Christian Athletes and the Culture of Elite Sport: Dilemmas and Solutions

Christopher L. Stevenson
1997 Sociology of Sport Journal  
One underreported issue in the research on Christian athletes has been the dificulties these athletes experience in living with the demands and expectations of the dominant culture of elite, competitive sport. Data were derivedffom in-depth interviews with 31 elite athletes (23 males and 8 females), who were also professing Christians and associated with the evangelical organization, Athletes-in-Action. The athletes reported that it was by turning to or returning to an evangelical Christian
more » ... h that they were better able to cope with their problems and with the demands of the culture of elite, competitive sport. Discussion of these findings included a consideration of Coakley k (1994) model "of conflict, doubt, and resolution," which attempts to represent the conflicts experienced by Christian athletes in elite sport, and the approaches they take to assuage these conflicts. Un aspect sous e'tudie' touche les dificultgs que ces athlPtes ont eu ir vivre avec les demandes et les attentes de la culture dominante du sport d'e'lite, de compe'tition. Les donne'es ont e'te' ge'ne're' par des entrevues en profondeur avec 31 athl2tes (23 hommes et 8 femmes) qui se proclament chre'tiens et qui sont associe's avec l'organisation e'vangdique, Athletes-in-Action. Les athlPtes rapportent que ce fit en se tournant vers ou en retournant ir leur foi chre'tienne e'vange'lique qu'ils ont pu faire face aux demandes du sport de compe'tition. La discussion des re'sultats comprend un prise en conside'ration du rnod2le de conflit, doute et re'solution propose' par Coakley (1994), lequel cherche ii represe'nter les conflits ve'cus par les athl2tes chre'tiens implique's duns le sport de compe'tition et les approches qu'ils adoptent pour les apaisel:
doi:10.1123/ssj.14.3.241 fatcat:r4kcxyoxafd3vkapcaasrk2p3i