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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Double-A Zone
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By Josh Centor
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
NCAA blogger Josh Centor posted the following August 20 on the Double-A Zone (http://www.doubleazone.com), the official blog of the NCAA.
The University of Maine, Orono, softball program was placed on probation by the university for three years, and three players received suspensions for their roles in a 2006 hazing incident. I abhor hazing and certainly believe harsh penalties should be levied at those who choose to threaten and intimidate others as part of “team initiation.”
I believe there are varying degrees of hazing, and the definition of the action certainly varies between individuals. Some things may make some individuals feel uncomfortable, while others may think activities are harmless fun. As a former student-athlete, I believe that maintaining a tradition is important for athletics programs, but the line between hazing and tradition often is blurred.
I talked recently with William Schut, a spokesperson for the Web site www.ncaahazing.com, which is not affiliated with the NCAA. Schut is passionate about ending hazing on NCAA campuses, and I commend him for that. He is fervent in his belief that the NCAA should intervene in hazing matters. I understand his point, but I personally believe that hazing is an institutional issue.
The Association does a great deal of education on hazing issues, and is even planning a symposium for its annual Convention in January. Coaches and administrators need to do a better job of monitoring what happens on their own campuses, but I am concerned about the current trend of folks who think they can identify incidents of hazing based on pictures that have been posted to the Internet.
We don’t really know what actions are voluntary or involuntary based on photographs we see, and therefore, I don’t think Schut, his group or the national office should be hypothesizing about what happens on campus.
The University of Maine, Orono, softball program was placed on probation by the university for three years, and three players received suspensions for their roles in a 2006 hazing incident. I abhor hazing and certainly believe harsh penalties should be levied at those who choose to threaten and intimidate others as part of “team initiation.”
I believe there are varying degrees of hazing, and the definition of the action certainly varies between individuals. Some things may make some individuals feel uncomfortable, while others may think activities are harmless fun. As a former student-athlete, I believe that maintaining a tradition is important for athletics programs, but the line between hazing and tradition often is blurred.
I talked recently with William Schut, a spokesperson for the Web site www.ncaahazing.com, which is not affiliated with the NCAA. Schut is passionate about ending hazing on NCAA campuses, and I commend him for that. He is fervent in his belief that the NCAA should intervene in hazing matters. I understand his point, but I personally believe that hazing is an institutional issue.
The Association does a great deal of education on hazing issues, and is even planning a symposium for its annual Convention in January. Coaches and administrators need to do a better job of monitoring what happens on their own campuses, but I am concerned about the current trend of folks who think they can identify incidents of hazing based on pictures that have been posted to the Internet.
We don’t really know what actions are voluntary or involuntary based on photographs we see, and therefore, I don’t think Schut, his group or the national office should be hypothesizing about what happens on campus.
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