Predators

Sexual misconduct among the political class has become so commonplace that it doesn't even herald the death knell of one's career in public life.  Bill Clinton, Eliot Spitzer, Mark Sanford, Anthony Weiner and a number of other well known public figures have all had their dalliances exposed and have gone on to new lives after suffering some short term humiliation.  We've had call girls, sexting and cigars.  These sordid affairs caused a speed bump in their lives, but many of these transgressors more or less recovered.  

Not this time.  This time it was kids.

Former Speaker of the House Dennis Hastert was sentenced to 15 years in prison for molesting at least 4 boys while a teacher and wrestling coach at Yorkville High School.  He was caught paying hush money to some of the victims.  It is amazing to me that Hastert was able to get friends to write letters asking for leniency (the defense asked for probation).   And the judge rightfully threw the book at him.   Sex abuse of a minor is a horrific crime.  It steals their youth, and often their lives, leaving them scarred forever.

It occurred to me that this kind of deviant and despicable behavior may be more common than I thought among the coaching profession and that we need to be vigilant and alert in protecting our children.  As was the case in the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal (see the film Spotlight), predators often occupy a position of trust and authority.  It follows, then, that athletic coaches and trainers are in the perfect position to prey on kids.

Jerry Sandusky is the poster child for this monstrous behavior, having used his position at Penn State to abuse many, many children under the nose of Penn State, ultimately tarnishing the school and Joe Paterno.  

In the 2005 documentary film, The Heart of the Game, which chronicled a girls high school basketball team in Oregon, one of the athletes was suffering a myriad of behavior problems and ultimately had her basketball career derailed. Only later in the film did we learn that her adult personal coach and trainer was taking advantage of her.

At the high school where I coached in the early 1980's, 3 athletes brought a suit several decades after the alleged instances occurred against one of the coaches for sexual abuse.   One of those athletes, Arny Alberts, wrote a book about these incidents (Burnt Cookies--available on amazon.com) and the lifelong problems it caused ---depression, alcohol abuse, guilt and shame.  

Brooke de Lench of MomsTeam Team Institute for Youth Sports Safety has a good blog post on warning signs for sexual abuse by a coach (http://momsteam.com/health-safety/sexual-abuse/warning-signs-sexual-abuse-by-coach-of-child).  Her post should be read by anyone whose child is participating in organized sports.

It's hard to say how prevalent sexual abuse is among the coaching profession but these incidents suggest that it may be more widespread than is generally thought and parents should be vigilant and pay attention at all times.   Violating the public trust is one matter, violating the coach/young athlete relationship is another.   Hastert caused a great deal of pain among some young athletes and he will and should pay a heavy price. Shame on those that wrote letters on his behalf urging leniency.