Goodrich – Shaving each other’s heads at football camp may become a thing of the past for the high school football players.
At the June 23 board of trustees meeting, a parent fought back the tears as she described how upset she was to see her son’s head completely shaved after returning from the two-day football camp he attended on June 20 and 21.
The mother preferred not to give her name to protect her son’s identity, for fear of retaliation. This was the first time her son attended the football camp; he will be a freshman in the fall.
‘If the football players are going to shave each other’s heads, then the school district should hire a barber to do it,? said the mother. ‘This is a safety issue. What if someone’s head was nicked? They could risk getting AIDS. I didn’t give my permission for this. My son’s whole demeanor changed when he got home. This could even be considered a form of hazing. I want this policy reviewed,? she said.
Athletic Director Al Martus said the policy will be reviewed on July 15 when he meets with the parents and their son. ‘I didn’t know the players were doing this at camp,? said Martus. ‘I will listen to the parents during our conference and meet with the coaches. We will review the policy. Only (one of) two things will happen. Either we will or won’t do it anymore,? he said.
Martus said he is concerned about the student possibly getting harassed at school when he starts school in the fall. ‘I want to meet this student so he knows me. If something happens, I want him to be able to come to me for help. These are good kids, I know the senior boys will take care of him,? said Martus.
GHS football player Joey Zito, a senior who was at the camp, said he understands the mother’s concerns, however he feels the whole issue has been blown way out of proportion.
‘This whole thing is kind of ridiculous. I have gone to football camp for four years now and I don’t see any harm in shaving each other’s heads. We don’t use razors, we use electric shavers. I remember Coach Alward saying to make sure not to shave anybody’s head that doesn’t want it done. Everyone volunteered to do it. The first few years I went to football camp, I didn’t want to shave off my hair, I wanted to keep it long. Nobody ever pressured me to cut it. The new helmets can rub your skin raw, so that is one of the reasons we shave our heads. It’s to be more comfortable. This isn’t some kind of yearly traditional cut, the hair tradition that everyone looks forward to. Another player might say, ‘Hey, does anybody have some clippers, will you help me shave my head?? They might even ask for a design like a star. There were ten freshman at the camp. They didn’t all volunteer, some said no,? said Zito.
Although the unidentified mother didn’t file any charges, her suggestion that this incident may be considered hazing, has coaches, district officials and other parents concerned about the incident.
‘There would have to be some kind of injury or nonconsensual touching for this incident to be considered hazing,? said Randy Petrides, Genesee County chief assistant prosecuting attorney. ‘Hazing is first and foremost a social problem. It’s best dealt with through the school or community to get a handle on it. In certain instances hazing could end up in the criminal system. If someone were to get hurt, as an example, being forced to drink and someone gets hurt, it could be considered assault and battery. However I don’t think this deserves any attention at all unless the student begged them not to cut his hair. Just because the mother is upset doesn’t make it hazing or an assault.?
Law enforcement officials were also concerned with the issue.
‘I don’t know if I would consider this incident hazing,? said Jim Gage, Genesee County undersheriff.
‘It depends if the boy resisted or not. I might consider it poor judgment on the part of school officials for allowing this to happen. Superintendent Larry Allen is a no-nonsense guy. The mother should have spoken to him first about this, and solved it at the school district level. Hey, if a kid wants a haircut before football camp, tell them to go see ‘Ken the Barber,? he would be happy to do it for them.?