Jonathan Gault wrote:
"At one workout in March 2008, when Yoder Begley said she was mourning the recent death of her dog, Salazar told her she was bringing down the rest of the team. The next month, Yoder Begley said Salazar told her that her laugh was annoying him and other runners. Then, she said, he asked her to sign a contract stating that she would not befriend other athletes on the team. Other Oregon project athletes were not asked to sign the contract, as she was led to believe they would."
Matthew Futterman has more on Begley, who details being ridiculed for her weight during her time with the NOP.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/14/sports/olympics/alberto-salazar-nike.html
Give me a break, Jonathan.
It's really disrespectful to seek out a top coach, sensei, professor, businessman, monk, race car driver, basketball player, you name it... and expect them to change what made them successful to pacify your weakness.
Did Herb Elliot ask Percy Cerutty to change?
Did Peter Snell ask Arthur Lydiard to change?
Did other athletes seek out Emil Zatopek and ask him to change for them?
Did students come to Bruce Lee and ask him to change?
You don't seek out a master based on his success and then ask him to change.
You adapt to learn what the master knows, did you do it out of respect.
The master you ask for help has attained a level you dream of.
Only a spoiled child would go to him and ask him to coddle them.
If you're an athlete who knows themself and knows they are sensitive to certain things in people, then do your homework and do your research and find the coach that matches you.
Seems to me that Amy Yoder Begley should have spent a few months doing "wax on, wax off" before she was even allowed to be coached by him. If she can prove she was respectful of the coach, and that she was teachable, then maybe the coach would accept her and coach her.
That's perhaps the mistake that was made.