sports.yahoo.com/.../maryland-swim-team-retroactively-loses-county-title-because-153508295.html
A Maryland girls swimming team has had its county championship title retroactively stripped for one of the more bizarre retroactive punishments to come down in recent years: It was deemed that improper shaving had occurred.
That's right, improper shaving. Not shaving points mind you, but shaving of body hair. And, as it turns out, if the unnamed player implicated had only shaved a couple hours earlier, she and her teammates would still have their county title.
As reported by a number of Maryland news outlets, the Baltimore Sun and Annapolis Capital among them, the Broadneck (Md.) High girls swimming squad lost its Anne Arundel County title after it was determined that one of the team's swimmers shaved on-site just before the start of the event. National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) rules for swimming, diving and water polo stipulate that athletes can not shave before, during or after a meet once a team is on-site.
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. Still, the rule can seem quite a bit over the top when one considers generally acceptable practices for other sports; after all, no one is telling football or basketball players that they can't shave after a game or practice.
Because of the violation, Broadneck lost all points won by the swimmer implicated, dropping the Bruins from first to third place in the final standings. Severna Park (Md.) High was later declared the county champion after Broadneck's lost points were redistributed.
Meanwhile, the Annapolis Capital reported that Broadneck swimming coach Colleen Winans was suspended for the Class 4A-3A Regional Championships which were held on Saturday because of her swimmer's violation. A release from the Anne Arundel School District cited the failure of Winans' squad to abide by "the rules of the game and promote ethical relationships among coaches and players," as the reason for the discipline taken against Winans, which included the one-meet ban.
...and the article keeps going and going...
Most if not all meets specify that shaving on site is not allowed. I remember a kid from high school that shaved before the 50 free at Brown and nicked an area behind both heels. He was bleeding all over the deck. :eeew:
If the rules say don't do it on site, then don't.
Former Member
What's the problem with shaving immediately before a meet at the pool when it's perfectly legal to wear a mechanical speed enhancing device -IE- jammers or a tech suit??? :confused:
Former Member
What's the problem with shaving immediately before a meet at the pool when it's perfectly legal to wear a mechanical speed enhancing device -IE- jammers or a tech suit??? :confused:
I think, like some previous posts touched on it is a health/safety issue. Sharing razors could conceivably spread body fluid based diseases. Plus the danger of bleeding and getting blood on other people.
Sophomore year of high school, I shaved except for a racing stripe down the front of my legs. I thought it would be cool, but once I was out in the sun it looked really stupid. I cut a nice strip out of my shin trying to shave it off in the locker room. Blood was dripping down my ankle onto the blocks when I swam the first race.
I wonder who ratted her out?
I bet Fort can attest to this as well but my daughters notice every single thing the other teams' girls do and wear in the locker room on meet day. I bet word got back to a coach who took it to the head meet ref, or however they run meets up in MD at the HS level.
Yes, you should follow the rules, but this punishment doesn't seem to fit the crime, especially suspending the coach from the next meet.
I agree, seems a bit harsh for 1 girl's mistake.
Who hasn't shaved in the shower?
Screwed by an obscure rule. I totally get the reason for having it.
The coach needed to clearly communicate the rules to the team.
The meet organizing group needed to clearly communicate it in it's meet info.
Right up there with the Texas HS Championships machine errorrelay false start controversy.
www.blogger.com/comment.gwww.swimmingworldmagazine.com/.../26979.asp
The meet organizing group needed to clearly communicate it in it's meet info.
Meet management has no obligation to post every obscure rule in the meet info. Otherwise meet forms would be 200 pages.
Another reason to use the hair remoaval cream.
Anyone ever try it? Does it work?
Former Member
Our high school championship meet has the same no shave rule, and I recall seeing it in their meet sheet before.
www.cifccs.org/.../swim w diving instructions.pdf
SPORTSMANSHIP:
Each Principal is required by the CCS Board of Managers to meet with any team/individual from his/her school
participating in the CCS Tournament to review CCS Sportsmanship Information.
See APPENDIX for REQUIRED PRE-GAME SPORTSMANSHIP MEETING INFORMATION SHEE
SHAVE-DOWN: Shaving of any form will NOT be allowed at the Meet venue. This will be considered as
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT under Rule 3., Section 5., Article 7. of the National Federation Swimming &
Diving Rules. Any participant in violation of this rule will be disqualified from further competition.
DECK-CHANGING: Deck-changing will NOT be allowed at the Meet venue. This will be considered as
UNSPORTSMANLIKE CONDUCT under Rule 3., Section 5., Article 1. of the National Federation Swimming &
Diving Rules. Any participant in violation of this rule will be disqualified from further competition.
Any player or coach who is ejected from a CCS Tournament contest for FLAGRANT MISCONDUCT or
UNSPORTSMANLIKE BEHAVIOR will be disqualified from all remaining contests in that sport that season.
