By: Pat Griffin
In accordance with constitutional protections for freedom of religion and traditional conventions of separation of religion and state, athletic programs in public schools or secular private schools have a responsibility to ensure a neutral religious climate in which no particular religious faith or practice is promoted over any others. This neutrality enables individual athletes and coaches to express their faith and, at the same time, protects the rights of athletes and coaches who do not share that faith or who choose not to participate in any religious activity.
Athletic programs in religious schools are a different case. For example, Catholic, Muslim, Jewish, or Protestant Christian schools may expect adherence to their faith as a condition of admission or at least assume that students and staff have an awareness of faith-based expectations and practices at the school. Most religious schools are governed by a commitment to respect, safety, and fairness to members of the community who do not share the institutional religious perspective. However, athletes and coaches who choose to enroll or work in religious schools must do so with the understanding that particular religious activities and assumptions about religious belief may be part of the school culture.
This discussion focuses on religious expression in public and secular private school athletic programs. The challenge in these schools is to find common ground where athletes and coaches of all spiritual and non-spiritual persuasions can compete together in a religious-neutral, respectful, safe, and fair climate despite differences in religious perspectives. Freedom of religion also means freedom from having the religions of others imposed on participants in activities that are not in and of themselves faith-based. Athletic programs in public schools or secular private schools are examples of such activities.
Coaches are responsible for ensuring that the climate for all team activities is neutral with regard to religion. According to U.S. Government guidelines for religious expression in public schools, coaches or other school staff are prohibited from encouraging or discouraging prayer or actively participating in religious activities with students when acting in their official capacity as “representatives of the state.” Coaches are acting as “representatives of the state” in their professional capacity as employees of schools. The activities in which athletes participate under a coach's leadership, such as practice sessions, games, travel, team activities outside of competition, team written communications and any other required team activities should all be religion-neutral.
Even when religious oriented team activities are not required, but suggested or offered as voluntary options by coaches or team captains, players often feel pressure to participate. If religious activities are led by a coach, team captain, or other team leader, these practices constitute a particular problem for other athletes and coaches. Many athletes (or assistant coaches) will not speak up to object to team prayers or other team religious activities even if they do not want to participate in them. This reluctance reflects fear of negative consequences that might affect their opportunity to compete, a fear of creating dissention within the team or concerns about alienating themselves from coaches, team captains or teammates. Even non-denominational prayers assume all participants believe in a Higher Power and are an imposition on participants' rights to be free of religious activities in the athletic setting.
Team captains also have leadership responsibility among their peers to make sure all teammates are treated with respect and fairness, and that no one is singled out, made to feel uncomfortable or ostracized because of their identity or personal religious beliefs.
Religious belief about homosexuality is an area of potential conflict in athletics that can affect individual athletes and coaches as well as the entire team. Religious perspectives on homosexuality are varied. Some religions believe that homosexuality is a sin, while others believe lesbian, gay and bisexual people are simply part of a broad spectrum of sexuality welcomed into the faith community. Many religious groups have adopted anti-discrimination policies even if they believe that homosexuality is a sin. Others believe homosexuality is a sin and engage in efforts to “save” lesbians and gay men from their “lifestyle.” Some faiths take a “live and let live” stance toward homosexuality and preach tolerance, if not acceptance.
For coaches, team captains and other team members who believe homosexuality is a sin, the challenge in a public or secular private school is to separate their personal beliefs from their responsibility to find a common ground of respect for differences among coaches and teammates in a religious neutral climate. Coaches and other athletic staff in particular have a professional responsibility to ensure that ALL athletes are treated with respect and fairness regardless of their personal beliefs about homosexuality or their sexual orientation or gender identity.
What is Unacceptable in an Athletic Setting (required or voluntary):
- Team prayers led by coaches or athletes.
- Team prayers led by athletes, while within governmental guidelines, place pressure on athletes to participate.
- Team attendance at Bible Study, required or urged by coaches or captains.
- Team attendance at prayer breakfasts, religious services or other religious events.
- Team attendance at religious club meetings.
- Teammates proselytizing other team members who are not interested in discussing religion.
- Passing out written religious information to teammates unless an individual teammate expresses an interest in such information.
- Teammates condemning other teammates for not subscribing to their faith's beliefs about homosexuality or other faith-based beliefs.
- Coaches or captains including verses from particular religious texts on team materials or in team communications (verbal, e-mails or letters).
- Coaches or athletes discriminating against a player or coach who does not share their religious beliefs or who violates their religious beliefs (homosexuality).
- Coaches or athletes trying to convert or "save" coaches or athletes who are gay or do not share their religious beliefs (homosexuality, for example).
- Coaches promising recruits and their parents that the team has a religious-based ethos or values.
What is Acceptable:
- A team moment of silence before practice or games.
- Coaches reading a non-religious poem or quote, playing non-religious music, giving a non-religious inspirational talk.
- Individual athletes participating in faith-based groups or activities of their choosing outside of required team activities.
- Individual athletes talking about their faith, but not trying to proselytize others who are not interested.
- Individual athletes reading the Bible or other religious text to themselves on the team bus.
- Individual athletes praying on their own during practice, games or at any time in the athletic setting.
- A group of athletes voluntarily praying together in the locker room or attending Bible study or a religious service together as long as it is not assumed that these are team activities in which everyone must or should participate.
- Individual players wearing jewelry or other symbols of their faith (as is consistent with uniform requirements for practice or games).
- Individual players talking about their faith to media or others outside the team.