Indoor? wrote:
I have taken it. I learned some things, I disagreed with others.
Are you a former prosecutor, a social worker, or some kind of expert in preventing child abuse?
Indoor? wrote:
Once again and truly for the final time this time. Don't be a creep. That's it.
Once again, it's not about your intentions. It's about preventing abuse, which is EXTREMELY common.
NERunner53 wrote:
Just don't be a bad actor to begin with & you have nothing to worry about.
Sorry, but as many of us or our colleagues have experienced, this is simply NOT TRUE. Your intentions, words, and actions can be *entirely* aboveboard--and you can still face accusations. By establishing, and adhering to, a policy of never having one-on-one dealings with an athlete in a private place, a coach can minimize (not completely eliminate) that possibility.
It's more than that. Our soccer club has a "no one on one" policy for every kid, boy or girl, and it is strictly enforced.
I grew up in the 90s in a very rural part of the country, playing lots of different rec sports. A coach giving an athlete a ride was a totally normal thing, and is per se if you think about it. There are many more low-hanging fruit for society to fixate and obsess over in order to improve our collective well-being than getting our panties in a bunch over a coach driving an athlete home. By stigmatizing it you’re actually going to create a problem of adverse selection, where the responsible adults will avoid giving a ride home and the rare adults who are creepers will offer a ride, making children even more likely to get a ride with a creeper.
Safe sport is about protecting athletes not saving coaches from litigation. There are actions that abusers take, such as getting their victims alone. By making not being alone with athletes the norm, you are doing your part in protecting others.
protect the athletes wrote:
Safe sport is about protecting athletes not saving coaches from litigation. There are actions that abusers take, such as getting their victims alone. By making not being alone with athletes the norm, you are doing your part in protecting others.
Very true.
We uphold the guidelines for our team set by safesport at our practices yet they are still fun and we have a strong and rich team culture. In addition to addressing sexual abuse, the course also educates coaches about psychological abuse, bullying, and hazing by other team members. Logically, it is because these things happen is the reason for the training.
It's not sad at all that we as coaches do not give rides to selective individuals on the team, nor do we send private messages to them either. You guys should really think about this, because you are not.
Athletes will occasionally text me. When I text them back their parents or my assistant coach is included in the conversation. It's easy, not complicated, and a life lesson to the kids (yes, the kids...indoor?) on the proper behavior of an adult.
How can anyone be against this or think that somehow the connection between a coach and an athletes is weakened when the coach is protecting them? If anything, our bond with the team is way stronger because they trust us. We are more careful than they are and the parents are very grateful for this.
Sorry (sarc.) to those who have no issue and actually thinks it's bad that things are different now. The statistics for abuse of young women are staggering even back in the good old days. It's no joke and it is shameful reading some of these posts. It only takes one incident to basically ruin a child's life.
Also, sorry (sarc.) we are trying to steer away from a blame the victim protocol. For those of you who have a friend that was accused, there is a very good chance they did something very wrong. The amount of pressure placed on an athlete not to come forward from a seasoned predator is immense.
For those refusing to act properly around minors or those you are in a power position over, it's time to retire. Your athletes deserve way better. Even someone that knows nothing about training but wants to protect children is a way better coach than you.
For those who are looking to coach for the right reasons and want to build above all else human beings, don't be afraid to take on the job. It's one of the most fulfilling things I have ever done. Your chances of being accused of something are next to nothing if you take the proper steps to ensure that your team is safe and the nature of your coaching remains athlete centered.
If the Girl/Women is over 18 it is fine, lots of coaches hook up with their athletes, I know some.
I don't know them personally but JJK was dating Tony Banks a 400 meter runner at UCLA and she left him for Bob Kersee, this happened when Bob Kersee was a Coach at UCLA and JJK was a Sophomore at UCLA, they have been married for over 30 years, so it Worked and the Kersee's I am sure they were both WOKE when they met and are happy it worked.