In a world that feels increasingly disconnected and divided, the last thing our kids need is to be banned from coming together in prayer. Yet Minnesota Hockey District 10 has attempted to do just that. It is important to note that this petition is not just about a single district, or a single sport. This is about rallying around prayer and protecting the freedom across all sports and youth organizations.

The north metro district recently voted to ban post-game, on-ice gatherings — including prayer — with a penalty of suspension. 

After parents spoke up and journalists covered the story, Minnesota Hockey announced the policy is paused for further review. A pause is not enough — the ban must be stopped. This is the first known attempt to regulate or restrict prayer within USA Hockey and it has the potential to set a damaging precedent across the state and country, for hockey and potentially other sport. We need to speak up and let them know that the freedom, tradition and right to gather needs to be preserved!

Beyond the importance of prayer to many, there is another element of this to consider, no matter your beliefs - that is the human connection and opportunity to reflect, give thanks and to acknowledge that the game is bigger than themselves. Youth sports are a place for our young people to be able to grow, explore who they are in relation to our world and to develop their character. We want to support community and togetherness, now is not the time to be trying to remove something that provides this type of human connection to our young people; an opportunity for them to bridge the divide of competition and remind themselves of the greater good.

A few facts on prayer gatherings:

• They are player-led and fully voluntary.
• The purpose is for teams to come together after a fierce battle and show sportsmanship and respect toward each other.
• There are other ways to address the issue of time management or safety concerns. The average prayer circle takes less than 1 minute and the actual impact to schedules is minimal.

Sign below if you think Minnesota Hockey District 10 should stop the ban on post-game, on-ice gatherings.