http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/highschool-prep-rally/kentucky-cross-country-runner-pulls-regional-championships-rather-111318529.html
Found this news report about a religious Kentucky cross country runner who gave up her regional championship race because she got the number 666. My question is why didn't the KHSAA get the right information about it being a religious reason? Also, I can't believe the officials didn't let her change her number. I feel like if this was a person of a different religion other that Christianity then it would be everywhere on nation television and a huge deal made about it. Just an interesting thought...
I saw this too! I don't think that it is fair that she forfeited the race because they wouldn't change her number, but I also wonder if she and her coach adequately expressed her beliefs to the officials. In the article, the coach said that she went to three separate officials and received the same answer from all of them. Why didn't she get all of the officials together and explain her runner's situation and have the officials discuss it? It may have delayed the race, but at least her runner would have been able to compete with a clean religious conscience. But I also know how strict the officials can be when it comes to state qualifying meets from personal experience. The officials, whether they got together and discussed it or not were acting how they should have because of the rules that govern the meet. If the rules said that once a number was assigned to a runner and it was final, then the officials were in the right to not allow a number change. But, as I said earlier, was the case of it being against her religious beliefs strongly made? Or what if it was and the KHSAA is just doing damage control because they screwed up?
ReplyDeleteI agree with Erica, I do think that this would have been a big deal that would have gotten national attention if it had been a student with a different faith.
Yea I think that this is crazy. They could have easily changed the number I would think and they should have understood why she didn't want to wear that number.
ReplyDeleteFirst off I do not think that this should have been such a big issue for the girl after all it is just a number and has no direct correlation to her religious beliefs. On the other hand if se was so upset about her number I don't understand why they could not simply give her another number.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you about giving her a different number but being an athlete and for some of us it may not be religious but we all have rituals that we did before games or during game and if not having the correct game day shirt can effect how we feel how can we disagree with someone who obviously has tremendous religious ties i can totally see how that could affect her to the point of not being able to compete.
DeleteYeah you know i would given her a different number if that where me. we can not discriminate against religion in sports .
DeleteSome people are super stitious when it comes to small stuff like that. When is it everyday that that someone gets a number like that? I believe that she should of told her coaches and officials about her situation and the officials should of been more compassionate about the situation and just had the number changed. After all they do have erasers on their pencils and a backspace on their computers.
ReplyDeletethis is unacceptable that the state wouldn't do anything about it, but i think part of the blame is to be given to the coach. Obviously, the coach didnt do enough to express the issue. Any human would do something to let the runner change the number if they have any morals.
ReplyDeleteI cant believe that the judges wouldnt allow her to change her number. Its not that big of a deal to switch numbers around or let her redraw to get another bib number. You have to respect others religions and with something so simple, i dont see why it couldnt have been handled differently
ReplyDeleteShe really quit because of a number??? Religious reasons or not I believe this is a joke. If she gets to change her number than this would lead to anyone getting to change their number for whatever reason. Whats next, someone doesn't like the color of their bib or whatever and they refuse to run. Are we saying religious beliefs take precedent over any other beliefs? Sure it would be simple to change but the institution shouldn't have to bend over and change the system because of this one girl's issue.
ReplyDeleteI believe the coach should have pushed the issue farther in order to get her a new number. Also some people have very strict religious beliefs and the judges should have been more accepting of this. However, I can see where this could cause a bigger issue in the sport because people would constantly be coming up with reasons to get specific numbers.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Chris! As a softball player - and this is more true for baseball players, I think - rituals and superstitions are a large part of the game. Before each time I step into the batter's box, I have to adjust my batting gloves and, and sometimes I'll even take them off completely if I feel they're not working. The idea of refusing to compete on the basis of a number with religious ties - her religious ties - is just a more extreme version of the superstitions that baseball and softball players utilize every game. Therefore, I don't think there was any reason to penalize her; they simply could have just given her a different number.
ReplyDeletetechnically they didn't penalize her... She penalized herself
DeleteSo yes it seems ridiculous that the judges didn't simply change her number.
ReplyDeleteI know nothing about cross country and so I don't know what the rules are about displaying your number but could she have bent her number card over so it read 66 instead of 666 or some other solution like that or would that have been breaking the rules?
I agree with most everyone else. It shouldn't have been to difficult for them to change her number. I believe if she told her coach about it and expressed her thoughts and concerns about the number and her religious situation, then they could have easily made the smallest exception and skipped over a number and gave her a new one. Although it may seem like just a number to some people, it may have a completely different meaning to others.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Josh's last point. It is not acceptable to dismiss people's beliefs simply because you do not understand them. Everyone deserves to be respected for what they believe regardless of how contrary they are to your own. On that note, if the judges did not understand why there was a problem with having that number then I can understand why they would not let her change that. If you explain it as a personal superstition and you wouldn't "like" it, that is one thing. However, if the situation is explained as one of religion and the person is truly uncomfortable racing under those conditions, it is the judges' responsibility to change her number. The athlete was obviously talented if she had gotten so far in the competition, so it would be unfair to ban her from the privilege of competing at such a high level when she has earned it.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't ban her.. she refused to run
DeleteI think the judges just said that they didn't know it was the reason was just to save there own skin. because if they came out and said that they refused to change it and knew it was because of the beliefs of this girl, they would of lost there jobs and many others would of been in trouble. This is a classic case of people covering up a big deal to save their own skin when they know it wasn't right to refuse the number change.
DeleteI think that religion and sports should be kept separate because not all of the participants have the same religious views, just as there are different religious viewpoints at schools that participate as well. As an athlete, I can understand wanting a number change for the simple fact of superstition in this case though and that the KHSAA should have given her a different number.
ReplyDeleteI agree with many of you. I think that the KHSAA should have been more considerate with the religious viewpoints or superstitions of the competitors. It's all part of the section of fairness in sports in the text. I think ports is about having a good competition with those who share the same passion, but outside of the game, they are human with their own morals and beliefs. Those in charge of ruling the competition should keep that in mind, people with religious beliefs or not. Also I agree with that people have their superstitions and if expressed then it shouldn't have been a big deal to change the number. I don't know anything about cross country, but in a world full of morals, beliefs, and superstitions, I think those in charge should keep that in mind when it comes to competition, especially if doesn't effect the competition or the rules and regulations or the competition itself
ReplyDeleteI feel that if a girl had such a issue with receiving the number 666 then they easily could have given her a new number. It really does boggle my mind that they were not able to just give her a new number. I do agree that if this girl was Muslim or any other religion that it would have been a bigger story then what it is.
ReplyDeleteI believe that no matter what religion it is all should be tolerated, and given the same amount of sensitivity to any situation that goes against a contestant/athletes religious/moral beliefs. I mean they could have easily given her another number of course and avoided the whole situation. What is the big deal of changing a stupid number? In my personal opinion I don't see any number or word too threatening because they only have as much power as you give them. As a Christian the number 666 doesn't bother me, however, if it does bother someone else, and it's something as simple as changing a number it should be changed in respect of that person's religion, and also because it is not ruining the game.
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