The Bullying Epidemic in Youth Sports
Your sports kids could be the targets of intimidation, harassment, exclusion, physical aggression and other forms of bullying—from athletes and/or coaches. And you might not even know it.
Why?
Often, young athletes’ first reaction to being treated this way is shame, says Mark Hamilton, a professor of philosophy who teaches college courses in sports ethics at Ashland University.
Sports kids are embarrassed to talk about such treatment.
As a former college player and coach, a youth sports coach, and sports parent, Hamilton knows what he’s talking about.
Read on to learn how to protect your kids and combat the bullying epidemic in sports.
Bullied sports kids feel as if they are guilty of something and actually caused kids to treat them badly, says Hamilton. “Victims often feel like it’s their fault and there’s something wrong with them.”
Hamilton saw the negative effects of bullying early on when his brother was ridiculed and pushed out of sports.
“Bullying in sports,” he says, “can be devastating.”
In the least, harassment, intimidation and other forms of bullying will sink kids’ confidence and hurt their success and enjoyment of sports. At its worst, these aggressive behaviors can cause young athletes to drop out of sports and to feel depressed.
“They’ll want to quit the sports,” says Hamilton.
Parents will often feel confused, and think their kids are wimping out, he says. That’s because kids are often too embarrassed to explain what’s happening to them on the court or field or in the gym.
All kinds of sports kids can be the targets of bullies.
- Gifted athletes are often targeted because others are jealous.
- Kids who are smaller and less physically advanced also can become the focus of bullies.
- When kids are competing for a ladder position on a team, bullying is also common.
This behavior is rampant among both girls and boys.
What’s the solution?
Hamilton says parents need to be especially tuned into the possibility that their kids might be bullied. That means talking about it openly and establishing a family culture that encourages kids to talk about such treatment. But that’s not all. “We need a revolution”, he says. And everyone should be involved.
Related Articles on Kids’ Mental Game:
- Helping Low-Income Kids With Bullying in Sports
- Can You Spot the Signs of Bullying in Sports?
- Help Girls In Sports Overcome Bullying
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The Composed Sports Kid
“The Composed Sports Kid” audio and workbook digital download program for young athletes and their parents or coach helps kids cope with frustration and anger in sports. Help your sports kids learn how to manage expectations and let go of mistakes so they can keep their head in the game.
The Composed Sports Kid system is really two programs in one–one program to train parents and coaches how to help their kids practice composure, and one program that teaches young athletes–ages 6 to 13–how to improve composure, let go of mistakes quickly, have more self-acceptance, and thus enjoy sports more!
Wow, did they hit the nail right on the head on this one! Bullying is rampid on sports fields every where in this country. The problem is, when I went to the coaches about it they told me my daughter needed to “toughen up” and learn to deal with these kinds of things. I got 0 support from the coaches and my daughter was only victimized again. Despite her being the best player on the team she quit because she felt like she was walking into a lion’s den every time she went to practice.
After being out the whole season, they asked my daughter to come back for the big 6th grade tournament. Knowing full well that she could help them win it. She told them she wasn’t interested in playing. So everyone loses out when there is bullying on a sports field. You cannot possibly build a team and have unity with a mentality like that. The coaches act is if it is par for the course.