Religion and sports... is this common?

[Aunt Spiker]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Though we travel town to town (within a radius of 50 miles) for games, it seems like all teams are familiar with this.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does in my state?

 

[Skeptic Bob]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does?

It's not uncommon. As long as it isn't mandatory or a public school team in which an employee is leading the prayer, it doesn't really bother me.

 

[Hari Seldon]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Though we travel town to town (within a radius of 50 miles) for games, it seems like all teams are familiar with this.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does in my state?

Not by me. Have been traveling with my son and daughter all down the east coast (from Boston to Orlando) for soccer and I have never seen it. Also did baseball and softball with them when they were younger, again that is not part of the program. Where are you located? Doesn't happen with school ball either, public school that is.

 

[X Factor]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Though we travel town to town (within a radius of 50 miles) for games, it seems like all teams are familiar with this.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does in my state?

I never played organized sports (other than intramural sports in school) but I've seen it happen on Friday Night Tykes and, also, quite a bit in the NFL.

 

[Aunt Spiker]

Arkansas - just a small league in the central state for pre-teen girls.

this is my daughter's first year - so we've not dealt with softball traditions. It doesn't bother me, but it is something we haven't run into with any organized sports in this area so I didn't know if it was just a softball in general thing or just us.

 

[Anagram]

Every game in elementary and high school. But I went to a private catholic school.

 

[Hari Seldon]

Arkansas - just a small league in the central state for pre-teen girls.

this is my daughter's first year - so we've not dealt with softball traditions. It doesn't bother me, but it is something we haven't run into with any organized sports in this area so I didn't know if it was just a softball in general thing or just us.

Interesting. We have also played teams from around the country and Canada. Most recently from Ohio in Richmond, VA. at a tournament. Don't remember ever seeing it. Although teams regularly get together in a circle before a game or half, I guess it could go on without being public. We were once on Long Island for a tough game, I asked my daughter what the girl said to the ref to get a yellow card. Apparently her response to the ref was to "suck her dick", I kid you not. Usually they just call my daughter a midget. God knows what else is said. LOL!

 

[Chomsky]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Though we travel town to town (within a radius of 50 miles) for games, it seems like all teams are familiar with this.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does in my state?

My boy went to a Catholic prep school that's the feeder school for the country's top Catholic university in terms of football; both schools have an overriding football ethos.

The young men at both schools attend a private mass and receive communion before every game, and pray en masse before coming off the field.

I'm fine with this, but then again I'm cradle-Catholic.

 

[Chomsky]

Every game in elementary and high school. But I went to a private catholic school.

Yeah, the bolded might have something to do with it!

 

[Tigerace117]

My daughter's softball league prays after every game. Win or lose doesn't matter, no one cheers until after the teams congratulate each other and then get in a circle holding hands - saying the Lord's Prayer together.

Being raised in a religious family I thought I'd seen it all... this is a new one for me.

Though we travel town to town (within a radius of 50 miles) for games, it seems like all teams are familiar with this.

Is this common all over the US - or just something this one league does in my state?

We do it for sports at my school. For my baseball team, for instance, I got to lead the prayer a couple times it was pretty cool.

It's something that if it's a tradition people go along with, even if their not religious, cause it's also a team building thing.

 

[RAMOSS]

Arkansas - just a small league in the central state for pre-teen girls.

this is my daughter's first year - so we've not dealt with softball traditions. It doesn't bother me, but it is something we haven't run into with any organized sports in this area so I didn't know if it was just a softball in general thing or just us.

I suspect it is a lot more common in the bible belt, and Arkansas is about as bible belt as they come.

 

[beefheart]

Yeah, the bolded might have something to do with it!

I went to a private catholic high school, and grade school. We got enough exercise just running from the pedo-priests.

 

[Van Basten]

I always hear about this stuff, but I never see it.

 

[Chomsky]

I went to a private catholic high school, and grade school. We got enough exercise just running from the pedo-priests.

16 years of Catholic education and a lifetime of active Parish life, and I never had anything but positive interactions with priests, nor do I personally know anyone that has had otherwise - and I count several priests as my friends, with one as a close family member.

