Hazing in in HS Girls Sports

[Greenmonsters]

What's the difference between team building and hazing? Just from the responses here, it's obviously a very fine line and varies by person. Generally, in my mind, the first occurs in a setting where responsible citizens are/may be present and therefore is acceptable or appropriate, whereas the later occurs in an unsupervised setting and may or not be appropriate or acceptable. Leaving the determination of what is/isn't appropriate up to HS-aged girls is tenuous at best, particularly considering some of the topics posted on this board in the last 6 or so months on this board related to teen SB players - suicide, sex, pregnancy, smoking, pedophilia, cliques, bullying, etc.. Yeah, I grew up in the stone age of no harm/no foul and if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, but today's world is different - peer pressure in addition to the "self" pressure many of these achievement-oriented girls experience in their daily academic, social, athletic lives can affect otherwise good judgement and decision making.

Simple rule - if it can't be done in front of parents, coaches, principals, etc, avoid the risk and skip it because it might be hazing in someone else's eyes. Any way, whose life truly has been enriched because of HS/college team hazing? I can't say mine was affected one way or the other.

Just my 0.02 - GM

 

[crystlemc]

What's the difference between team building and hazing? Just from the responses here, it's obviously a very fine line and varies by person. Generally, in my mind, the first occurs in a setting where responsible citizens are/may be present and therefore is acceptable or appropriate, whereas the later occurs in an unsupervised setting and may or not be appropriate or acceptable. Leaving the determination of what is/isn't appropriate up to HS-aged girls is tenuous at best, particularly considering some of the topics posted on this board in the last 6 or so months on this board related to teen SB players - suicide, sex, pregnancy, smoking, pedophilia, cliques, bullying, etc.. Yeah, I grew up in the stone age of no harm/no foul and if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, but today's world is different - peer pressure in addition to the "self" pressure many of these achievement-oriented girls experience in their daily academic, social, athletic lives can affect otherwise good judgement and decision making.

Simple rule - if it can't be done in front of parents, coaches, principals, etc, avoid the risk and skip it because it might be hazing in someone else's eyes. Any way, whose life truly has been enriched because of HS/college team hazing? I can't say mine was affected one way or the other.

Just my 0.02 - GM

I pretty much agree with you. That is exactly why I said maybe there should be some guidelines. Another poster told about how when she went through it, the parents and coaches were there. And I am certain they made sure it didn't get out of hand. How this situation would be a problem, is beyond me.

 

[fastpitch]

What's the difference between team building and hazing? Just from the responses here, it's obviously a very fine line and varies by person. Generally, in my mind, the first occurs in a setting where responsible citizens are/may be present and therefore is acceptable or appropriate, whereas the later occurs in an unsupervised setting and may or not be appropriate or acceptable. Leaving the determination of what is/isn't appropriate up to HS-aged girls is tenuous at best, particularly considering some of the topics posted on this board in the last 6 or so months on this board related to teen SB players - suicide, sex, pregnancy, smoking, pedophilia, cliques, bullying, etc.. Yeah, I grew up in the stone age of no harm/no foul and if it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger, but today's world is different - peer pressure in addition to the "self" pressure many of these achievement-oriented girls experience in their daily academic, social, athletic lives can affect otherwise good judgement and decision making.

Simple rule - if it can't be done in front of parents, coaches, principals, etc, avoid the risk and skip it because it might be hazing in someone else's eyes. Any way, whose life truly has been enriched because of HS/college team hazing? I can't say mine was affected one way or the other.

Just my 0.02 - GM

Good points GM. If it wouldnt be done in front of an authority figure, then it simply shouldn't be done.

 

[shockcoach]

A shaving cream pie in the face!? You've got to be kidding me! This principal is way over the line.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Crystalmc is 100% correct.

Fastpitch's mentality is part of the problem.

 

[sluggers]

They are perfectly capable of knowing when enough is enough and what is acceptable, unless they are complete morons.

Teenage girls are complete morons--I raised three and coached many, many others. Most lack judgment. Most can be easily manipulated by a strong leader. They will do almost anything to fit in. And, when they are in a group and "the group" decides to do something, they will go along with it.

 

[SoftSocDad]

Most lack judgment. Most can be easily manipulated by a strong leader. They will do almost anything to fit in. And, when they are in a group and "the group" decides to do something, they will go along with it.

You just described more than 80% of this country.

 

[crystlemc]

You just described more than 80% of this country.

And I would venture to speculate that it's that way because of people being overparented or overprotected.

 

[PAcoach]

Simple rule - if it can't be done in front of parents, coaches, principals, etc, avoid the risk and skip it because it might be hazing in someone else's eyes. Any way, whose life truly has been enriched because of HS/college team hazing? I can't say mine was affected one way or the other.

Good point, i agree.

I'm sorry, but while reading this thread, i did get a good chuckle as i reflected back (1978) to what i had to do my freshman year when i made the varsity football team....and then what i did to the underclassman in later years in football and baseball..

 

[jacketsfan]

There is no excuse for bullying, and hazing is a form of that. These humiliation exercises do not make you tougher - they make you humiliated. Mob mentality takes over, and things get out of hand. How exactly is that good for a person? I'm not seeing it.

You, in fact, are condoning the bullying by saying "they will be run off the team if they don't participate". Since when is it that it is a requirement to be humiliated in front of the school, to somehow gain credibility for being a good player? How can it possibly be acceptable for a kid, especially a freshman who is trying to get her feet on the ground in HS, to be bullied off of a team for something stupid like this? Why is it OK for a kid who has worked her butt off for 5 or more years to get to this point, to develop herself as a player as much as she can, to be made an outcast because of some bully's actions?

I think you know the answer is that it is not OK.

Maybe the bullies are under-parented.