Lehigh Track Coach Insensitive Comments

So a tap with a stick is ruining someone’s life? Interesting concept. Your coping skills sound rock solid.

In the work place this would be classified as hostile environment situation. I am not sure the person at the center of it would be fired. I have seen it once at work and the individual at the center of it was taken out of a managerial role and put behind a desk handling various busy work jobs for other managers. I think the company was loyal to him because he had done their bidding for so long, but realized in the modern climate he was a big risk.

That was more than 20 years ago, the expectation for sensitivity and better sensibilities towards subordinates in nothing new. I hear that even boot camp for the real military is quite different than when I was there.

Of course schools can be punished for maintaining a hostile environment as status quo too.

Totally agree. I don’t think his life should be ruined over it. But there is obviously some sort of punishment needed. It will be up to the school to determine that. Not the SJWs of the message boards.

Totally agree wrote:

Totally agree. I don’t think his life should be ruined over it. But there is obviously some sort of punishment needed. It will be up to the school to determine that. Not the SJWs of the message boards.

How is this a "SJW" thing? It's called the right thing to do.

I think a season or two suspension without pay and training is appropriate if all is true. If some are/aren't then obviously less penalties.

if it looks like a duck wrote:

Totally agree wrote:

Totally agree. I don’t think his life should be ruined over it. But there is obviously some sort of punishment needed. It will be up to the school to determine that. Not the SJWs of the message boards.

How is this a "SJW" thing? It's called the right thing to do.

I think a season or two suspension without pay and training is appropriate if all is true. If some are/aren't then obviously less penalties.

You don’t think it’s a SJW thing and then, in the same breath, tell us what you think should happen to him. Let the school deal with it. It’s none of our business

none of these athletes are out to ruin this mans life and it is ridiculous to suggest that they just want him to burn in flames. the tap on the butt is not ruining there lives either so there is not need to be dramatic. think about the situation realistically and logically and understand that it seems the coach is creating an environment that is not good for athletes over time. one comment or one action is not the problem it is the daily comments and repeated actions after they have asked him to stop.

not saying he should be fired over these things but it seems like the school should have handled it differently before. now it seems to be very out of hand and there does not seem to be much of an option.

the students are not to blame for that and the coach really is not either. i blame the school.

Hey! This is Letsrun. Stop being so logical. Stop telling people to exercise restraint. Don’t tell crazy lady to stop being so overly dramatic. What do you think this is? Here we seek and destroy.

Hahahhahahahaa wrote:

if it looks like a duck wrote:

How is this a "SJW" thing? It's called the right thing to do.

I think a season or two suspension without pay and training is appropriate if all is true. If some are/aren't then obviously less penalties.

You don’t think it’s a SJW thing and then, in the same breath, tell us what you think should happen to him. Let the school deal with it. It’s none of our business

Actually, it wasn't in the same breath, hence the spacing between lines.

I also stated what the punishment should be if everything was true, so I'm not assuming guilt and in-fact allowing for the school to do an investigation.

Who forged your high school transcript?

Being fired for cause is not ruining his life. He can probably get a better paying job within 2 weeks of getting fired because coaches are always underpaid.

An 18 year old girl getting touched inappropriately by her Coach can cause her mental anguish for the rest of her life. How can she trust people after being taken advantage of.

Coping skills wrote:

So a tap with a stick is ruining someone’s life? Interesting concept. Your coping skills sound rock solid.

Nope, but I sure wouldn't want him in my employ or around my children having demonstrated such poor judgment and lack of self control. Do it once shame on you. Do it twice shame on me. Not taking action is not an option in this case. He is a problem and that needs to be dealt with immediately.

Well that pretty much sums it up. No sense in continuing to beat this horse. On to the next drama.

People seem to think that the administration at LU is going to read these boards and do what everyone thinks should happen to this person. How about we let the university handle it and see what happens? Maybe the guy gets fired, maybe he does not. Perhaps there is still an investigation and he can't be fired or cleared until it is over...

Captain Obvious II wrote:

People seem to think that the administration at LU is going to read these boards and do what everyone thinks should happen to this person. How about we let the university handle it and see what happens? Maybe the guy gets fired, maybe he does not. Perhaps there is still an investigation and he can't be fired or cleared until it is over...

It's good that people can hash these things out on a running forum. There may be some young people in similar situations, or going to college soon, and coaches and future coaches who can learn something

well actually wrote:

Positive Contribution wrote:

Coach Mark Wetmore goes by Mark. Worked for him.

Mark Wetmore also married one of his athletes so it's maybe not the best example.....

His athletes respect the hell out of him despite not needing to be called Coach Wetmore. He married Heather well after her college days were over.

Luv2Run wrote:

Stating the obvious wrote:

Wait, what?

Anything to substantiate the super creeper and shower pee claims?

Didn't Kenny Moore write about this in his biography of Bowerman (Moore ran for Bowerman). Also the pressing the hot key ring in thighs in the sauna. Even just being in the sauna with your athletes is creepy.

Ever see "Without Limits"?

Positive Contribution wrote:

well actually wrote:

Mark Wetmore also married one of his athletes so it's maybe not the best example.....

His athletes respect the hell out of him despite not needing to be called Coach Wetmore. He married Heather well after her college days were over.

They started living with each other very quickly and got married years later.

You may think it's silly, but you also don't coach, right? I believe you recently started a thread about wondering what it takes to coach at the high school level in CA.

I have coached about 10 years now. The first half of that I was "coach first name". Then I changed schools and went by "coach last name". I understand it seems ridiculous to many, but there is something that changes when those you're coaching call you by your last name. Having had experience with both and seen other coaches that go by first name and those that go by last name, I would say that given a large sample size of coaches it's those that go by first name that are more likely to get themselves into trouble.

Any one individual case is of course different. There are plenty of coaches that go by "coach first name" that are awesome and will never have any issues like this, just like there are plenty of coaches that can text their athletes and be on their social media and never have any issues. It's just an unnecessary risk factor, that's all I'm saying.

If his last name is too difficult to say, just go by "Coach U".

A lot of coaches feel like they are doing the right thing by treating their athletes like a friend. They feel like it's the respectable thing to do and it seems like this is what's going on with "Coach Matt". I don't think he had any bad intentions, but talking to the athletes as he would his friends is what's got him into trouble here. If he wants to coach the rest of his life he needs to create more boundaries. It's not that complicated. I don't think this guy is a monster or something. He sounds like a fairly regular person who didn't fully comprehend the circumstances and now that he's had a wakeup call I suspect he'll change. One of the things I would recommend changing? Don't allow himself to be called Coach Matt anymore.

Yep being called Coach Matt set him down a dark path that led to touching asses (sarcasm).

The laws of human nature and human attraction are in play. I agree that being more formal strengthens the gap between athlete and coach. It’s not a cure. But there is a very real saying that “player’s coaches get fired”. They don’t always get fired for impropriety but you cannot be too friendly with athletes because the first time you have to decoupling them their reaction is worse because their minds you are “friends”.

If you don’t understand this concept then you do not coach.