Ted Kluck, from his book The Reason for Sports: A Christian Fanifesto, gives this insight to the question:
To many, the term Christian athlete means kneeling in the end zone for a self-congratulatory show of prayer, or a finger raised to the sky after tossing a touchdown pass. To others,
it means that God is like a lucky pair of socks or a nutritional supplement, invoked at the right time in order to make one bigger, faster, or stronger in the moment of competition.
Is this what it means to be a Christian athlete? Do you have a better answer than this?
When I’ve asked people this question, often times I don’t get much more than what’s listed above. If you’re struggling to come up with a clear and compelling answer to that question, then start with the below posts:
Was There Competition in the Garden?
How do you Know When Sports are an Idol?
Combating Compartmentalization: Sports for the Glory of God
