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

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

This is a damned if you do, damned if you don’t scenario.

Either you put yourself at risk of a false accusation, or you reveal yourself as an unwoke person who thinks it’s possible for a woman to make a false accusation.

Best option: don’t make it a formal stated policy, but never allow yourself to be in a 1-1 position.

A coach/teacher whether male or female should never be alone with any student- male, female, etc...

coaching expert wrote:

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

This is good practice in the workplace too. Any male that has any authority over the work of a female employee should try and avoid any such instances where you are alone with female employee who is a subordinate (even an indirect subordinate), especially after hours work, or work related travel, and any lunches/dinners, etc.

WAHT YOU CANT CONTEOL YOURSELF? YUO THINK WOMEN ARE LIA RS?????

Poor male coaches, such victims ?

coaching expert wrote:

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

Ooooorrrr have a strong relationship with your athletes and don't come off as a creeper and you should be fine.

Just leave the door open at all times when you meet with athletes.

WinnytheBish wrote:

coaching expert wrote:

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

Ooooorrrr have a strong relationship with your athletes and don't come off as a creeper and you should be fine.

Just leave the door open at all times when you meet with athletes.

Right, because false accusations by crazy women never happen. OP, i'll do you one better, always keep a camera going in your office (it's very useful for situations other than this as well).

Or just don't be a creep who makes female athletes uncomfortable?

At work if a female appoaches , I put my head down, turn and walk away.

wawaweewa wrote:

WinnytheBish wrote:

Ooooorrrr have a strong relationship with your athletes and don't come off as a creeper and you should be fine.

Just leave the door open at all times when you meet with athletes.

Right, because false accusations by crazy women never happen. OP, i'll do you one better, always keep a camera going in your office (it's very useful for situations other than this as well).

Lol yeah....that will go over great that you're filming private conversations with your athletes. Where are all of these "crazy women" that you're imagining? One or two a year? Schedule a meeting time, leave the door wide open, document the questions you asked in that meeting on an excel sheet to refer to. Most athletic departments will support a coach who has a well-documented resource to refer to. If there is an argument or something in the meeting , write what that argument is about.

It's not rocket science guys.

Creep? wrote:

Or just don't be a creep who makes female athletes uncomfortable?

It's not that simple. Different perceptions and misunderstandings are common, especially in that dynamic, and especially in current times. A misunderstanding is not worth your job and/or career, and it's good practice to limit exposure.

Carnegie wrote:

Creep? wrote:

Or just don't be a creep who makes female athletes uncomfortable?

It's not that simple. Different perceptions and misunderstandings are common, especially in that dynamic, and especially in current times. A misunderstanding is not worth your job and/or career, and it's good practice to limit exposure.

Here's the thing...it IS that simple. The amount of "crazy" women that you guys are talking about is few and far between. I don't know how you could possibly have an misunderstandings that would cost your job unless you're commenting on her body or something extremely personal. It's not that hard guys. Also +1 to the guy who called out the toxic bloodline that looms around all of us coaches, making it rough for the rest of us.

If you are concerned and want to azz-cover, record the convo.

I know an adult male coach that loves to take boys camping, have sleepovers and is excessively touchy. Everyone seems to think this is normal, but it's only a matter of time before someone comes forward with I can 100% guarantee is going on. Don't limit it to just female athletes.

This is all mostly ridiculous. It's also hard to have a hard and fast rule as a coach or depending on where coaches work.

I coach at a rural HS, we are a community. My parents are family friends with the parents of our athletes. It's pretty easy to 1. Not be a creep, 2. Be sensitive to situations that could come off bad and not put yourself in them.

That said there are times I will run with 1 girl, when she's faster than all the rest and needs someone to run with, guess what that will happen. I've given girls a ride home because their parents asked me.

Now do I give the crazy girls I don't trust a ride home, nope.

WinnytheBish wrote:

Carnegie wrote:

It's not that simple. Different perceptions and misunderstandings are common, especially in that dynamic, and especially in current times. A misunderstanding is not worth your job and/or career, and it's good practice to limit exposure.

Here's the thing...it IS that simple. The amount of "crazy" women that you guys are talking about is few and far between. I don't know how you could possibly have an misunderstandings that would cost your job unless you're commenting on her body or something extremely personal. It's not that hard guys. Also +1 to the guy who called out the toxic bloodline that looms around all of us coaches, making it rough for the rest of us.

I disagree. It's not that simple, as evidence by the thousands of EEOC complaints filed every year, and the tens of thousands of more complaints or accusations made at places of employment. In my workplace, I've seen at least a dozen complaints over the years that had major impact on the person accused and the business, and as far as we could tell, neither person involved was crazy or creepy. In most instances, it was easy to understand each person's account. There are more creepy men out there than there are crazy women in the world, but not enough to account for the number of times these accusations get made.

I've seen enough to know it is simply not as simple as you say. And its not that difficult to avoid one on one encounters in the workplace.

This thread is about having meetings with your athletes, not the general "real life" workplace.

Protect yourself, protect your athletes/subordinates, protect your peers....

This happens in basic training now too. A Drill Sergeant cannot have a one on one private conversation with a member of the opposite sex. A member of the same sex must be in the room.

Alan