Studying Christianity and sport opened new doors for me.
My story begins more than 20 years ago, when in a sport psychology column for Athletic Therapy Today I wrote that treating the whole athlete … should encompass caring for physical, psychological, and spiritual needs.
Few people know that sports chaplaincy is a ministry and even fewer are aware that it as an academic subject.
Basketball…has been more than just a game.
In Sports Chaplaincy UK we have five values that are fundamental to our role of chaplains in the sports world: presence, excellence, relationship, confidentiality, and humility.
My interest in this conversation comes from a lifetime spent working with elite athletes, primarily professional footballers in the UK.
Despite the recognition that patience is important for sport and faith, many people struggle to practice patience in western society.
I noticed at both Global Congresses that the American influence has been very strong. I have no problem with that except that I haven’t heard much commentary on American sport from the outside.
Tim Tebow is trying to make a comback in the NFL. What does this have to do with SPORT. FAITH. LIFE.?
At Hope College Athletics, we have three pillars: Academic Success, Competitive Excellence, and Transformational Experiences.
The pile of scholarly literature on play has grown from a molehill to a mountain over the last half century.
If God is your audience, where is he? In the stands! And if he is in the stands, where is he not? He is not inside of you.
As a sports ministry staff supervisor, I desire to demonstrate both the “gentle and humble” heart of a pastor and the skill of a sports minister.
Back at the hotel that evening, I prayed, “God, give me more opportunities to share…”
In the mid-2000s, I spent two years doing anthropological fieldwork with female Christian athletes in the U.S.
The human person is a unity of body, soul, and spirit. Everything is related.
In challenging times, Play Like a Champion listened and responded with love and support. We continue to listen.
There are certain things that everyone who serves as a sports chaplain should embody and believe.
I feel uncertain about sport itself, the present and the future—remember, sport isn’t my original field of expertise.
Over time, something has happened in Medellin. The city didn’t die. It transformed.
As I began to experience healing from my pain and shame, I created The Tracy Hanson Initiative to provide safe opportunities for elite athletes to talk about their stories of trauma. I also provide training to those who serve them.
One of my research interests is the role of sport in the lives of marginalized and vulnerable young people: sport in prisons and young offender institutions.
Students are producers of knowledge, not just consumers. Take my Religion and Sport course at Baylor University as an example.