Staff

Dallas Williams
Growing up in Winnipeg, Manitoba Dallas developed a deep passion for the province of Manitoba and the people who live there. He joined Athletes in Action in 1997 to help fulfill his passion of reaching out to the communities of kids and adults around him through the avenues of sports camps, Friday Nite Basketball leagues, clinics and assemblies. Dallas’s pioneering ways have enabled him to start camps in soccer, volleyball, baseball, softball and basketball throughout the province seeing hundreds of kids reached for Christ each year. In Dallas’s spare time you’ll see him coaching numerous youth soccer teams and has collected several city championships in Winnipeg, as well as a college soccer provincial title in 2004.

Frank Thoutenhoofd
After immigrating from “The Hague” in the Netherlands Frank found in Canada, surprisingly, the game of basketball. Playing throughout high school Frank went on to play at the University of Calgary where through the ministry of the Athletes in Action Men’s basketball team and a close Christian team mate, Frank turned his life over to Jesus Christ. He then joined AIA staff as an assistant coach on the first AIA Canada touring basketball team. Frank Thoutenhoofd is the pioneer of AIA’s sports camp program nationally and internationally, and Friday Nite basketball leagues across Canada. Thousands of young aspiring athletes experience AIA and Jesus Christ for the first time because of Frank’s faithful efforts over the past 28 years. Frank has traveled to more than 20 countries and is currently the National Director of the Friday Nite Basketball League which is a developmental basketball league for youth age 5-15. Frank’s highlight is still telling people about Jesus, and the joy hasn’t faded after all these years. He has been married to Ruth for 31 years and has three kids (Chris, Scott, and Robyn). Each of his children is now pursuing life in a ministry of their own.

Matt Guynup
With only 2 years under his belt, Matt has become a valuable member of the AIA team. He relishes the opportunities to interact with the campers at basketball camp where he gives leadership and coaches in the summer. He organizes, administrates and ministers to hundreds of people each season through the youth outreach program with the BC Lions called Kidz Turf and the year end Fandamonium youth event. Matt has recently traveled and played with the AIA Men’s basketball team in Brazil, and also enjoys the challenges that the office brings through his writing, administration, and planning. He is married to Teresa and they have a nine month old daughter named Brooklyn. Matt views life as pretty fresh - to him every day is brand new.

Dave Klassen
Growing up in Kelowna, BC gave Dave a great passion for God, people and sports. A former All-Canadian basketball player and teacher Dave joined Athletes in Action staff in 1989. Since then Dave has been the chaplain to the former NBA team the Vancouver Grizzlies, directed the campus ministry at SFU and UBC, started the AIA ministry at Trinity Western University, directed the sports camps ministry in BC and traveled to over 22 countries around the world. Currently, Dave helps direct AIA and the basketball ministry nationally, is the Chaplain for the CFL BC Lions and enjoys encouraging and inspiring thousands of youth, men and families through basketball camps, outreach events, conferences and retreats each year. Dave is married to his wife Rushia and together they speak with Family Life Canada and find great joy with their family Caleb, Marek, Hannah, Abigael, and Linda. Dave’s life motto: “I am tempted to say that I am not genuinely afraid about anything, but that isn’t true. My main fear is insignificance. I am afraid to put it simply of living a life that doesn’t matter for eternity. I’m afraid of leaving the world exactly as I found it. With no more hope, no more joy, no more peace and no different for my having been here. I am afraid of coming to the end of my life and finding that I have not lived in Christ and for him.”

Rodd Sawatzky
Rodd lives in Calgary, Alberta with his wife Leslie, and his three kids Kennedy, Dawson, and Brooklyn. He has traveled extensively with AIA basketball, and been the chaplain for the Saskatchewan Roughriders, and now the Calgary Stampeders. He is also part of the leadership for AIA’s basketball ministry. Rodd is one of the few people who have experienced the joy of living in several areas of B.C., Alberta, and Saskatchewan, his greatest pleasure in the ministry is to see young men and women come to know the truth, and then turn to live their lives passionately for Christ.