Arts and Humanities Commons^™

Sport Chaplains And Social Workers: A Theoretical Understanding Of A Necessary Component Of An Interprofessional Collaborative Practice In Sport In The United States, Lauren Beasley Phd, Ms, Lmsw, Emily J. Johnson Mph, Ms, Steven N. Waller Phd, Dmin, Cspc

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Holistic care of athletes is a growing area of research and practice. Yet, there is still much to consider as attention to this matter continues to expand. Specifically, what are the different theoretical perspectives of each profession working together towards the holistic care of athletes? The theoretical understanding between professions is essential for effective interprofessional teams—what some scholars have termed interprofessional cultural competence. The purpose of this paper is thus to provide the theoretical underpinnings for collaboration between sport chaplains and social workers, both emerging professions within interprofessional care in sport. This paper presents the unique partnership of sport chaplains …

Finding Stability Between Sports Ministry And Sports Ministry Management. A Church-Based Review., Jimmy Smith

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The field of sports has multiple segments including youth, recreational, college, and professional sport. Research in these areas have produced an abundance of inquiries discussing several managerial function and capacity topics such as finance, marketing, organizational effectiveness, and leadership. While these topics have been applied to many segments of the sport world, the niche segment of sports ministry has not seen these applications. Sports ministers have challenges in that they manage all aspects of the sports programs they provide to the community, but they also supply the resources and support toward the ministry within these programs.

The current research fills …

From Mission To Competition: The Experiences Of 10 Lds Missionary Student-Athletes Returning To Competition In The National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I, Matthew J. Moore, Leslee A. Fisher, Lindsey A. Miossi, Zach T. Smith, Jacob C. Jensen,

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The purpose of the current study was to explore the experiences of LDS missionary student-athletes returning to competition in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I (DI). Using Consensual Qualitative Research methods (CQR; Hill, 2012) including a semi-structured interview guide, 10 DI student-athletes/returned LDS missionaries were interviewed regarding their experience (i.e., mean age of 25 years; baseball, cross-country/track and field, football, and swimming). A research team with five members constructed four domains and 16 categories representing DI student-athlete/returned LDS missionary chronological identity changes during this experience: (a) the development of an LDS missionary identity; (b) challenges associated with returning …

Spiritual Outcomes Of A Faith-Based Camp Program For Children Of Incarcerated Parents, Raquel T. Ellis, Krystal Hays, Jeff Hamilton, Lemesis J. Reyes

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Children of incarcerated parents are likely to experience a number of adverse outcomes including poverty, substance abuse, community violence, multiple caregivers, school failure, and justice system involvement (Hairston, 2007; Martin, 2017; Murphey & Cooper, 2015). The experience of having a parent incarcerated, and the negative outcomes associated with it, disproportionately expose these children to adverse childhood events (ACE’s) known to result in higher morbidity and mortality (Turney, 2018). However, spiritual resources, along with engagement with caring adults, can increase a child’s resilience and buffer the impact of these negative outcomes. This exploratory study describes Camp Agape California (CAC), a faith-based …

Towards A Theology For Competitive Sport, John Ashley Null

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Current research such as that of Sagar and Stoeber (2009) confirms how common amongst perfectionist sportspersons is the fear of failure with its attendant sense of worthlessness and shame (Sagar, Boardely & Kavussanu, 2011). In the face of this bleak reality, many see holy play as the only credible Christian alternative. In this paper, however, I disagree. After taking a fresh look at the roots of holy play as well as the contemporary magisterial work of Shirl Hoffman, I will argue for a more nuanced theological appreciation of sports competition.

