As the winter season comes around, many male students find themselves warming up with facial hair instead of coats as they participate in the popular ‘No-Shave November’ trend.
Along with other students, many athletes manage to incorporate the tradition of ‘No-Shave November’ into their own sport’s season.
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According to Derek Clark, sophomore and member of the men’s ice hockey team, he and his teammates grow their hair and mustaches out throughout their season.
“Every year that we play, we tend to grow the flow out to a crisp length. Once playoffs roll around we chop off the front and leave the cheddar in the back nice and long. AKA the mullet,” Clark said.
Clark also said that once playoffs roll around, they will continue to not shave until they lose a game.
“We believe that it brings good luck. If it didn’t we wouldn’t do it,” Clark said.
In addition to growing out their facial hair to bring good luck during playoffs, Clark said that the hockey team also grows out their mustaches for the entire month of November for a charity known as the Movember Foundation.
According to the official website of the Movember Foundation, its mission is to challenge men to grow mustaches during November to “spark conversation” and raise funds for their men’s health program.
To date, the foundation reports that four million mustaches have been grown worldwide, and that the “Movember” community has raised $559 million to be put toward improving the lives of men who are affected by prostate cancer, testicular cancer and those who suffer from mental health problems.
Despite the fact that some athletes are not in season during the time of ‘No Shave November,’ they still manage to implement their own tradition of hairstyles into their regular and playoff games.
Senior and member of the men’s soccer team, Mike Jacques, said that he and his teammates have been giving themselves mohawks during their season and for playoff games since freshman year.
“The mohawk started freshman year during preseason because it was very hot that first week and it just kind of stuck after that. Now, we have a few mohawks on the team during the season as well as during playoffs,” Jacques said.
He continued, “There were a couple of games where players had braids.”
Jacques said that he participates in these hairstyles because it has become a tradition for him to do the mohawk.
He also added that he believes it brings him good luck.
Matt Boulay, a senior on the KSC men’s baseball team, said the baseball team also incorporates the mohawk into their season.
“For playoffs we would also do the mohawk and some sort of wild facial hair. My sophomore year the entire team had mohawks for the Little East Tournament. The year after that we all grew facial hair — some a little more wild than others,” Boulay stated.
From a student’s perspective of seeing athletes with flow, mustaches and other hairstyles, former cheerleader Hayley Grove weighed in on these hair traditions.
“For the most part, I think that it is a personal choice for the athlete. If they want to grow their hair out, why not?” Grove stated.
“I work in the gym so I always see athletes coming in and out of the building. I have seen cornrows and other interesting hairstyles this season,” Grove said.
Grove continued, “I know that the hockey team participates in ‘No Shave November’ and collects donations to benefit the Movember Foundation. I think that it is a really great way for them to raise awareness for Prostate Cancer. Plus, the ladies dig the beard.”
Brogan Wessell can be contacted at bwessell@keene-equinox.com
