PS Magazine May/June 2012
A few weeks ago, an e-mail was forwarded through several people, finally making its way to me. The message stated:
I have become aware of several coaches in our area who are flying "under the radar" in regards to the membership, insurance, background check and etc. Looks like it involves the type of coach who justifies it by saying, "I only teach a few hours per week and therefore it doesn't really apply to me". They have been seen coaching at recent test sessions, and are also signing up students for local Basic Skills competitions. Nobody wants to be the bad guy in this situation. The Clubs feel that it is up to the rink management/skating director and vice versa…
Amazingly, while 5,104 coaches can follow the rules, it continues to astonish me that some coaches do, in fact, believe they can fly under the radar. As one of the 5,104 compliant coaches, it upsets me to no end that some coaches believe the rules don’t apply to them. When I was a performer with Disney, I was told by an experienced soloist that it didn’t matter whether there were 10 people in the audience or 10,000…they all paid the same for a ticket. Every person who spent their hard earned money to watch me skate deserved the most I could give…every time! It’s no difference as a coach. We owe it to our skaters to be the very best we can be regardless of how much or what level we teach. The rule that was passed by U.S. Figure Skating should not be considered a punishment. It’s an attempt to provide our skaters with the most educated professionals.
I recently witnessed this phenomenon first hand. My wife, Jamie, and I are co-chairs for our local club competition. One month prior to the competition, we verified the compliancy of the 89 coaches attending our competition. Of those coaches, 7 were not compliant. We sent out e-mails to those coaches and all seven responded. While 6 either became compliant or were compliant under a married name, the 7th coach did not make an effort to become compliant. Over the course of 4 weeks, the non-compliant coach received 7 different e-mails and responded to 5. Each of our messages reiterated the requirements set forth by U.S. Figure Skating. As you can probably guess, the coach showed up anyway, arguing with multiple volunteers and finally the chief referee. In her opinion, since she had been at multiple test sessions and competitions that did not check for credentials, why should she need them here? So we became the bad guys. Following the competition, we sent a thank you to all the coaches and her response was:
To whom it may concern,
My skater and I did NOT have a good experience. This was due to a misunderstanding with CER certification for myself that was poorly handled at two different times by two different people involved with your club. Both times were in front of the skater while she was preparing to test and compete. No apology was given to the skater or myself once the misunderstanding had been cleared. I have already voiced my concerns with the USFSA and I know the parent of the skater intends to do the same. We will not be returning to test or compete at your skating club, nor will we recommend testing or competing to other skaters and coaches from our club.
First of all, thank you, please don’t come back. Secondly, there was no misunderstanding…we communicated with her what she needed to do to be compliant 7 times over 4 weeks! How could she be surprised when approached at the test session and competition about being non-compliant? This coach, who is not currently a member of PSA, was issued an Ethics Violation for Non-Compliance of Coaching Requirements from both PSA and U.S. Figure Skating.
Regarding an apology, if anyone should be giving an apology, it should be the coach to her student for creating a situation that she had every opportunity to prevent. Unbelievably and what really strikes me as funny is that she had one skater there and guess what? The skater…WAS CATEGORY B COMPLIANT! How embarrassing is that!
I wish this was an isolated occurrence, but it’s not. While “under the radar coaches” exist, they continue to exist because there are clubs that just don’t put forth the effort to enforce. While PSA is reviewing the coaching lists at as many competitions as we can, we need your help. All coaches can help change the culture and attitude about continuing education, a standard in many professions. The reality is that it is both an honor and privilege to coach at a U.S. Figure Skating event, not a right.
My Alter Ego!
Monday, May 07, 2012
Monday, February 27, 2012
Change is Inevitable - Growth is Optional!
Over the Edge Mar/Apr 2012
It seems to be the time of the year when all I read on the internet regarding skating is how IJS has ruined the sport. In an article widely circulated on the web by Monica Friedlander of examiner.com, former Canadian skating star Toller Cranston was quoted as saying, “The way it's judged now, the more you can do the more points you get, so everything is overproduced and generic.” Also quoted in the article, the beloved Janet Lynn, called the IJS “a totalitarian system of measurement that does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit.”
Although Toller and Janet have earned the right to speak out, I respectfully disagree. Had Toller or Janet really been involved in the sport during the challenging transition from 6.0 to IJS, the interview and comments may have sounded a little differently and have more merit. From my perspective, I would say that Alissa Czisney’s Dr. Zhivago program from the 2009 U.S. Championships in Spokane would challenge the most esteemed champions of the past. How about Jeremy Abbott’s Day in the Life short program or from last year, Ryan Bradley's Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy? I don’t agree with the statement that IJS does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit. It just bothers me that critics who don’t like the system take it out on the thousands of skaters out there currently giving it their all.
So let’s say we listen to the critics of IJS and go back to 6.0…how does that make the sport better? The skaters will still be the same and would they not have the same skill set? Back in the 6.0 system, is the quad going to be any less relevant? Back in the 80’s, rules were continually changing to try and limit jumps. In fact, it has been a constant tug of war since the turn of the century…I’m referring to the 1900’s. Then again, switching back to 6.0 will allow fans to boo the judges again directly. What I believe has always been is that there are skating enthusiasts who love the theatre and those who love the athletics.
