Spartans Serving the Community

Here are some leadership and mission projects Spartan athletes have been and are currently involved with in the local and global community.

Men's Soccer - Benin - Summer 2011

The Trinity Western University men’s soccer team went on a two-week missions trip to Benin, from April 27 to May 10, where they built wells for clean water through Global Aid Network’s (GAiN) Water for Life Initiative, helped run soccer clinics, constructed a church structure in a remote village and played three matches against local clubs.

With each well that is built, approximately 1,000 people are given clean water and through GAiN, which is currently dedicated to drilling 70 wells per year in Benin, the Spartans men’s soccer team had the opportunity to help build four wells.

The players also had ample opportunities to use their soccer backgrounds to build meaningful relationships with the local people and, at the same time, spread the word of God through sport. Through a lot of hard work, a lot of testimonial sharing and a lot of relationship building, upon the team’s return coach Pat Rohla expressed that his goal of doing “something different” was, extreme heat and oddly fried eggs included, most definitely “mission accomplished.”

“We were just trying to break down a whole bunch of barriers that are pretty strong in the village areas mixed with voodoo and stuff like that,” said Spartans captain Gogo Vitic (Surrey, B.C.). “We were trying to go in and love on these people, and especially the kids, to further the Gospel.”

And if the group wasn’t mixing cement for the wells or hauling trees out of the forest for a church structure, they were interacting with the locals. And while French is the main language spoken in Benin, soccer was a common tongue.

“It was so easy. We would just roll a ball out and kids would come from everywhere,” said fifth-year defender Brayden Volkenant (Surrey, B.C.). “We wouldn’t have to have too much structure. They just loved playing the game and it was pretty awesome to see.”

And for the Spartans, the impact of the two-week venture was something they certainly will never forget.

“It is life changing to see people that have so little that are so happy,” Rohla said. “It gives us an appreciation for what we have here. It gives us an incentive to go and do some more. It just changes our perspective on a lot of values we have here.”

Brayden’s brother and third-year defender, Rhys Volkenant (Surrey, B.C.), added: “They joy of the people is something I have heard of, but it’s totally different when you experience it. Just seeing how happy the people are with very little and seeing how much they love the game of soccer is awesome. And for those who are Christians, they are certainly passionate about Jesus Christ.”

And specifically for Rhys, sharing his testimony to a crowd of people after one particular game was an experience he will forever remember.

“After every time we played soccer with them, one of us would share our testimony,” Rhys said. “I was fortunate enough to be able to tell mine after one game. And after I was done, they asked if anyone would like to come to Christ and about 30 people put their hands up, which was amazing to see God using me and other guys on our team to spread his word to another part of the world.”

Upon returning to Canada, the strengthening of relationships within the team is something that will no doubt go a long way in developing every aspect of the Spartans men’s soccer program, this year and for the future.

“I know it will have long last affect for the team, for the program and for the guys who went on the trip,” Rohla said. “There will be a really strong bond in a lot of different ways, both on the field and off.”

“The amount of conversation that happened and the amount of actually getting to know what guys believe and what’s going on in their lives and opening up to each other was crazy. And now I’m sure we can all say easily that when we play now, we’re definitely playing for the guy right beside us.”

Women's Volleyball - Paraguay - Summer 2011

The Trinity Western women’s volleyball team went on an Athletes in Action led missions trip to Paraguay, from April 26 to May 10, where the group served in nutrition centres, orphanages, churches  and in a number of other capacities wherever there was specific need.

The team, largely based in the country’s capital city Asuncion, helped make meals and played a variety of sports with the local children at the nutrition centres and orphanages, along with completing several service projects, which included the likes of painting rooms and cleaning up garbage-ridden areas. At the end of each day, the team played volleyball against local clubs where they also had opportunities to share their testimonies with both the team they had just played and their teammates.            

 “It was a great experience,” said Spartans middle Lindsay Dykman. “We saw lots of opportunities to share God and share our sport. The impact on us was a really spiritual one and it really deepened our understanding of the world and of God and of each other.

