Hey kids, this may be my last article till the new year, so if I miss ya, I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday season.
So, HAZING. Its a dirty word and its suppossed to be an outlawed practice. A couple months ago, our publisher wrote a nice little piece on Hazing that got a lot of reads. https://thejuniorhockeynews.com/?p=18190 I recommend reading it if you havent yet.
I am the first guy to pull a practical joke, or give some good natured teasing to close friends. When you have a certain comfort level with friends and family its almost second nature to tease each other once in a while.
But when does that good natured teasing cross a line? When is it okay to touch someone physically as part of that teasing? Every person has a limit to what they are or are not comfortable with right? Most people sure wouldnt be alright with getting “pantsed” in the middle of church right?
So, I was at a game a few weeks ago and I saw what I would call some hazing of a first year junior player. Nothing too serious, but enough to make someone that had to watch it feel a little uncomfortable. I thought to myself, that it just wasnt good natured in its tone. Anyway, its bothered me since. I made the coach aware and he stopped what was going on. He did the right thing.
Yesterday, as I sat and talked to some of my boys about this, I did a quick little search to see what kind of issue hazing had become and found this very powerful article:
If you dont read the article and realize just how serious the issue can be, you need to get your head examined.
Now I aint old enough to have any kids, but man, can you imagine if your kid was dealing with hazing like this from his “team mates”? Not only is it dangerous to a point of being life threatening in some cases, but its really close to criminal behavior.
There’s a big difference between putting shaving cream in someones skates and forcing them to drink alcohol to the point of blacking out. There’s a big difference between hiding someone’s gitch and urinating on them after they pass out from being forced to drink too much.
Hey, I get it. We all hear it, “boys will be boys”. Yeah, right. Since when do “boys” humiliate and degrade their “friends” or “team mates” in a way that is really closer to a criminal sexual assault.
So, as this year ends, I encourage all the boys to put an end to this destructive and damaging “right of passage” or “tradition”. It has no place in sport or life in general.
Yeah I know, some idiots are out there rolling their eyes at this like its not a big deal. Would it be a big deal if it was happening to you, your brother, your sister, your parents? Its time to pull your heads out of your backsides and become men who lead by positive examples, not boys who lead by intimidation. What goes around comes around boys.
If there is one thing that needs to die in 2014 its hazing.
David Wagner – The Angel Of Death – For Those Who Live Stupidly I salute You
*The Death Pool is a mix of comedy, and satire in connection with recent events. It is not an official report of current events although it may look as though the news is so accurate that it could one day happen or may be happening.