Under the international judging system, judges award points for five additional components - skating skills, transitions, performance/execution, choreography/composition and interpretation, as well as the grade of execution of skills. Now guess what… didn’t the judges consider those same components as well as the technical ability of the skater to prepare their marks in the 6.0 system? Go to youTube and watch Toller Cranston. Do you think he couldn’t compete in an IJS system? He would kill. Even with his lack of jumps at today’s standard, could Toller be competitive? YES! He may not get the points in the jumps but as Evan Lysachek showed at the Olympics, you can get your points other ways. What has changed?
The only real difference I see between the skaters of today and those of yesteryear is the quality of flow and edges (besides the obvious growth in the number of revolutions in the air). While there are some who have those unique qualities today, it’s not the norm. I don’t blame this on IJS, but on two additional points.
The first, the elimination of figures - those of us who did figures, regardless if we were good at them or not, learned to “sit” on an edge. We learned how to work the ice with our edges, to feel the bite of skating “in” the ice. How about lilt? When was the last time you heard someone use it in a lesson? I’m not even sure today’s skaters, other than dancers, would understand the term. Today’s skaters have difficulty understanding those concepts…but it’s not their fault.
The second - the volume of new skaters beginning in the 1990’s through the mid 2000’s overwhelmed our teachers and coaches. In a frenzy of hiring new coaches to keep up with demand, actual skating skills and a lack of experience was often overlooked. Personally, I was thrust into group classes with absolutely no idea on how to teach basic skills. Teaching a double Axel, no problem; teaching a swizzle to a group of 4-year olds, not so easy. In 1996 when I became a skating director for the first time, the learn to skate school went from 650 skaters to over 1100 almost overnight! I had no idea were to find quality instructors. I was looking for anybody with a heartbeat who could stand up in skates…owning their own skates was a plus! Eventually, many of my older competitive skaters came to the rescue and they brought great energy to the classes. This was not a problem exclusively in my arena. It was happening all over the country and besides the teenagers, many adult skaters with almost no experience or background were teaching. While most could demonstrate the skills, many of these new coaches lacked the knowledge and experience to break down the skills to provide a solid foundation of “skating skills” like turns and steps.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it is what it is…I love skating…yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Don’t tell me that these kids today don’t have the heart or passion. Don’t belittle their accomplishments because you don’t like the system. The past is the past and tomorrow is the future. To stay the same or to go backwards…not an option… we have to move forward!
It seems to be the time of the year when all I read on the internet regarding skating is how IJS has ruined the sport. In an article widely circulated on the web by Monica Friedlander of examiner.com, former Canadian skating star Toller Cranston was quoted as saying, “The way it's judged now, the more you can do the more points you get, so everything is overproduced and generic.” Also quoted in the article, the beloved Janet Lynn, called the IJS “a totalitarian system of measurement that does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit.”
Although Toller and Janet have earned the right to speak out, I respectfully disagree. Had Toller or Janet really been involved in the sport during the challenging transition from 6.0 to IJS, the interview and comments may have sounded a little differently and have more merit. From my perspective, I would say that Alissa Czisney’s Dr. Zhivago program from the 2009 U.S. Championships in Spokane would challenge the most esteemed champions of the past. How about Jeremy Abbott’s Day in the Life short program or from last year, Ryan Bradley's Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy? I don’t agree with the statement that IJS does not breed freedom on the ice or lift the human spirit. It just bothers me that critics who don’t like the system take it out on the thousands of skaters out there currently giving it their all.
So let’s say we listen to the critics of IJS and go back to 6.0…how does that make the sport better? The skaters will still be the same and would they not have the same skill set? Back in the 6.0 system, is the quad going to be any less relevant? Back in the 80’s, rules were continually changing to try and limit jumps. In fact, it has been a constant tug of war since the turn of the century…I’m referring to the 1900’s. Then again, switching back to 6.0 will allow fans to boo the judges again directly. What I believe has always been is that there are skating enthusiasts who love the theatre and those who love the athletics.
Under the international judging system, judges award points for five additional components - skating skills, transitions, performance/execution, choreography/composition and interpretation, as well as the grade of execution of skills. Now guess what… didn’t the judges consider those same components as well as the technical ability of the skater to prepare their marks in the 6.0 system? Go to youTube and watch Toller Cranston. Do you think he couldn’t compete in an IJS system? He would kill. Even with his lack of jumps at today’s standard, could Toller be competitive? YES! He may not get the points in the jumps but as Evan Lysachek showed at the Olympics, you can get your points other ways. What has changed?
The only real difference I see between the skaters of today and those of yesteryear is the quality of flow and edges (besides the obvious growth in the number of revolutions in the air). While there are some who have those unique qualities today, it’s not the norm. I don’t blame this on IJS, but on two additional points.
