How did athletes manifesting their religious “faith” come together and align with the sports’ high-performance purpose and demand?
Episode 01: SPORTS AND RELIGION
From the Muslim players interrupting their fasting during the Ramadan period while the game is paused for their “Ftour” with a date/banana and water during high-intensity games, you need a supreme divine to empower you to ease it.
Did any fasting of Muslim athletes have a bad impact on their performance on the pitch? I don’t think so. Do you?
Context?
Well, athletes have never been shy to show their loyalty to the ALMIGHTY.
It was in the 1970s and 1980s, a period of burgeoning sports and media visibility, that athletes began publicly expressing their faith. This was facilitated by movements like the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (1954) and Athletes in Action (1966), which fostered unity among players off the field.
In the 21st century, the social media boom has played a pivotal role in how athletes express their faith. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter have given accounts like @BallersInGod a place to share posts that reveal athletes’ faith-based routines and journeys. This digital platform has not only amplified their voices but also enabled them to connect with their fans on a more personal level, influencing the sports industry and inspiring social media followers.
The Time for expression: Athletes sharing their faith.
Sports and faith are two examples of commitments that are bigger than us. As sports test the soul with discipline, humility, and perseverance, they mirror the walk of faith.
I got into the matrix and appreciated how athletes have come to publicly acknowledge the part of God in their journey, as we need our Lord to fortify us daily to face the fierce world we live in.
By the 1990s, stars like Reggie White, Muhammad Ali with “ALLAH IS MY BODYGUARD”, Kaka with the iconic underwear shirt “ I Belong to Jesus”, had shown up after scoring a goal. Tim Tebow made faith-driven gestures, kneeling, praying in circles, making the sign of the cross when entering the stadium or a game, and pointing skyward, which were mainstream symbols of belief and unity.
Today, faith moments in sports, such as team prayers after games or Muslim players celebrating goals with the Muslim prayer gesture during a game, serve as a testament to sports’ global nature as a stage for spiritual identity and solidarity. These expressions inspire admiration and foster a sense of unity, promoting tolerance and understanding in our diverse society, thereby enhancing the societal impact of athletes’ expressions of faith.
Sports organizations should tolerate, as we all remember when Marc Guehi faced controversy for writing ‘I love Jesus’ on the rainbow armband during the Premier League’s Rainbow Laces campaign in December [2024], highlighting the ongoing debate about faith expressions and societal acceptance, and emphasizing the need for understanding and respect in diverse settings.
The criticisms do not stop him from believing in integrating it into the system that sustains excellence and performing week in weeks out.
We can’t mix all the battle and ideology, but whoever has never sinned casts the first stone.
The Progress of tolerance Football & Religion…
Better than that for controversy, the Stanford study, a survey of more than 8,000 Liverpool fans, suggested the reason for the reduction in prejudice towards Muslims in Merseyside was because Salah was familiarizing his fans with Islam, through his observation of the faith, while his image as a bubbly father, friend, and fantastic footballer breaking down stereotypes of “threatening Muslims”.
As fans, during stressful sporting tournaments, we hold onto our faith in God to be on our side, and we want more from athletes to be more resilient in their performances. Without hope and faith in God, could athletes emulate us as they did? To ease pressure, you need a spiritual force to cure it.
The reason is that certain athletes, in their interviews, freely spoke about mental health, revealing how faith provides emotional resilience and mental clarity, which are crucial to their overall well-being and performance.
So what is powering athletes under pressure in our modern day…🙏🏾⤵️
#Spirituality or Religion, Healing for better resilience.
Sports psychologists cannot heal a damaged athlete, as I like to say: Psychologists guide, and God restores, because True strength comes when an athlete’s spirit aligns with Scripture.
These athletes have shown remarkable resilience, drawing strength from the Psalms and Bible verses on their cleats and under-shirts.
Identity before performance, as always said, faith will never reduce ego volatility. neither Wins don’t inflate it. Losses don’t destroy.
High-performance demands emotional stability for athletes; faith reinforces it.
Their discipline and determination have propelled them into the elite professional ranks, demonstrating hope and inspiring perseverance, underscoring the power of faith in overcoming adversity.
As we know, a large percentage % of athletes come from complex backgrounds in which devotion to God was the only way to overcome temptation and obstacles that could have led them down the wrong path.
