Male Coaches: Never have one-on-one private interactions with female athletes

Indoor? wrote:

calling you out wrote:

Level 2 does not address these issues. If you want to be on the USATF coaches registry you have to take Safesport.

Texting is not your only issue. You said you give your female athletes rides home.

What is troubling is that you are actively displaying creepy behavior whether not it is innocent and do not recognize this.

No you are defining normal behavior as creepy behavior when it's nothing of the sort.

I can assure you most coaches in the US are texting their athletes and on occasion giving their athletes a ride if needed.

I am not defining the behavior. Your behavior is described very well in the Safesport training as typical of someone that is grooming their athletes. I'm not saying you are by the way, and don't think you are, just that how you are acting can be construed as such. Swim at your own risk I guess because you clearly are not willing to accept the obvious.

I have been around the sport all of my life and what you are saying as normal behavior is not at all typical amongst experienced reputable coaches.

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

While it has TONS of great practices and ideas, several things are very heavy handed or inefficient. Also doesn't reflect present day culture or technology.

Most schools/groups have perfectly fine safety policies. Certainly not all as we saw what happened over at Michigan State.

gregmacd wrote:

I didn’t know you’re coaching Mr. Pence

Are you implying OP is currently coaching Mr. Pence?

Try it with a comma.

I didn't know you're coaching, Mr. Pence

Honestly, you should not be implying that every coach who runs with his athletes on occasion or gives them rides home when they can't get home is a creep. If you wouldn't say that about a female coach, and they often hug their athletes, give them rides home, text informally to a group text, and listen to emotional problems, then you're identifying men as such as creeps for some of the most innocuous behavior. There are such coaches, one well-known youth coach in my state was recently accused of truly illegal behavior with athletes, and there are also false accusations, but don't paint all coaches with the same brush.

Nobody said 'littered' with crazies, but they do exist and that's a fact. I hate when people make the excuse of something not happening often so you shouldn't take precautions. I have never had a fire in my house, most people I know have not, but I still keep a fire extinguisher in my house to prevent my house burning down. And btw, you're not being sneaky trying use the misogyny label in an attempt to discredit the people you're arguing against - everybody understands what you're doing. Just like it isn't misandrous to advise women against walking alone at night because they could be sexually assaulted by a man, it's not misogynistic to advise coaches to preventatively act to defend themselves in the case of a false accusation. These things do happen whether you like to admit it or not, I'm not sure what the controversy here is?

Indoor? wrote:

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

The IOC requires it. To be on the registry for USATF and represent an athlete at Olympic Trials you have to take the course.

It's only a 2 1/2 hour course. You took level 2 which was far more time consuming. Instead of criticizing it, why not take it and learn something? It seems like you could benefit from the experience.

This thread reminds me of this song

https://youtu.be/d-S1o5OmMMo

calling you out wrote:

Indoor? wrote:

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

The IOC requires it. To be on the registry for USATF and represent an athlete at Olympic Trials you have to take the course.

It's only a 2 1/2 hour course. You took level 2 which was far more time consuming. Instead of criticizing it, why not take it and learn something? It seems like you could benefit from the experience.

I have taken it. I learned some things, I disagreed with others. As I mentioned it has a ton of good stuff.

It however is not required in any sense for any HS coach or person in their daily life.

Look clearly you guys aren't going to agree. I certainly agree with you to a point, guys need to be careful and put themselves in smart situations. But I do honestly believe you are being insulting to women if you treat them all like they are about to make a false accusation against someone.

I'm not at all worried about my actions or how they are perceived. Those of you who say you know no other coaches who text or occasionally run one on one, fine, good for you; that's not the reality where I'm from or anyone that I know. I will have parents call me to ask me if I can meet their kids to run. So again, I'm not worried at all. Personally I think the advice in this thread is bad and can scare people away, but you all do you.

Indoor? wrote:

calling you out wrote:

[quote]Indoor? wrote:

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

The IOC requires it. To be on the registry for USATF and represent an athlete at Olympic Trials you have to take the course.

It's only a 2 1/2 hour course. You took level 2 which was far more time consuming. Instead of criticizing it, why not take it and learn something? It seems like you could benefit from the experience.

I have taken it. [quote]

You are being dishonest now so I am done here with you.

calling you out wrote:

Indoor? wrote:

[quote]calling you out wrote:

[quote]Indoor? wrote:

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

The IOC requires it. To be on the registry for USATF and represent an athlete at Olympic Trials you have to take the course.

It's only a 2 1/2 hour course. You took level 2 which was far more time consuming. Instead of criticizing it, why not take it and learn something? It seems like you could benefit from the experience.

