Authors: Murray, Melissa A.; Joyner, A. Barry; Burke, Kevin L.; Wilson, Matthew J.; Zwald, A. Drew

Journal of Psychology & Christianity, Vol. 24(3), Fall 2005, pp. 233-239

Abstract:

The purposes of the present study were to examine the differences in team cohesion and spirituality between softball teams who pray and those who do not pray, and to describe why softball players use prayer, when they pray, if they pray by choice, and how genuine the prayers are. Participants (N = 92) completed the Group Environment Questionnaire and the Spirituality in Sports Test to measure personal use of spirituality in sport. A significant difference was found between athletes who reported individual prayer and those who did not (p = .0001). Qualitative results revealed athletes believed prayer aided team cohesion. Future research should include team prayer among male athletes and perceptions of importance of team prayer among athletes in contact vs. non-contact sports.