What people are saying:

• Secular Education Association: Secular Education Association
• Facebook User: Secular Education Association Did you play any sport? If these boys love the Jesus that I love and serve would know that NONE of these boys would FORCE another team member to participate. It’s TRULY VOLUNTARY. Each school has some sort of ‘RITUAL’ that they do before each game. Call it superstition or whatever, a special item of clothing, jewelry, the way they do certain things. My boys had certain foods that they wouldn’t eat, etc. NO THE COACHES NOR THE SCHOOL ENFORCE THIS….IT’S TOTALLY VOLUNTARY ….like I said MY OPINION, MY THOUGHTS. LIKE IT OR LEAVE IT….I’m tired of us GOOD CHRIST-FOLLOWING CHRISTIANS GETTING LUMPED IN WITH THE BAD ONES….WE’RE NOT THE BAD GUYS..
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User We’re not calling these kids “bad guys,” and their personal faith isn’t the problem.
    The problem is what happens when a personal prayer practice becomes a team ritual on public-school turf.

    Calling it “voluntary” doesn’t erase the pressure. A 14-year-old freshman who just made the team isn’t going to risk standing apart from the captain, the starters, and the coach. We’ve heard from students who bowed their heads or mumbled along — not because they believed, but because they didn’t want to be singled out or risk their spot.

    That’s not truly voluntary. That’s social coercion.
    That’s exactly why courts have said public-school teams can’t organize or appear to endorse religious exercises.

    Lucky socks or pre-game handshakes don’t carry the weight of a religious practice that can make other kids feel “less than” or unwelcome. No child should have to fake a prayer to feel like part of their own team.

    We respect every student’s right to pray on their own. We just believe no one should feel they have to pray — or pretend to — to belong.

  • Facebook User: Facebook User i love the team coming together whether win or loss, love not blaming a loss on one player or putting win on one player. Team sports are just that…team! But when, at a public school, the celrbratiin is a team prayer to whichever god, it is no longer a team acknowledgement. What religious people fail to acknowlege is that organized prayer in a secular environment automatically credits some deity and excludes those not of that faith. Not necessarily in words…I don’t believe players of one faith tell those not of that faith not to attend….but by circumstance. Not everyone believes in or follows JC. Just as the Christian kids might feel uncomfortable saying a prayer of thanks to Buddha, kids of no faith or non-Christian faith may feel excluded and uncomfortable in a prayer specifically to JC. Why not just a gathering to support one another and show thanks for great teamsmanship? Your relationship with your chosen faith is your business and should be respected…I would challenge anyone saying differently. But I also believe people of true faith don’t require.public displays outsode of “church” in order to pray. Secular activities should remain secular
• Facebook User: Look, I have no problem with this.
  1. Because it is STUDENT led, there are NO adult or parents or school officials leading this..
  2. It’s inclusive to ANYONE who CHOOSES to do so. No one is coerced into this..
  3. As a parent and a grandparent, I would rather see camaraderie between athletes rather than divisiveness.
  I know not everyone agrees with me and that’s fine, but I see this as them mentally and spiritually preparing themselves before tha game.
  THIS IS MY OPINION AND MY BELEIF AND WILL NOT APOLOGIZE FOR IT!!
  YOU DON’T HAVE TO AGREE, BUT PLEASE BE RESPECTFUL..
  • Secular Education Association: Facebook User We don’t have an issue with kids praying on their own — that’s their right.

    What we do have an issue with is when “student-led” prayer starts looking like a team ritual under the school’s banner — at midfield in uniform, with coaches watching. That’s not private devotion anymore; that’s a public display that can easily cross the line into pressure.

    Let’s be honest: a 15-year-old who’s trying to stay on good terms with their coach and teammates is not going to feel like they can just walk away. Calling it “voluntary” doesn’t make it feel voluntary for the kid who gets side-eyed or benched for sitting out.

    Camaraderie should come from being teammates — not from being pushed to bow your head or join a prayer circle you don’t believe in. Public schools belong to everyone, and no student athlete should be made to feel like an outsider on their own team.

  • Facebook User: Lynn Wittibslager peer pressure is a powerful thing. I wasn’t there; you weren’t there. I also went up to an altar to be ‘saved’ as an 8th grader since everyone at my friend’s church gave me all of the warm fuzzies I did not always get as an awkward child. A day later I thought for myself and realized what that was all about. I had a good church and a growing faith. In my faith expression we are already ‘ saved’.
  • Facebook User: Secular Education Association I agree with you on LW but not in this. It is done at the college level and pro level and noone days anything about that. These boys are being bussed to someone’s garage to learn that if your parents are divorced you’re going to hell, or to hate those who are “different”, these boys are doing this on their own, no one is forced to join and some probably join for the comradery but maybe don’t say the prayer. Do you see any coaches in that picture? That is student lead. In this case the school is proud of the comradery nothing more. Many public school students are religious but no one forced it on anyone unlike LW. Would you rather see them celebrating in the end zone in front of the losing team? I think that’s called unsportsmanlike conduct. Just look at this as what it is, student lead giving thanks to A God. Whatever God they follow. This isn’t indoctrination unlike LW.
• Facebook User: I’m done. I’m out. While I have enjoyed being part of this group, I will be removing myself from the group.
  It seems to me that they problem is that some people on here have a problem with “christians” and “christianity” . They see christianity as a “religion”. I do not follow a “religion ” ,I am a CHRIST-follower and I have a RELATIONSHIP with my Heavenly Father. There IS a difference,but I won’t explain it to you because I’m done being attacked for my beliefs. So it has become quite obvious that people can NOT have their own opinion or their own beliefs or their own thoughts without being attacked for it….this was MY OPINION, MY EXPERIENCE, but I guess that was the wrong answer.
  So for MY mental health I will not be part of this group.
  When you get attacked for your beliefs or values or experiences it feels like being attacked by the other side and that’s something I don’t need right now.
  So I will be fighting this fight by myself.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User I’m so confused. No one attacked you for your beliefs and from what I can see, all dialogue has been respectful. I think SEC explained the concerns quite well.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User The point of groups like this is to prioritize the non-Christian students who are in the minority. It’s not anti-Christan. It’s about shifting focus from Christians, who, as shown in the school’s post, are always the focus.
  • Facebook User: Facebook User the fact that you don’t get that this is likely a first amendment issue and just take it as an attack likely means you don’t belong in this group.
• Facebook User: I commented today, we’ll see if my post disappears.