Brandi Chastain On How Hazing Is Hurtful
Brandi Chastain (@brandichastain), a PCA National Advisory Board Member, is famed for her iconic penalty kick conversion that clinched the 1999 Women's World Cup Soccer title for the U.S. Chastain’s international career spanned two decades and is highlighted by a 1996 Olympic gold medal and 1999 and 2003 World Cup titles. She now serves as a color commentator for both NBC and ABC, is a volunteer assistant coach at Santa Clara University and the developer of ReachUp!, a foundation formed to empower girls through sports and mentorship.
Chastain explains here how hazing hurts both teams and individuals. When players think that hazing will bring teammates together, they are doing a disservice to themselves and to the team dynamic. Hazing incidents make new players feel less a part of the group.
Team initiation, on the other hand, can be an important rite of passage for new team members. Chastain experienced hazing and says that it is crucial to prevent initiation from turning into hazing, which has negative effects on the team. Initiation should be conducted with respect and awareness of individuals' varying comfort levels.