Stuart McMillan (ALTIS coach) speaks about Cain situation

Sturrr McDurrr wrote:

Not a boomer wrote:

Doesn’t mention Cain directly but brings up interesting points about male/female coaching relationships, and he’s not wrong.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B4-9SkggBq6/?igshid=5m7z1vl3rkr9

What do you mean "he's not wrong"? He took a poll... he didn't make a statement.

This question is so broad, it's stupid. There is so much context missing.

Lots of talk the last couple of weeks about male coaches and female athletes - specifically around power dynamics, and insensitivities around body weight

Yesterday, I put up a poll on Twitter, asking if it was EVER appropriate for a male coach to discuss weight with a female athlete.

Super-interesting results!

I am especially interested in the thoughts of the over 300 people who said that it would never be appropriate. As - where does that leave us?? …

First and foremost, let’s not pretend that this is a simple issue. It is not. It is complex, and there is no way any of us can do the totality of these complexities justice on Twitter. At its foundation, these specific issues rely on honesty, respect, and the acknowledgement of the inherent power dynamics of 1) any coach/athlete relationship generally; and 2) the male coach / female athlete relationship, specifically

Like it or not - this is a fact; and it most definitely makes a difference whether the coach is male or female. Power dynamics are real, and gender biases exist; they are deeply rooted into our social habits - often at a subconscious level.

These biases “need to be fought with some level of consciousness” Jonathan Chait “Whenever a person instructs, organizes or attempts to motivate another person or a group of people, as is the case in coaching, there will always be many unseen, complex and ever-changing processes that surround these interactions.” - Denison & Mills

Some of these processes involve interactions between male coaches and female athletes, generally; and conversations around weight and performance, specifically.

And, if it is NEVER appropriate to have these conversations, then what is the alternative?

This goes much deeper than sport: we simply cannot be afraid to have challenging conversations, discussing complex issues.

It seems we have lost the ability to have reasoned, informed conversations - and instead, have devolved into defending overly simplified binary opposites - exchanging insults rather than ideas.

The ideas we need to discuss here are complex, but are perhaps rooted in what is a coach’s responsibility in the first place?

Cont’d next post.