The first, the elimination of figures - those of us who did figures, regardless if we were good at them or not, learned to “sit” on an edge. We learned how to work the ice with our edges, to feel the bite of skating “in” the ice. How about lilt? When was the last time you heard someone use it in a lesson? I’m not even sure today’s skaters, other than dancers, would understand the term. Today’s skaters have difficulty understanding those concepts…but it’s not their fault.
The second - the volume of new skaters beginning in the 1990’s through the mid 2000’s overwhelmed our teachers and coaches. In a frenzy of hiring new coaches to keep up with demand, actual skating skills and a lack of experience was often overlooked. Personally, I was thrust into group classes with absolutely no idea on how to teach basic skills. Teaching a double Axel, no problem; teaching a swizzle to a group of 4-year olds, not so easy. In 1996 when I became a skating director for the first time, the learn to skate school went from 650 skaters to over 1100 almost overnight! I had no idea were to find quality instructors. I was looking for anybody with a heartbeat who could stand up in skates…owning their own skates was a plus! Eventually, many of my older competitive skaters came to the rescue and they brought great energy to the classes. This was not a problem exclusively in my arena. It was happening all over the country and besides the teenagers, many adult skaters with almost no experience or background were teaching. While most could demonstrate the skills, many of these new coaches lacked the knowledge and experience to break down the skills to provide a solid foundation of “skating skills” like turns and steps.
I guess what I’m trying to say is that it is what it is…I love skating…yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Don’t tell me that these kids today don’t have the heart or passion. Don’t belittle their accomplishments because you don’t like the system. The past is the past and tomorrow is the future. To stay the same or to go backwards…not an option… we have to move forward!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
Willful Tolerance
In the Loop, PSA E-Magazine - Issue 1, February 2012
In my “Over the Edge” editorial in last months PS Magazine, I wrote about abuse in coaching, emphasizing that it is imperative that coaches be diligent in keeping an eye out for suspect or abusive relationships. As it was reported regarding the Penn State fiasco, this was not always the case. Many adults in positions of authority ignored the signs of abuse or simply didn’t report what they saw. While it could be considered a criminal act in some instances, willful tolerance, as it is being called, definitely exposes the observer to civil liability.
As I understand the term, willful tolerance is the practice or act of ignoring wrongful deeds. Willful implies intent or purpose. Tolerance implies the allowance or sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.
My concern is that coaches and club officials, who understand that they have a duty to protect the skaters, do not report abusive situations to the proper authorities, but instead choose to share the information with their peers. This does little to end a bad situation and generally makes it worse. But why do we not report these issues? It made me curious as to why this happens so I did a little research.Mark Levine, a social psychologist at Lancaster University in the U.K., was quoted in a recent Time.com article by Maia Szalavitz regarding the Penn State crisis. She asserts “… that somehow, when we’re with other people, we lose our rational capacity or personal identity, which controls our behavior.” In comparison, coaches and officials are often more concerned with the public fallout of an issue.Penn State football coach Joe Paterno appeared to have either looked the other way or maybe even covered up for the accused Sandusky, rather than reporting him to the police. Said Levine, “[This] suggests that group solidarity with the football team still takes priority over support for abused children at the school.” That is, in a nutshell, willful tolerance.
Another possible factor identified by social psychologist Stanley Cohen is denial. Often, bystanders repress the information or refuse to admit that an incident has occurred. What happened to the witness in the Sandusky case is what Cohen labeled “interpretive” denial – trying to transform or minimize the significance of the action. Research suggests that when a witness’s own perception of the world around them changes negatively, “they often create accounts that deny reality, blame the victim or otherwise rationalize the situation.”
Finally, Levine refers to the ‘50s when all adults took responsibility for all children. Today it is every family for themselves. Most people would think twice before acting, fearful of being condemned for stepping in.
Hopefully, in the future when witnessing an abusive or illegal act, the outcome will be different. The author Szalavitz concludes, “Understanding the psychology of these situations can help increase the chances that bystanders will step up when people need assistance, but it does not excuse the failures of those who do nothing.” We have a duty to put the needs of the skater first; doing everything in our power to protect them from harm. As a person of authority, this is our responsibility ALWAYS!
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/11/bystander-psychology-why-some-witnesses-to-crime-do-nothing/#ixzz1jMc2TI2p
In my “Over the Edge” editorial in last months PS Magazine, I wrote about abuse in coaching, emphasizing that it is imperative that coaches be diligent in keeping an eye out for suspect or abusive relationships. As it was reported regarding the Penn State fiasco, this was not always the case. Many adults in positions of authority ignored the signs of abuse or simply didn’t report what they saw. While it could be considered a criminal act in some instances, willful tolerance, as it is being called, definitely exposes the observer to civil liability.
As I understand the term, willful tolerance is the practice or act of ignoring wrongful deeds. Willful implies intent or purpose. Tolerance implies the allowance or sufferance of conduct with which one is not in accord.
