ABC27 WHTM Hazing in sports still very common

Hazing in sports still very common

Lebanon High School football coach Gerry Yonchiuk barked a few words of praise Thursday afternoon for a young quarterback. Players describe his coaching style as fun and informative, but perhaps his most important message is about the dangers of hazing and foul play.

"We talk about hazing. We talk about respecting each other and what that means having respect for each other as teammates," Yonchiuk said.

Hazing is illegal in 44 states including Pennsylvania, but is still a common part of the sports culture. Lebanon County detectives on Thursday held a meeting to discuss a recent hazing incident involving several Trinity High School football players at a football camp at Lebanon Valley College.

Statistics show 1.5 million high school students are hazed each year. That's why Yonchiuk tries to tackle the issue early. Each of his football player is required to sign a six-page code of ethics contract that outlines proper behavior on and off the field.

Running back Adrian Krall said his team had no problems inking their name to a contract that builds character.

"It teaches us not only be better football players and better students, but it teaches us to be a better man," Krall said.

Like most youngsters, Lebanon football players look up to their sports heroes, but the pros are possibly setting bad examples. Earlier this year, the Los Angeles Dodgers humiliated Major League Baseball players by wearing pink butterfly wings.

Now that NFL football is back, so will the ritual of hazing rookies during training camp. With examples widely shown on national TV, Yonchiuk admits that preventing hazing is an uphill battle.

"Watching those guys get wrapped up to the goal post, everybody has a great laugh," he said. "Well, high school players look at that and say we're going to do that when we go away, so if you don't address it, that's where it can catch you completely off guard."

Reporting hazing incidents are perhaps the most difficult for students. A study showed 92 percent of high school students did not report a hazing incident.