CHILD ATHLETE PUNISHMENT BY COACHES

“It may not be apparent unless one works in the field, but abuse of athletic children in the name of their sports is relatively widespread, even in so-called civilised societies. (reference continued below0

No one in their Right and Reasonable mind could imagine that a Responsible Parent or Guardian would sign or verbally give “permission to participate” that allowed a Temporary Substitute Caretaker, such as the Coach, to have his or her way-with and Physically, Emotionally and/or Sexually Abuse their Child during Sports, Recreation, Exercise or any other school and non-school activity. [mbmsrmd]

Parent’s and Guardian’s Resonable Expectations when granting “permission to participate” in SRE do not include Unlawful Coaching Behavior.

(continued) Abuse of athletic children “includes the imposition of training regimes suited for adult athletes, punishment, encouraging the development of eating disorders and doping, psychological, sexual and emotional abuse from parents and coaches (who should be the protectors of the child athlete), and other competitors.”

[Br J Sports Med 2007;41:59-60 Book review Human rights in youth sport, Nicola Maffulli, Edited by P David. London: Published by Routledge, 2005]

World Governments and Societies cannot continue to whistle past the graveyards and emergency rooms, while turning a Blind Eye toward the Facts, that Prolematic Coaches (the number of Problematic Coaches is unkown) are Inflicting, Causing or Creating or allowing to be Inflicted, Caused or Created, directly or Indirectly, serious Injuries and/or Deaths following Child Athlete Abuse Syndrome.

Discipline for bad behavior through Reasonable means are within the rights of Parents, Custodians and Temporary Substitute Caretakers.

But UnReasonable Punishment of a Child by a Temporary Substitute Caretaker such as a Youth Coach, Teacher, School Bus Driver, Clergy, Camp Director, Day Care Worker, Youth Minister, Boy Scout leader etc. for not properly executing, achieving and performing their assignments, tasks and play during Sports, Recreation, Exercise and other School and Non-School Activities are totally inappropriate and potentially dangerous.

Furthermore, if the Punishment Elevates to the level of Child Abuse, its unlawful.

“In the law of Negligence, the reasonable person standard is the standard of care that a reasonably prudent person would observe under a given set of circumstances. An individual who subscribes to such standards can avoid liability for negligence. Similarly a reasonable act is that which might fairly and properly be required of an individual. [West's Encyclopedia of American Law, edition 2.]

However, Physically and Emotionally Harming and Endangering a child are certainly not Reasonable.

Parents, Guardians and Temporary Substitue Caretakers must know their own and the Child’s limitations and not cross the line causing serious injury and/or death to the Child being disciplined and punished.

Parents, Guardians and Temporary Substitute Caretakers are the Child Advocates and are responsible for protecting the Child.

Discipline and Punishment should only occur through Reasonable means. Serious Injury, Death and all forms of Child Abuse are not Reasonable. Coversely, they are Criminal.
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“The pressure to win can cause significant emotional stress for a child. Sadly, many coaches and parents consider winning the most important aspect of sports. Young athletes should be judged on effort, sportsmanship and hard work.”

“They should be rewarded for trying hard and for improving their skills rather than punished or criticized for losing a game or competition.

“The main goal (of Sprots Recreation and Exercise) should be to have fun and learn lifelong physical activity skills.” [Tips for Sports Injury Prevention, American Academy of Pediatrics 4/11/2012. Healthychildren.org]
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“An ongoing debate exists over the problems with our nation’s education and sports programs; however, you “never hear experts arguing - nor see solid research proving - that schools [and athletic teams] would be much better if only the students were beaten [and punished] more regularly.”

“The use of physical discipline, or corporal punishment, on children has a long and sordid tradition in America’s homes, schools and athletic programs.

The recent deaths of middle school, high school, college, semi-professional and professional athletes indicates that the use of excessive exercise and punishment by school officials and coaches can kill.”

“Athletic officials and the media attempt to spin athletic injuries and deaths as unfortunate byproducts of playing the game.

“Despite their spin, ‘coaches tweak and torque the athlete to see how far [they] can be pushed.’

“Today athletes are treated as superhuman-heroes who are expected to play even when hurt, sick or fatigued.”

“According to common law standards, public school teachers and coaches may impose reasonable but not excessive force to discipline a child.

