Athletes And Coaches: Olympic-Sized Bullying Sport

.....Only recently did I realize that my coach could still be a great coach and cause a mental illness. He cared deeply about all of his athletes, but his job and his future career relied on me, a child doing a hobby, performing well. Sometimes, I think that got the better of him. Thus, the role of a coach has become concerning to me. A coach’s job is to get the best out of you – ‘to elevate’ you to the extraordinary. It can seem like they are rewarded for the number of times you throw up in a session, the number of times you cry, the number of times they push you to breaking point physically and mentally. It’s their job and they are often paid for it. They are also validated when their athletes are successful and happy with the work they put in. Immediately, we can see the problematic nature of it, especially for children’s coaches (who have an even greater position of authority). The risk of causing a mental health problem is so high that there has to be a determined effort from a coach to remain a supportive person in that athlete’s life: to know when to stop and be compassionate. A 2011 study of 6,000 British youth athletes found that 1 in 3 of those who reported experiencing emotional harm in sport identified their coach as a perpetrator. For this reason, responsible coaches who acknowledge this dynamic deserve even more respect. After all, a problematic relationship model relies on the coach caring more about their job and success than their athlete’s wellbeing, and losing sight of what actually matters: the athlete’s life beyond sport....

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Bethany`s Notes: If you are a coach, take a real hard look at why you do what you do and check in with others (assistants, team members, outsiders) to make sure you are telling yourself the truth.