Girls Swim Team disqualified for Shaving

categorically wrote:

I agree that the issue is safety. When I was in high school the state banned the use of 15 passenger vans for team travel. This was just after the crash that wiped out the Wyoming U cross country team. It is a good rule that keeps kids out of rollover prone vehicles.

DQing for shaving is like DQing a team that shows up in a 15 passenger van. It has nothing to do with the athletic performance.

The appropriate response by the coach or whoever saw the offending action would have been to take the razor (so it can't be shared) and punish the athlete in a way other than DQ.

Planes have crashed before. Do they ban plane travel in your state too, because these are crash prone vehicles? How about cars or trains?

So much stupidity, not enough time.

trollism wrote:

Planes have crashed before. Do they ban plane travel in your state too, because these are crash prone vehicles? How about cars or trains?

So much stupidity, not enough time.

There is a difference between 15 passenger vans and the modes you list: 15 passenger vans are well known for their capacity to roll. Banning the vans is not like banning air travel. If there was one airline that constantly had planes falling out of the sky, banning use of that airline would be more analagous.

That's silly. We have rules for certain things in life. You can either follow the rules or find a way to change the rules, but you don't just get to disobey the rules because you want to. There are exceptions (Rosa Parks for example), but this rule breaking with the swimmer does not real that level.

trollism wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

I agree with the rule, the reason behind the rule and the end result. The girls on that team should have been aware of the rule (coach should make them aware), and if you break the rule, you are DQ'd. Seems fair. It IS fair.

I wonder if anyone has ever caught anything as a result of shaving prior to a swim meet?

Are high school swimmers more likely to catch something than say Olympic swimmers? It isn't a rule there.

Is it just a rule so that people like Flagpole can go on a power trip and disqualify people and look important?

Stupid rule, even more stupid penalty.

How is this soo ridiculus? The rule says there is no shaving on site. Sjave at home or at your own locker rooms, not at the meet. It's the same for the pro and the Olympics. There was nothing wrong with the rule or the DQ. She was stupid enough to violate it, then she deserves to be punished and the rest of the team for not stopping her.

Need to interview Matthew Centrowitz - Broadneck is his alma mater.

Flagpole wrote:

That's silly. We have rules for certain things in life. You can either follow the rules or find a way to change the rules, but you don't just get to disobey the rules because you want to. There are exceptions (Rosa Parks for example), but this rule breaking with the swimmer does not real that level.

Yeah. But this rule has no practical value besides giving Flagpoles of this world a chance to be powerful.

Stupid rule, stupid punishment.

yo, i don't complain about shaving. she can come see me anytime.

..."The reason why the NFHS institutes a no shaving on-site policy is to protect the swimmers themselves from possible blood transmission or, in general, doing full body shaves in high school locker rooms, which would maximize the possibility of unsafe practices like sharing razors."....

Stupid rule.

If they see blood on someone before the race they can handle it then.

There is no public pool that I know that prohibits someone from shaving right before going in. There is a lot more risk exposure in that situation.

If someone shares razors, that's their own risk.

Imagine if they were DQ'ed for kissing before the race.

Or running with scissors.

Bad enforcement of a dumb rule as well.

There is always judgement in enforcing a rule.

Example - the women's 10,000m WC where half the field cut in too soon.

They decided not to DQ them all even though a rule was broken.

Apparently no one here read the reader comments below the article. The coach of the punished girl responded by clarifying the facts of what happened as opposed to the media's version. The girl shaved, the coach noted it and pointed out it was against the rules. The girl said you never told us that rule. The coach "duh" slapped herself on the forehead and self-reported. The officials, due to the self-report, DQ'd the swimmer in question.

No opposing swimmers/coaches ratted on her. No officials were peeking into dressing rooms.

I have no idea about swimming but I can bet that 99% of the uniform violations are done by people that don't know the rules. How many people in HS read their federations rules? Heck how many even knew how to get those rules to read them.

trollism wrote:

Flagpole wrote:

That's silly. We have rules for certain things in life. You can either follow the rules or find a way to change the rules, but you don't just get to disobey the rules because you want to. There are exceptions (Rosa Parks for example), but this rule breaking with the swimmer does not real that level.

Yeah. But this rule has no practical value besides giving Flagpoles of this world a chance to be powerful.

Stupid rule, stupid punishment.

Do they prohibit banging too? One of those girls boyfriend probably layed some pipe the night before and there is a chance since he has had previous unprotected sexual encounters that he has the HIV.

Terrible Governance.

We use chlorine for a reason.

this story is HOT.

the rule is not about safety as much as it is about stupidity and over the top on regulation.

imagine a public swimming pool where you get kicked out because as a man you shaved your face or a woman you shaved your legs.

throw those regulatory imbeciles out.

Yes!

longjack wrote:

throw those regulatory imbeciles out.

So, we live in a culture of "situational" rules and ethics, right? Why have any rules or why distinguish between good and bad or right and wrong. Any situation can be justified to warrant not applying a rule or regulation.

Isn't that why big corporations can justify not paying any income tax? Why drug users are never at fault? Why cheating is ok and why underage drinking and raping are just things "young kids do".

Let's just disband all rules, since we know that some stupid "wannabe" was the one that made the rule to begin with.....yes, that is where we have come to in our culture of "acceptance".

I say, hats off to the coach for self reporting. The rule was there and the coach complied with the rule, despite the possible chance of having the athlete be disqualified. The coach took the high road. Championships come and go, but playing fair and complying with accepted rules of the game is something that shows character, not stupidity.

Don't like the rule, then get on a committee that works to change the rule. Don't just arbitrarily decide a rule is stupid and complain about it or don't comply. That is the immature way of dealing with things.

Oh blah blah blah.

So the rule was followed to the book and the girl was disqualified, we know this. We know it was 'the correct decision'.

It doesn't stop the rule having zero practical value, and the punishment being disproportionate does it?

cowboybob wrote:

Isn't that why big corporations can justify not paying any income tax? Why drug users are never at fault? Why cheating is ok and why underage drinking and raping are just things "young kids do".

Yes, a girl shaving her legs in the shower at a pool and not at home is very similar to tax evasion, illicit drug use, infidelity and, yes, rape.

Thanks for your insight.

I take back my earlier comments. Disqualifying an athletic PERFORMANCE post-hoc, for a SAFETY infraction OFF THE FIELD OF PLAY is totally appropriate.

Thanks, cowboy bob.

You snivelling moron.