Hitting The Road For Xenia!

Written by: Ashley Bristol (Support Staff)

As we gathered early this morning in the parking lot of The Orchard Church, it was hard to believe that the time had already come for us to load up into our three vans and hit the road for the headquarters of Athletes in Action in Xenia, Ohio. As host families dropped us off it was hard to say goodbye. Over the past week these families have welcomed us into their homes and shown us an incredible amount of hospitality and love. Their generosity has touched our hearts and over the past six days the connections and friendships built will last far beyond this week. As we leave Chicago today our hearts are filled with gratitude and a special place for our host families and friends here!

 

After driving for several hours in route for Xenia, we made a stop in New Castle, Indiana for a tour of the Indiana High School Basketball Hall of Fame. Everyone enjoyed the glimpse into Indiana’s rich basketball history and getting to see photos, jerseys, basketballs, and other memorabilia from legends such as John Wooden, Larry Bird and Oscar Robertson. We also got to learn about the high school state championship team, Milan, that the movie “Hoosiers” is based on.

We arrived in Xenia in the late afternoon, which allowed for some relaxation and another Team Time together sharing the third “H”- highlights. Team Time was followed by a training session running on the track at Xenia High School before getting picked up by our new host families for this second leg of the tour.

Tomorrow is our third game against the AIA USA Team. The game starts at 8:30pm and will be held at McGee’s Courts for Sports. If you are in the area we hope to see you at the game to cheer us on!

Last Day In Chicago

Written by: Ashley Bristol (Support Staff)

It’s hard to believe that one week ago our group was on the other side of the world, preparing to make the trip over to America. After all of the preparation, anticipation and planning, it’s been very exciting this first week as the tour has gotten fully underway! Over the past six days we have had a great time getting to know each other and growing together as we focus on what it means to be a “Total Athlete” on and off the court. Through practices, games and daily team times, we are learning and growing together physically, mentally and spiritually.

Of course we are also having a lot of fun getting to know each other as well! Whether it’s hanging out over meals, taking advantage of photo ops in the locker room of the Chicago Bulls, riding the Ferris Wheel at Navy Pier, or shopping for the awesome consumer deals that can be found in America, our group is meshing and bonding together well as we are truly enjoying the time together.

After an incredible week in Chicago, we started off our last day here by attending church in the morning with our host families. We then headed over to Busse Woods Park for a picnic. A picnic in the park might sound like a pretty typical thing to do on a Sunday afternoon, but this was no ordinary picnic! We were hosted by a group of Bulgarians from New Life Bulgarian Church, and treated to an amazing Bulgarian meal of kebapcheta, potatoes, zelena salata and lutanitsa. It was a very special experience for our group to get to connect with Bulgarians living in Chicago and to eat some familiar and delicious food!

After some relaxation, second helpings of the Bulgarian meal, connecting with new friends, and a friendly game of volleyball, we gathered together for a team time. We had the privilege of hearing the testimony of Vanya, a Bulgarian woman who moved from Bulgaria to Chicago several  years ago.  This was followed by Pastor Vladimir from New Life Bulgarian Church sharing his story. We then had the opportunity to share with one another about heroes in our lives. This helped us to continue getting to know each other and was another meaningful Team Time.

The day ended with dinner with our host families, some time to rest and enjoy watching game 3 of the NBA Finals.  After a great week and final day in Chicago, we are ready to hit the road for Ohio tomorrow!

All Around Success

Written by: Jeremiah Boswell (Assistant Coach)

How do you judge a day’s value?  What does it mean to have a good day?

The answers to those questions may vary depending on who you ask.  But I think there are few that could argue with our day and how well it went.  Waking up and having no team requirements in the morning allowed for good rest, reflection and time for some shopping.  Rest and reflection can never be overlooked on a tour as we spend many of our days on the go.  With time to recharge, reaching our goals on and off the court become more feasible.  Even the shopping is something many of the guys have been planning for a while.  Many of the Bulgarians value the opportunity to buy certain products at American prices because they cost so much more in Bulgaria.  Sometimes the value of a simple Nike shoe that we take for granted in America can double in price as it makes it way to Bulgaria.

The afternoon was game time again.  We went to St. Peter Lutheran School to play against the guys of Trinity International University.  The pre-game program included a welcome to the Bulgarian and American fans supporting both teams by Sergey Tsevkov.  The AIA Bulgaria team sang the Bulgarian National Anthem and Coach Ivo sang the American National Anthem, followed by Milen Kostov leading us in a prayer for the game.