I have taken it.

You are being dishonest now so I am done here with you.

What? Does taking it somehow supposed to make you 100% drink the kool-aid? You've never read or been presented with information that you didn't completely agree with?

Humberto Gugliacci wrote:

Liberals are insane. Apparently I'm not allowed to give my female athletes friendly kisses on the lips with tongue anymore because it's not "politically correct"? Give me a break. Not one of them have complained (although most refuse to talk to me).

Okay, this one made me LOL too. Clearly I'm getting punchy. Good night, all.

Probably the right move. It just isn’t worth the risk.

And never, ever, suggest a female athlete should lose weight. Even if it would help her performance. A single misunderstood word could cost you your job and reputation.

I never took the safe sport course nor is it required to coach HS in my state. However the first thing I was told before I started teaching was to never be alone with a student.

I thought it was an insult, who would even think like that? Unfortunately I noticed the "creeps" and knew of a few who lost their licenses.

We live in a litigious society, we are vulnerable, dont open yourself up to accusations.

Brooklyndan wrote:

I worked with a coach that was accused by an athlete. Whether my colleague was guilty or not the athlete was able to describe his apartment because my colleagues invited the team to movies, etc...

I warned him this practice was inappropriate but he replied that in the suburban area he grew up in it was normal. The student that accused him was male, not that it matters.

I'm also aware of male coaches being accused by females and female coaches being accused by female athletes.

Why would anyone put himself in this situation? Just dont be alone and limit individual chats and texts and keep your hands off.

A tragedy that it has come to this. But this is the world we have built for ourselves. These are rational responses to an irrational world.

track chick wrote:

If my coach had not taken me to training every day and taken me to races as a teenager I would not have had some of the happiest memories of my time running.

It is very sad, but today I will never be alone in a car with an athlete.

It seems to me there is a lot more elite runners and talents these days coached by their parents, especially in countries like the UK where #MeToo and sex abuse hysteria has run rampant. Off the top of my head - the Ingebrigtsens, Jake Wightman, Elisha McGolgan, Max Burgin...

I wonder if it is connected?

Mikeh33 wrote:

track chick wrote:

If my coach had not taken me to training every day and taken me to races as a teenager I would not have had some of the happiest memories of my time running.

It is very sad, but today I will never be alone in a car with an athlete.

DItto. I can only think of 1 occasion in 12 years that I was the only option an athlete had for a lift due to no parental help or other athletes going to the same meet. I insisted that another member of the squad came along too "to support" and collected/dropped them off together.

Remember, it's not just athlete allegations that are the issue. You only need one person to make some comment that it looks dodgey to get people talking.

Personally my main concern was another coach who felt I'd muscled in on his patch. He had no problem making up stories about my training or making up fictitious club rules that he'd tell parents my athletes had to go to him once they'd achieved a certain standard. I wouldn't put it past him at all to make up some allegation. The irony is, he was only still in post after multiple allegations of abuse (bullying and verbal rather than creepy) because his wife was the club welfare officer, which was all the more reason to be careful!

Indoor? wrote:

You guys realize that safesport is like a made up thing right? It's not like mandated by anything or anyone?

While it has TONS of great practices and ideas, several things are very heavy handed or inefficient. Also doesn't reflect present day culture or technology.

Most schools/groups have perfectly fine safety policies. Certainly not all as we saw what happened over at Michigan State.

SafeSport is mandated for ALL coaches, staff, and volunteers working in programs sanctioned by USOC member federations. If you coach a USATF club team, then you must be SafeSport certified and take a yearly re-certification training. You can hold a Level 1 or Level 2 coaching certification but, no current SafeSport certificate and you are not permitted to work under the USATF umbrella.

As to your technology argument, it is not as simple as "Text is how everybody communicates!". Group texts to the team are not a problem but texts to individual athletes, especially minors, should also copy a parent or legal guardian. You are also required to keep records of such communications. Sadly, as another poster stated, personal texting and using social media apps like SnapChat are methods by which predators groom their victims. At my club, we have rigid rules for electronic communications and those are spelled out for coaches. athletes, and parents. Coaches work in tandem at workouts. No athlete gets rides or any unsupervised one-on-one time with coaches. Any "private" conversation takes place in the open (away from the group but, in full sight of other coaches/teammates). Complete transparency at all times.

coaching expert wrote:

Always have another adult female, preferably a coach or your spouse, present when interacting with female athletes.

This is trash & sexist in nature. Just don't be a creep. Don't sexually harass a woman. Don't commit violent acts towards women. It's not that hard. Moving away from these interactions does nothing to move the needle. Just don't be a bad actor to begin with & you have nothing to worry about.