I think any school - private, public, Catholic, Christian, whatever - should be allowed (not forced) to say a prayer before a game. How anyone has a problem with praying that you do your best and no one is injured is beyond me.

 

No one has an issue with players praying.

I think any school - private, public, Catholic, Christian, whatever - should be allowed (not forced) to say a prayer before a game. How anyone has a problem with praying that you do your best and no one is injured is beyond me.

 

My assumption has always been that there were cases when overzealous coaches/teachers/moderators/etc. would use indirect "pressure" to coerce all to take part in the prayer, like it or not. My guess this was few and far between but there always a few knuckle heads which screw it up for everyone.

No one has an issue with players praying.

 

Most don't. There are some who are so extreme they don't believe it should happen on tax payer owned grounds. For those that are so far to the extreme, I just shake my head and don't bother trying to reason with them, there is no point.

Another reason why I send my kids to Catholic schools. You shouldn't have to feel guilty or be criticized for saying a simple prayer for the health and safety of all who are on that field or court. As long as no one is being forced to participate, it shouldn't be a problem. (Just don't pray for a win! I've always been told that's a no-no to ask of God!)

At Centre, we always said the Lord's Prayer before the game. Had to live up to the Praying Colonels name of course. Anyway, during my sophomore year, one of our Captains was a rather gruff and tuff, old country boy kind of fellow. Every time we'd finish saying the prayer, the next words you would hear would be this guy screaming something like: OKay boys let go kick their ...... (with the Lord's name used in vain, then a slang word for procreation and then another word for butt). Since we didn't win many games that year and had a lot of injuries, I figured that any good we had accomplished by saying the Lord's Prayer was immediately lost by the Captain's follow up words.

I know Walton did after the Bellevue game last week. I believe Henry County does as well.

The Raceland team recited the Lord's Prayer prior to each game, the coaches and players do it together. Our announcer, or a local minister, prays over the load speaker prior to each game. I haven't been to another facility that has done that in some time, including religious based schools.

 

And, before anyone asks, we have never had anyone complain about the pre-game prayer, in fact, we have had many people comment that they are glad that a school still has the gumption to do it.

Sportsfan referred to a topic in P&R that talks about this. A group is saying a coach is violating the law by taking his kids to a church for meals, reciting scripture, etc. Thus, the impetus for this particular thread unless SF is just wondering if anyone prays.

 

I can't imagine anyone having an issue if the boys got together in a huddle and said a prayer. No law against that. The coach leading it though????? Different story.

 

I guess our high school football coach and basketball coach would be put under the jail then.

 

 

Spindoc's got the right idea, I wanted to know what teams prayed; felt that several probably do. Probably should have asked who leads the prayer as well. We said the Lords Prayer as a team before games and then someone lead a prayer after the games.

Edited August 23, 201214 yr by sportsfan41

At Centre, we always said the Lord's Prayer before the game. Had to live up to the Praying Colonels name of course. Anyway, during my sophomore year, one of our Captains was a rather gruff and tuff, old country boy kind of fellow. Every time we'd finish saying the prayer, the next words you would hear would be this guy screaming something like: OKay boys let go kick their ...... (with the Lord's name used in vain, then a slang word for procreation and then another word for butt). Since we didn't win many games that year and had a lot of injuries, I figured that any good we had accomplished by saying the Lord's Prayer was immediately lost by the Captain's follow up words.

 

Sorry but that was funny stuff lol

After the lords prayer, We used to do "Mary Queen of victory--Pray for us".