Soul-Training: The Why, What, And How Of Spiritual Formation In Sports, Elizabeth Bounds

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Sportspeople know how to train and prepare their bodies for competition. The question this article seeks to explore is how sportspeople should approach training and preparing their souls. The Willardian corpus provides sportspeople a framework for understanding spiritual formation. This article examines the “why,” “what,” and “how” of soul-training, how Christians in sports can engage in spiritual formation. Sportspeople train their souls to experience God’s presence and worship him on and off the competition stage (why). In order to do so, they train their souls by following Christ as his apprentices, leading to transformation into his likeness (what) by cooperating …

Christ And Sport: Reappropriating H. Richard Niebuhr’S Christ And Culture Typology, Reuben Hoetmer

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

What is the relationship between Christ and sport? In this article I unpack five types of responses that Christians have offered to this question and examine how they correspond to the five approaches described in H. Richard Niebuhr’s classic work Christ and Culture. The primary goal is to offer a helpful heuristic to make sense of how Christians can think about sport. The article begins by clarifying two framing problems—one theological, one philosophical—that underlie the discussion. It then proceeds to describe the five types and the ways they are reflected in theological literature on sport.

When Goods Become Gods: Fractured Identities And The Call For Safe Spaces In Sports, Cynthia A. White, Elizabeth Bounds

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

What is the relationship between identity, idolatry, wholeness, and community? What are the ways in which sports culture bolsters or misdirects God-given identity? How can leaders in sports cultivate authentic, loving community that provides athletes safe spaces to explore and discern messages from the world and truth from God? In this paper, we will explore existential questions such as these. First, we will describe how identity is inherently physiological, psychological, social, and spiritual, developing subconsciously through explicit and implicit messaging. Then, we will explore the ways in which sports – organized play, human creation, and a good gift from God …

The Christian Sportsperson: An Introduction, Brian R. Bolt Phd, Chad Carlson

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Introduction to the Special Edition of the Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sport Studies dedicated to scholarship generated from papers presented at the the Second Global Congress on Sport and Christianity, October 23-27, 2019, Calvin University, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Professional Development And Faith Integration In Sport Management Education, Jason W. Lee, Jennifer J. Kane, Jeffrey P. Briggs

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Professional development is a critical component of academia and should support the institution’s vision, mission, and organizational goals (Lee & Briggs, 2020; 2021). The amount and type of professional development should be congruent with institutional expectations (COSMA, 2016), according to how faculty are to be evaluated, tenured, and promoted. When emphasizing professional development that integrates one’s faith, there are unique prospects to embody a Christian ethos. Hence, this article concentrates on professional development opportunities at faith-based institutions, notably Christian faculty members in the academic disciplines of Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure & Sport Studies (CSKLS). Using the specific emphasis on …

Religiosity And Ways Of Coping With Sport Injuries Among Christian Athletes, Diane M. Wiese‐Bjornstal, Kristin N. Wood, Francesca M. Principe, Emma S. Schwartz

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Although research evidence supports religiosity’s predominantly positive mental and physical health benefits to patients coping with varied health problems, there are few studies exploring the influence of religiosity on coping with sport injuries among athletes identifying with specific religions. This study examined the relationships between religiosity and the use of religious and non-religious ways of coping with sport injuries by athletes affiliated with diverse Christian denominations. Within a concurrent mixed methods design, adult athletes (N = 88) responded to an online survey asking about several religiosity factors, their most serious or challenging sport injuries, and their ways of coping …

Who Is My Neighbor? The Importance Of Global Education For Kinesiology Students, Jessica D. Ventura

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The parable of the Samaritan in the Gospel of Luke illustrates that helping others requires both the ability to reach out to any person and the humility to receive mercy from any person. This active love requires a basic understanding of culture and the ways in which it may affect the values and actions of others. As believers seeking to express God in careers that bring them in contact with any person, kinesiology students have a specific need to understand their global neighbors. This paper first explores the importance of multicultural education as illustrated in the book of …

Surveying The Landscape Of Theories And Frameworks Used In The Study Of Sport And Religion: An Interdisciplinary Approach, Zachary T. Smith, Steven N. Waller Ph.D.