“The use of excessive force or exercise to discipline a child violates that child’s substantive due process rights.”

[EXCESSIVE EXERCISE AS CORPORAL PUNISHMENT IN MOORE v. WILLIS INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT - HAS THE FIFTH CIRCUIT "TOTALLY ISOLATED" ITSELF IN ITS POSITION? Author By Kristina Rico Villanova Sports and Entertainment Law Journal, Villanova University, CASENOTE: 9 Vill. Sports & Ent. L.J. 351. 2002]

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“Children and youths have many opportunities to be physically active in the school environment, including physical education class, recess, and before- and after- school programs. In addition, more than one third of children ages 9-13 participate in organized youth sport (Corbin, Pangrazi & LeMasurier, 2004).”

“It is imperative that these experiences promote the importance of physical activity to one’s health. To become active adults, children and youths need to encounter positive physical activity experiences, as supported in the National Association for Sport and Physical Education’s (NASPE) Appropriate Instructional Practice Guidelines documents for elementary, middle and high school physical education (NASPE, 2009).”

“A student’s motivation for being physically active by engaging in the important subject matter content of physical education and sport should never fall victim to the inappropriate use of physical activity as a disciplinary consequence. NASPE supports that view in its National Standards for Sport Coaches: Quality Coaches, Quality Sports, which states that coaches should “never use physical activity or peer pressure as a means of disciplining athlete behavior” (NASPE, 2005, p. 17).”

[Position Statement, 2009, National Association for Sport and Physical Education, an association of the American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, Recreation and Dance, www.aahperd.org/naspe
1900 Association Drive • Reston, VA 20190, U.S.]
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The following study “concerned how coaches’ efforts to solicit better performance from athletes related to male athletes’ perceptions of their coaches’ communication and to athletes’ self‐reports of satisfaction and performance. Data were collected from 192 former male high‐school athletes. Results indicated that when male athletes perceived that their coaches used more aggressive tactics athletes evaluated their coaches communication unfavorably and that when male athletes evaluated their coaches’ communication unfavorably they reported less satisfaction with their coaches, less team success in terms of win‐loss percentage, and less sportsmanship.”

[Aggressive communication in the coach‐athlete relationship by Jeffrey W. Kassing & Dominic A. Infante. Communication Research Reports Volume 16, Issue 2, 1999]

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“The four overarching ethical principles elaborated in the Coaching Code of Ethics, Ethical coaching practice, set standards for coaching conduct that prohibit physical punishment.

“Coaches have a special responsibility to respect and promote the rights of participants who are in vulnerable or dependent positions and less able to protect their own rights”., namely vulnerable, susceptible, minor Children.

“Coaches must maintain Children’s dignity and Rights in Sports”. Coaches must 1st do no harm, “primum non nocere” and Promote Athlete Safety 1st

We are on the cusp of a worldwide sea change regarding physical punishment of children.

Passage of laws is often preceded, and usually accompanied, by public education
regarding physical punishment and the value of positive approaches to discipline.

Implementing measures to ensure the protection of children from harm—including physical punishment—is an obligation of governments under the UN Convention
on the Rights of the Child,

Pediatric Societies “recommend that physicians strongly discourage disciplinary spanking and all other forms of physical punishment.”

Now a growing number of voices from within sport and recreation are raising awareness of physical punishment and supporting its elimination.

“Credible information will change even long-standing attitudes and behaviour.

Growing numbers of Canadian parents are accepting the evidence that physical punishment is ineffective as discipline and potentially harmful, and are becoming familiar with and using “positive discipline.”

The sport and recreation community—leaders, coaches, volunteers, parents, and youth—has begun to reflect on the fundamental difference between punishment and appropriate training. Sports leaders, coaches, volunteers, parents, and youth are speaking up. The times indeed are a-changin’.

[Physical Punishment of Children in Sport and Recreation:, The Times They Are A-Changin’, Coaches Plan Summer 2010 : Vol. 17, No. 2, Ron Ensom and Joan Durrant]

Basketball Coach “accused of abusing at least six of his players, ages 15-20.” The four that spoke with police reported that the Coach “tied them up for hours and even put clothes pins on their nipples, CBS Sacramento reports.” [Calif. basketball coach faces child abuse allegations, CBS News Jan 11, 2013 http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-57563577-504083/calif-basketball-coach-faces-child-abuse-allegations/]