"MVNC's Seiter Takes Life-Changing Trip to Poland"
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
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1998 Athletes in Action Volleyball Team
(Seiter is the second person from the right in the front row - #8) |
For most athletes, the opportunity to compete against international opponents is a memorable experience. As a Christian athlete, using this international sports venue as a platform to share one's faith makes the experience even more rewarding.
For Mount Vernon Nazarene College senior middle hitter Tara Seiter, her recent trip with Athletes in Action (AIA) to Poland was indeed a memorable and life-changing experience. AIA is an organization that exists to reach the United States and resource the world for Jesus Christ through the influence of sports. Seiter was the lone NAIA representative on the nine-player volleyball team that included seven NCAA Division I players and one NCAA Division III player.
The trip started off with a 10-day training camp on the campus of Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado. This camp was comprised of over 150 athletes from all over the country who were taking various AIA trips. Following this time of preparing both physically and spiritually for their trip, the volleyball team departed for Poland.
Once in Poland, the team was based in Warsaw. However, they made several roadtrips throughout the country to such places as Radom, Wegrow, and Auschwitz. They played competitively against various teams including the Nike Team and the Warsaw University team.
"The teams that we played against could easily compete with many NCAA Division I teams in our country," said Seiter. "The Nike Team was the best team that we played, and we played pretty evenly with all of the teams except them."
"It was very common for most teams to have great hitters and servers, but lack discipline in the backrow," Seiter added. "The teams all had plenty of height with the tallest player being 6-foot-5 and the average height being about 6-foot. The girls that we played against train anywhere from three to six hours per day, and the Nike Team was on salary to play volleyball and tour Europe representing their country."
Following each of the matches, one of the members of the AIA team would share her testimony telling the players, coaches, and fans how she came to know Christ personally. Then, the whole team would mingle and converse with the players, sharing more about their faith and answering any questions.
Besides competing against other teams, the AIA team held a camp for the youth of Warsaw at a local church. The team also toured the remains of two concentration camps in Auschwitz.
"I grew so much spiritually during the three weeks of the trip," Seiter said. "The biggest thing that I learned was to trust the Lord and look to Him in all circumstances. There were many trials on the trip, and it was so neat to be focused on God and watch Him work all things according to His will."
"It was also exciting to see how much I learned from my teammates, coach, and tour director," she added. "We spent many hours in Bible studies and prayer over the course of three weeks. I learned the importance of great Christian friends and accountability partners."
Seiter, who has been an NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in both volleyball and basketball, is looking forward to her final year at MVNC as she closes out a record-setting career in both sports. She feels that the trip to Poland will not only help her competitively, but also help her to keep things in the proper perspective.
"Among many other things that I learned from this trip is how to glorify the Lord through athletics," said Seiter. "I have gained valuable experience playing against some high quality competition. Overall, this trip will help me to compete to the best of my ability while focusing on glorifying the Lord through the talents with which I have been blessed."
