Blonde Boy SZN
The team celebrates their District Championship win over Lake Orion on Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 sporting their traditional playoff bleached hair. “It’s something we do here every time we have playoffs and usually the whole team gets their hair bleached,” senior quarterback Blake Rastigue said.The bleached hair dates back to 1999, according to head coach Chris Smith. Courtesy photo/ikefootball.net
With playoff season underway, varsity football players bleached their hair as a sign of unity for the team.
“It’s a team tradition and I like the way my hair looks after I do it,” junior running back/defensive linemen Mario Getaw said.
Bleaching hair isn’t only a tradition at the school, but also a tradition at other schools and in sports organizations around the nation.
“It’s been going, probably since, I think, 1999 or 2000,” head coach Chris Smith said. “They want to do it as a team, they want to feel like they’re part of a family.”
Despite the long standing tradition, some players decided not to bleach their hair because of their parents’ disapproval or their own preference.
“I decided not to bleach my hair because I don’t feel like making my hair a different color and also my father said I was not able to,” junior defensive linemen Corey Guerrero said. “He has little concern there because he doesn’t want me destroying the hair that I have.”
Whatever their hair color may be, the varsity football team will shove helmets on again this Friday, Nov. 15 play Davison in round three of playoffs.
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