Joining in on postgame prayers?

[Batman]

This is something that's crossed my mind a few times this football season. After football games, when the whole team is huddling up for the team prayer and you're waiting for them to break so you can get quotes, has anyone ever joined in?
Sometimes I'll wander too close to the huddle and am close enough to grab a hand or put one on a shoulder when the prayer starts, and it's a little awkward sometimes. I'll always bow my head to be respectful, but never have joined in. It's more from trying to stay professional than anything. Still, I always wonder what I would do if a parent or somebody tried to make me the next link in the chain. And some of these folks we see all the time are friends, so I'm always a little worried they might notice one of these days and be offended.
What does everyone else think?

 

[HandsomeHarley]

I wouldn't feel welcome in joining in, but it's respectful to remove your hat and remain silent, IMHO.

I'm a believer, but I respect the team's right to privacy.

 

[RedSmithClone]

I will normally stand far enough away to hear the prayer but not be pulled in. I do bow my head along with them because I am human and have no problem with a prayer of thanks that nobody was seriously hurt or that if somebody was that they will be OK. But joining the group as a whole, not likely to ever happen.

 

[Kaylee]

The only temptation I have ever had regarding these post-game heaven huddles is to question how prayer on public school property suddenly became okay. And if I say any prayer, I say a silent one for any kid on the team who might have the audacity to not believe in such stuff, but is forced to participate anyway.

 

[RedSmithClone]

The only temptation I have ever had regarding these post-game heaven huddles is to question how prayer on public school property suddenly became okay. And if I say any prayer, I say a silent one for any kid on the team who might have the audacity to not believe in such stuff, but is forced to participate anyway.

Well the only time I witness it is with private schools. Although U are right, they do it on the road at public fields. Hmmmm. Interesting.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

The reason it's OK at public schools is nobody is being forced to pray. It is an invitation to pray, usually by the team captain(s), so the coach doesn't get into hot water.

I see nothing wrong with it. If you don't want to pray, stand there and be silent for a few seconds out of respect to your teammates. If you don't worship the One true God worship a different god, then make your prayer out to that particular guy/girl.

 

[Chi City 81]

The reason it's OK at public schools is nobody is being forced to pray. It is an invitation to pray, usually by the team captain(s), so the coach doesn't get into hot water.

I see nothing wrong with it. If you don't want to pray, stand there and be silent for a few seconds out of respect to your teammates. If you don't worship the One true God worship a different god, then make your prayer out to that particular guy/girl.

What's wrong with it is what happens to the kid who doesn't pray to Jesus because he's a Jew, or agnostic or an atheist. These aren't non-denominational prayers, you know.

 

[Kaylee]

The reason it's OK at public schools is nobody is being forced to pray. It is an invitation to pray, usually by the team captain(s), so the coach doesn't get into hot water.

I see nothing wrong with it. If you don't want to pray, stand there and be silent for a few seconds out of respect to your teammates. If you don't worship the One true God worship a different god, then make your prayer out to that particular guy/girl.

Um, sorry Harley. That's fine in theory, but not in practice.

See, I tried that sort of approach back in high school. My baseball coaches and teammates would huddle up and kneel for a pregame prayer before every game, and while they did that, I would go off near the outfield fence and stretch or do something far more productive with my time. I didn't make a show of it, but I wasn't going to waste my time with that crap either.

And more often than not, I'd catch some comment from a fan, especially if we were playing on the road. And, of course, I had a few teammates wanting to then give me their insufferable "testimonies", a fate far worse than heckling (or death for that matter.)

Saying that a kid can just choose not to participate is a limp-noodle defense. Anyone who thinks its just that simple has never been on a team, been a teenager or lived in a predominantly conservative area.

And what the "one true God" ( ::) ::) ) has to do with the end of a pointless football game anyway still eludes me.

 

[BYH]

"Hey kid. If you pray real good, maybe God will inspire me to include you in my story."

 

[buckweaver]

The reason it's OK at public schools is nobody is being forced to pray. It is an invitation to pray, usually by the team captain(s), so the coach doesn't get into hot water.