My concern is that coaches and club officials, who understand that they have a duty to protect the skaters, do not report abusive situations to the proper authorities, but instead choose to share the information with their peers. This does little to end a bad situation and generally makes it worse. But why do we not report these issues? It made me curious as to why this happens so I did a little research.Mark Levine, a social psychologist at Lancaster University in the U.K., was quoted in a recent Time.com article by Maia Szalavitz regarding the Penn State crisis. She asserts “… that somehow, when we’re with other people, we lose our rational capacity or personal identity, which controls our behavior.” In comparison, coaches and officials are often more concerned with the public fallout of an issue.Penn State football coach Joe Paterno appeared to have either looked the other way or maybe even covered up for the accused Sandusky, rather than reporting him to the police. Said Levine, “[This] suggests that group solidarity with the football team still takes priority over support for abused children at the school.” That is, in a nutshell, willful tolerance.
Another possible factor identified by social psychologist Stanley Cohen is denial. Often, bystanders repress the information or refuse to admit that an incident has occurred. What happened to the witness in the Sandusky case is what Cohen labeled “interpretive” denial – trying to transform or minimize the significance of the action. Research suggests that when a witness’s own perception of the world around them changes negatively, “they often create accounts that deny reality, blame the victim or otherwise rationalize the situation.”
Finally, Levine refers to the ‘50s when all adults took responsibility for all children. Today it is every family for themselves. Most people would think twice before acting, fearful of being condemned for stepping in.
Hopefully, in the future when witnessing an abusive or illegal act, the outcome will be different. The author Szalavitz concludes, “Understanding the psychology of these situations can help increase the chances that bystanders will step up when people need assistance, but it does not excuse the failures of those who do nothing.” We have a duty to put the needs of the skater first; doing everything in our power to protect them from harm. As a person of authority, this is our responsibility ALWAYS!
Read more: http://healthland.time.com/2011/11/11/bystander-psychology-why-some-witnesses-to-crime-do-nothing/#ixzz1jMc2TI2p
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Doing the Right Thing
2012 Jan/Feb PS Magazine
Watching Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN 2, Mike Greenburg quoted a line from the movie, A Few Good Men, surmising that the excerpt represents the people that sat by for years and let dozens of children be sexually assaulted by former Penn State coach, Jerry Sandusky. If you recall, the movie is about a group of Marines who following orders, unintentionally kill another soldier and then is covered up by the superiors. At the end of the movie, Judge Randolph finds the accused guilty of conduct unbecoming a US Marine and orders Lance Corporal Dawson and Private Downey to be dishonorably discharged. A bewildered Downey asks Dawson what that means. Downey doesn’t seem to understand that they have done something wrong…they were just following orders. Dawson answers that as Marines, they were to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves and on this occasion, they failed.
I agree with Mike and the screen writer; we are here to protect those who can’t protect themselves. But what does it take to do the right thing? Even Joe Paterno said he wished he had done more. I think the most disturbing fact surrounding Sandusky was that he got away with his predatory behavior for over 13 years and it was not a secret! Reading the Grand Jury investigation report, there were many opportunities for witnesses to do the right thing. Even when investigated by authorities, they dropped the ball. How many children were abused because know one stepped up in 1998 when the first allegations came to light?
Significantly, this is not a new problem and not one you would generally associate with football but in society in general. As I wrote last year, USA Swimming reported that they banned 36 coaches over the previous 10 years for sexual misconduct. Literally as I write this, a lawsuit has been filed in Indiana targeting USA Swimming, Indiana Swimming and a school district. In addition to looking for financial compensation, the suit seeks the firing of top officials at USA and Indiana Swimming. It was reported in the Indianapolis Star, that officials had a couple of chances to stop the coach from molesting the child. Again, what does it take to do the right thing? Burying your head in the sand and making believe that nothing happened or that someone else will report the activity… is just unacceptable.
Three years ago, US Figure Skating passed a motion that all coaches and officials must pass a background screening. Many professionals criticized the plan; felt it was unfair and too expensive.
Two years ago, PS Magazine published an issue entirely on Ethics, its featured article Tough Times written by Olympian and PSA Governor, Paul Wylie. An unforgettable quote from the feature, “What can we do to daily live up to our best intentions? Obviously we must adhere to a minimum standard of ethics.”
A year and a half ago, at the request of Paul Wylie, the PSA met with Sheldon Kennedy, a former NHL hockey player who had been subjected to years of sexual abuse by his junior coach. Sheldon was a co-founder of Respect in Sport, a Canadian company whose mission is to educate athletes, coaches, officials, and parents on appropriate contact. They met with US Figure Skating as well. Following this meeting, US Figure Skating and PSA decided to produce a sport specific e-course on abuse. Just completed, PSA partnered with several noted experts, Dr. Clark Power of the University of Notre Dame's "Play Like a Champion TM" program, Dr. Max Trenerry of Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Gloria Balague from the University of Illinois – Chicago Circle. The objective of this two-part course, CER ET 201/SS 206 “2 GRO-W Champions”, is to provide coaches' education on the definition, recognition, elimination, and prevention of abusive coaching, and the building of safe training environments.
At the Annual Conference and Trade Show in Dallas this year, PSA presented a panel discussion regarding abuse in sport which included Paul Wylie, Sheldon Kennedy, Pat St. Peter, USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, and Nancy Hogshead-Makar. A three time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Professor Hogshead-Makar is Professor of Law at Florida Coastal School of Law, and an authority on Title IX, the NCAA rule on equal play.
