Bonfiglios keep AIA thriving

During his time at Princeton, Ryan Bonfiglio '01 was an athletic star, the captain of the wrestling team and a member of the sprint football team. But his love of sports affected his life in more ways than simple wins and losses.

Though he did not have a strong religious background, during his sophomore year, Bonfiglio joined Athletes in Action (AIA), a nondenominational Christian group aimed at student athletes. Now, four years after graduating, he finds himself back at Princeton, directing the organization he says changed his life.

"Obviously I didn't come into Princeton desiring to join a Christian group," he said. "[But AIA] changed the direction of my life."

Bonfigilio is not the only Princeton athlete for whom AIA is a major part of the Princeton experience. His wife Charity, also a 2001 graduate and a member of the club volleyball team during her time at Princeton, was also involved with AIA and is now co-director along with Ryan.

Together, they pave the way for the many current Tigers who are following in their footsteps.

"Through Bible studies, Game Time meetings and Retreats, AIA has helped me strengthen my faith," sophomore rugby player Annie Varner said. "AIA is also a support group for me, where I turn when I'm happy, discouraged or need encouragement."

Open to all

While AIA is technically a Christian ministry, it welcomes all students, regardless of athletic talents or religious background. At meetings, there are usually around 60-80 people, but the overall membership fluctuates between 100 and 120 students.

"AIA tries to create a community where students, in particular athletes of all different types of backgrounds, can come together and ask how spirituality might impact daily life," Bonfiglio said.

Sophomore Shelly Slemp, a guard on the women's basketball ream, said that at all AIA meetings, "anyone's welcome: Christians, non-Christians, athletes and non-athletes. [AIA is] really for everyone who wants to come out."

AIA organizes weekly meetings, dubbed "Game Time," along with Bible study groups and special service projects.

The Game Time meetings are a chance for athletes to "get together to think about how their faith impacts [their lives]," Bonfiglio said. Each meeting begins with a brief student message, followed an address by a special speaker.

AIA's showcase service project, Teams and Toys, is one of the largest service efforts on the entire campus, and is designed to get student-athletes involved in the surrounding community. Each year around Christmas, teams adopt a disadvantaged family in the Trenton area and buy presents. AIA arranges a gift-wrapping party for participating teams, who distribute the gifts. Teams and Toys was particularly successful this past year, with all 38 varsity teams taking part in the project.

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"Part of the impetus in doing [Teams and Toys] was that there's been a lot said about the role of athletes on campus," Bonfiglio said, explaining that AIA strives to integrate student athletes into the community.

"[Sports] is our talent, and we can invest it for the betterment of the school, the local community and the global community," junior rower Kim Nakamaru said.

Examples of other service projects that AIA is involved with include a program to write letters of encouragement to people overseas who have been imprisoned for their religious faith and Tiger Aid, a program that sends care packages to injured athletes.

More than winning

While the Bonfiglios are in charge of fundraising to support the program — they "work with businessmen or churches or Princeton alums who are interested in this program and want to give back to it" — three student teams are responsible for much of the programming. The fellowship team organizes Game Time and plans social events, the outreach team coordinates Bible study groups and publicity, and the community service team arranges a variety of service projects.

Students involved with AIA agree that it is an excellent opportunity that has positively impacted their Princeton experiences. According to Bonfiglio, part of AIA's mission is to teach athletes that playing a sport should not be motivated entirely by a desire for personal glory.

"We care deeply about winning," Bonfiglio said. "But we also want to say that there are more important things in life than sports."

Freshman club basketball player Jennifer Sherwood echoed this sentiment. "AIA has definitely made a big difference in my life in that it has really stressed how to play sports," she said.

Indeed, AIA seems to allow student-athletes to find a good balance between their religious dedication and their athletic careers.

"AIA has given me a better perspective on what it means to be both a Christian and an athlete," Nakamaru said. "It really has shown me that someone's religious identification and their social identification as an athlete can coexist and be complimentary."