Final answer:
The idea that peasants accessed faith through sports/games is generally false. Religious experiences were primarily mediated through religious institutions and clergy, not through secular pastimes like sports.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that peasants accessed faith through sports/games is generally false. Throughout history, particularly in pre-industrial societies, religious access, and experiences were heavily mediated through church institutions, rituals, and clergy.
Sporting events like football games and other pastimes mentioned, such as prize-fighting, often provided a sense of community and entertainment but were not primary means for accessing faith.
However, elements of faith could occasionally be present, as in the case of players praying for success in a game, as highlighted in contemporary sports practices at universities.
In this respect, while sports may have a communal or emotional significance that parallels certain aspects of religious experience, they were not a formal medium through which peasants would traditionally access faith.
For example, in past societies such as medieval Europe, peasants would typically rely on the local church and clergy for religious guidance.
During the process of the Reconquista, which was both a military and religious action, accessing and expressing faith would likely occur through more direct, ecclesiastical means, rather than through secular activities like sports or games.