Athletes in Action

Name

Athletes in Action

Legal name

Athletes in Action

Website

https://athletesinaction.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1966

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Faith-Based Sports Ministry Services

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Sports Combine, Tryout & Showcase Programs (MPAKAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Faith-based sports ministry
• Athlete development programs
• Sports camps and retreats
• Christian athlete community
• Religious sports services

Headquarters

HQ city

Xenia

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Giving: Athletes in Action operates as a ministry of Cru and relies primarily on charitable donations from individuals who support their mission to transform lives through sport and faith integration
2. Camp and Program Fees: Fees for Ultimate Training Camps, youth camps, and sports programs help offset operational costs. Prices vary by program (e.g., South Africa UTC at R4,500)
3. Intern Support Raising: Year-round interns raise financial support for their salary and ministry expenses, similar to missionary support raising model

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Athletes in Action is a Christian sports ministry that develops athletes physically, mentally, and spiritually through Ultimate Training Camps, youth and team sports camps, sports-themed Bible resources (Struggle & Triumph Bible), internship programs, and a Sports Complex & Retreat Center anchored by the John Wooden Family Fieldhouse. The organization serves individual athletes, coaches, collegiate athletic communities, and international federations, integrating Christian faith with athletic competition across more than a dozen countries.

Product overview

Athletes in Action (AIA) is a Christian ministry that offers a portfolio of faith-based athletic programs and resources. The core offerings include the Struggle & Triumph Bible (a sports-themed Bible integrated with athlete testimonies and biblical principles), Sports Ministry Internships (summer, semester, and year-round programs), Ultimate Training Camps (high-intensity camps for college/professional athletes), and Youth Sports Camps. AIA also operates the Sports Complex & Retreat Center (SCRC) in Xenia, Ohio, featuring the 65,000 sq ft John Wooden Family Fieldhouse with championship basketball/volleyball courts, multiple athletic fields, dormitories, and event spaces. The organization also provides online Bible study plans through YouVersion. These products and facilities work together to help athletes develop physically, mentally, and spiritually while integrating faith with sport.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ultimate Training Camp (UTC): A high-intensity sports camp designed for college and professional athletes that blends faith and sport together, covering topics like motivation, attitude, focus, leadership, and perseverance. Locations include UTC Colorado at Colorado State University and UTC Minnesota at University of St. Thomas.
• Struggle & Triumph Bible
• Total Athlete

