Coming from a family that observes the Jewish Sabbath, a period of rest that lasts for 25 hours starting every Friday evening, I have been making sacrifices to balance my competing commitments to religious practice and sports since my elementary school days. I’ve had to miss countless tryouts and tournaments because they took place on Saturdays. While being photoshopped into team pictures because media day was scheduled on a Saturday is not a common problem, it ties into the bigger question of how some athletes must balance both a religious and sports-filled life.
This experience is not only limited to modern high school student athletes like me, but to athletes from throughout history. Famously, Hall of Fame MLB pitcher Sandy Koufax declined to pitch in the first game of the World Series because the game fell on Yom Kippur, a holy Jewish holiday. Additionally, a British triple jumper Jonathan Edwards sat out multiple championships because he refused to compete on the Christian Sabbath.
According to a Gallup Poll from 2021, 76% of Americans said that religion was either very or fairly important to them. In 2020, as reported by the CDC, 54.1% of kids aged 6-17 years old participated in some kind of sport. Given these powerful statistics, balancing religion and sports is an issue that should be given more attention.
If you yourself don’t face these issues, it can seem like only a problem for a small demographic of religious athletes. However, athletes of all different religions and denominations struggle balancing the two. Muslim athletes who choose to wear a hijab or Jewish ones who wear a kippah, both head coverings, must deal with dress codes and complying with game rules while staying true to their religious values. Additionally, Muslim athletes who observe Ramadan during their sports season are forced to strike a balance between religion and sport due to their practice of fasting from dawn to sunset.
Despite all the challenges in finding a middle ground, I have found it to be very rewarding to have both religion and sports in my life. Staying true to yourself and your values are of the utmost importance and for those who don’t face this extra complication, simply being aware that others do is vital to being part of a multicultural community. Whether you’re a teammate, coach, manager, fan, or official, I encourage everyone to be curious about others’ lives and commitments and work on a deeper level to understand the intersection of religion and sports.