I see nothing wrong with it. If you don't want to pray, stand there and be silent for a few seconds out of respect to your teammates. If you don't worship the One true God worship a different god, then make your prayer out to that particular guy/girl.

Um, sorry Harley. That's fine in theory, but not in practice.

See, I tried that sort of approach back in high school. My baseball coaches and teammates would huddle up and kneel for a pregame prayer before every game, and while they did that, I would go off near the outfield fence and stretch or do something far more productive with my time. I didn't make a show of it, but I wasn't going to waste my time with that crap either.

And more often than not, I'd catch some comment from a fan, especially if we were playing on the road. And, of course, I had a few teammates wanting to then give me their insufferable "testimonies", a fate far worse than heckling (or death for that matter.)

Saying that a kid can just choose not to participate is a limp-noodle defense. Anyone who thinks its just that simple has never been on a team, been a teenager or lived in a predominantly conservative area.

And what the "one true God" ( ::) ::) ) has to do with the end of a pointless football game anyway still eludes me.

Bingo.

And I grew up in a very similar area.

 

[Mr. Homer]

I pray for a scoop, but it never happens.

 

[ZummoSports]

I've always stayed far enough away as to very visibly not a part of what was going on.

There was one coach at a school I used to cover that would make his team say the Lord's Prayer in the locker room after a game. I wonder how the kids who didn't share his faith felt about that.

When I played HS football, our coach led us in a short prayer before the game, nothing like what this other coach did, it was more like a "prayer that we came out safe and...you know...not terribly humilated..." since we sucked.

And on a real cold night, I pray for them to finish quickly so I can find a warm place to file.

 

[Mr. Homer]

Pray you don't have to cover crappy HS football anymore?

 

[Hammer Pants]

My best buddy was in a bad car accident in high school, and I had serious God issues for a while (still struggle sometimes), and I got in serious **** for challenging my coach as to why I had to pray with the team and go to mass with them every game day. To this day, I still wonder why I got so much more recruiting interest as an AAU player than as a high school player, and I honestly believe he either didn't tell schools about me or told them I was a ****head.

Of course, I went to Catholic schools, so it's slightly more understandable, but I bet similar **** goes on at public schools.

That said, I never mind when I see players praying after a game, as long as it doesn't seem forced. I don't join, but I'll remove my hat and be silent out of respect. If I want people to respect my views, I believe I should try to respect theirs, too.

 

[mike311gd]

I don't think it's your place to get in on a team's postgame huddle ever. You're not part of the team. You're not part of their prayer, no matter what you believe. If you want to join in, do it by yourself away from the scrum.

At least that's my take. And I'm not religious at all, so maybe I'm missing something.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

Saying that a kid can just choose not to participate is a limp-noodle defense. Anyone who thinks its just that simple has never been on a team, been a teenager or lived in a predominantly conservative area.

It's no difference than saying if you don't like what's on TV, change the channel.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

If I want people to respect my views, I believe I should try to respect theirs, too.

Now THAT's a bingo.

 

[mike311gd]

Saying that a kid can just choose not to participate is a limp-noodle defense. Anyone who thinks its just that simple has never been on a team, been a teenager or lived in a predominantly conservative area.

It's no difference than saying if you don't like what's on TV, change the channel.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Yes it is. You can actually change the channel and not see the program and there will be no repercussions. There's no off button on what your coaches and teammates -- and whomever they tell -- will say to you about your not taking part in the team prayers.

 

[buckweaver]

Saying that a kid can just choose not to participate is a limp-noodle defense. Anyone who thinks its just that simple has never been on a team, been a teenager or lived in a predominantly conservative area.

It's no difference than saying if you don't like what's on TV, change the channel.

You can't have your cake and eat it, too.

Not a very good analogy.

Unless you're Reggie Jackson, you can't just isolate yourself from the team when the coach calls everybody together.

If opting out of the team prayer is more important to you than being a part of the team, then maybe you do. I don't know many 17-year-olds with that kind of conviction. I know I didn't.

 

[Angola!]

I've witness more than one coach lead his team in the Lord's Prayer here in Texas. I'm Christian, but it still seems strange to me.

The topic of this thread, though, has never crossed my mind. I just stand there and tap my foot and wish they would hurry up so I could get my interviews done.