So this isn’t exactly a local story, but I think that the
message hits home in a very real way. There are few things that are more important to people in the South than
high school football and religion. Some would say that football becomes religion to many people. We attend weekly services – sometimes
two or three times a week (kids in high school, college football a must, and
pro football because there isn’t much else to do on Sunday, once church is over
of course) - we say many prayers, and even throw up Hail Marys. I believe a wise man
once said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I don’t know what the hell it means
either, but I’m guessing it has something to do with where you spend your time
and energy, that’s what you care about most. Seems simple.
Well, if most of us are being honest, football wins almost
every round versus church. Church
might win when we tell other people what’s most important, but how often do we
decide not to go to church this week because we went out of town for the game,
or it was on too late? I say this,
not to have a sermon or tell you to go to church, but rather to put into
perspective the power of passion and the hold that football has in our lives. We sacrifice a lot for the things we
love, and football is no different.
Family vacations, school, youth group, all kinds of things
are shuffled around for football. It is important. But God
will always be king in the South. Perhaps for no other reason than we don’t want to admit otherwise. Easter and Christmas will always,
always win out over any and everything. Church mission trips are viable excuses for getting out of most
anything. “Sorry Coach, I’ve got
to circumcise orphans in the Philippines” (cheers Timmy) can get you out of the
hot sun and those dreaded two-a-days, no questions asked. Well, unless you’re coach is a heathen
who only cares about football … and is willing to say it out loud. But what if it could work the other
way? What if football could help
you practice your faith? What if
we didn’t have to choose?
Dearborn High School in Dearborn, Michigan, a predominantly
Muslim Detroit suburb, has arranged its football practices around the holy
month of Ramadan. Ramadan is a
month of fasting for Muslims. From
sunrise to sunset, Muslims cannot eat or drink. Now I’m no doctor, but it seems like those two things would
be kind of important for someone trying to play football, water
especially. Never fear, there’s
always a solution.
Dearborn High School is holding its practices from 11 p.m.
to 4 a.m. Players are allowed to
drink water to their hearts’ content, and grab a granola bar for a little
snack. That is something they
wouldn’t be able to do in just a few short hours. While practically they needed it for the still grueling
practice, they need it for the day to come as well. Avoiding the August heat
didn’t hurt either. Ramadan fell during two-a-days this season, something that
would have been nearly impossible to achieve with the majority of its players
unable to drink or eat.
Dearborn is a highly competitive in the Michigan football
world, often competing for the state championship. The team is coming off of a one-loss season, falling just
short of the state title. Head
coach Fouad Zaban, a former player at Dearborn and a Muslim himself, came up with
the idea to avoid sacrificing the two things that mattered most to himself, the
players, and most of the community – faith and football.
In an incredible moment of symbiosis, a compromise that
avoided sacrificing either actually turned out to strengthen both. Observe holy month? Check. Practice football? Check. Not pass out and die
while doing either? Check.
Coach Zaban made it clear that he never forced anyone to
fast or even raised the issue; rather it was a compromise born out of necessity
– the 95% who do fast. And let’s face it, practicing late at
night sure beats practicing in the middle of the Alabama heat. Give me a little sleep deprivation over
heat exhaustion any day.
Two-a-days: where faith and football meet. Cheers!
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