Parents of Jacksonville XC runner file suit against university and coach after her suicide

It broke my heart reading about the email she sent to ask for help and the email going unanswered. Can't imagine what her parents felt reading that. She wanted to do well and stay in school and probably felt like she was letting everyone down.

People were dismissive of mental health on letsrun? Very surprising!

Seriously though, stuff like this makes me incredibly sad. Unfortunately, I can relate. My own college running experience was miserable and isolating. It’s sad that she took her own life instead of just trying out a different path in life, but people don’t think logically when they are that depressed.

Also when you are that young you don’t have the perspective to see that there are other options in life/things might not be as critical as they seem

This is a really sad story. Her poor parents

In some states, crap like this would lead to criminal charges. Clearly that jackass has no business being a coach. That said, I am starting to wonder if coaches do more harm than good. The AI robot can give you workouts to do without the insults (though I guess maybe the Microsoft one might end up insulting you). There are so many stories of bad coaches.

And let's be real, whether somebody runs a 19 minute 6k on a cross country course or a 27 minute 6k for Jacksonville University doesn't really matter. The results of the meet don't really matter either. Of course runners want to run as fast as possible, but the reality is that, from a societal point of view, running lowers things like diabetes, heart disease, and hypertension among others and saves us lots of $$$. People should be praised for wanting to run and encouraged to run. Sure, there have to be a few exclusive elite meets, but most local and regional races should be welcoming to all. I mean does anyone other than the coaches and athletes care about the Jacksonville University/Florida Atlantic dual cross country meet? The answer is no.

Regional XC Series for club teams may well be the answer for this level of competition. The Pacific Association of the USATF does a good job of this with their semi-pro cross country league. Some college runners are known to run in that league for either their college club teams or for local running clubs. In general, runners having other options is a good thing.

Blows my mind how pathetic some coaches can be. If he actually said this stuff, he should never make above minimum wage the rest of his life.

And the story of how the story got reported is even sadder.

firstcoastnews.com

How we got here: JU coach accused of abuse steps down after social media posts

A local reporter's social media posts highlighted verbal abuse allegations against longtime JU Coach Ron Grigg.

Open link

I can't imagine the hopelessness she felt when her university and coach abandoned her. Rest in Peace.
If you or anyone you know are struggling, please, PLEASE reach out for help. You are worthy, you are loved and you will always be able to find assistance.

United States- "988” is the three-digit, nationwide phone number to connect directly to the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.

You, young child, should try to emulate the best in society, not the worst, for you are becoming another Ron Grigg.

TBH it sounds like she was ill-suited for college.