Location
Solheim 104
Start Date
7-6-2024 2:45 PM
End Date
7-6-2024 3:30 PM
Description
Over the past several decades, increased scholarly attention has been placed on the role of faith in coaching pedagogy within Christian contexts. However, research on faith and coaching has yet to include student-athletes’ perceptions of their own coach’s ability to integrate their faith. Without the student-athlete perspective on faith and coaching, questions remain about the efficacy of faith informed coaching practices and whether those practices are experienced as intended by athletes. This presentation offers some preliminary findings from a case study conducted on one athletic program at a small, Christian liberal arts institution. These findings include qualitative data from coaches and athletes in the men’s soccer program. Specifically, we will highlight similarities and differences between how coaches conceptualize faith integration in their roles and student perceptions about their coaches’ abilities to integrate faith. By locating areas of convergence and divergence between coaches’ faith practices and student-athletes’ perceptions and experiences, the findings of this study can provide some evidence-based approaches for coaches looking to more intentionally integrate faith into their practice and pedagogy.
Recommended Citation
Strehlow, Sean M.; Huggard, Nadia; Kiggins, Ethan; and Narber, Caleb, "NCAA Division III Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Faith Informed Coaching" (2024). CSKLS Annual Conference. 5.
https://digitalcollections.lipscomb.edu/cskls-conference/2024/Wednesday/5
Included in
NCAA Division III Student-Athletes’ Perceptions of Faith Informed Coaching
Solheim 104
Over the past several decades, increased scholarly attention has been placed on the role of faith in coaching pedagogy within Christian contexts. However, research on faith and coaching has yet to include student-athletes’ perceptions of their own coach’s ability to integrate their faith. Without the student-athlete perspective on faith and coaching, questions remain about the efficacy of faith informed coaching practices and whether those practices are experienced as intended by athletes. This presentation offers some preliminary findings from a case study conducted on one athletic program at a small, Christian liberal arts institution. These findings include qualitative data from coaches and athletes in the men’s soccer program. Specifically, we will highlight similarities and differences between how coaches conceptualize faith integration in their roles and student perceptions about their coaches’ abilities to integrate faith. By locating areas of convergence and divergence between coaches’ faith practices and student-athletes’ perceptions and experiences, the findings of this study can provide some evidence-based approaches for coaches looking to more intentionally integrate faith into their practice and pedagogy.
Christian Perspective of Presentation
The Christian faith is central to the research topic as well as the context in which the research is conducted. However, a discussion of our findings will offer implications for practice that are also firmly rooted in a Christian theological perspective. To do this, we will draw on literature related to the integration of faith and learning, as it applies to the athletics context.