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
The Quad
Practicing for my comeback!
Saturday, February 04, 2012
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?
Friday, October 21, 2011
Is it Fair?
Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author and forum participants on this web site do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Professional Skaters Association or official policies of the PSA.
ISU Communication No. 1700 just came out and the US has just one judge at this year's ISU World Championships...in pairs no less. Yes you read that right...one judge... although that pair judge gets to judge the preliminary round of ladies as well. Great...in comparison, Turkey has 2 judges, as does Russia, Japan, Italy, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Israel. Belarus, Germany, and Great Britain have 3 each. But the big winner is China with 4! FOUR! How does this happen? This is how that happens ...
ISU Rule 582.4 states:
Principles of entries and restrictions
a) Each ISU Member may enter one Judge by number (not by name) in each discipline in which Judges of this Member are qualified to judge and in which that Member has participated with at least one (1) Skater/Couple in the same Championships or its Preliminary Rounds (see subparagraphs 6.d), 7.c) and 8.d)) of the preceding year, who has/have finished at least one segment of the individual competition or reached in the Preliminary Round the minimal number of points established for that year.
b) An ISU Member can be represented with Judges in all four (4) disciplines within one Championships (This rule does not apply for the World Synchronized Championships).
Is this really the best way to judge our most important event? In my opinion this selection process is more like a lottery and you have about the same odds of winning. I'm sure this is done so the ISU can stand back and throw up their arms in defense and say it's a fair and impartial draw. I understand that...they go to great lengths to convince everyone that this is a fair process....even going so far as to pay for an independent certified Swiss auditor to witness the draw, but by doing that the ISU have introduced randomness to this very important process.
Also, is this the best way to get the best judges to evaluate an event? Maybe this needs tweaking a bit.
How about the way the NBA does its lottery? The basketball team with the worst win/loss record gets more ping pong balls in the hopper than the team that has the best record, increasing there chances of the number one pick in the draft. We could reverse that and countries with the best skaters could have better odds of having a judge drawn. It could be exactly the way they do it for the number of skaters each country gets to send! If we get 3 competitors at worlds, then we get to put up to three judges in the pool. It's not a guarantee but it would increase the odds.
How about tracking the deviations (the number of places between the actual placement of the entire judging panel compared to the placement by the particular judge) over a required number of competitions and then taking the top judges regardless of nationality? This would reward the most consistent judges. What is one of the most important attributes of excellence...experience!
Regardless of the process, the outcome of the draw DOES influence the makeup of the panels. Just because everyone gets an even shot at a spot does not mean that we get the best panel. It's left to chance and although it protects the integrity of the leadership from media scrutiny, I don't think this helps the outcome. We all expect our leadership to stand tall and lead...not to hide behind a process that gives the same odds as you get in Vegas.
ISU Communication No. 1700 just came out and the US has just one judge at this year's ISU World Championships...in pairs no less. Yes you read that right...one judge... although that pair judge gets to judge the preliminary round of ladies as well. Great...in comparison, Turkey has 2 judges, as does Russia, Japan, Italy, Canada, Austria, Denmark, Czechoslovakia and Israel. Belarus, Germany, and Great Britain have 3 each. But the big winner is China with 4! FOUR! How does this happen? This is how that happens ...
ISU Rule 582.4 states:
Principles of entries and restrictions
a) Each ISU Member may enter one Judge by number (not by name) in each discipline in which Judges of this Member are qualified to judge and in which that Member has participated with at least one (1) Skater/Couple in the same Championships or its Preliminary Rounds (see subparagraphs 6.d), 7.c) and 8.d)) of the preceding year, who has/have finished at least one segment of the individual competition or reached in the Preliminary Round the minimal number of points established for that year.
b) An ISU Member can be represented with Judges in all four (4) disciplines within one Championships (This rule does not apply for the World Synchronized Championships).
