Ronin Nguyen (’25) was sitting on a stool in the school hallway surrounded by his teammates when he first heard the razor buzz. It was a cold winter evening and the excitement was finally beginning to hit. Nguyen was about to receive his first buzz-style haircut.

Hairdos serve as a fashion statement for all kinds of high school students, but cutting and buzzing specific styles has grown to become a tradition among our boys’ sports teams. Many teams, such as the crew, football and lacrosse teams, have participated. Last year’s crew team even got buzz cuts after losing a bet with their coach.

“I had to be at a certain point at a certain time, which I failed to do, so I had to shave my head,” Nguyen said. “The coach cut our hair, so it felt like there was more of a connection between us, and it was generally a fun thing to bond over with the teammates who I got to experience it with.”

Buzz cuts have been wildly popular in society for several decades. The style includes very short hair that is trimmed close to the scalp, and is known for its low maintenance, making the buzz a perfect style for athletes.

The mullet, which is a haircut that involves short hair on the front and sides of the head and long hair in the back, made its way back into style during the COVID-19 pandemic. Ever since the cut was originally made popular by various music stars such as David Bowie throughout the 1970s, it has had a lasting impact on teen culture. After the mullet was rediscovered on social media, it grew to be a staple among high schoolers, especially athletes.

Ever since these styles have become a trend at Madison, the boys sports teams have found various ways to incorporate them into their team culture. The football team even made it a tradition to give mullet-style cuts to freshman players that got called up throughout the season.

“I shaved an avatar arrow into my head for the football team,” Ari Rosenberg (’25) said. “Giving these haircuts helps bring the team together since it’s a fun thing for everyone to do because it helps introduce the younger players to our team and traditions and increase team bonding.”

Players also feel that although matching their haircuts can be useful in terms of enhancing their athletic performance, it also is an effective fashion statement. Because of this, many teams have even incorporated bleach into their team’s traditions.

“Each year before playoffs the majority of my lacrosse team gets a mullet and bleaches their hair,” Mark Rubley (’24) said. “It became a tradition when we won states in 2019, and we’ve continued it since then because it helps to unite us as a team.”

Whether it be through buzz cuts, mullets, or even dye, hairstyles have served as a way for athletes to express themselves while also enhancing overall team camaraderie.