“We now have a totally new perspective on western wealth and, having gone from extreme poverty to seeing how we live, it’s hard to justify. There was lots of thinking to do.”

The trip was one in which the group was able to both serve an impoverished people and, at the same time, grow closer together as a team. From walking through the slums of the city to celebrating the unexpected healing of a six-year-old who had previously contracted dengue fever, it was a most impactful experience.

“Different girls experienced different emotions and different struggles as they saw different things or even shared part of their own story,” said AIA leader Christy Taylor. “And now they have that shared experience – where the girls had an opportunity to be there for each other – in which they can draw upon some of those experiences to continue to grow deeper and be more vulnerable with each other.”

 And while there’s no doubt a team can gel without such a trip, the Spartans trip in Paraguay was something that brought the team closer together on several levels.

“With the things we do teams can get brought together, but this is something unique,” said Spartans coach Ryan Hofer. “It goes deeper and you’re able to see truly the hearts of the people you’re around. The trip is more enriching. You’re able to experience a deeper level.”

Amber Brown, who missed this past season due to injury, added: “It think this trip will be really good for us as a team because everyone shared their testimony and you had to be pretty vulnerable sharing. Everyone poured out what was on their heart and what’s going on in their lives. Being vulnerable with the team will really create unity and just relying on each other to trust each other with that information that’s so dear to their hearts. I think it will help on and off the court bring us closer together.”

Men's Basketball - China - Fall 2011

The Trinity Western University men’s basketball team went on a week-long preseason trip to China, from Oct 8-15, where they played four games against local universities while also focusing on using sport as a means of cultural exchange and relationship building while also celebrating the 10-year relationship between TWU and the Tianjin Education Commission

The tour took the team through Beijing, Tianjin City and Hebei and will see them play Renmin University twice (Oct. 10th and 13th), a local Polytechnic University (Oct. 12) and Hebei University (Oct. 14th).

The trip was, in large part, a way for TWU to celebrate the fact that over the past 10 years, approximately 100 teachers have come from Tianjin City to attend university at the Langley campus as a part of TWU’s Visiting Teachers Program where, for a semester, teachers take university classes and tour local schools. The program has provided this cultural exchange opportunity for little cost to the teachers as a way of helping them learn Canadian culture and our values and to improve their understanding of the English language and Western teaching approaches.

And while the trip was certainly be an opportunity to represent Trinity Western on a grand scale, for the Spartans men’s basketball team – one that has five new players on the roster this year – it was also a chance to bond as a team in what will essentially be a whirlwind four games in six days tour.

“With a young team like we have, we’re really trying to bond quickly and this will give us a great opportunity to get away and come together as a team,” said Spartans coach Scott Allen. “Collectively it should be a good experience that will help get us ready for the season.

“We’re trying to integrate five new players on this team and that takes time no matter what. This group of kids is new with each other and they’re just learning the tendencies of each other.”

Along with the trip to China, the men’s basketball team, and Trinity Western University as a whole, was the focus of a 45-minute documentary to be shown on CCTV-5, which is the sports channel for China Central Television.  The documentary emphasized sport as a means of cultural exchange and provided a unique opportunity for TWU athletes to reflect the essence of the university in a tangible way both on and off the court.  

A film crew from China came to Trinity Western in late August to build the foundation for the documentary – which included, amongst other things, interviews with Trinity Western president Dr. Jonathan Raymond, the university administration and a look into the on and off campus life of one of the members of the basketball team – and during the Spartans trip to China the final filming was finished. The final product will be aired in primetime in late December 2011.

“Our goal is to showcase our education and athletics teams and deepen and widen our relationship with key organizations and universities in China,” said Geoffrey Feng, the director of the TWU Extension International Program.

China Central Television has about 20 channels and is the only Chinese central government broadcasting station. CCTV has over 1 billion viewers, with a small percentage viewing any one channel at any time.