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Religion and sport is a bourgeoning and maturing interdisciplinary area of study. As the volume of research conducted about topics related to the interface of religion and sport, attention to sound research methods, including the use of relevant theories and theoretical/conceptual frameworks becomes essential. Scholars such as Stausberg and Engler (2014) have posited that the methods used in religious studies (including theory and frameworks) are not as rigorous as those utilized in social science related fields. The imperative then becomes to use theories and frameworks from social science related disciplines such as leisure studies, sports studies and sport psychology to …

Perceived Leisure Constraints Of Students Attending Christian Colleges, Greg Place, W. Dale Connally, Jennifer Livengood

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Leisure research has historically addressed constraint theory as well as the relationship between spirituality and leisure. This study focused on the behavior codes for students and faculty at Christian universities. A qualitative approach addressed students’ awareness of these codes, whether they felt constrained in their leisure by the codes, and whether they adhered to the codes. Findings indicated that the students did not feel constrained by the behavior codes. They felt like campus culture and programming insulated them from inappropriate behavior. Students reported that they generally followed the codes, especially on campus. Finally, subjects identified groups of students on campus …

Christianity And Sport Psychology: One Aspect Of Cultural Competence, Trevor J. Egli, Leslee A. Fisher

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

There is currently a dearth of literature relating to how applied sport psychology practitioners might work with a Christian sportsperson (Czech et al., 2004, Egli et al., 2014). Therefore, the purpose of this article is to provide practical suggestions for sport psychology practitioners based on relevant research related to Christianity and sport psychology as well as personal and professional experience. We first explain the various sport psychology roles before providing a brief review of literature. Studies related to Christian athletes, Christian coaches, Christian prayer within sport, and sport psychology consultants’ experiences of spirituality are presented. Lastly, the authors include four …

A Psychotheology Of Losing, Matthew D. Ruiz

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

This paper explores what it means to lose in a contemporary American society. Kanter (2004) suggested that losing serves as an alarm, notifying one that it is time to recalibrate. For Duina (2011) losing offers a time for reexamination. Sports equates to winning and losing. Thanks to well-indoctrinated maxims like Lombardi’s “winning is the only thing” and a cultural rejection of “losers” we are in an era where the pursuit of winning trumps other variables which are also worthy of pursuit and consideration. Thus, losing becomes an insult to our ego-driven lives. As such, one cannot discuss losing without also …

Religiousness And Perceived God Perfectionism Among Elite Athletes, Benjamin J. Houltberg, Kenneth T. Wang, Sarah A. Schnitker

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Little research has been conducted examining the link between athletes’ religious beliefs and practices and coping with the pressures related to elite competition. The purpose of the study was to investigate athletes’ global self-worth and perfectionistic concerns as key variables that link religiousness and perceived God perfectionism to dealing with performance failure and appraisals of upcoming competition. Self-report data was collected from a sample of 99 elite athletes (Mdn age = 22, 48% female, 89% believed in God) that were currently competing at a NCAA D1, professional or Olympic level. We used structural equation modeling to test direct and indirect …

Exploring The Role Of Spirituality And Spiritual Beliefs In The Pursuit Of Excellence And Attainment Of Peak Performance In Professional Athletes, Ashley Ballard, Charles H. Wilson Jr.

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Little research has been found which examines the assessment of spirituality in sport performers and its possible role in performance enhancement. The goal of the current study was to understand if and how spirituality impacts athleticism. The subjective experiences of Christian spirituality in an American World Sprinter (male), a British Olympic Sprint Canoe Racer (female), and a retired American Minor League Baseball player (male) were analyzed through Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) (Smith & Osborn, 2003). Semi-structured interviews were used to gather data leading to three major themes: “The Belief and Confidence in God”, “Individual and Communal Prayer”, and “The Influential …

Leisure Studies And Christian Scholarship: Two Solitudes?, Paul Heintzman

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

This paper examines the interrelationships between scholarly Christian writings on leisure and leisure studies literature. As an academic field of study leisure studies is a fairly recent development, however throughout Christian history leisure has been considered by Christians such as Augustine, Aquinas, Luther and Calvin. A number of observations can be made from a review of these two bodies of literature. First, although numerous books have been written in recent decades by Christian scholars on the subject of leisure, very few of these scholars have been leisure studies scholars, and in most cases, these Christian writings have not made reference …

