The men’s and women’s swimming & diving programs at East Carolina University are currently under investigation for an alleged hazing incident involving newcomers to the team last week.
Local NBC affiliate WITN reports that all team activities are suspended while the school investigates the matter. The school’s sports information director confirmed to WITN that there was an investigation ongoing, saying that all team activities are “on hold” until the investigation has been completed.
The alleged incident occurred on Friday, August 25th and involved “freshman and transfer athletes,” according to the NBC affiliate’s report.
Hazing concerns have put a number of collegiate swimming & diving programs in hot water recently. Dartmouth put its women’s team on probation over the summer, cancelling three fall meets as well as the team’s winter break training trip, in response to allegations that the first-year team members were told to “create and present a sexualized PowerPoint presentation” for their teammates during the 2016 winter training trip.
Division II Drury head coach Brian Reynolds was forced to “step back” from his coaching duties after allegations of hazing by a former swimmer. And it was more than two years ago that Western Kentucky suspended its swimming & diving programs entirely for five years (and eliminated its coaching staff) in response to hazing allegations.
As a former swimmer for East Carolina I can assure all of you that these allegations are COMPLETELY blown out of proportion. Let’s get real people… Almost all Division 1 athletic programs have some sort of team tradition that is meant to be a team bonding experience! Although some teams take this too far, ECU IS NOT ONE OF THOSE PROGRAMS! For those of you saying the WKU transfers are the problem, you could not be more wrong. These are the swimmers that are trying to prevent hazing incidents from happening. Stop making assumptions and get your facts straight.
The variation on the theme of “but everyone does it/it’s a harmless team building activity” starts to be unconvincing when the list of suspended programs keeps getting bigger each year.
If your “team building activity” cannot be done in the presence of your coaches, involves activities contrary to team or university rules, or in some way demeans new team members, then it’s time to put an end to the tradition and come up with a new one.
Coaches need to take firm stand from day 1 each year making it clear to everyone on the team that such activities will not be tolerated precisely because they put the program at risk.
These team bonding experiences could have been done in the presence of our coaches. We decide to do them on our own because were young adults and have lives outside of the pool and our coaches. If anyone genuinely felt uncomfortable doing any of the team bonding activities (which is rare), they were very clearly told that they did not have to do it. The purpose is to make new friends, create new memories, and unify the team so they can go and win more conference championships. But now they cannot even practice or compete. Seems extremely counter productive…
You are right, activities that lead to suspensions are definitely counter productive.
A simple rule of thumb is that if you have to explain to a teammate that they don’t have to do the team bonding activity you are doing, it’s likely not a wise choice of activity.
What you don’t seem to understand is that in the eyes of the NCAA and athletic department administration, head coaches are ultimately held responsible for all activities of their athletes. That’s why they should be present, or at a minimum made aware in advance, of any team bonding activity activities the team will have. It’s really that simple.
I would suggest that the simple fact that the team is under… Read more »
Not a great look for a new head coach in his first season leading the team.
I am and always will be an ECU fan..but it frustrates me when stupid acts endanger the integrity of the programs and jeopardize students well being. Yes, I agree that hazing has a long tradition but some traditions need to END. Sports should build team spirit, character, and life long memories. Hazing violates what team sports instill in students. It is a privilege to go to college….any college. Represent your institution well.
Don’t judge unless you have any facts. Rumor has it no alcohol was involved and there was a very fabricated account of events.
With so many swim programs–and more broadly, non-revenue sports–seemingly on the chopping block these days, why would these “scholars” give athletic directors an easy and obvious reason to “solve” a problem?
I just watched some hazing on Hard Knocks the other night.
Where have all the swimmers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the swimmers gone, long time ago?
Where have all the swimmers gone?
Gone suspended everyone
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
These allegations are fake!! ECU swimmers wouldn’t do such a thing that would risk their program and team ethics.