Putting God first in your program

The same God teams pray to after the game during the team prayer on the field. I'm not saying force your faith on the kids. I do believe if you're a strong man a God it shows in your life and the way that you live. Take for instance Tony Dungy his wasn't afraid to make his beliefs public but he never forced it on his players and if the players had different beliefs he didn't treat them any differently(not playing them or making them feel alienated) He let his actions speak.

Bad analogy. Tony Dungy was working with professional athletes, not 14-18 year olds.  Tony Dungy did not work for a public school system, but rather a private company.

And for the record, I am anti praying on the field as well. Regarding the "same god" that they pray to after the game... do you pray the rosary after the game?  Bow to mecca? Wear a Yarmulke? 

This is what its all about in my mind.

Everything you do should be about expanding the reign of God.


You cant worry about "offending" others. what could possibly be offensive about  the ten commandments and a simple expecation that we love one another as he loves us?

You're correct great catch. Check out Coach Josh Niblett coach of Hoover High School in Hoover,Alabama. He runs a nationally ranked high school program and he expresses his faith any time he gets a chance one time being on a regional television after winning the state title. I believe it's all in how you do it coach.

I only ask this of those that seem to be "pro" prayer and public school/football/athletics/extra curriculars...have you ever been in the Minority of such endeavors? Have you ever been in a situation where your faith was in the minority, and the majority exercised theirs? It is very easy to type "oh, it wouldnt bother me", but typing and living are two different things.

Honestly, and I dont mind saying this, part of our job as CHRISTIANS is to spread the gospel and educate the doubtful and inform the ignorant. Thats just how it is. You are either a CHRISTIAN who accepts that responsibility to continue the work of Jesus Christ or you are an imposter pretending to be CHRISTIAN while concerning yourself with false Gods.

You cant have it both ways. So as a football coach who is a Christian, you cant deny Christ. You cant be ashamed of your faith and you cant hide it. Thats simply not how it is meant to work and "political correctness" has nothing to do with faith.

BURN THE HEATHENS... They convert or they die!!!!!! 
Thank you for proving my point.

"Oh Sky Cake, why are you so delicious!!!"



This thread will lock in.....

Part of what I had to realize, and it was hard to do, is that we CANNOT be in the business of making better men.

We can instill discipline, we can model what a man should/can be, we can be demanding, we can be encouraging, etc.

But moral guidance ain't one of those things......you will go insane trying. 

Keep in mind, you are already an adult...BUT.. regardless.. look at the large font above, and then realize if you specificially address RELIGION and FAITH in your program, you are doing exactly that to some of the players who look up to you as "Coach".

Being a good person, being "moral" so to speak is independent of religion and does not require any religious slogans or platitudes.

Besides, we all know that if you don't pray the rosary before a game you are not fulfilling God's wishes.  Right?

Never ever does there seem to be teaching that says to be intolerant of others, impatient of others. WE are to accept that everyone is a child of God. Sermons from Jesus are not about judging or saying others will burn, thats ignorance at work. Instead, we are to love others, accepting that they are all sinners, as we are sinners. WE however are loved by God unconditionally despite our sins. Love one another is about the simplest message there is in Christianity, Catholicism.

There simply isnt anything "offensive" about serving other humans, helping them in life as humbly as you can. As a football coach, you are in a tremendous position to role model and mentor kids and teach them morality and values and virtues. You are in a great position, even without saying "Jesus" to show that they are loved. That is our mission, to share the energy of the holy spirit by loving and doing for others.

As a football coach, you want your guys to grow into good dads, good husbands, good citizens, good brothers, good employees. You can teach them the value of caring for the poor, the sick, the homeless. I cant see anything offensive about that anywhere.

You simply cannot deny your own faith simply because someone else lacks faith. You cant be ashamed of your faith and make it "personal" if you truly believe we are all brothers and sons of ONE God.

And thats fine coach, there were others that denied Christ, any coach that did would not be the first or the last. It is however an expectation upon Christians to educate others of all nations on the words of Christ. Like it or not , that is how Christianity works. As a Christian man myself, I have at times prayed quietly, hoping I didnt get fired for it, then after some time, started having moments of silence and told my guys that I was praying and what I prayed about. Over time I realized that the right thing to do for me was to do what I am called to do as a Christian. I know full well that there are athiests and antichrist people and so on, thats not my concern, my concern is to fulfil my job in living as Christ lived to the best of my human capability. I might get fired, I might make people angry, I might get sued, but Ill do it knowing that I am trying to do what I was placed on earth to do.

That doesnt make me better than anyone else, not in Gods eyes, not in my eyes. It just helps me feel that I am fulfilling my promise to accept Jesus and do Gods will.

"In your country its a miracle when God does some mans will- In my country, its a miracle when some man does the will of God" - It doesnt matter what others think or belive, love them anyway, regardless,unconditionally and serve them. Again, thats how it works.

Allah is a word that has been used generically to name God. The difference between Christianity and the Muslim faith has to do with the holy trinity largely. I would think this would not be the first time our children had their faith challenged or the last.

If someone wants to pray to "joe six pack" as their God prior to a football game, Id hope my children could take my teaching of acceptance and tolerance and unconditional love into consideration and simply pray on their own for the team and for the guy who worships joe six pack.

I suppose that is one difference, some faiths are extremely intollerant and others preach acceptance and tolerance and thats it. where folks run into trouble is when they think they have to kill/behead anyone else who doesnt believe what they believe.

For me, faith is something that has to be very strong and unwavering in the most difficult of circumstances. Isnt that what Jesus was trying to show us? If you dont believe, thats fine, thats your business and something for you to explore, nobody can force that on someone else, but it is an expectation for Christians to teach and share. It is an expectation to live in Grace.

See, theres a few things here where even someone who cant value a Christian view should not be judged for that. Hes still a child of God.

www.dummies.com/how-to/content/understanding-jesus-sermons.html

2013, how does your avatar fit into your message in this thread?