All "my boys" before the game
Football has begun for another tackling, blocking, passing, running, scoring season! My boys of fall...
Our teams have our school name, but is actually not a school funded sport, rather a "club" league. This year's coach sent an email with the following proposition for parents:
"I would like to gather the boys, just before the game and say a prayer. It will not be a “religious recruitment”, rather a prayer to God to thank him for our blessings, keep the boys safe, and have fun."
He asked for parents to contact him if they had questions or concerns. I am team mom, so I heard from many of the parents after this email was sent.
It's Feedback Friday...
What would you feel if you received this email from your child's coach?
What feedback do you think I received after this email?
Maybe it´s different here in Europe...but I´d find it extremely queer and would consider taking my sons off the team.
ReplyDeleteI believe everybody should be allowed to go ahead and pray to whomever they worship. It doesn´t even have need to be in private for me, but I´m quite sure I don´t want them to involve my kids in it.
We are atheists, we have our reasons for being atheists, and though we read Bible stories to our children (just as we tell them about other religions), I would never, ever, EVER want a game coach to pretend that God is real in front of my children, and best of all, going together with the group pressure of being in a team, and everybody´s praying, so, hey, what can be the harm?
ANd the email he sent - how hypocrite! What else is it then, if not religious recruitement?
I´d experience this as a total lack of respect in my believe and the way I raise my children. Sports should be about sports, and really - what kind of god is this anyway, who´d help you score in a football game and then strikes a city with an earthquake? Ridiculous!
You can't have prayers at official school sponsored activities, but if it's a club team, then it shouldn't be a problem. Football parents tend to be a fairly church-going crowd so I imagine that you would get more happy than mad e-mails (are you going to tell us?). I don't believe that God cares much about football scores, but I do believe that prayer can help us play our best and protect us. As a football mom myself, I would include in the prayer "..and please help the adults to remember that these are just boys and not the Superbowl and please help us not act like complete tools or swear like sailors in front of the boys".
ReplyDeleteHe's kind of walking a fine line there. Since it's not an official school sport he can probably get away with it but I'm not sure I would like it. I believe "prayer" should be a personal choice. Since my family does not follow a Christian God, I would want to be sure that it was not a Christian-based prayer being forced upon my child.
DeleteI forgot to add, I appreciate that he e-mailed on the parents and gave them all a chance to voice their concerns to him. I wouldn't want to ever place a child in a position where he felt uncomfortable or pressured into praying.
Deleteeven though I am a praying person, I have always been very uncomfortable in settings, where the group is asked to bow our heads and pray, other than in a church where I expect that to be a normal thing to do. I absolutely HATE it. I will pray, or not, when I feel the need to pray. But I will keep it to myself. I would be not ok with such a plan for my kids.
ReplyDeleteI would be absolutely fine with it. But in the world we live in, where the pledge of allegiance can't be said in classrooms ~ I'm sure people were crabby about it. And frankly, that just makes me sad!
ReplyDeleteBravo to the coach for not be afraid to stand up for his faith - a RIGHT our country was founded on. I get so tired of people slamming Christians for their faith & yelling about their right to denounce faiths/religions.
ReplyDeleteChristians have just as much right as atheists. In God's eyes - we are ALL created equal. I feel that by the coach sending out an email prior, was giving parents the opportunity to say they'd rather not have their son participate without the son feeling awkward having to make that decision on his own. The coach was respectful of other people's thoughts/beliefs & I think that the parents in turn should respect his too.
Were I a mum/'soccer mom' I would probably feel uncomfortable about receiving an email like that, unless my kids had chosen to follow the Christian path.
ReplyDeleteI believe that everyone is free to believe in what they wish, but unless the school or club is linked to a specific religion (e.g. here in the UK we have Church of England and Catholic schools) I feel that religion has no place in this situation. However, I do think that it's good the coach contacted parents to let them know of his intentions--it gives them the chance to speak up if they aren't happy with the idea.
I feel that the coach should stand up for his faith in a more appropriate way. Not all Christian families share the same Christian traditions. The world is full of many different Christian styles, non Christian styles, etc. This is a child’s football team. Allow the kids the opportunity to learn their church's traditions from their own church and their own families. " To everything there is a season."I don't know where you've been slammed for being being Christian, But I as a Christian have not experienced it. Just because you have a right to something doesn't mean you should do it.
ReplyDeleteThe school I attended in elementary, jr. high and high school all had prayers during the school day. It was a public school. We had them at all the sporting events, said over the loud speaker. We said the pledge every morning. We also were paddled (yes, I received more than one)when we were blatantly disobedient. And we had zero issues with gangs, etc. I graduated high school in 1983. So, for me, I think, what a grand idea.
ReplyDeleteSo as team mom I was surprised to receive 100% support for the coach's plan for prayer before each game. I had no strong feelings about it one way or another because I trust this coach & his intentions. However, my feelings may have been different with a different coach.
ReplyDeleteWow! That honestly surprises me! :)
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