In the dark of Patience, Poverty, Tears of emotion, and faith in God are the key words they all share when discussing their overwhelming journey during interviews or in the podcast Confidence Series. These are not just words; they reflect the personal struggles and triumphs athletes have experienced on their journey, making their faith expressions more relatable and inspiring.
This is a powerful demonstration of how faith, regardless of the sports discipline, serves as a nurturing force, fostering resilience in the athlete’s journey.
Because they face criticism, injuries, rejection, insults, and poor performance, they may want to persevere and achieve their goals.
After nurturing resilience, faith inspires loyalty and gratitude. Athletes express endless thankfulness and awe for the highest, encouraging us all to appreciate the blessings in our lives.
That has led….⤵️
#The endless thankful and Glory to the most highest from athletes.
We live in a world where many of us fail to appreciate the Thankfulness to God in our lives.
From setback to comeback…
For Athletes and everyone deeply involved in the sports industry, it feels like a blessing to be thankful, as we are in positions that millions of people dream of.
Apart from being paid millions of dollars to do what they like, and rooting for years.
All of them can recount what they went through in their careers to be as grateful as any famous or successful people in the world.
Perhaps sports are connected to pain, sacrifice, vulnerability, patience, and a strong mindset, and that faith in God and God’s guidance are the only answers to help heal from these experiences.
Sports is the perfect example of the battle we face in life to achieve a better life, from behind-the-scenes work/effort/sacrifice to the spotlight of the arena/stadium, filled with millions of people.
That means God elevates those who are committed, patient with His will, and work for their purposes in life.
The reason we see athletes point to “All Glory to God” after scoring goals, winning, or losing games is that they recognize the importance of acknowledging their faith.
As they know, everything can fall into place, God willing, and everything is possible if you have faith.
Players like Neymar and Sadio Mané, who express gratitude publicly after scoring a goal with a “sujood” celebration, and Steph Curry show that success doesn’t erase humility; it amplifies it. Their humble faith has turned them into global role models, inspiring us all to remain humble in the face of success.
And why are they also giving back? Like Sadio Mané, bowing after goals, his humble faith has turned him into a global role model, funding mosques and schools in Senegal.
It cannot be unseen anymore…
#The era of social media confidence and revelation where Psalms and bible versets are shared by athletes.
If you are with God, you don’t need to hide it, and it doesn’t bother anyone. If so, you are bizarre….
Sharing what God and Faith have done for you is a storytelling approach athletes can use to empower people by trusting the process, working hard on themselves to unlock their potential, and letting everything be in God’s hands.
However, Athletes are showing their faith in God on social media more than ever because it’s part of who they are, not just what they play for.
As in today’s storytelling world, today’s athletes don’t just want trophies and to show how good performers they are; they want to own the testimony.
This is the next step in how athletes can share their stories to inspire, monetize (through merchandise lines, movies, and content), and take more grateful actions that give back (to charity, a church, an orphanage, an institute, schools, or a sports academy).
As it helps: For example on this case, Josh Da Silva (Brentford Fc), after a long period of injury, printed his biblical strength on his cleat for gratitude.
Faith offers a narrative framework for adversity….
When aligned, belief becomes a performance stabilizer, not a distraction.
Then it has created :
Authenticity wins: Fans crave real stories over highlight reels. Faith reveals the person behind the performance. When I watch Jeremy Doku(YouTube channel) during his interview taking football as a ministry to serve God, you know things are moving.
Platforms = pulpit, Instagram, and X enable athletes to convey their purpose without the need for press conferences.
Mental peace > pressure, Sharing faith helps them stay grounded amid fame, hate, and burnout.
Takeaway
While we live in a world where the system and some groups of people want corporate individuals and athletes to hide their religious affiliation and belonging.
Even if WEST HAM United has shared a very progressive image with El Hadji Malick Diouf (SN left back) praying in the dressing room. Show how corporate and sports organizations should embrace diversity and recognize that faith and sports are linked to better focus, performance, and confidence, enabling athletes or any employees to reach their full potential.
This movement of athletes sharing their relationship with God gave me hope in our world and how well it fits with the sportsmanship journey and mantra to better the sports performance on and off the pitch.
Check out my latest….📥👇🏾👨🏾💻✍🏾🎬
Paul Stanislas Dioh 👨🏾💻✍🏾📧 , God has mercy on us🙏🏾🤲🏾.
A good read
Very well done! Phil 1:6 🫱🏻🫲🏼