Growing up, I heard every now and then of hazings involved in sports. In the last maybe 10 years, I've noticed more and more stories in the news about it, and most of it seems pretty frivolous to me. Hazing, when done correctly, safely and responsibly, helps a unit grow stronger and closer.
Hazing has always been part of the military (though now days the official stance is it's not tolerated), but we have all been taught the correct way. Hazing is always meant to have a point, whether it's discipline, training, or teaching unit togetherness. Hazing with no meaning is just cruel and should not be tolerated. Yes, sometimes people are humiliated, but it should never be publicly, only in the group. Yes, there's pain sometimes and yes, people involved will have to put forth effort. All of this is inherent in sports or the military anyway, but the only difference is that hazing is "forced." If you analyze it, though, it's not forced. When you enter the military, you know it's going to be hard work, you know people are going to yell at you, and you know it's going to require all of the "negative" things mentioned above. Yet people still make the conscious decision to join. After boot camp, almost all people come out forged a better person. Those who do not were the quitters. It just ended up not being the thing for them, and that's okay. The same goes for sports. Everyone knows it takes hard work, effort and teamwork. (Though not as much hazing is expected in sports, personally, I think it should be.)
What's not okay is when the people that aren't smart enough to know what's expected of them before joining the sport or military and then complaining that it's not fair, nice, easy, or caters to that individual. Neither sports nor the military is about the individual, and they can't see that. A person submits to the greater good of the team, and knows this when they are part of it. Someone not willing to do that should not be involved and just weeded out like the rest. Someone should not be so childish as to say they want to be a part of it, but only this good part where they don't have to be all in.
I hate hearing all these universities and colleges doing investigations into hazings and then saying it embarrasses the school and suspending the players. I realize some of the recent stories are about rape, murder, or whatever. Those are different. Some teams even haze incorrectly, because the hazers haven't been taught the proper leadership skills yet, which is just as bad. I want hazing, properly done, allowed back in these organizations.
Shawn Snyder is currently enlisted in the finest fighting force alive: the United States Marine Corps. He has served two combat tours in Iraq and will be doing another one shortly.
Hazing has always been part of the military (though now days the official stance is it's not tolerated), but we have all been taught the correct way. Hazing is always meant to have a point, whether it's discipline, training, or teaching unit togetherness. Hazing with no meaning is just cruel and should not be tolerated. Yes, sometimes people are humiliated, but it should never be publicly, only in the group. Yes, there's pain sometimes and yes, people involved will have to put forth effort. All of this is inherent in sports or the military anyway, but the only difference is that hazing is "forced." If you analyze it, though, it's not forced. When you enter the military, you know it's going to be hard work, you know people are going to yell at you, and you know it's going to require all of the "negative" things mentioned above. Yet people still make the conscious decision to join. After boot camp, almost all people come out forged a better person. Those who do not were the quitters. It just ended up not being the thing for them, and that's okay. The same goes for sports. Everyone knows it takes hard work, effort and teamwork. (Though not as much hazing is expected in sports, personally, I think it should be.)
What's not okay is when the people that aren't smart enough to know what's expected of them before joining the sport or military and then complaining that it's not fair, nice, easy, or caters to that individual. Neither sports nor the military is about the individual, and they can't see that. A person submits to the greater good of the team, and knows this when they are part of it. Someone not willing to do that should not be involved and just weeded out like the rest. Someone should not be so childish as to say they want to be a part of it, but only this good part where they don't have to be all in.
I hate hearing all these universities and colleges doing investigations into hazings and then saying it embarrasses the school and suspending the players. I realize some of the recent stories are about rape, murder, or whatever. Those are different. Some teams even haze incorrectly, because the hazers haven't been taught the proper leadership skills yet, which is just as bad. I want hazing, properly done, allowed back in these organizations.
Shawn Snyder is currently enlisted in the finest fighting force alive: the United States Marine Corps. He has served two combat tours in Iraq and will be doing another one shortly.
