Students punished over disturbing hazing incident

As parents and coaches, we must be ever vigilant in protecting our children - even when it means protecting them from themselves. Hazing is nothing new in sports.  It used to be considered a rite of passage. Veteran teammates would "welcome" new players by making them perform some humiliating, but mostly harmless task. For example, rookies in football have to carry the veterans' practice pads. However, hazing has come under scrutiny in recent years - especially with our kids. As a matter of fact, hazing is now illegal in many communities across the country. Some kids have taken it too far and put themselves and their teammates at risk.

Such is the case at Andover (Mass.) High School. The boys basketball team participated in a camp last summer at a local college. During the camp, younger players were forced by upperclassmen to eat cookies covered in bodily fluids. School district officials, law enforcement and parents failed to see the humor in this situation. WFXT-TV provides full details of the case in the report below (email subscribers click here).

The students involved were disciplined, but it cannot stop there. Hazing on the youth and high school level has become a form of bullying and can no longer be tolerated. Adults have to take a more proactive role in preventing these incidents. Let your kids know in no uncertain terms how you feel about hazing. Sports are supposed to build our children up, not tear them down. Until next time...

 Be a Good Sport!

 -Sol