Coach’s dilemma

Unless you’re new around here, you probably know that in the United States, we have guaranteed freedom of religion, and (supposedly) separation of church and state. This is generally accepted to be a good thing, until it becomes inconvenient, at which point anyone who argues for that freedom becomes an atheist Commie bastard.\nOne issue where that separation becomes inconvenient is the school prayer debate, which is the subject of a court case in New Jersey, where a public high school football coach is fighting for his presumed right to join his team in mass prayer before games.\nHe says he’s not leading the team in prayer – which at least some would construe as the school’s endorsement of Christianity. He claims simply to be showing respect for the prayer that is taking place, but the school says he shouldn’t be involved, as a member of the school’s staff.\nNormally I hate the great school prayer debate, because people are grossly misinformed. Among other things, people claim that students can’t pray in school. That’s not the case. Students can pray if they want – the restriction is that the school can’t encourage the prayer . And that’s where this case stands, because the coach is participating in the prayer.\nThe real question in this case is whether, by kneeling and bowing his head alongside his players, coach Marcus Borden is passively endorsing and encouraging the players’ prayer, or just deferring to the players’ desire to participate in the activity.\nSo long as the players initiate the prayer and none feel pressured to participate or feel uncomfortable about the practice, it should be allowed. In this case, a player who identified himself as Jewish said he was never opposed to or offended by the prayer. This isn’t surprising, as it’s a well-documented fact that there’s solidarity among teammates – as studied in films such as “Hoosiers” and “Remember the Titans.”\nThere’s a pretty big difference between a sporting event and the classroom, and between a coach and a teacher. Religion and sports have been intertwined at all levels for years. Athletes often thank God for helping them win games. Major league pitcher Sandy Koufax even skipped a World Series game to observe Yom Kippur. Coaches and athletes have a much closer bond than students and teachers, as well. To an athlete, a coach doesn’t represent the school; he or she represents the team and is a part of that team. \nHowever, to the outside world, the coach does represent the school. It seems that the coach exists in a sort of gray area between the team and the school, which is why this is such a complicated issue. Because of the ambiguity of the coach’s position, he should technically be allowed to participate – but it’d be a better idea for him to remove himself.\nIt seems that, at least in some sports, school athletes will want to pray before the game – especially in the more physically dangerous sports. That won’t change. But it’s best for coaches to stay out of it.