Integrating Faith with Athletic Identity
Starting the new series this month on the role faith plays in identity
Welcome to the last month of the year! I’m not sure about you, but the time flew by. In this time between semesters, I typically go into limbo mode where I forget the day on the calendar it is until we get closer to the Spring semester #ProfessorLife.
Instead of wasting away the days like I typically have in the past, I have been working on a few projects that I will share with you all later this month. This is often a time of reflection for me where I can think about all that has occurred in the last year- and a lot has happened. My second child was born, I lost my mother-in-law to cancer, grief hit hard, and I learned how to parent two under two. Through it all, the solid foundation that held me fast was my faith in Jesus Christ. For me, this foundation started while I was in college. In those years I truly started to understand what it meant to be a follower of Jesus Christ. It played an interesting role for me as I reshaped the purpose of sport and what (rather who) my identity was shaped around.
A few weeks ago, we discussed how athletes internalize their identity in sports, which largely shapes their experience. In that internalization process, the athlete determines the purpose of the sport. This is where faith can come along for many athletes.
As a refresher, a simple way to define athletic identity is the way athletes see themselves concerning their sport. Athletic identity comes with many challenges such as over-identification, retirement, and burnout. Many athletes who are entrenched in their identities struggle with an identity crisis when their careers end. That struggle often leads to a loss of sense of self which is called athletic identity foreclosure.
The purpose-filled athlete can provide a higher sense of worth beyond athletic identity (see last month’s articles where we discussed what holistic athletes and coaching look like). In this view, the athlete sees sports as something that they do rather than something that encompasses their whole identity. For example, you become a person who plays basketball and not a basketball player when defining who you are and how you present yourself to others.
Faith plays a large role in identity because it acts as a guide for the athlete. It becomes a spiritual and moral compass to how one competes, how they deal with injuries and setbacks, and navigate the pressures of daily life.
One of the things that I was grateful for in my playing career is the blessing of the community around me. I was part of an organization called Campus Outreach. Campus Outreach is a campus ministry that aims to share the gospel on college campuses around the world. I was also part of a more sport-specific group called Athletes in Action. This group helped me to realize how I can use sports as a platform not to bolster myself but to bring glory to God. One of my favorite sayings from Athletes in Action was Ao1. This stood for Audience of One. It was used to help encourage athletes and think about how they would play if God was the only one in the stands. Would He be a harsh critic who is upset every time you miss a shot? Very doubtful. The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:31 “So whether you eat, drink, or whatever you do, do it for the glory of God.” God is pleased when we are using our talents to compete to the best of the ability that He gave us. Our performance does not deter God from sharing His love on us.
Of course, some challenges and misconceptions come from embracing faith in sports. The most obvious is the misleading correlation that faith equals a lack of competitiveness. Many times, athletes who embrace their faith publicly are criticized by others for meekness and not being aggressive, and showing the “win at all cost” mentality. My argument against this claim goes back to the concept of Ao1. As long as the athlete is competing to the best of their ability, I don’t think that there is much else that you can ask. You don’t have to disparage your opponent with trash talk and dirty play in order to be seen as a great competitor. Criticisms are to be expected, and that is where a community of believers spurring each other on to outdo one another with honor helps.
I encourage young athletes as they are defining their purpose in sports to consider the gospel- the good news of Jesus Christ that the just and gracious creator of the universe looked at hopelessly sinful humanity and sent his son to live a perfect life and to bear the wrath of God so that those who turn away from their sins and declare that Jesus is Lord will be saved. In light of this news, consider how you choose to respond and the value that sports bring to your life.
If you’re interested in this conversation, please let me know! I love receiving messages from you all. I also have some big news that I am hoping to announce to you all in the coming weeks and wanted you all to be the first to know. Please continue to share this with anyone who might be interested in this topic!