High school coaches ‘on notice’ after Hamilton hazing incident

Ex-Hamilton High School coach Steve Belles talked with Brad Cesmat about hazing, the criminal investigation and his future in coaching. Sports360AZ

In July 2016, eight Paradise Valley football players were dismissed from the team after a hazing incident at its summer camp in El Cajon, Calif.

The incident prompted administrators in the Paradise Valley Unified School District to contemplate the no-hazing policy spelled out in the district’s parent-student handbook. Is that enough, they wondered? Or is there more we can do to not only discourage hazing but eliminate it?

The result of those conversations: a video featuring coaches and athletes that will be rolled out prior to the 2017-18 school year.

“The idea was, ‘What if we did a video and we give students in the video an opportunity to explain what hazing is and more importantly, explain what to do if you see if, if you think it is happening,’ ” said Drew Davis, director of student services for the district.  Read entire article here