When intercollegiate athletic competition was finally made available to women, it wasn’t surprising to learn that most of the coaches of women’s teams at the time were…well… women. That was back in the ’70’s… today, over 70% of the collegiate coaches of women’s teams are men.
And although some like to define the issue as being a problem with ‘lesbian’ women coaches and their athletes… it is really all about the guys having problems keeping ‘Mr. Winkie in the pants.’ It appears to be no small problem.
There was a ‘joke’ that circulated about a school here in California that seemed to turn a blind eye to coaches developing ‘inappropriate sexual relationships’ with one or multiple athletes under his ‘control.’ The ‘joke’ — after one coach was ‘fired’ — was that the job came with an additional perk… you could date your athletes. This wasn’t the only problem, the athletes in question were underage high school females.
What can a collegiate athlete do when she finds herself confronted with one of these predators? Sometimes going to other coaches or the administration is unproductive… and could actually jeapardize one’s scholarship and effectively end a promicing athletic career. As one administrator said ,”we will not sacrifice a winning coach because a problem of one athlete.”
So, who thinks it is a problem? Obviously the harrassed athlete doesn’t like the idea, but neither do many coaches , nor do other athletes on the affected team. In a study conducted by Karen, 83% surveyed felt that a romantic relationship between a coach and a member of their team hurt the team. Here’s Karen’s Survey.
Here’s how others view the issue:
Sexual harrassment of female athletes is still a problem. In time, institutions can be made to heal to the issue, but the responsibility today remains with the parents taking an active role in their daughter’s education and athletic experiences. Parent’s will be criticized for being involved… but it’s all about the girls… not about schools or coaches.
Roger Freberg
He was lost at sea during World War II, spending 47 days adrift and then two-and-a-half years as a prisoner of war in Japan. Following the war, he returned to Japan as a missionary. In 1998, he carried the Olympic torch (his third of five times) through his former POW camp outside Nagano. His experience was the subject of a CBS-TV feature and an upcoming book.
