Ex University of Arizona steepler says he was assaulted by coach, threatens to sue for $10 million after being kicked off team

the guy sounds like a chode

Thanks for this

I was also a teammate of Grabowkski’s for a long time. And at one point was captain of the team above him. Everything that has been said about Michael Grabowski is undoubtably true. I’ve had underclassmen come to me CRYING cause he told them they suck and they should quit. He also told me to quit. Me. A captain of the team at the time. On top of that he called the coaches who VOLUNTEERE “dictators”. The kid had no respect and bullied everyone. Don’t make this about the “culture” of the team. The bonds we made on this team are bonds I’ll never forget and never let go. I loved this team with all my heart and he was a cancer to it.

Im sorry but who are you? I was also a former teamate of grabowski's for 1 year as I wanted to run xc with some friends. Just from being there 1 week it was easy to tell he was a problem to the team. Half the time he stretched by himseld secluded from the group and didnt want to run with others. I was there when his mother screamed at our coach and it was embarrassing to say the least. If you can be a team player then leave but he was deadset of not wanting to help the team and only help himself in the end result id it. Yes he was a good runner but if your not gonna act like your on the team then why bother? I've seen him talk down to other kids and even ask my very disrespectfully why i was even on the team as if I shouldn't be there. Call it what you want say theres two sides to the story but grabowski was a big problem. It was a shame to see what happened as he seemed like a nice kid when talking outside of cross country. But again i've seen first hand how to the was and it really wasn't a pretty sight. For you to say that everything his former teamate said was boggus to totally wrong, and anyone of his other former teammates will say he was a cancer to the xc team.

I was personally bullied my Michael grabowski. Told me to quit cause I was running poorly at the time. While I was one of the captains of the team, I had multiple underclassmen come to me CRYING cause he told them they suck and they should quit. He constantly disrespected his teammates and the coaches that volunteered their free time to help us get better. I will not stand for people saying that we’re lying. Cause I loved that team more than anything, and seeing people side with him makes me sick to my stomach.

Y'all sound like great team mates. Of course everyone's been wronged and bitchin about this guy cause the anonymity of the internet makes you a big man. At the end of the day, where were the coaches? And if this guy was hurting your tender feelings, why didn't you speak up? I don't know any of you or the players mentioned, but this smacks of trolls.

Don't just make up things or spread rumors for the sake of it. Villarreal is a really good kid, and definitely doesn't need somebody passing tests for him.

BigRed01 wrote:

Y'all sound like great team mates. Of course everyone's been wronged and bitchin about this guy cause the anonymity of the internet makes you a big man. At the end of the day, where were the coaches? And if this guy was hurting your tender feelings, why didn't you speak up? I don't know any of you or the players mentioned, but this smacks of trolls.

You're probably one of those people who apologize for sexual assault predators.

Confused... wrote:

FYI, bullying is not uncommon on men's teams. We actually had one specific guy on our team back in college that got annihilated by bullying, and eventually quit the team. There was one ring leader on our team that was adamant to stir the pot and lead the way in bullying.

And it occurs at all levels. Had a (well known) D3 coach who was a serious bully. 24 carat asshole. Prepared me well for working on consulting (wall to wall d-bags) but this is only running....

My thoughts. The kid did not make the cut or the kid saw the two star runners receiving special treatment and did not like it. This kid ruined his chances of running for any school at this point. A little adversity never hurts anyone. I was the top miler in the NAIA from 2005 to 2006 and it took me years to finally realize my coach did not like me. When I learned the truth at first I was hurt thought i will show him, then I realized I had some serious character flaws I was a piece of crap person. I wasn't going to sue my school over it heck surprised they kept me around for 3 years. Maybe this kid has some issues clearly more then one person is saying he is the problem. All I can say is if my coach did not tell me the truth after I was done running for him maybe I would be in a gutter some place because I never realized I was the actual issue. Kid running is not going to be your life for ever and if you don't figure out the real problem you won't have a life. I just had a friend violently end his life last month because he could not simply look in the mirror and fix what was looking back at himself. Best advice your 19 fix you not so you can run so you can live and function as a member of society.