Products and services

• Ultimate Training Camp (UTC) A high-intensity residential sports camp designed for college and professional athletes that blends Christian faith with sport across five core biblical principles covering motivation, attitude, focus, leadership, and perseverance. Includes classroom sessions, competitive application, small groups, and worship. Locations span U.S. college campuses (Colorado State University, University of St. Thomas) and international venues (Bridges Retreat Center, South Africa).
• Youth Sports Camps Day camps and youth sports camps that create a safe, encouraging environment for young athletes to build character, learn life skills, and be introduced to the Christian faith. Includes team camps and summer camp programs with discount bundles.
• Sports Ministry Internships Summer, semester, and year-round internship programs based at AIA's World Headquarters in Xenia, Ohio that develop participants professionally, personally, and spiritually while working within sport as part of national teams. Interns raise financial support for their salary and ministry expenses in a missionary support-raising model.
• Sports Complex & Retreat Center (SCRC) A comprehensive sports and retreat complex in Xenia, Ohio featuring baseball, soccer, football, and softball fields, sand and turf volleyball courts, dormitories, banquet halls, chapel, ropes course, and conference spaces. Hosts sports events, tournaments, weddings, corporate events, and church camps. Expected to host 300,000+ athletes annually.
• John Wooden Family Fieldhouse A 65,000 square foot indoor sports facility at the AIA Sports Complex in Xenia, Ohio featuring championship basketball/volleyball courts (Sarnecki Family Court), seating for 1,200 spectators, team rooms, conference rooms, athletic training room, and hydrotherapy room. Named after legendary UCLA coach John Wooden — the only location outside UCLA campus where his name is used.
• Struggle & Triumph Bible A specially designed Bible for athletes integrating faith stories of elite athletes alongside Scripture, with testimonies from Olympians and world champions, sport-themed devotionals, and AIA's five key biblical principles of athletic competition. Translated into seven languages (Arabic, Japanese, Korean, Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish) and distributed globally to missionaries and athletes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 300,000+ athletes expected annually at Sports Complex
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Cru (formerly Campus Crusade for Christ)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAthletes in Action is a ministry of Cru, which has over 1,000 staff serving around the world. Cru is a charter member of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). AIA leverages Cru's global infrastructure and resources for operations, fundraising, and ministry expansion.
• YouVersioncoreTechnology or IntegrationPartnership to distribute Bible study plans through YouVersion app, including Struggle & Triumph, Influencers in Sport, Olympic Devotional Plan, and 7 Habits of a Grateful Athlete.
• UCLA / John Wooden EstateflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohn Wooden Family Fieldhouse is the only location outside UCLA campus where Coach Wooden allowed his name to be used, honoring his legacy of faith and family values.
• Mongolia Wrestling FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Wrestling hosts training camps in Mongolia where wrestlers hear the Gospel. Baggi, a junior world bronze medalist, came to faith through these camps and shared faith with his family.
• Honduran National Football FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnny Leverón distributed Struggle & Triumph Bibles to entire national team. This led to chapel times being established for four professional league teams in Honduras.
• Bridges Retreat CentercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartner venue for UTC South Africa in Franschhoek, providing lodging, meals, and facilities for international camp participants.
• Ukraine and Moldova Wrestling FederationsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIA Wrestling hosts camps and Bible studies in partnership with local volunteers in Ukraine and Moldova. Camps include morning workouts, Bible study, and wrestling practice with international participation from multiple countries.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• Tiger Woods Foundation: High-profile athlete-driven foundation running youth programming and a flagship learning center — comparable as an athlete-led nonprofit operating flagship facilities and youth programs at scale.
• NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics): Governing body for smaller college athletics, many of whose member institutions are faith-affiliated; relevant channel partner for AIA's collegiate work and a comparable faith-adjacent sports ecosystem.
• Athletes in Motion (Veritas Forum / Kingdom Advisors): Veritas hosts faith-and-ideas forums at universities — overlapping in collegiate Christian outreach to athletes and student leaders, though more academic-framed than AIA's sport-first model.

Emerging players

• Athletes for Hope: Nonprofit connecting professional athletes with charitable causes — comparable in athlete-led community building, though secular in framing versus AIA's explicit faith mission.
• Orange (The reThink Group): Faith-based youth and family ministry strategy/content provider serving churches and youth organizations — adjacent in faith-content distribution and youth engagement to AIA.
• Positive Coaching Alliance: Character-and-development focused sports nonprofit serving coaches and youth athletes — overlapping on 'total athlete' coaching development but secular versus AIA's faith framing.

Direct peers

• Fellowship of Christian Athletes: The largest and most directly comparable US faith-based sports ministry, also serving coaches and athletes on campuses and at camps with a similar 'faith + sport' mission.
• Sport Spectrum: Faith-based sports content/podcast platform speaking to athletes and coaches at the intersection of sport and Christianity — directly overlapping AIA's devotional/content distribution motion.

Broad incumbents

• Young Life: Established evangelical youth-ministry organization with comparable campus ministry and camp/retreat model — a meaningful donor-base and youth-program benchmark for AIA.
• Cru: AIA's parent organization; the broader ministry operates across many student and global segments and shares donor pipelines, mission infrastructure, and ECFA accountability standards.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aiausa
• YouTubeyoutube.com/AIAUSA
• Facebookfacebook.com/athletesinaction.GB
• Instagraminstagram.com/athletesinaction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/athletes-in-action

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Athletes in Action