Is this really the best way to judge our most important event? In my opinion this selection process is more like a lottery and you have about the same odds of winning. I'm sure this is done so the ISU can stand back and throw up their arms in defense and say it's a fair and impartial draw. I understand that...they go to great lengths to convince everyone that this is a fair process....even going so far as to pay for an independent certified Swiss auditor to witness the draw, but by doing that the ISU have introduced randomness to this very important process.
Also, is this the best way to get the best judges to evaluate an event? Maybe this needs tweaking a bit.
How about the way the NBA does its lottery? The basketball team with the worst win/loss record gets more ping pong balls in the hopper than the team that has the best record, increasing there chances of the number one pick in the draft. We could reverse that and countries with the best skaters could have better odds of having a judge drawn. It could be exactly the way they do it for the number of skaters each country gets to send! If we get 3 competitors at worlds, then we get to put up to three judges in the pool. It's not a guarantee but it would increase the odds.
How about tracking the deviations (the number of places between the actual placement of the entire judging panel compared to the placement by the particular judge) over a required number of competitions and then taking the top judges regardless of nationality? This would reward the most consistent judges. What is one of the most important attributes of excellence...experience!
Regardless of the process, the outcome of the draw DOES influence the makeup of the panels. Just because everyone gets an even shot at a spot does not mean that we get the best panel. It's left to chance and although it protects the integrity of the leadership from media scrutiny, I don't think this helps the outcome. We all expect our leadership to stand tall and lead...not to hide behind a process that gives the same odds as you get in Vegas.
Friday, September 23, 2011
Words to Live By
PS Magazine September October Issue
“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.”
While often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson or Robert Louis Stevenson or Hallmark, it was actually written by Bessie Stanley in 1904…I think. I have the readers digest version painted on walls all over my house, “live well, laugh often, love much.” I’ve even used it as the toast at 5 different marriages. While I would like to know who really wrote it in order to give credit where credit is due, the important part is the words themselves. They have a deep meaning for me, one that brings tears to my eyes every time I read it…it is that powerful.
I think we all struggle from time to time to find meaning in our lives. What is our purpose here? Five years ago I took on the position of executive director here at PSA…I wanted to make a profound difference on a larger scale for both myself and the sport I love. What I found is that many of you feel the same way… just looking for an opportunity to make a difference, either large or small.
The words to live by written above are beautiful, but as we all know I like to do, I need to tweak it just a little bit. In the magazine industry we call it editorial license…
“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of coaching peers and the affection of my students; to earn the approbation of honest officials and endure the betrayal of solicitation; to appreciate the beauty of skating; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a better person, a better skater or both; to have skated and laughed with enthusiasm and performed with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have transferred the love of skating to others—this is to have succeeded.”
“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of intelligent persons and the affection of children; to earn the approbation of honest citizens and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch or a redeemed social condition; to have played and laughed with enthusiasm and sung with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived—this is to have succeeded.”
While often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson or Robert Louis Stevenson or Hallmark, it was actually written by Bessie Stanley in 1904…I think. I have the readers digest version painted on walls all over my house, “live well, laugh often, love much.” I’ve even used it as the toast at 5 different marriages. While I would like to know who really wrote it in order to give credit where credit is due, the important part is the words themselves. They have a deep meaning for me, one that brings tears to my eyes every time I read it…it is that powerful.
I think we all struggle from time to time to find meaning in our lives. What is our purpose here? Five years ago I took on the position of executive director here at PSA…I wanted to make a profound difference on a larger scale for both myself and the sport I love. What I found is that many of you feel the same way… just looking for an opportunity to make a difference, either large or small.
The words to live by written above are beautiful, but as we all know I like to do, I need to tweak it just a little bit. In the magazine industry we call it editorial license…
“To laugh often and love much; to win the respect of coaching peers and the affection of my students; to earn the approbation of honest officials and endure the betrayal of solicitation; to appreciate the beauty of skating; to find the best in others; to give of one’s self; to leave the world a bit better, whether by a better person, a better skater or both; to have skated and laughed with enthusiasm and performed with exultation; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have transferred the love of skating to others—this is to have succeeded.”
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)