Besides the pain and suffering caused to their victims, the damage those pedo priests did to the reputation of the Church was the most severe blemish possible, which is a shame because of all the good the Catholic Church has otherwise done.

 

[beefheart]

16 years of Catholic education and a lifetime of active Parish life, and I never had anything but positive interactions with priests, nor do I personally know anyone that has had otherwise - and I count several priests as my friends, with one as a close family member.

Besides the pain and suffering caused to their victims, the damage those pedo priests did to the reputation of the Church was the most severe blemish possible, which is a shame because of all the good the Catholic Church has otherwise done.

2 in our grade school, and 1 that used to be the HS principal before I started there. I used to do lawn work at his parish...he had no problem giving 17 year olds beer. Thankfully nothing happened to me...

 

[Chomsky]

2 in our grade school, and 1 that used to be the HS principal before I started there. I used to do lawn work at his parish...he had no problem giving 17 year olds beer. Thankfully nothing happened to me...

Yish!

Too close for comfort. Man, I don't know what to say. It's stuff likes this that destroys institutions, or at the least their appeal.

 

[beefheart]

Yish!

Too close for comfort. Man, I don't know what to say. It's stuff likes this that destroys institutions, or at the least their appeal.

One had hundreds of videos of his exploits, he did 19 years in prison, got out pretended to be a priest and started up again, he is in prison again. Another in my grade school, after I graduated, had a cabin, brought boys up to it, made them all get naked, special kid got to share a sleeping bag...he died in prison. Former principal had a bunch of valid allegations raised against him, he then traveled to his old city, and mysteriously died. And we had a bishop that was a pedophile, the bishop that replaced him hit and killed a guy with his car, and fled the scene....but...no jail time for him...:shock:

 

[Chomsky]

One had hundreds of videos of his exploits, he did 19 years in prison, got out pretended to be a priest and started up again, he is in prison again. Another in my grade school, after I graduated, had a cabin, brought boys up to it, made them all get naked, special kid got to share a sleeping bag...he died in prison. Former principal had a bunch of valid allegations raised against him, he then traveled to his old city, and mysteriously died. And we had a bishop that was a pedophile, the bishop that replaced him hit and killed a guy with his car, and fled the scene....but...no jail time for him...:shock:

Well, that's quite a litany.

We've had cases in my city, but I have no personal knowledge or association with them or others.

But it is very sad.

This stuff appears horrid to me as a practicing Catholic - I can only imagine how it appears to non-Catholics! :doh

 

[beefheart]

Well, that's quite a litany.

We've had cases in my city, but I have no personal knowledge or association with them or others.

But it is very sad.

This stuff appears horrid to me as a practicing Catholic - I can only imagine how it appears to non-Catholics! :doh

You really want to freak out? LA Diocese has all the files on all their pedo priests going back to the 40's. Some of the files are huge, most of the time the bishop knew, and kept moving guys, and lying to the family..all there in black and white.
Clergy Files - Archdiocese of Los Angeles

 

[Dragonfly]

Is this common all over the US

Absolutely not.

My question is this: What would happen if one, or a few of the players on that team decided they did not want to take part in that kind of thing?

Are they truly doing it voluntarily?

 

[JumpinJack]

Arkansas - just a small league in the central state for pre-teen girls.

this is my daughter's first year - so we've not dealt with softball traditions. It doesn't bother me, but it is something we haven't run into with any organized sports in this area so I didn't know if it was just a softball in general thing or just us.

Oh, Arkansas. Part of the Bible Belt. Ultra conservative. A state that has the anti-government militia men in the woods (not being snarky...that's for real). I'm not surprised by that in Arkansas. That probably wouldn't even occur to kids in a non-Bible belt state. I've never seen it, but I haven't attended THAT many non-school sports games. I would find that very unusual, esp if they're praying to win, as opposed to praying for no injuries. I've always believed it's inappropriate to pray to win a game. I would prefer people to pray for more important things than games and lost keys. But whatever floats their boat.

 

[Dragonfly]

I would prefer people to pray for more important things than games and lost keys. But whatever floats their boat.

I always love the MMA fighter that thanks Jesus after beating his opponent into a bloody mess. I'm sure Jesus is very honored by that. :roll: