“All right, guys, gather round,” coach said, entering the locker room. “Quiet. Take a knee. Take a knee.”

The players gathered around the coach.

“A Washington state coach wanted to say a prayer after high school football games and he took it all the way to the Supreme Court and the judges said it was OK by them. Protected by the First Amendment and all. So we’re gonna exercise our First Amendment rights, too. I’ve been looking forward to this for some time and I want you to all join in. This is part of what it means to be part of a team.

“Let’s bow our heads.”

The players bowed their heads. Coach began to pray.

“Odin and Thor, may you hear our prayers from your seats in Asgard as in Valhalla …”

“Did you say Thor,” one player said. “Like the guy in the Marvel movies?”

Coach raised his head. “Yeah, I said Thor. No, not like the Thor in the movies. But the true Thor, the real Thor above, with the red hair and beard and all that. OK? Everybody OK, with that?”

The players murmured. Coach cut them off.

“OK, no more interrupting the prayer.

“Oh, Odin and Thor, from your seats in Asgard as it is in Valhalla, hallowed be thy names. We pray that you grant us the strength of Mjolnir, Thor’s hammer, in facing the other team so we may smite them on the field of battle … er, on the football field, and give us the speed of Thor’s lightning in running the field.

“Odin, I ask that me and my fellow coaches be given the wisdom you received when you plucked out your eye and dropped it into the well of Mimir. May we all have the perseverance of when you hung from Yggdrasil, the world tree, for nine days and nine nights so we may gain knowledge about the other team’s game book and plays.

“Odin, we ask that you watch out for these young men and keep them from Valhalla today. May your ravens Huginn and Muninn watch over them and be with us and deliver us from the temptations of Loki.”

Coach stood for a moment, quiet. One player ventured an “Amen?”

“No,” coach said. “Not amen. We end the prayer by calling Odin. Join me, guys, Odin, Odin, Odin, Ooooo-din.” Coach stood, arms outstretched, roaring to the ceiling. “… All right, I’m not hearing anything. C’mon, let’s hear it guys. Join with me.”

The locker room filled with raised voices: “Odin, Odin, Oooooo-din.”

“That’s better,” coach said. “OK, couple more things. We’ll have a prayer meeting after practice next Wednesday – Odin’s day, and a special goat supper made by my wife, Miss Olga, next Thursday – Thor’s day. Just a heads up, guys, do not break the bones while eating the goats. That’s symbolism, guys. 

“Goats pulled Thor’s chariot across the sky. He would eat them in the evening if he had to, pile their bones in stacks, wave his hammer over them and the goats would be resurrected to pull his chariot again. But if he broke a bone while eating them, the goat would be lame. So no bone breaking. OK, all right, let’s go. Let’s play ball. Oooo-din.”

The players started running to the locker room door. Many chanting Odin, Odin. But one player asked another, “Did he say we had to eat goat?”

Dean Poling is an editor with The Valdosta Daily Times and editor of The Tifton Gazette.