Also this year, PSA reached out to ISI and implemented a combined grievance process. By signing this deal, the PSA was able to help ISI close a loophole that had allowed the opportunity for questionable coaches to keep teaching once they were excused from either PSA or US Figure Skating. Also this year, ISI has implemented their own requirement for coaches to pass a background check.
I am proud of the fact that PSA has long taken a stance to promote ethical coaching. I am also proud that together with US Figure Skating we were able to produce the CER course on abuse as well as support US Figure Skating’s commitment to producing a safe training and competitive environment. While no system is perfect, we understand that a motivated pedophile can get past our safeguards. This is why it is imperative that coaches be diligent in keeping an eye out for suspect or abusive relationships. We owe it to the children to do our utmost to protect them. I suggest that you take 2 GRO-W Champions sooner than later…It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.
Watching Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN 2, Mike Greenburg quoted a line from the movie, A Few Good Men, surmising that the excerpt represents the people that sat by for years and let dozens of children be sexually assaulted by former Penn State coach, Jerry Sandusky. If you recall, the movie is about a group of Marines who following orders, unintentionally kill another soldier and then is covered up by the superiors. At the end of the movie, Judge Randolph finds the accused guilty of conduct unbecoming a US Marine and orders Lance Corporal Dawson and Private Downey to be dishonorably discharged. A bewildered Downey asks Dawson what that means. Downey doesn’t seem to understand that they have done something wrong…they were just following orders. Dawson answers that as Marines, they were to protect those who couldn’t protect themselves and on this occasion, they failed.
I agree with Mike and the screen writer; we are here to protect those who can’t protect themselves. But what does it take to do the right thing? Even Joe Paterno said he wished he had done more. I think the most disturbing fact surrounding Sandusky was that he got away with his predatory behavior for over 13 years and it was not a secret! Reading the Grand Jury investigation report, there were many opportunities for witnesses to do the right thing. Even when investigated by authorities, they dropped the ball. How many children were abused because know one stepped up in 1998 when the first allegations came to light?
Significantly, this is not a new problem and not one you would generally associate with football but in society in general. As I wrote last year, USA Swimming reported that they banned 36 coaches over the previous 10 years for sexual misconduct. Literally as I write this, a lawsuit has been filed in Indiana targeting USA Swimming, Indiana Swimming and a school district. In addition to looking for financial compensation, the suit seeks the firing of top officials at USA and Indiana Swimming. It was reported in the Indianapolis Star, that officials had a couple of chances to stop the coach from molesting the child. Again, what does it take to do the right thing? Burying your head in the sand and making believe that nothing happened or that someone else will report the activity… is just unacceptable.
Three years ago, US Figure Skating passed a motion that all coaches and officials must pass a background screening. Many professionals criticized the plan; felt it was unfair and too expensive.
Two years ago, PS Magazine published an issue entirely on Ethics, its featured article Tough Times written by Olympian and PSA Governor, Paul Wylie. An unforgettable quote from the feature, “What can we do to daily live up to our best intentions? Obviously we must adhere to a minimum standard of ethics.”
A year and a half ago, at the request of Paul Wylie, the PSA met with Sheldon Kennedy, a former NHL hockey player who had been subjected to years of sexual abuse by his junior coach. Sheldon was a co-founder of Respect in Sport, a Canadian company whose mission is to educate athletes, coaches, officials, and parents on appropriate contact. They met with US Figure Skating as well. Following this meeting, US Figure Skating and PSA decided to produce a sport specific e-course on abuse. Just completed, PSA partnered with several noted experts, Dr. Clark Power of the University of Notre Dame's "Play Like a Champion TM" program, Dr. Max Trenerry of Mayo Clinic, and Dr. Gloria Balague from the University of Illinois – Chicago Circle. The objective of this two-part course, CER ET 201/SS 206 “2 GRO-W Champions”, is to provide coaches' education on the definition, recognition, elimination, and prevention of abusive coaching, and the building of safe training environments.
At the Annual Conference and Trade Show in Dallas this year, PSA presented a panel discussion regarding abuse in sport which included Paul Wylie, Sheldon Kennedy, Pat St. Peter, USA Today columnist Christine Brennan, and Nancy Hogshead-Makar. A three time Olympic gold medalist in swimming, Professor Hogshead-Makar is Professor of Law at Florida Coastal School of Law, and an authority on Title IX, the NCAA rule on equal play.
Also this year, PSA reached out to ISI and implemented a combined grievance process. By signing this deal, the PSA was able to help ISI close a loophole that had allowed the opportunity for questionable coaches to keep teaching once they were excused from either PSA or US Figure Skating. Also this year, ISI has implemented their own requirement for coaches to pass a background check.
