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Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4237-8637

Publication Date

6-30-2024

Abstract

Despite the tight coupling between Christianity and American sport, empirical research has found a level of tension between the Christian identity and the moral culture of athletic competition (Bennet et al., 2005; Nite et al., 2013; Stevenson, 1991). Existing research has focused on the identity of the Christian athlete; however, there is scant empirical work on coaches who also claim a Christian faith and identity. The purpose of this grounded theory study is to better understand identity congruence as a process through which Christian coaches make sense of, and find coherence among, their Christian and professional identities. Qualitative data from in-depth interviews with 44 head coaches at Christian colleges and universities were analyzed to generate a model of identity congruence that illustrates the unique tensions and alignments between participants’ Christian and professional commitments. Implications for practice and future research are discussed in light of the proposed model.

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