We’ve already told HC that regardless of what the rest of the team decides, DD is going to stand outside the circle. Honestly I’m more concerned with some of the other parents. Our team has all played SB together for years and all of the parents are friendly but politics and religion is just something we try to avoid. I think that most people assume a lot about people however and I just don’t want other parents to think less of DD because of our beliefs. I don’t really think they would but it’s always at the back of our minds..
Prayer circles
- Thread starter nixxy311
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I've been asked to lead a prayer before many of my kids TB games. All 3 of my kids are now going or have already graduated from a Christian school, so obvious it's no big thing to us. I just say "going down baseline for prayer if anyone wants to sit in". Kids that go take a knee, we pray, and then play ball. Certainly wouldn't coerce any kid into going. But I would also be disappointed if I was told to stop. Not saying I would fight the issue, because obviously we are there to play ball and don't want to be a distraction. "Evangelist" has been given a bad name. But as Christians, it is what we are all called to be. I won't coerce anyone into continuing this conversation. 
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- Jul 4, 2013
- 127
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I'm considering getting cards printed with Matthew 6:6 for my kid to hand out when invited to prayer circles.
- Jun 12, 2015
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Personally, I hate it. I'm a bible belt native and not religious at all, and I wish they could just play softball without all that. We don't go to church or pray or really believe in any of it, and it's kinda creepy to watch 25 kids rip through the lord's prayer in this odd monotone mumble. Half of them don't know the words and most aren't thinking about them anyway. They're thinking about how they played just now or what snack they're going to eat. There's no meaning there. Just cut it out and let teams pray after if they want to.
I would 100% support my daughter if she wanted to sit out, but she's not one to rock the boat. I wish she would because when you feel like you kind of HAVE to stand there in a prayer circle to be accepted or to toe the line, that seems pretty darn coerced to me. I am not a fan. My husband's the HC so he could just refuse as a team. But as far as I know there's only one other set of parents on our team who are not religious so I guess majority rules. I need to move though.
I would 100% support my daughter if she wanted to sit out, but she's not one to rock the boat. I wish she would because when you feel like you kind of HAVE to stand there in a prayer circle to be accepted or to toe the line, that seems pretty darn coerced to me. I am not a fan. My husband's the HC so he could just refuse as a team. But as far as I know there's only one other set of parents on our team who are not religious so I guess majority rules. I need to move though.
How about we play in the ball field, study in school and pray in churches, mosque or at home. Imagine what will happen if there are Muslim Coaches and kids want to do Sajda and want everyone to join them? Why do we even put a in that situation where they have a make a decision to stand out? Kids want to be included and they don't want to stand out of the prayer circle when all their friends are doing something together.
Yea the only thing DD really wants to be included in is the little 1-2-3 Softball at the end. I was honestly proud/surprised she did stand out of the circle for one of the games this past weekend. At our last rec game, the other team actually did a circle after a game (this is super rare in rec) but our team just went back to the dugout. I feel like they think it's mandatory in TB or something..
I personally don't like it and my daughter has not participated the few times it has happened after games (always against southern teams at national tournaments). There are more than enough things in this world that already divide us. Why take softball (athletics in general, really), something that can actually bring a diverse group of people together, and add something that is sure to divide to the end of it?
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We used to go up to Northern Florida and the Panhandle and saw them there regularly. We have every religion on our team you can imagine, so we didn't participate.
On multiple occasions we have been ostracized in these tournaments for not participating. Literally no one talked to us and opposing teams were nasty to everyone on our team - had coaches not shake hands at the plate, umpires not give us calls, even a stare down or two and so on. Final straw was being called something deeply offensive (and religious based) by a tournament director and told it was my fault because we didn't 'believe'. It was pathetic. We don't go to these tournaments any more because of this.
My DD has a friend up in Ocala (which is reasonably deep in the Florida belt). Great volleyball player but wont play on her HS volleyball team because they 'Play for the glory of god' and the team revolves around that - she just wants to play volleyball.
We do have a church based team down our way that does prayer circles after every game and invites our girls to participate and he doesn't care if we do or not. It is how it should be done if it is going to be done. On the other hand, the way he behaves during the games, he needs forgiveness from someone after most games.
So not a big fan.
Story time: I used to play in a Church Run Basketball League. It was the most violent, nasty competition I ever played in. Head high fouls, being pushed into the stands, being undercut while in the air and so on. It was brutal. But if you swore, you got ejected and suspended 2 games. So you could have your head taken off, and naturally said something like "Oh ****" you would be ejected and miss games. Fun times.
On multiple occasions we have been ostracized in these tournaments for not participating. Literally no one talked to us and opposing teams were nasty to everyone on our team - had coaches not shake hands at the plate, umpires not give us calls, even a stare down or two and so on. Final straw was being called something deeply offensive (and religious based) by a tournament director and told it was my fault because we didn't 'believe'. It was pathetic. We don't go to these tournaments any more because of this.
My DD has a friend up in Ocala (which is reasonably deep in the Florida belt). Great volleyball player but wont play on her HS volleyball team because they 'Play for the glory of god' and the team revolves around that - she just wants to play volleyball.
We do have a church based team down our way that does prayer circles after every game and invites our girls to participate and he doesn't care if we do or not. It is how it should be done if it is going to be done. On the other hand, the way he behaves during the games, he needs forgiveness from someone after most games.
So not a big fan.
Story time: I used to play in a Church Run Basketball League. It was the most violent, nasty competition I ever played in. Head high fouls, being pushed into the stands, being undercut while in the air and so on. It was brutal. But if you swore, you got ejected and suspended 2 games. So you could have your head taken off, and naturally said something like "Oh ****" you would be ejected and miss games. Fun times.
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