Coaching Christianly: Turning Sports From Idolatry To Worship
Coaching is more than just strategy, technique, and motivation. For Christian coaches, it’s also a spiritual calling—a sacred opportunity to shepherd athletes toward deeper faith and greater awareness of God’s presence. But the tension between sport as an idol and sport as an opportunity for worship is one of the most significant challenges Christian coaches face.
This tension is not new. Human beings have always been tempted to seek identity and significance in human achievement. The story of the Tower of Babel (Genesis 11:1–9) reflects this deep human tendency. The people of Babel sought to “make a name for themselves” by building a tower to reach the heavens. Their motivation was not to glorify God but to elevate themselves. In many ways, the world of sport reflects this same struggle. Athletes and coaches alike are drawn to the temptation of seeking personal glory, success, and validation through performance. But as Christian coaches, we are called to approach sport differently—not as a vehicle for self-promotion but as an opportunity to worship God.
The Tension We Are Confronting
For many athletes and coaches, sport becomes the primary source of identity, worth, and fulfillment. Wins and losses begin to define value. Performance becomes the foundation of self-worth. When sport functions in this way, it becomes an idol—a replacement for God that demands devotion and defines identity.
Sport easily becomes an idol. The challenge is to shift from sport as an object of worship to sport as an opportunity to worship God.
This is the same problem the people of Babel faced. Their motivation to build the tower was not to honor God but to establish their own significance apart from Him. Genesis 11:4 captures their heart posture:
"Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves; otherwise we will be scattered over the face of the whole earth.”
The pursuit of identity and significance through sport often operates in the same way. Athletes and coaches are pressured to perform to secure value and status. Success in sport promises identity and meaning—but it ultimately leaves a void because it cannot deliver what only God can provide.
When Sport Becomes an Object of Worship vs. an Opportunity for Worship
What does it look like when sport functions as an idol versus when it becomes a form of worship?
Sport as an Idol:
Sport becomes a way to satisfy deep emotional and spiritual longings.
Identity and significance are tied to performance.
Winning becomes the ultimate goal, and losing feels like personal failure.
Athletes and coaches derive their sense of value from recognition, status, and achievement.
When performance suffers, identity crumbles.
In this scenario, sport takes the place of God. Instead of looking to Christ for identity and worth, athletes and coaches seek it through their accomplishments.
Sport as an Opportunity for Worship:
Sport becomes a context to experience and glorify God.
Identity remains rooted in Christ, not performance.
Success and failure are held loosely, with gratitude for the opportunity to compete.
Athletes and coaches seek to honor God in both preparation and competition.
Winning and losing are seen as opportunities to reflect Christ’s character.
When sport becomes an opportunity to worship, the focus shifts from self to God. It becomes about competing with excellence and integrity—not to prove oneself but to reflect God’s glory. Athletes are freed from the pressure to define themselves by wins and losses because their identity is secure in Christ.
Biggest Roadblocks to Transformation
Why is it so hard to make this shift? Several significant roadblocks often prevent coaches and athletes from approaching sport as a form of worship:
Cultural Conditioning: From a young age, athletes are conditioned to see sport as a means of personal achievement and status. ESPN, social media, and sports culture celebrate self-promotion and recognition. Athletes are told to "make a name for themselves," just like the people of Babel. Coaches face similar pressure to prove their value through team success.
Modeling of Idolatry: Many athletes and coaches have never seen sport approached as worship. They’ve only experienced sport as performance-driven and identity-forming. Without healthy models, it’s difficult to envision a different way of engaging in sport.
Blurry Line Between Healthy and Toxic Commitment: High-level sport requires a deep level of commitment and sacrifice. But there’s a fine line between being “all-in” in a healthy way and becoming consumed by sport. The difference is often subtle but significant.
Compartmentalized Sacred vs. Secular Worldview: Many Christian coaches and athletes separate faith from sport. They engage in prayer and worship in church but leave God out of the competitive arena. This creates a false division between sacred and secular, instead of recognizing that all of life—including sport—is a sacred space for encountering God.
Pressure of Competition: The competitive environment of sport naturally promotes self-reliance and personal glory. The intensity of competition can easily crowd out a sense of God’s presence. Athletes and coaches often feel like they need to choose between being competitive and being Christ-centered.
How to Transform Your Mindset
Shifting from sport as an idol to sport as worship requires intentional spiritual and mental transformation. This doesn’t happen automatically—it requires cultivating new habits and perspectives.
Audience of One: Colossians 3:23 reminds us: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters." Coaches and athletes need to reframe competition as a way to honor God rather than seeking the approval of others. The goal is not personal glory but faithful stewardship of the gifts God has given.
Practice His Presence: Invite God into the competitive environment. Prayer, gratitude, and spiritual reflection should be integrated into the rhythms of sport. Whether in the locker room, on the field, or during a team meeting, athletes and coaches can cultivate an awareness of God’s presence.
Shift the Focus: Success in sport should not be the focal point. Faithfulness to God and alignment with His purposes should be the measure of success. Coaches can help athletes shift their focus from outcome-based thinking to process-based thinking—competing with excellence and character rather than defining success by wins and losses.
Ongoing Questions to Wrestle With
Transformation requires ongoing self-reflection. Coaches and athletes need to regularly ask themselves difficult questions to stay aligned with God’s purpose for sport:
How much of my life should be focused on sports? How much is too much?
How do I know when sport has become an idol in my life?
Where is the line between sport being an object of worship versus a vehicle for worship?
How do I practically leverage sport as an opportunity to worship God?
How do I fight the sacred vs. secular worldview inside myself?
What can I do to help my athletes have God-consciousness without it becoming a distraction?
Coaching at the intersection of faith and sport is not easy. The cultural pull to define identity and significance through athletic success is powerful. But Christian coaches have a unique opportunity to reclaim sport as an avenue for worship rather than idolatry. By practicing the presence of God, competing for an audience of One, and shifting the focal point from self to Christ, coaches and athletes can experience sport as a sacred gift rather than a burdensome idol. This is the true calling of a Christian coach—to reflect Christ’s character and presence, even in the heat of competition.
