Harvard University’s former women’s hockey coach, 57-year-old Katey Stone, has retired after 29 years heading the Ivy League women’s hockey team. Katey has led the school team to four national championships and seen them win many awards, and as such, she prides herself on being an incredible trainer (hurray? No, hold on a bit).
However, the woman is being accused of some heinous acts she put the players through in the name of training. According to reports, Katey, despite being a woman and a mother, was ruthless toward the young women she had to train. Katey allegedly subjected the players to cruel training such as naked ice skating, which saw the players mostly bruised after the session. While many of the former players claim they reported the incident to authorities, they failed to call her to order. The authorities of the university after Katey’s retirement have confirmed that they are abolishing the practice and also launching an investigation into Katey to ascertain the genuineness of the allegations.
Details via the Daily Mail;
Harvard University has vowed to overhaul the culture of its women’s hockey team after a long-time coach retired amid accusations of abusive behavior that one player compared to a ‘mental health Hunger Games’ in early June.
Katey Stone, 57, stepped down as head coach June 7 after a 29-year tenure that included four national championship appearances, but was eventually dogged by accusations she’d emotionally damaged players.
Multiple outlets have reported on a toxic on and off-ice culture for the program, including allegations that players felt forced to drink and perform ‘sexually-charged role playing’ as part of hazing rituals, according to the Boston Globe.
At practice, players were allegedly forced to do a ‘Naked Skate’ where players were told to dive on the ice in a Superman-pose while completely nude, often leaving skaters with ice burns and bloody nipples, The Athletic reported.
Athletic Director Erin McDermott announced Wednesday in a statement that the school plans to revamp the culture after Stone’s retirement.
In a 2020 interview that was published on one of Harvard’s official YouTube channels, Stone paid tribute to promoting a highly competitive atmosphere among her players. ‘Coaching gives me the opportunity to stay competitive… [The players] have no idea what they’re really capable of and if we continue to challenge them on a daily basis, they accomplish so much more.
‘We now have an opportunity to end team traditions that are harmful to team culture and inconsistent with our community norms,’ she said.
McDermott did not address any specific allegations, though the school launched an independent inquiry by law firm Jenner & Block earlier this year after reports surfaced.
No findings of the report have been published yet, despite the New York firm saying it planned to finish by the end of April, according to the Harvard Crimson.
However, in her statement, McDermott said they found ‘procedures and communications with student-athletes have led to confusion and frustration among members of our community, and there are areas where we must improve.’
The full report may never be publicized, according to a school spokesperson.
‘Individuals who participated in the review were promised anonymity throughout the process,’ Harvard said in a statement.
‘Releasing detailed information or documents that were received and reviewed during this work could jeopardize the privacy of those who participated.’
New initiatives McDermott promised include annual reminders of how to report improper conduct, instructions on access to mental health services and a new leadership program.
Players anonymously told reporters of having to put condoms on bananas, simulate orgasms and perform skits mocking their sexual orientation.
One former player said she reported the behavior to the administration but never heard back.
Stone – who coached the silver medal-winning USA women’s hockey team at the 2014 Sochi Olympics – was never directly implicated but former players said she was aware of what was going on and didn’t stop it.
In addition, the program’s retention rate is one of the worst at Harvard. Only 20 percent of the freshman class stayed at the school last season, well below the rest of the athletic department’s rate of 75 percent.
McDermott claimed that the current team ‘has not fostered a culture of hazing’ but the school can do better.
‘However, it is clear that some traditions in recent years were experienced differently by different people and not all were comfortable with those activities or with expressing concerns relating to the program.’
Stone, who is the fourth-winningest coach in NCAA women’s hockey history, has never addressed the allegations. The school is still searching for a replacement.
We are in 2023, but somehow a respected institution like Harvard paid no heed to such allegations for decades, and the students continued to engage in the sports without standing up for themselves? I am convinced the confidence women claim they possess only happens when they are posing naked in pictures.