes into Spartan Athletics