 

The game was a fun high-scoring game that finished with Athletes in Action taking the win 95-86.  The guys played with a lot of energy and there was evident camaraderie that made the Bulgarian fans at the game proud.  Immediately following the game, Kiril Raykov shared his personal story to the entire audience.  Next we moved into a clinic for all the kids.  There were around thirty children of all ages that joined in, learned and had fun with our guys.  The players’ interaction with the young kids was really special.  After some stations and relays, we capped off the evening with Milen Dimitrov sharing his faith with the group.

Rest, reflection, friendship, sharing your faith, prayer, playing a game you love, winning, loving on kids and laughter were all a part of our day.  In the big picture of life, we’d like to think today was a good day!

Game 1

Written by: Jeremiah Boswell (Assistant Coach)

Today we received our first test on court.  We had our first game against former players of the well-known Marshall High School.  Many of the players are now professionals and were an athletic group.  Our guys came out strong and held a lead through the entire first half.  The second half continued the same until late in the game when the Marshall Alums took the lead.  Our guys fought until the end but came up just short.  It was a great effort by all.

Bigger than wins and losses was the impact of the game.  We spoke to the Marshall team before and shared what Athletes In Action is and why we are here.  Milen Kostov then led both teams in a prayer before the game.  Following the game, another player, Kiril Raykov, spoke to both teams about his personal story and faith journey.  The guys from Marshall were all ears and it was encouraging to leave with the feeling that we were warmly welcomed, respected and well-received.

 

Immediately following the game, we headed over to the United Center for a tour by Jason Siok.  It was definitely a highlight for all!

 

After the game, we were lead on a city-wide Chicago tour by Andrew and Joanne Illner.  They were terrific and took us on Michigan Avenue, up to the 96^th floor of the John Hancock Center, Navy Pier and lastly, the Bean.  While there, we held a team time in the park which included hearing the story of a Bulgarian living in Chicago, Ivo Ivanov.  Ivo’s story is something that all of our players can relate to, which made it special.  Before heading back for the night, Brooke Rollins shared about his son, Will, who is serving in the US military overseas.  We are all grateful for the work Will is doing and have pledged to pray for him over the next thirteen days as he goes on two high-risk missions.

We look forward to our 2nd game tomorrow, Saturday at 6PM at St. Peter Lutheran School.  The game will be followed by a short clinic for young people who attend the game. We’d love to see you there!  Please see the below flyer for more info about the game and youth clinic:

AIA vs. Trinity Game Info.

A Big Thank You!

We would like the give a big thank you to the Buehler YMCA for their amazing hospitality and for allowing us to use their facility for our practices this week!

Another Great Day

Written by: Jeremiah Boswell (Assistant Coach)

Today was another wonderful day. The team atmosphere and group bonding was terrific.

After lunch we started another team time. We discussed the story of Nicodemus from the Bible and the significance of the verse John 3:16.

We then headed to practice which again went well as we prepared for the game tomorrow morning. Coach Ivo emphasized having a determined focus while we are on the court.

The next stop for us was the Old Country Buffet. Hopefully this incredible buffet was enough to fill even our biggest eater Milen Dimitrov.

We followed this with another team time. At this team time we shared our first “H”: Heritage. Sharing about our family and history allowed us all to know each other even better and was a great way to end the night before going with our host families to watch the NBA finals.

First Full Day!

Written by: Jeremiah Boswell (Assistant Coach)

After a good night of rest at our host families’ homes, we went to The Orchard Church for our first official Team Time. It is clear that everyone is adapting well and is happy with their host families as indicated by head coach Ivo’s entrance to the church.  As Ivo walked in, he had a bright smile and was telling stories about and holding hands with 5 year old Stephanie of his host family.  It was a perfect example of how happy our guys are to experience this opportunity.

At team time we discussed John chapter 4 and Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman and the significance of it.

After great discussion we had a pasta lunch and went to the Buehler YMCA.  Everyone at Buehler YMCA has been more than accommodating and helpful.  We had a fun time with the kids as we did a small clinic.  Sergey also shared his personal story with the kids, which was very special.

 

Then it was down to business and practice time.  It was a positive practice followed by the pool and sauna.  From there we all went our own ways for another great meal with our amazing host families!

The Team Has Arrived!

The 2012 AIA Bulgaria team (players, coaches, and support staff) shortly after landing in Chicago!

The Tour Starts Tuesday!

Written by: Ashley Bristol (Website Coordinator and Team Photographer)

Thank you for visiting our Athletes in Action Bulgaria blog for our 2012 tour of the United States.  Please check back Tuesday, June 12th, for our first update and some pictures!  Continue to check over the next weeks for ongoing information about our team, our schedule, videos and more.

To view our brochure and meet the 2012 team, please click on the following link:

AIA Bulgaria Brochure 2012