Muscular Christian Themes In Contemporary American Sport: A Case Study, Andrew R. Meyer

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Muscular Christianity is often credited as being influential in Western sport ideology but is rarely mentioned in contemporary analysis. This paper identifies instances of muscular Christian ideals, as defined by Thomas Hughes, observable in the contemporary American sport context, addressing the continued religious impact of sport. Muscular Christian themes were identified in various media, including, online videos, magazines, books, and commercials involving American cyclist Lance Armstrong. Two of Hughes’ themes were observable in the media portrayal of Armstrong: a body used for the protection of the weak and a body used for the advancement of all righteous causes. These findings …

Spirituality And The Therapeutic Recreation Practitioner: Exploring The Implications For Practice And Research, Angela Wozencroft, Phd, Steven N. Waller Ph.D., Gene A. Hayes, Larry Brown

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

There is a growing body of literature that relates to spirituality and leisure. Within this corpus, several scholars continue to address the relationship between spirituality and therapeutic recreation. Much of the available literature chronicles the health and wellness benefits that accrue to the client/participant but little attention has been devoted to understanding the relationship between the personal spirituality of the therapeutic recreation (TR) professional and its influence on service delivery. The purpose of this essay was three-fold: (1) to examine the influence of spirituality in the work lives of TR practitioners; and (2) to chronicle existing literature that relates to …

The Impact Of Faith And Experience On The Development Of Coaching Philosophies, Douglas Hochstetler

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

The purpose of this paper is to address coaching philosophies in the context of experience and faith. In particular, how do coaches at Christian colleges develop their ideas and beliefs about coaching which guide their actions and behaviors? To what extent does faith impact these philosophical commitments? What is this process of decision-making and growth like? Does this development process occur intuitively, through rational discourse and planning, or perhaps through some sort of symbiotic process? This paper is both descriptive and normative, both reflective of the experiential process in developing one’s coaching philosophy as well as prescribing effective ways to …

Christian Reflections On The Relationship Of Leisure And Work, Paul Heintzman

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

A Christian understanding of leisure cannot be developed in isolation from the other dimensions of life. In the creation account of Genesis we learn that both rest and work are basic to the created nature of humanity. The purpose of this paper is to explore a Christian understanding of the relationship between leisure and work. The paper begins with a brief review of biblical teaching on work and leisure. This teaching is then applied to a critique of five more recent perceptions of the relationship of leisure and work: work-oriented unilateral; leisure-oriented unilateral; split; integrated; and identity. It is argued …

God In My Sporting: A Justification For Christian Experience In Sport, Sean Sullivan

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Examining the intersection between sport and religious faith can be challenging for kinesiology professionals. Many in academics disregard religious statements and experience as meaningless, unscientific, and even dangerous. Others recognize religious experiences as valid forms of knowledge and opportunities to encounter the sacred. Each of these groups has different explanations of religious experience and the areas of life in which such experience can occur. It is the purpose of this paper to examine the legitimacy of and potential for religious experience in general, as well as Christian religious experience in sport and physical activity. After reviewing previous sport and other …

Leisure In The Life Of The 21st Century Black Church: Re-Thinking The Gift, Steven N. Waller Ph.D.

Movement and Being: The Journal of the Christian Society for Kinesiology, Leisure and Sports Studies

Scholarship devoted to examining the role that leisure plays in the life of the Black Church is lacking. Leisure is an important facet of congregational life in African American churches and permeates congregational dynamics on multiple levels. The purpose of this essay is to examine leisure in the life of the Black Church and posit how a healthy, theologically accurate understanding of the value of leisure can help with health and wellness promotion, community-economic development and church growth. The Black Church is defined as the eight historically Black denominations: African Methodist Episcopal, African Methodist Episcopal Zion, Christian Methodist Episcopal, Church …