Athletic Abuse
Commentary by: Nicholas Romain
It was a cold, rainy early winter afternoon about five years ago , but I still remember it like it was yesterday. The coach on the field next to ours kept vehemently telling one of his players that she “sucked”, that she “had no business being on the soccer field,” and to add further damage to the situation-not to mention the girls self-esteem- the coach made her sit by herself at the end of the bench in the cold rain. This wasn’t a professional game, and the player wasn’t a tough high school athlete, she was, however, only nine years old. I don’t believe the girl has played any sport since. I’m not even sure if she had said something derogatory to the coach, and it doesn’t matter…coaches (at all levels) need to have RESPECT for individual players as people first, players second, and team members third…that winning at all cost is meaningless if it crosses the barrier of self-worth and/or abuse for players or coaches. (The coach was a female)
The Women’s Sports Foundation, which has extensive studies on what constitutes athletic abuse, does a good job in keeping the public aware of policies and cases that make headlines. You hear about it all the time, that a coach went berserk and hit a player, or that a parent got into it with a coach. However, what we sometimes fail to hear about is the everyday abuse that young athletes take from coaches that fly under the media and legal radar, but yet results in permanent damage being done to the young athlete’s mindset. (see related article on the Womens' Sports Foundation website)
These coaches, perhaps most being new to the coaching ranks, or so very young themselves that they haven’t learned the fine art of people skills, are more often than not attempting to coach in the same matter as they were coached. Unfortunately, what usually happens is that these personally un-people-skilled coaches are only coaching because they know the sport, not because they are particularly gifted with teaching the sport. (I recently heard about a young High School Star Athlete that was so humiliated by words from her new coach that the girl not only quit the sport that she loves…and was also considered to be the best in her grade level…but she also now risk losing a potential great scholarship in that sport.)
Most of us have heard the stories about the great athlete rising up from the junior ranks only to fall off the sports-radar after entering high-school…but, is it the coaching profession that is at fault, the parents, the school, the system or is it just a lack of RESPECT for young athletes in general. The example given above happened just this year in one of our local schools, and unfortunately, it happens everywhere…perhaps, athletes (male and female) don’t understand their rights as players, or don’t want to rock the boat…but, athletes, both professional and youth alike, have rights against athletic abuse, no matter how insignificant it may seem. Listed below is a link to a great article on athletic abuse.
As always, Diva La Sports will seek to find information that addresses issues for female athletes, and sometimes athletes in general. As a former girls basketball and soccer coach, and with many years of sports media experience, I can honestly say that about 99% of the coaches I have ever met, have 100% of the players interest at heart, but it’s that 1% that continues to upset the profession. Perhaps, with more emphasis being placed on mutual-respect between player and coaches, sports will get better, young athletes will continue to play…or perhaps, it will take a tighter and more provocative look at who’s coaching our kids in the first place…then again, perhaps better communication and respect is needed in all sports, at all levels, at all times…otherwise, we will continue to see good young athletes just disappear off the sports radar screen, sometimes so adversely damaged that their self-worth and human spirit never recovers…at least not in time to catch-up to what should have been a be autiful experience!
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