Life as a college athlete from the outside may look like a position full of prominence, glory, and sometimes even easy. People who are not involved with college athletics might believe athletes do not deal with the same problems regular students do and have an easy ride, but after talking to any college athlete in any sport you find out their lives are anything but easy.

    Athletes who attend UCLA know this all too well. Coming to a school which has a strong tradition of excellence, has won over a hundred national championships, and expects their student-athletes will compete to be the best in the classroom as well as on the field, makes for a very long day for most of the athletes on campus. Most people would not be able to handle the type of workload they are expected to carry day in and day out, but they all have their own ways of getting through. One of these many ways is through a group called Athletes in Action, also known as AIA.

    Athletes in Action is a sports ministry which was founded at UCLA by David Hannah in 1966 to try and use sports as a platform to help athletes find a way utilize their strength in Christianity to build up their performance on the field as well as their everyday lives. Ever since then Athletes in Action has become a worldwide sports ministry with groups in over 100 college campuses in the US and 35 professional sports teams in the US. For years Athletes in Action has given college athletes at UCLA a place to come and deal with the struggles of life as a student-athlete and find strength in something they believe to be of higher power than themselves.

    "Since the (AIA) retreat I see that I can incorporate God in everything that I do, because originally it was hard for me to get past my own expectations and my coaches, and now I realize there is a greater purpose for things," said sophomore 400m sprinter Ashlea McLaughlin.

    "I always ask God for help before I do hard things, especially before I compete, because I feel like only with his help can I accomplish something really great," said sophomore 100,200m sprinter Brittany Stalworth.

    "It provides a place where I can come and fellowship with other Christian athletes," said long-distance runner Marc Hausmaninger.

    AIA is also responsible for the Bart Starr award, which is given to the player in the NFL who displays the best character and is the best role model. The award is given out on Super Bowl weekend at a special breakfast in a church, and has brought in the likes of Tony Dungy, Mike Singletary, LaDaninan Tomilson, Anthony Munoz, and many others.

    Speaking of the Super Bowl, the Bruins will be looking to make their mark as there will be a few former Bruins on both teams battling for the coveted Lombardi Trophy. Playing the backup safety position for the Arizona Cardinals is Matt Ware and Dennis Keyes, who was recently activated to the practice squad. For the Steelers, the former Bruins include backup outside linebacker Bruce Davis and backup defensive end Adam Kirschke. Unfortunately for the Steelers and Cardinals, only one of them can win on Sunday, but for UCLA they will be a winner no matter what the outcome.




Note: UCLA promoted linebackers coach Chuck Bullough to defensive coordinator and hired former Bruin linebacker and NFL veteran Carnell Lake as the cornerbacks coach.

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