Prayer at Athletic Events

Abstract

The prayer-in-school issue can be very emotional and create an extremely volatile situation if not handled properly. This article argues that coaches and athletic directors must know exactly how they will react to situations that may surface to ensure not only compliance with the law, but to foster an atmosphere of tolerance and respect for differing viewpoints among student athletes, their parents, school personnel and community. Further, the article asserts that it is imperative that coaches and athletic directors not express their personal feelings, but rather be catalysts for fostering mutual tolerance and respect.