All-Star Religion In The Gym

Our gym owner is Jewish and many of the families and athletes are Jewish. We've been invited to and attended numerous bat mitzvahs for several of the athletes. I think it just depends on the dynamics of your individual gym. What might work for one gym would not work for another. I don't know what the percentage ratio is between Jewish and Christians is at our gym, but we definitely do not pray at our gym and I'm sure the Jewish people at our gym would not appreciate prayers being offered to Jesus as their savior.

Mclovin said:

LOL! I didn't even know this existed! It's just as corny as the original, but at least it has a message!!

but on the same note, many of our squads this year have christian music in their mixes.

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I know of a lot of christian music that would sound really great in cheer music! My uncle is a pastor, so he's sorta opened up my perception of religion-based music. It's not all terrible. In fact a lot of it is good, and it would be unique as not a lot of teams would have it!

This is so strange to me! I think it really depends on where in the country you are. I know where I'm from you would NEVER say a prayer with any religious reference before anything. An owner of a ym actually did and had half the team leave after that competition because the parents were not happy with their child apparently being forced to pray. A lot of teams I guess pray to the "cheer gods." Get in a huddle and kind of talk out loud but not "praying" per se. I even went to Catholic high school and we would NEVER pray before anything. I know there are a couple teeny tiny programs close by that are "faith-based" but they literally have one or two teams and can't even max out to 20 people on a team. But different parts of the country have different views I guess. Its kind of the same thing where you're more of an outsider for being a homophobe than actually being gay, but thats a whole other discussion.

Mclovin said:

Yes, every squad at T&S prays either before practice begins or at the end of every practice. We pray before we take the floor with every squad. Many times, stunt groups will pray together before they start stunting or before they take the floor at a comp. And let me make this very clear...we pray to God (Jehovah) and Jesus.

If anyone was uncomfortable with this, there are many other gyms in our area that don't pray or hold our same values and beliefs that would be more than happy to train them.

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Wish I could shimmy this 1,000 times! I feel EXACTLY the same way....our gym makes NO secret that they are based in Christian principals, and it bothers me SO much when parents get upset when teams pray in a Christian manner! What did you expect?

If I knowingly signed my kids up at an activity at the JCC, I would expect them to pray in a way that follows their beliefs, and if I have a problem with that, I shouldn't have signed them up in the first place!

I don't know about the whole gym, but the coach my daughter has had the last 4 years always leads the team in 'asking a blessing' before they perform. i don't know that i'd call it a 'prayer' as much as a blessing...there is a difference. We have many different religions represented on the team, and i can't say i've ever heard anyone (parent or child) balk at this practice.

i am catholic (although not practicing), my kids were raised catholic in their early years. I think that a moment of thanks/blessing whatever you want to call it is important and a bonding experience for the team. whatever your religion is, for the most part, everyone believes there is a higher power (even satanists think so). If you are TOTALLY not religious, then i'm not sure, but hopefully you have something to believe in, even if it's just that the sun will come out tomorrow!

My family and other faith based families would pray together in a small group before we sent our cp's to warm-ups. We haven't been at an open Christian gym, but I have always hope we would end up in OK, so my cp could go to T&S!
I don't want anyone forcing their religion on my cp, so I could see why some parents are upset about praying before practice, but if you have spoken to your parents about praying or if it is stated in the contract, I see no problem with it. Just make sure it is stated somewhere. You don't want a few parents to get together and sue you or the gym.

armycheermom said:

My family and other faith based families would pray together in a small group before we sent our cp's to warm-ups. We haven't been at an open Christian gym, but I have always hope we would end up in OK, so my cp could go to T&S!
I don't want anyone forcing their religion on my cp, so I could see why some parents are upset about praying before practice, but if you have spoken to your parents about praying or if it is stated in the contract, I see no problem with it. Just make sure it is stated somewhere. You don't want a few parents to get together and sue you or the gym.

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Whether it's stated in a contract or elsewhere, an all star cheer gym is a private owned organization. You cannot sue them for practicing a christian or non-christian act, unless it's an illegal act of course, lol. If you don't approve of something your gym is doing, your option is to remove your child from that gym. If T&S was teaching my kids to pray to Buddah I couldn't sue them for it. I would just take my girls elsewhere.

Mclovin said:

I have never heard this one before, but it's cute. My youth 3 (they are called Youth Faith) team this year has a breakdown that says "Gotta have faith to win first place, we're gonna rock this place. Faith without works is dead. James 2:20" They say it after we pray at the end of practice each night and will say it before we take the floor at each comp.

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love!!!!!

PghxCheer2 said:

I know of a lot of christian music that would sound really great in cheer music! My uncle is a pastor, so he's sorta opened up my perception of religion-based music. It's not all terrible. In fact a lot of it is good, and it would be unique as not a lot of teams would have it!

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there are amazing christian bands!!!!

I think the moms are being pretty difficult, the gym I'm at we stress our Christianity, were a faith based organization. we pray before practice, after practice and at competitions. I don't see the problem.

kisscheer18 said:

I know that this thread is posted at an awkward time since everyones so excited about the upcoming season, but lately at my gym ive been noticing a few moms upset about prayer at practice. I know religion is a tricky issue,especially if the gym is secular and does not claim to be christian in any way. but whats too much? is prayer out of the question at practice? Its not like they're sitting in a circle doing devotionals... is this offensive or are some moms just being difficult?

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I just wanted to add that several of our coaches come in 30 minutes before practice once a week and do a bible study/devotional with any kids from the team that are interested in coming. Most of them come.

Oh and Senior Obsession has a small devotional at the end of each Wednesday practice with Orson himself.

SIDENOTE...if you keep God out of the gym...well...you know...

my team had what we called a "prayer" before competition, but it wasn't faith based at all..

"once a task, has begun, never fail, until its done, be that labor, great or small, do it well, or not at all."

but i don't think, unless it is clearly stated in the mission of the gym, that a team should pray unless they all 100% decide to as a group. I don't like others pushing religion on me, and I would never push my beliefs on another.

tuckxandxtwist said:

my team had what we called a "prayer" before competition, but it wasn't faith based at all..

"once a task, has begun, never fail, until its done, be that labor, great or small, do it well, or not at all."

but i don't think, unless it is clearly stated in the mission of the gym, that a team should pray unless they all 100% decide to as a group. I don't like others pushing religion on me, and I would never push my beliefs on another.

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I think if your team wants to pray...one person shouldnt be able to squash it....you could step away...but 100% agree??? the majority would be punished by the few...it is your right not to pray...just like it is their right to pray....IMO

Mclovin said:

I just wanted to add that several of our coaches come in 30 minutes before practice once a week and do a bible study/devotional with any kids from the team that are interested in coming. Most of them come.

Oh and Senior Obsession has a small devotional at the end of each Wednesday practice with Orson himself.

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that is really awesome.
just one of the hundred reasons I love TnS. I admire them so much for being openly Christian. I think that is so awesome.