I am proud of the fact that PSA has long taken a stance to promote ethical coaching. I am also proud that together with US Figure Skating we were able to produce the CER course on abuse as well as support US Figure Skating’s commitment to producing a safe training and competitive environment. While no system is perfect, we understand that a motivated pedophile can get past our safeguards. This is why it is imperative that coaches be diligent in keeping an eye out for suspect or abusive relationships. We owe it to the children to do our utmost to protect them. I suggest that you take 2 GRO-W Champions sooner than later…It is never the wrong time to do the right thing.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Under Siege – Our Youth
It’s not figure skating. It’s not hockey. It’s not gymnastics or swimming, nor football or basketball…it is our children who are under siege. In 2010, a jury awarded a former scout $18.5 million dollars after the Boy Scouts of America was accused of covering up decades of child abuse. The Catholic Church has had to defend accusations from Canada, Ireland, United States, Britain, Mexico, Belgium, France, and Germany. Every year there is a plethora of accusations against school teachers….as recently as yesterday, a university professor was accused of watching child pornography on an airplane!
As a father I used to worry about the influence of drinking and drugs to my children…as a culture, we turn to the church, the scouts, school activities, or sports to help keep our children off the streets and away from harm. But that seems not to be the case… and quite honestly, it is very difficult if not impossible to protect our children from the “landmines” that surround them. It’s not these activities that are the root of the evil…it’s the fact that that’s where the children are. If you are a drunk, you know where to get the booze. If you are an addict you know where to get your fix. For pedophiles they go where the children are. Six years ago I managed an ice rink and all the outdoor pools for my community. While the rink had its own unique problems, they were nothing like the pool business. You not only have to protect the swimmers from drowning but the scantily dressed patrons from the sick-minded people whom prey upon unsuspecting children. More than once I had to chase away adults who were taking photos of children in swimwear from outside the fence. I have worse stories that I choose not to share…the point is wherever there are kids, especially unattended, these people will be there.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the following: Seventy-one percent of children were classified as victims of child neglect; 16 percent as victims of physical abuse; 9 percent as victims of sexual abuse; and 7 percent as victims of emotional abuse (http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/CM-DataSheet-a.pdf) . My question…how many of the 71% of children who are victims of neglect, make up the victims of sexual abuse? Another thought is that these are NOT specifically children who participate in any one sport or activity…this is a problem of society as a whole!
If any good can come of these continued crises, it is that we as that same community must be vigilant in the protection of our children. As a parent, your really have to think hard about who you allow access to your children, especially unattended. The CDC also reported that the vast majority of abusers (90%) are male, and 71% of the time, the abuser knows the victim. As written in the new PSA CER course on abuse, 2 GRO-W Champions, “It stands to reason that skating as an industry would be no different than the general population, especially when there is ample opportunity for predators to assert authority over a victim.”
Dr. Max Trenerry, a friend and colleague from the Mayo Clinic and co-author of the 2 GRO-W Champions course, has said that it is important as coaches not to put ourselves in circumstances that can be questioned…driving skaters from school to the rink, traveling to competitions, sharing accommodations with your students. No matter how noble the gesture, the appearance to others is suspect and the danger of damaging your reputation or worse is not worth the risk. Honestly, coaches should never be in a closed room or in an environment that is unobserved.
Coaches and all those who assist them have a special obligation to protect children and adolescents from any form of exploitation. Given the abuse that has occurred, coaches, judges and club officials should go out of their way to protect all young people from potentially harmful situations.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela
As a father I used to worry about the influence of drinking and drugs to my children…as a culture, we turn to the church, the scouts, school activities, or sports to help keep our children off the streets and away from harm. But that seems not to be the case… and quite honestly, it is very difficult if not impossible to protect our children from the “landmines” that surround them. It’s not these activities that are the root of the evil…it’s the fact that that’s where the children are. If you are a drunk, you know where to get the booze. If you are an addict you know where to get your fix. For pedophiles they go where the children are. Six years ago I managed an ice rink and all the outdoor pools for my community. While the rink had its own unique problems, they were nothing like the pool business. You not only have to protect the swimmers from drowning but the scantily dressed patrons from the sick-minded people whom prey upon unsuspecting children. More than once I had to chase away adults who were taking photos of children in swimwear from outside the fence. I have worse stories that I choose not to share…the point is wherever there are kids, especially unattended, these people will be there.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports the following: Seventy-one percent of children were classified as victims of child neglect; 16 percent as victims of physical abuse; 9 percent as victims of sexual abuse; and 7 percent as victims of emotional abuse (http://www.cdc.gov/ViolencePrevention/pdf/CM-DataSheet-a.pdf) . My question…how many of the 71% of children who are victims of neglect, make up the victims of sexual abuse? Another thought is that these are NOT specifically children who participate in any one sport or activity…this is a problem of society as a whole!
If any good can come of these continued crises, it is that we as that same community must be vigilant in the protection of our children. As a parent, your really have to think hard about who you allow access to your children, especially unattended. The CDC also reported that the vast majority of abusers (90%) are male, and 71% of the time, the abuser knows the victim. As written in the new PSA CER course on abuse, 2 GRO-W Champions, “It stands to reason that skating as an industry would be no different than the general population, especially when there is ample opportunity for predators to assert authority over a victim.”
