It was never about the beauty, nor were coaches making fashion statements. It was all about the discipline...and that molds a team and wins games.

 

:thumb: Right on, also.

I always like to play a day after shaving. A hair cut is a different story...

I agree with your coach. I know this it sounds "extreme" but some of these post/ideas to me as far you have to slack or adjust to these times is what is wrong with a lot (not all) of kids today and society in general. Just seems to be a trend of more and more lack of respect for anything or anyone. JMO (and I realize that I am Old School but I prefer it that way).

:thumb: Well said OldRambler.

Do you think that it can detract from the persona of the team? He have a kid on our basketball team with a small mohawk.

I think in some cases it can. In most cases though I believe a kid just copies some of the things he see a college or pro athlete do and it really is no indication of his personality. It may just be their way of expressing themselves and we all know as a teen that can be a tough thing to accomplish. Kids today have a lot of pressure and temptation placed before them and a lot of it comes from their peers. I have found that most are good kids and just want some attention.

IMO I think it would also be better without the tattoos also. Clean shavin and neatly dressed just seems more respectful.

IMO... I always thought that the lessons that was being placed on the young athletes were lessons that were supposed to carry over into life. We are supposed to instill teamwork, discipline, hard work, competition, striving to accomplish goals, etc... It only seems in step with the principles of team and wearing uniforms and representing the school that clean shaven would be not only expected, but required. I can't see these young men 5 to 10 years down the road applying for a professional job and coming in to the meeting with straggly hair and unshaven. Or, having a job and giving a presentation to the Director or the Board members or clients unshaven.

IMO... I always thought that the lessons that was being placed on the young athletes were lessons that were supposed to carry over into life. We are supposed to instill teamwork, discipline, hard work, competition, striving to accomplish goals, etc... It only seems in step with the principles of team and wearing uniforms and representing the school that clean shaven would be not only expected, but required. I can't see these young men 5 to 10 years down the road applying for a professional job and coming in to the meeting with straggly hair and unshaven. Or, having a job and giving a presentation to the Director or the Board members or clients unshaven.

Maybe you can't see it, but it's happening in corporate America as we speak.

 

Not everywhere, but it's a growing trend.

IMO... I always thought that the lessons that was being placed on the young athletes were lessons that were supposed to carry over into life. We are supposed to instill teamwork, discipline, hard work, competition, striving to accomplish goals, etc... It only seems in step with the principles of team and wearing uniforms and representing the school that clean shaven would be not only expected, but required. I can't see these young men 5 to 10 years down the road applying for a professional job and coming in to the meeting with straggly hair and unshaven. Or, having a job and giving a presentation to the Director or the Board members or clients unshaven.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: Great post Sting, you are 100% correct. Lets say 2 peope go into a business and interview for the same job. Both have the same qualifications. Who are you going to hire? The one that has a mohawk, tatto's, piercings and te like or the one that looks respectable, clean shaven, dressed well and looks and conducts themselves in a professional/adult manner? I know which one I am going to take to represent my business.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: Great post Sting, you are 100% correct. Lets say 2 peope go into a business and interview for the same job. Both have the same qualifications. Who are you going to hire? The one that has a mohawk, tatto's, piercings and te like or the one that looks respectable, clean shaven, dressed well and looks and conducts themselves in a professional/adult manner? I know which one I am going to take to represent my business.

Most kids that get mohawks cut them down when they get out of college. Most people that get tattoos get them somewhere that's covered when they wear a suit and tie (Mike Tyson is an idiot, and it shows.) If piercings are a problem getting a job, it'd have to be facial piercings, and those are the holes that close up the quickest; regardless, I know several people who have successfully interviewed for serious jobs with two of the three (I don't know anyone who's ever interviewed with a mohawk, but my roommate sports one to his cubicle job every once in a while.) And nineteen times out of twenty, these are correctable or coverable youthful expressions and don't go on to ruin someone's life.

 

In the interest of full disclosure, I have no piercings, tattoos or mohawks. I used to have a very full head of curly hair and a set of choppers, but those are gone. Now, I have a discreet set that are the same 1/8 height as my hair, and a small chin beard. The biggest reason is that I was required to look professional for work, but that's just my dad. The trend is away from that, and as my generation gets older and more prominently placed in the business world, these attitudes will continue to recede.

 

It used to be that if you interviewed with a beard or hair longer than what my Mother calls a Kennedy cut, you'd have the same problems. That's because the standard of the generation before was influenced by heavy percentages of military service. But even the standards that military service produces aren't 1950's crew cut- most of the young soldiers and sailors I know have tattoos and are pretty proud of them.

The Pendleton Wildcats have to have their hair cut and they wear their warm-ups to away games with the same shoes, and at home game they have to wear nice kacky pants and a nice shirt and tie. I think that makes the team look very nice and it shows respect for the school. They also have to be shaved and no facial hair.

I do agree with almost everything said as far as instilling discipline. I imposed the short hair directive (along with my dad) on myself. I played ball in the late80's when the mullet and earrings were the fad. But today, many will not play based on prinicples they have imposed on themsleves that they will not cut their hair - these are intelligent student-athletes. I do understand the value of conforming to "old-school" societial norms, but we no longer judge people by the way they look or how they dress. I can't stand the sagging but I won't throw that student out because of it. I will draw him in and help him change his beliefs and values toward this. I can't do it if he doesn't play though. I know it sounds like I am hedging but this is my approach. It works for me.

I had a mullet in high school and my coach hated it but never made me cut it. It was the 80's...what can I say.

 

I would've been happy just to have enough hair to have a mullet.:banana:

I know at Corbin both football and basketball teams have to be clean shaven/short hair. The football coaches allow mustaches but nothing else, not sure why that is. I guess cause Coach Jewell has a mustache himself.

I agree pretty much with everyone else on here, but I've seen it before some players wear head bands for those that had lomg hair, most of whom I seen were pretty much clean shaven, but I guess nowadays coaches let their players wear their hair anyway they want to anymore, Tattoes are more common nowadays.

:thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: Great post Sting, you are 100% correct. Lets say 2 peope go into a business and interview for the same job. Both have the same qualifications. Who are you going to hire? The one that has a mohawk, tatto's, piercings and te like or the one that looks respectable, clean shaven, dressed well and looks and conducts themselves in a professional/adult manner? I know which one I am going to take to represent my business.

Very good point Oldrambler. My job required doing interviews and hiring new employees and I faced this issue on many occassions. The people that were above me on the ladder made sure I knew that appearance did matter. It was also a part of the interview process to explain the company policy on dress code with emphasis on facial hair & piercings and hair length. To the executives in our company appearance does make a difference.