(RNS) A Kansas school board has ordered a high school basketball coach to discontinue the practice of hypnosis on his team in preparing for their games, according to the Associated Press.
The coach of St. John High School brought in a Church of Christ minister to hold hypnosis sessions in hopes that they would help the team return to the state championship, which it had won two years ago.
Schools Superintendent James Kenworthy could not be reached for comment, but told the AP he supports the board’s decision. Such choices belong with parents, he said.
“It won’t be going on any more at school. If parents want their child to do that, they can contact the licensed therapist on their own,” Kenworthy said.
The Kansas State High School Activities Association has no stated position on the use of hypnosis in schools.
Some parents signed the permission slips for the hypnosis; others did not. School board member Merlin Spare declined to sign the slip for his son.
“I am a coach myself and I try to teach kids to be visionary and believe in what they are doing,” Spare told the AP. “I think a person who is solid on their feet doesn’t have to do this. I think it is something a person could rely and become hooked to.”