Dr. Max Trenerry, a friend and colleague from the Mayo Clinic and co-author of the 2 GRO-W Champions course, has said that it is important as coaches not to put ourselves in circumstances that can be questioned…driving skaters from school to the rink, traveling to competitions, sharing accommodations with your students. No matter how noble the gesture, the appearance to others is suspect and the danger of damaging your reputation or worse is not worth the risk. Honestly, coaches should never be in a closed room or in an environment that is unobserved.
Coaches and all those who assist them have a special obligation to protect children and adolescents from any form of exploitation. Given the abuse that has occurred, coaches, judges and club officials should go out of their way to protect all young people from potentially harmful situations.
"There can be no keener revelation of a society's soul than the way in which it treats its children." - Nelson Mandela
Monday, October 31, 2011
A Lack of Communication
PS Magazine Nov/Dec 2011 Issue
"Any problem, big or small, within a family, always seems to start with bad communication. Someone isn't listening" - Emma Thompson
I just returned from a business trip to find ten voice messages awaiting my attention. Eight of those messages were from coaches or skating directors seeking my counsel regarding a wide range of topics but all centering on poor ethical behavior. Some were perpetrated by management, some by parents and few; by fellow coaches… this is not an unusual occurrence. Most Mondays I spend the morning talking on the phone. That being said, eight messages are a little more than typical. I have to reason that as the economy continues to sputter, anxiety among the general skating population grows. Honestly, some of the skating community, PSA members AND non-members alike, are doing whatever it takes to stay in business, regardless of ethics.
There lies the problem. As we have all heard, "Adversity does not build character, it reveals it." It seems in a number of instances it is revealing a lack of character. Why does this happen? This can not be a phenomenon exclusive to the skating industry. A study conducted in January of 2010 by the Police Executive Research Forum reported that 44% of police departments believed that they were seeing an increase in crimes that were directly related to the poor state of the economy…Ok, it’s a stretch from high crime to ethical issues in figure skating but tight funds create bad decisions.
And bad decisions almost always come from poor or no communication at all. The reality as I see it is when times get tough, we stop communicating. A major majority of those problems come from a lack of direct communication. Would you believe something you heard from Sarah’s brother’s girlfriend’s hairdresser who was talking to a client who told her that Jimmie was talking smack about Jamie’s teaching style…really? But this is what I often hear and my advice is almost always to do the following – communicate!
Remove all emotion from the equation
Write down the facts and review
Sleep on it…a good decision today is a better one tomorrow!
Ask for a one on one meeting with the opposite party. Invite a third party as a mediator if warranted
Lay out the issues, again leaving out the emotion…don’t make it personal.
Listen and don’t interrupt
Listen some more
Hopefully come to a resolution that works
Even if you don’t come to a mutual decision, at least you have done your due diligence.
This works when your problem is with the arena as well. Poor communication is not exclusive to coach to coach tribulations. Often a lack of information to coaches from their club or rink management is just as much to blame. Your arena or club has an obligation to tell the coaches what is expected of them; a written “job description” and the policies and procedures of the organization. How can you be expected to follow those rules if you have never seen them? The coach should know what to expect from the arena and vice verse.
There are some other unique issues when dealing with a club or rink. In fact the list is long. Is your rink public or private? Is it a school or co-op? Does the club buy the ice or is it sold by the rink? Each ownership type will have its own style of management and rules to follow.
State laws are another matter. Do you teach in an “at-will” state? According to Employeeissues.com, it essentially means that employers may fire employees for any reasons, no reasons and even unfair reasons, as long as they are not illegal reasons. One thing we know for certain, “He who has the gold makes the rules.”
To cut a long story short, communication is the key to any successful relationship. If you don’t communicate, or even more importantly, make yourself available for communication, you should not be surprised when you find yourself in the middle of a huge predicament.
"Any problem, big or small, within a family, always seems to start with bad communication. Someone isn't listening" - Emma Thompson
I just returned from a business trip to find ten voice messages awaiting my attention. Eight of those messages were from coaches or skating directors seeking my counsel regarding a wide range of topics but all centering on poor ethical behavior. Some were perpetrated by management, some by parents and few; by fellow coaches… this is not an unusual occurrence. Most Mondays I spend the morning talking on the phone. That being said, eight messages are a little more than typical. I have to reason that as the economy continues to sputter, anxiety among the general skating population grows. Honestly, some of the skating community, PSA members AND non-members alike, are doing whatever it takes to stay in business, regardless of ethics.
There lies the problem. As we have all heard, "Adversity does not build character, it reveals it." It seems in a number of instances it is revealing a lack of character. Why does this happen? This can not be a phenomenon exclusive to the skating industry. A study conducted in January of 2010 by the Police Executive Research Forum reported that 44% of police departments believed that they were seeing an increase in crimes that were directly related to the poor state of the economy…Ok, it’s a stretch from high crime to ethical issues in figure skating but tight funds create bad decisions.
And bad decisions almost always come from poor or no communication at all. The reality as I see it is when times get tough, we stop communicating. A major majority of those problems come from a lack of direct communication. Would you believe something you heard from Sarah’s brother’s girlfriend’s hairdresser who was talking to a client who told her that Jimmie was talking smack about Jamie’s teaching style…really? But this is what I often hear and my advice is almost always to do the following – communicate!
