Coaches can actually set the stage for hazing. There are subtle things about the way a coach treats athletes that can send a message that humiliating younger or weaker players is okay. A coach who refers to a player a ‘the freshman’, ‘the little fish in a big sea’ or ‘the kid’ may be trying to be funny, but the rest of the players take it as a green light to disrespect that player.

Coaches my be actually promoting a potential hazing victim by always singling out a player for criticism, or trying to motivate the team by saying, ‘Because Bobby didn’t run the lap a certain time, you’re all going to run another lap’. Those kinds of motivational techniques set a child up to be a victim.

On a team, you want everybody to feel as big as possible, not make some teammate feel smaller. Talk to your team about how they can make the weakest player stronger and make the most of each person’s contribution to the team.

Tell you older athletes that you expect them to include the younger players. Promote your team as a family that has to stick together, and expect the team to share experiences.

Coach Pam Dunlap, a girls Volleyball coach for Trumansburg High School, promotes respect between players of different ages. To prevent problems between varsity and junior varsity girls, she institutes a big sister-little sister program. A varsity player is matched up with a JV player and they send each other good luck notes before games, by each other candy, and the like. They look forward to it and get really creative about it. There is never a feeling of, ‘She’s just a JV player’.

When dealing with football, baseball and other male dominated sports, establish mentors between older and younger students. Have an older player act as a big brother to the younger player. Make sure to give the older players a strong message of what their responsibility are as a mentor. They are to set good examples for the younger players. It can establish a relationship that will last a lifetime and create a positive atmosphere for all involved.

Carefully divide task among the team. If one group sets up have the other group put the equipment away. Share responsibilities.