What happens when no one steps up to challenge twisted time honored traditions…

Looking back, I would have expected our team to fall divided and distant under the frustration of a disappointing season, yet I remain good friends with the entire team and among those hazed even moreso from what I have seen. Perhaps there could have been some silver lining in all this?

I agree that portraying hazing as a necessary evil of team-building is not only inaccurate but detracts from what it really takes to build a cohesive group. Admittedly, every team needs a hierarchy that allows certain team leaders to dictate how the team should be run, but such a culture should be developed through mutual respect. While establishing such a mutual respect is not an instantaneous process, attempting to use hazing as a shortcut to this end is lazy and just as likely to backfire on the team as it is to succeed. That said, bringing out the balls, setting up the goals and handling some of the little things around the team are perfectly acceptable tasks to assign to freshmen because it helps to teach the freshmen the importance of taking care of the little things and gives them a sense of responsibility. Personally, I think I benefited from having to do these kind of things as a freshman and would encourage the freshmen out there to embrace these kinds of tasks. A team relies on everyone to fill a certain role and completing one of these tasks can certainly be part of that role.

Personally I think this article is a bit much. There is a difference between ‘freshmen duties’ (bringing the ball bucket, cones, whiteboard, etc to practice) and hazing. I do believe in paying your dues as a Freshman. I don’t think that includes being mentally and physically tortured, but I think it is reasonable to require freshman to have these additional duties. 

As a freshman if you become suicidal over taking the ball bucket to practice, what are you going to do later in life when you boss makes you work overtime during your first year with the company? Freshman have to earn their spot, and earning it entails hard work and additional duties. There is an increasing sense of entitlement and softness growing in America. These are the type of people that probably support every kid getting a trophy or outlawing dodgeball in grade school.

I agree with you that hazing is wrong, but please don’t lump whatever horrible acts produced the death of Mr. Champion and freshman duties in the same category.