ABSTRACT
Religious expressions can be found in sporting spaces in visible and less visible forms. This chapter examines cases in which athletes either (a) explicitly perform their religiosity in sporting venues or (b) enact religious devotion in such a way that it could affect their athletic performance. Focusing primarily on Muslim athletes, like Husain Abdullah, Hakeem Olajuwon, Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, and Ibtihaj Muhammed, these athletes’ stories demonstrate how religious expressions are welcomed by fans and the public at times and rejected at others. These examples lead to several questions about whether religious expressions should be performed in sporting spaces and the potential conflicts manifesting when athletes do decide to publicly display their religiosity in secular societies.
