Did you pray as a team before games?

[Surfah]

Katy Lied's thread about Tebow's pre-Wonderlic prayer request got me thinking about this. I went to HS in southern California and before every football game before heading onto the field the team brought it together in the locker room and one of the players said a prayer. I can't recall prayers before games in other sports. I wonder why it was acceptable before football games, but not other sports? I wonder how it all started to begin with. From what I recall, no coach ever instigated it and only a handful of coaches participated (stayed around for it). I also can't recall any prayers after games with opposing team members like you see occasionally.

We also had a prayer before our end of the season football banquets. I got asked one year and was instructed by the booster president that I couldn't say the name Jesus Christ. I thought it was a strange request. What's the point in having the prayer. To be honest my intial thought was to decline since I pray in Christ's name, but accepted anyway. I just closed the prayer "in the name of our Lord and Savior. Amen."

[Indy Coug]

I went to HS in Chattanooga, Tennessee and we completely wore out the Lord's Prayer.

[byu71]

Katy Lied's thread about Tebow's pre-Wonderlic prayer request got me thinking about this. I went to HS in southern California and before every football game before heading onto the field the team brought it together in the locker room and one of the players said a prayer. I can't recall prayers before games in other sports.

We also had a prayer before our end of the season football banquets. I got asked one year and was instructed by the booster president that I couldn't say the name Jesus Christ. I thought it was a strange request. What's the point in having the prayer. To be honest my intial thought was to decline since I pray in Christ's name, but accepted anyway. I just closed the prayer "in the name of our Lord and Savior. Amen."

I honestly can't remember about the football team. I know the baseball team didn't in both High School and college.

We did pray though before every church BB game that we would be mindful of our opportunity to win the sportsmanship trophy.

[Hot Lunch]

We prayed before every game in both High School and College.

[PaloAltoCougar]

I was told that in the '60s and '70s BYU's football team, like many others, said The Lord's Prayer prior to games. Then, fairly early in the Lavell Era, before one of the bowl games (I'd like to think it was the Miracle Bowl, but I don't think that's the case), one of the players asked the coaches why the team didn't offer a non-scripted prayer. No one could come up with a reason for the tradition, so ever since then games are now preceded by a regular prayer.

Can anyone confirm?

[byu71]

We prayed before every game in both High School and College.

I thought you played at the U?

[Pheidippides]

We had a "moment of silence" that everybody knew was for prayer. We did not have one person pray vocally, but rather all said our own silently.

[woot]

My football team had a weird tradition. The shower has considered sacred ground (at least for this purpose, not during actual showering), so right before every game (after warmups but before we ran through the tunnel) all the players would crowd into the shower and kneel while one person prayed. There was no swearing allowed in the shower, either. My senior year, I was the one who did all the praying.

Quite strange thinking back on it, but at the time it didn't seem out of place.

The basketball team also had a prayer before every game, but it wasn't a big deal and I think only the religious players participated.

[old_gregg]

we had a moment of silence before big lacrosse games that lots of players used to pray. others used it to buttercup each other.

[UtahDan]

Football and basketball, every time. Interestingly, without much reflection about why, we all assumed that it was only the black kids who were qualified to do it.

[I.J. Reilly]

Not before football or baseball. I think the basketball team may have, but since I didn't play on that team, I'm not for sure.

We would always have a prayer before the meal for athletic banquets, although I was never asked to offer the prayer. Presumably b/c I was the Mormon kid with a whole bunch of Baptists. Who knows what I would have said. Come to think of it, I think we had a prayer before any banquet that we had (we used to have them for all sorts of things).

[MarkGrace]

We did before baseball games in college. Our coach was a Christian crazy.

[FN Phat]

Never prayed before high school basketball games in NY or Idaho but did in Virginia. It was the Lord's Prayer and the head coach would ask a different player before each game to lead. When it came to me I asked if I could change things up a bit and offer a non-scripted prayer. He okay'd it and the rest of the players loved it. I then said the rest of the prayers for the season and into our playoff run deep into the state tourney. I felt like a preacher by the end. I must have looked like one as well as I was the only white player on my team. After each prayer and warm ups I took my seat at the end of the bench next to the water girl named Latisha. It was one of my shining moments in HS basketball.

[Surfah]

Never prayed before high school basketball games in NY or Idaho but did in Virginia. It was the Lord's Prayer and the head coach would ask a different player before each game to lead. When it came to me I asked if I could change things up a bit and offer a non-scripted prayer. He okay'd it and the rest of the players loved it. I then said the rest of the prayers for the season and into our playoff run deep into the state tourney. I felt like a preacher by the end. I must have looked like one as well as I was the only white player on my team. After each prayer and warm ups I took my seat at the end of the bench next to the water girl named Latisha. It was one of my shining moments in HS basketball.

You were a bit pigmently challenged though on that Virginia team.

[FN Phat]

You were a bit pigmently challenged though on that Virginia team.

Especially when we played at James Monroe in downtown Fredericksburg. They had one white kid on their team as well. We waved at each other from opposite ends of the court and respective benches.