I was trying to stay out of this because my main point was to make sure people realised that there are players of other denominations/religions/atheists/deists/etc. on teams, but some people have taken my comments out of context and I feel the need to clarify.
CHT is correct in saying that my problem is not with the prayer itself. If the players decide that they want to pray to God, Jesus, Yaweh, Mohammed, Krishna, the Mayan soccer gods, or to channel the spirits of Pele and Mia Hamm, I fully support them in (almost) whatever manner they choose--I figure a sacrificial goat at midfield might be crossing a line and messy to boot! My issue is with a coach arbitrarily deciding to lead a team in a specific religion's prayer and, in one case, put players on the spot by asking them to lead the prayer without them necessarily volunteering to do so. Almost no 16 year old is going to be willing to outright say, in front of a religious coach and teammates of varying religious intensities, that they refuse to lead the prayer or participate if only through sheer respect and/or fear of authority.
I have no quarrel with a majority that says they want some help with a prayer. My quarrel is with an environment that doesn't seek to make sure other people know that they're not expected to participate if they do not wish to do so such that they feel compelled to "fake it" to avoid trouble. Or even invite the girls to volunteer for a chance to say whatever they wish to say before a game. Differing views get respected and everyone has a chance to learn about another viewpoint. My team wasn't particularly diverse, but it would have been fascinating to see the religious and cultural differences in pre-game "rituals" if it had been. Then, no one feels left out and you learn tolerance and respect for everyone's particular faith.