Remove all emotion from the equation
Write down the facts and review
Sleep on it…a good decision today is a better one tomorrow!
Ask for a one on one meeting with the opposite party. Invite a third party as a mediator if warranted
Lay out the issues, again leaving out the emotion…don’t make it personal.
Listen and don’t interrupt
Listen some more
Hopefully come to a resolution that works
Even if you don’t come to a mutual decision, at least you have done your due diligence.
This works when your problem is with the arena as well. Poor communication is not exclusive to coach to coach tribulations. Often a lack of information to coaches from their club or rink management is just as much to blame. Your arena or club has an obligation to tell the coaches what is expected of them; a written “job description” and the policies and procedures of the organization. How can you be expected to follow those rules if you have never seen them? The coach should know what to expect from the arena and vice verse.
There are some other unique issues when dealing with a club or rink. In fact the list is long. Is your rink public or private? Is it a school or co-op? Does the club buy the ice or is it sold by the rink? Each ownership type will have its own style of management and rules to follow.
State laws are another matter. Do you teach in an “at-will” state? According to Employeeissues.com, it essentially means that employers may fire employees for any reasons, no reasons and even unfair reasons, as long as they are not illegal reasons. One thing we know for certain, “He who has the gold makes the rules.”
To cut a long story short, communication is the key to any successful relationship. If you don’t communicate, or even more importantly, make yourself available for communication, you should not be surprised when you find yourself in the middle of a huge predicament.
Monday, October 24, 2011
Secondhand TV
I read an interesting article in the Monday, October 24th, USA Today regarding "secondhand" exposure to TV. Intersting in the way that researchers are warning us about the dangers of watching TV when young children are with in eye or earshot. The Americn Academy of Pediatrics says that it hurts their language development....interesting!
It also reminded me of an interview I conducted for the soon to be released online course, 2 GRO-W Champions, with Dr. Max Trenerry, a noted consultant in Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a Sport Psychology Consultant for US Youth Soccer’s Region II Girls Olympic Development Program.
The course which explores the topic of abuse, exposes a unique consequence of being a bystander to an abusive relationship. Dr. Trenerry say's, "The issue of secondhand abuse or background anger or unresolved anger in the coaching or training environment is really important, especially for young athletes. ... And we know that when young athletes, that are not even involved in the situation, witness and experience, an angry conversation between two adults or between a coach and another athlete, that the athletes around that are adversely affected. What seems to happen is that if the situation is left unresolved so that the anger and the issue surrounding it are not brought to some sort of resolution; there isn’t some sort of agreement and the relationship is left hanging, hanging and angry. That adversely affects the athlete's mood and that will affect their performance. It will be diminished by that. So in situations where a coach has an angry interaction with an athlete, or for that matter a parent having an angry interaction with a coach, another parent, their own child, or another athlete, that will affect everyone around them. It affects the younger athletes more, of course, because they have less experience in life. So their sense of themselves isn't as secure as an adult. An adult might walk away from one of these things, and may feel bad about it. But the child is left in a situation where the authorities around them have been angry and they haven't brought the issue to any kind of focus or resolution that's productive, and so it turns out to be harmful."
It also reminded me of an interview I conducted for the soon to be released online course, 2 GRO-W Champions, with Dr. Max Trenerry, a noted consultant in Psychology at Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, and a Sport Psychology Consultant for US Youth Soccer’s Region II Girls Olympic Development Program.
The course which explores the topic of abuse, exposes a unique consequence of being a bystander to an abusive relationship. Dr. Trenerry say's, "The issue of secondhand abuse or background anger or unresolved anger in the coaching or training environment is really important, especially for young athletes. ... And we know that when young athletes, that are not even involved in the situation, witness and experience, an angry conversation between two adults or between a coach and another athlete, that the athletes around that are adversely affected. What seems to happen is that if the situation is left unresolved so that the anger and the issue surrounding it are not brought to some sort of resolution; there isn’t some sort of agreement and the relationship is left hanging, hanging and angry. That adversely affects the athlete's mood and that will affect their performance. It will be diminished by that. So in situations where a coach has an angry interaction with an athlete, or for that matter a parent having an angry interaction with a coach, another parent, their own child, or another athlete, that will affect everyone around them. It affects the younger athletes more, of course, because they have less experience in life. So their sense of themselves isn't as secure as an adult. An adult might walk away from one of these things, and may feel bad about it. But the child is left in a situation where the authorities around them have been angry and they haven't brought the issue to any kind of focus or resolution that's productive, and so it turns out to be harmful."
After conducting the interview with Dr. Trenerry, I talked to my youngest daughter asking her about how she feels when a coach yells at a skater on a session in which she is practicing. "It makes me sad for them (the skater) and I try to stay away from that end of the ice," she said. When I asked her about future session, she said she just stays away. Interestingly enough I recalled telling her she needed to use all the ice and not just one end one time and I remember her telling me she didn't like skating on the other side. I really didn't put two and two together until today.
This is an interesting concept. Does anyone out there have an opinion on this?
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