Introduction: Cultures of Sport Hazing and Anti-Hazing Initiatives for the 21st Century: Stepping Across the Millennium

In 2004, Dr jay johnson and Dr Margery Holman co-edited a book titled Making the Team: Inside the World of Sport Initiations and Hazing. At the time, this collection of chapters, the first book to describe hazing in the context of sport, showcased some of the emerging and leading hazing researchers in North America discussing multiple areas of contemporary hazing practices, both in and out of sport. The list of authors included Dr Hank Nuwer, widely regarded as a trailblazer in hazing research, who graciously authored the Preface for our current book Cultures of Sport Hazing and Anti-Hazing Initiatives for the 21st Century: Stepping Across the Millennium. He has repeatedly highlighted many of the questionable practices that athletes, team leaders and administrators have allowed, contributing to their perpetuation to the detriment of athletes, teams, coaches, administrators, institutions and the culture of sport. From the seminal research at the time, we learned that in sport, hazing rituals and practices have been commonly justified by teams and proponents as upholding traditions, proving one's commitment, and as a way of strengthening the bonds between members. Further, this scholarship revealed that many hazing practices are configured to introduce new members to both the power-based, hierarchical structure of the team and to reinforce the model of masculine hegemony reproduced by these ceremonies. In spite of unsubstantiated beliefs and myths about the virtues of hazing, research findings overwhelmingly indicate that with hazing, the risk for harm and the actual damage inflicted far outweighs any perceived benefits.