The Experience of Christian Prayer in Coaching: A Qualitative Investigation

There have been studies, which have examined the lived experience of Christian athletes\u27 use of prayer (Czech et al., 2004); however, no published research has sought to understand how a Christian coach may utilize prayer. The purpose of this study was to gather a narrative of the lived experience of collegiate Division I Christian head coaches\u27 use of prayer within their profession. A humanistic framework, specifically existential-phenomenology, which was centered on seeing the individual being interviewed as the expert on the matter at hand (Dale, 1996) was used to allow for an information rich and detailed description of the coaches\u27 experience. Four themes emerged from the data analysis: Relying on God\u27s Guidance and Plan, The Roles of Coaching, Prayer Types, and Personal Faith not Forced. Each theme except Personal Faith not Forced was comprised of two or more subthemes. Implications from this study may benefit coaches, athletes, sport psychology consultants, and those who may encounter Christian prayer within sport by providing insight into how coaches may use prayer