mathematics wrote:
That's because the media treats them as heroes for going after coaches. Runner's World doesn't make it's money by selling race recaps or discussing minutiae of high level training. It tells people that they are already great just the way they are, has inspirational stories from people just like them, and when it hints that working harder may bring more success it's in the form of an individual workout. The market for participation sports is to make any fee-paying entrant feel like they are part of the club, not to help them succeed. "If you run, then you are a RUNNER".
It's little wonder that the non-sporting public sees Wetmore as abusive. It's socially unacceptable to even tangentially mention a woman's weight, and this guy hires a dietician to help his athletes perform better. It's common sense to athletes and 'violence' to some.
This is spot on.
Another reason why we may be seeing more issues with collegiate women's athletics can conceivably be attributed to Title IX. Coaches need to keep their women's numbers up even though there aren't as many competitive (both physically/mentally) athletes to choose from. This results in the need for competitive programs to dip into the second standard deviation. Competitive men's programs don't have this problem.
No doubt that there's diamonds in the rough when you deviate from the mean but, for the most part, they won't pan out. That can create a frustrating environment for both coaches and athletes.
I'm guessing that the successful women's coaches of today have created an environment that celebrates competitive and interpersonal success across the whole team.
It's why I'm of the opinion that the older coaches, who believe that the less successful runners may negatively impact the competitive culture they've painstakingly built, have a hard time changing their spots. I am excited by the inroads made in the sport by female coaches - they seem more in tune with this concept.
I think my daughter may be harboring dreams of competing at the D1 level and, depending on her body composition, a CU or NC State type program would be self evident.