Coach bans kid from playing for not cutting his hair

[Oy Tiggins]

"For starters, some of them have to get haircuts," head coach Brent Sutter observed Sunday after the players reported to camp at Pacific Coliseum. "I like ears. I want them to look classy and look as a team."
They're in Sutter's army now.
"If he wants me to get a haircut, if that's what it takes to play on this team, then that's what I'll do," declared long-locked forward Angelo Esposito, who is the youngest player in camp at 16.


Brent Sutter had the same rules for his World junior teams and there didn't seem to be a public outcry then, this just comes across as a bit of a which hunt by the mother to make sure her kid gets what he wants. It also sounds as if this Coach started a league apart from the community which if true, i have no problem with him setting an standard for his team.

[To Be Quite Honest]

The coach has terrible delivery and that's the issue. He just looks like an a-hole in this video. I'm sure he's not, as most people don't handle confrontation well, but his responses don't help cool the situation.

[nickerjones]

Listen sports at this level are more for life building lessons than they are for making kids professional athletes. Some of those life skills are team-work , respect, and learning to follow orders (much like listening to a boss at work) . If one of the orders is to get your hair cut, then you get your haircut. The coach says if you want to play you follow my rules, if you don't you have the choice not to play. I am not sure what the big deal is here? My coach had the same rule when I was playing high school and college ball. You also couldn't wear your team hat backwards or you got disciplined. Hell if my dad saw me with any ball cap turned around he would cut off the bill of the hat and give it back to me.

[jammies]

What if a coach said, "If you want to play on my team, you should grow your hair longer than your shoulders. Oh yah - and you must have a visible tattoo." Would that also be an acceptable policy?

This isn't the 1950's, people can do whatever they want with their hair and nobody else should have any say unless it's for safety or hygiene reasons. Coaches need to find a little more creative way to build team identity than "uh, I want you all to be clean-cut little astronauts."

[trumpethead]

Tim Lincecum has never been the same since he cut his hair. Dont do it kid!!

[M*A*S*H 4077]

This is such a non-issue for me. The coach has had this rule for 7 years (From the article) and has never had a problem, so everyone should have been aware of the rule prior to the season.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by M*A*S*H 4077

This is such a non-issue for me. The coach has had this rule for 7 years (From the article) and has never had a problem, so everyone should have been aware of the rule prior to the season.

The amount of time that discrimination has been a rule matters because?

[Coys1882]

Is this the only team in town? It's 2014 - who gives a sh1t if the kid wants long hair? This coach is a relic.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by Oy Tiggins

"For starters, some of them have to get haircuts," head coach Brent Sutter observed Sunday after the players reported to camp at Pacific Coliseum. "I like ears. I want them to look classy and look as a team."
They're in Sutter's army now.
"If he wants me to get a haircut, if that's what it takes to play on this team, then that's what I'll do," declared long-locked forward Angelo Esposito, who is the youngest player in camp at 16.


Brent Sutter had the same rules for his World junior teams and there didn't seem to be a public outcry then, this just comes across as a bit of a which hunt by the mother to make sure her kid gets what he wants. It also sounds as if this Coach started a league apart from the community which if true, i have no problem with him setting an standard for his team.

That's part of the reason he's out of the NHL.

Junior bush league tactics.

[Table 5]

Originally Posted by Oy Tiggins

"For starters, some of them have to get haircuts," head coach Brent Sutter observed Sunday after the players reported to camp at Pacific Coliseum. "I like ears. I want them to look classy and look as a team."

If somebody is going to be teaching kids how to dress and "be classy", it should at least be a guy like Peter12, not some farmer from Viking.

[Regulator75]

Now, Johnny Unitas - there’s a haircut you could set your watch to.

[Vulcan]

Brent Sutter even played the long hair bit while with the Flames. He told a player if he wanted a NHL contract to get his hair cut. WTF this is the 21st century. 50 years ago this crap was going on, it shouldn't be going on today.

[Red Potato Standing By]

Originally Posted by puckluck2

The amount of time that discrimination has been a rule matters because?

How is it discrimination?

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by nickerjones

Listen sports at this level are more for life building lessons than they are for making kids professional athletes. Some of those life skills are team-work , respect, and learning to follow orders (much like listening to a boss at work) . If one of the orders is to get your hair cut, then you get your haircut.

Learning how to follow orders, no matter how pointless or dated they may be, is the point of playing sports? I thought it was supposed to be about having fun.

This kid will learn a far better life lesson if he sticks to his guns here. Nobody ever gets anywhere following orders from bitter, inconsequential dickheads who have nothing better to do than enforce their own petty little "rules".

What do you mean by "respect"?

The article mentions "teaching young people how to respect themselves" and "keep your hair at a respectable length". Respectable to who? How is having long hair not "respecting yourself"?

[corporatejay]

People are treating this like it's no big deal. I presume growing your hair like that takes a lot of time, it's probably fundamental to his look and style and, at his age, his identity. This isn't pro-sports, or the world juniors. This is rural baseball in Alberta. This is not the equivalent of wearing a hat backwards, or a tie to a game, or dress pants. Cutting his hair short is a huge deal.

[Bigtime]

Heard this coach on The Homestretch tonight and he came off pretty badly, don't know why on earth he'd agree to the interview.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Heard this coach on The Homestretch tonight and he came off pretty badly, don't know why on earth he'd agree to the interview.

I feel really bad for him. He thinks he's doing the right thing and he's just coming across as completely out of touch.

http://www.cbc.ca/video/news/audiopl...pid=2454074971

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Heard this coach on The Homestretch tonight and he came off pretty badly, don't know why on earth he'd agree to the interview.

Ha ha. What a jackass. He brought up joining the Army, Johnny Damon and the New York Yankees, and respect Respect RESPECT.

The first two are just idiotic, and he couldn't explain that last one.

[corporatejay]

Originally Posted by RougeUnderoos

Ha ha. What a jackass. He brought up joining the Army, Johnny Damon and the New York Yankees, and respect Respect RESPECT.

The first two are just idiotic, and he couldn't explain that last one.

Yeah. But he didn't come across as malicious as I thought. I think he thinks he's doing the right thing for the kid. It's not just about him.

[RougeUnderoos]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Yeah. But he didn't come across as malicious as I thought. I think he thinks he's doing the right thing for the kid. It's not just about him.

He did say "my team" and "my parents" and "my rules" and "my ballteam" and "my preference" and "respecting the coach" and "I am in a position of leadership" yadda yadda yadda.

He may think he's doing the right thing, but he's not. And it really does seem like it's about him and somehow saving face or exerting his "authority" as coach of a kid's baseball team