Football Coaches Push Prayer

Sunday's New York Times carries an interesting article titled Increasingly, Football's Playbooks Call for Prayer. It traces the increasing importance that coaches at state universities place on spiritual development of their players. For example, for 30 years in pre-season, Florida State football coach Bobby Bowden has taken his players to a church in a white community and a church in a black community in the Tallahassee area in an effort to build camaraderie. He writes to their parents in advance, explaining that the trips are voluntary, and that if they object, their sons can stay home without fear of retaliation. He remembers only one or two players ever in fact not going. On game days, Penn State players may choose between Catholic and Protestant services or not go at all. Coach Joe Paterno and the team say the Lord's Prayer in the locker room after games.