High School Hand Holding as Punishment... with a Dash of Internalized Homophobia

[ccharles000]

A high school football coach allegedly made two players hold hands and run together as punishment during a recent practice, and is coming under fire for the action.

Officials from the Aurora Public Schools say they are investigating the claims that Coach Grant Pippert told freshmen Rafael Merced and another student to hold hands and run together after a brief altercation. The two were taunted by their teammates, who called them derogatory names. Merced told KMGH-TV News that he felt the experience was humiliating.

Aurora Public Schools spokeswoman Paula Hans released a statement saying, "We are investigating these allegations to determine if they are true. We are speaking with players, parents, and staff who may have been involved."

The coach's behavior can lead to a warning, suspension, or firing, Hans said.

Merced's mother, Tasha Martinez, said the coach "apologized for making them hold hands and said he used it as a means of team-building."

http://advocate.com//News/Daily_News/2009/10/19/H_S__Coach_Uses_Hand_Holding_for_Punishment/

[RetroLounge]

1. Homophobia as teambuilding?

Coach needs to be fired.

RL

[sui generis]

2. I wish this had been the other way around

making a couple homophobic guys hold hands as punishment for being dicks to the gay dudes.

[PVnRT]

5. Or hold each others' dicks, for a more literal punishment

[sui generis]

8. okay I actually read the article now

I don't know that I disagree with the coach. To immediately call this "homophobic" is wrong. God dammit I hate it when we just shoot off the lip about homophobia without really discerning what's what - it weakens us.

The intent I believe was to force these two guys to deal with it, not to get their teammates to taunt them. I'm guessing that was an unintended consequence, and should in turn have been dealt with.

For the record, and without googling a definition, homophobia is not the problem. Acting on it is the problem. You should have the right to feel any way you want - you just don't have the right to act on it if it's unfair or uncivil.

[One_Life_To_Give]

9. +1

[BeeBee]

7. Handholding is not an uncommon practice for team building.

Background: I am gay. My husband and I are raising his 16 year old cousin. He is on the varsity football team.

It is not uncommon for the players to hold hands while walking on the field or along the sidelines. I asked my husband's cousin why they do it and he said it is for team building and solidarity. He said there is absolutely nothing gay about it.

In this case, however, it sort of sounds like the coach used it as a punishment but he could have been using it to build camaraderie and trust between two fighting players.

[Sinti]

3. He should have tied their ankles together instead n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

4. This is why I do not like sports or the sport mentality

[Hepburn]

6. Let's see....

...butt slapping is cool, but hand-holding is gay? :shrug:

GMAB...

I have to agree ~~ the sports mentality at times is very hard to take and difficult to understand and mostly just plain weird.

:hi:

[WillParkinson]

10. This one is much better...

[Meldread]

11. I'm confused.

Was the Coach making them hold hands to humiliate them or as an exercise in team building? If it was for team building, why did he stand on the sidelines and let their fellow teammates taunt them?

I don't have a problem with making them hold hands. On the other hand (no pun intended), he should have made those shouting derogatory names apologize and hold hands as well. Otherwise, it makes the whole point of what he did counter productive.

It warrants an investigation, but not for the hand holding in and of itself.