The Relationship Between Spirituality and Sports from the Point of View of Sports Psychology Researchers: A Systematic Review of Research Over Two Decades

This systematic review investigates the relationship between spirituality and sports as explored by sports psychology researchers over the past two decades. Utilizing four reputable databases-Psychology and Behavioral Science Collection, PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus-articles published between 2000 and 2023 were examined. Sixty-one articles met inclusion criteria for the final review. The study categorizes findings based on article frequency across two decades, participant demographics (athletes, coaches, students, psychologists, injured individuals, managers, and sports professionals), research methodologies (qualitative, quantitative, review studies, and ethnography), and data collection methods (library research, questionnaires, interviews, open-ended inquiries, observations, and documentation). Notably, the number of articles published in the second decade (2011-2023) doubled compared to the first decade (2000-2010). While professional athletes were the primary focus of 30 articles, a significant portion (18 articles) examined spirituality in relation to sports. The predominant method approaches were text analysis and surveys, with 14 and 13 articles, respectively. Data collection methods primarily involved library research, questionnaires, and interviews, with 26, 17, and 17 articles, respectively. The analysis highlights several thematic categories, including the relationship between spirituality and sports performance, spirituality's role in shaping sports culture, and the intersection of spirituality and religion within sports. Additionally, discussions delve into the religious identity of athletes and the impact of spirituality on various psychological variables within sports contexts. The research findings suggest a complex and nuanced relationship between spirituality and sport, but evidence regarding a cause-and-effect relationship remains inconclusive.