1 year xc runner wrote:

Im sorry

I was also a former teamate

Half the time he stretched by himseld

didnt want to run with others.

If you can be a team player then leave

but he was deadset

he was deadset of not wanting

in the end result id it.

but if your not gonna

act like your on the team

and even ask my very disrespectfully why i was even on the team

what you want say theres two sides

grabowski was a big problem.

i've seen first hand

i've seen first hand how to the was

his former teamate said

everything his former teamate said was boggus

anyone of his other

You were a captain of the team? Good grief.

Seems as though these girls make a lot of the same claims as this kid, except he was willing to put his name on it and do it a year and a half before.

What came of the lawsuit (or threat) in the original post?

Also, it is not unusual for a person to treat one group of people great and another group like scum. This is extreme, but look at Ted Bundy. He had a girlfriend and doted on the GF's kid while killing women all over the west.

So, yes a coach could treat one athlete or group of athletes fantastic and still ignore what is going on with others and doing what is legally required.

We need for the coaches who are abusers as well as the ones who enabled abusers and harassers/bullies out of sports.

The ghost of Lute wrote:

Blazing Slow Poke wrote:

Parents, snow plow or helicopter or not, may move to Arizona to get in-state tuition and leave the high-tax Long Island area. The move makes sense financially.

Ridiculous, you don’t qualify for instate tuition until your parents have residency there for at least a year, often more, depending on the school. Plus the cost of relocating would more than offset a few years of tuition savings...there is no way it’s a cost savings. No, call it what it is: it’s just weird when parents follow their kids off to college.

I know this is an old post, but the theme pops up.

The parents of two recent Alabama QBs moved from Hawaii to Tuscaloosa. Are those QBs soft? Remember they played for Nick Saban?

When Mike Bobo was in his senior year and the starting QB at Georgia, his dad (who had been a very successful HS football head coach) took an assistant HS coach job so he could have the time to go watch his son play his senior year. He did not move to Athens, but then he only lived 2.5 hours away. I guess Bobo was "soft" and dad was a snowplow parent?

If my son were going to run in college, I would certainly consider living close to be able to watch him run. I am definitely not a snowplow parent.

Tucson is lovely. NYC area--love to visit but live there? No thanks. (I know that is a personal thing).

Maybe they did want to be able to see their kid run. There is no evidence from the article that they are snowplow parents. I think there is a lot of projection going on there.

Luv2Run wrote:

What came of the lawsuit (or threat) in the original post?

Also, it is not unusual for a person to treat one group of people great and another group like scum. This is extreme, but look at Ted Bundy. He had a girlfriend and doted on the GF's kid while killing women all over the west.

So, yes a coach could treat one athlete or group of athletes fantastic and still ignore what is going on with others and doing what is legally required.

We need for the coaches who are abusers as well as the ones who enabled abusers and harassers/bullies out of sports.

I’m honestly surprised the Craig Carter thing didn’t teach the program to be more accountable.

U uh O wrote:

oldschoolballer wrote:

Kids these days are soft. What would "Pre" say about them?

"Try getting peed on by Bowerman"

Yeah that and the hot key ring story is really creepy stuff.

In the thread for the other article, there’s a link to a news story which says the kid filed the lawsuit and I would have to guess it’s still ongoing. With covid, civil courts were most likely closed.

It’s sad this kid has to wait for justice because of covid, but this new story will only further his case.

Let's see how long it takes for reports to come out of Western Colorado.. Maybe it was only two isolated incidents from HS to NCAA. (Yeah Right)

https://gomountaineers.com/sports/track-and-field/roster/michael-grabowski/6811

Doesn’t seem like it’s only him. Poor kid. A lot of apologies in line that he’ll never see.