Bullying in sports

Bullying in sports happens.

Hazing is likely one of the first things that comes to mind when the topic bullying in sports is introduced. Despite laws being passed, hazing still occurs, but it is not the only form of bullying that occurs in sports. Far from it. I do not possess the expertise to delve clinically into why bullying in sports happens. That said, I will offer my thoughts on this based on personal experience and observations as I provide examples of bullying in sports. And this might come as a surprise but I will also raise the proposition that bullying in the context of sports might have or might of had a beneficial purpose.  So, let's get started.

For our purposes we will define bullying in sports as the physical or verbal abuse, intimidation, humiliation or threats practiced by individuals or groups in order to exert some amount of influence and power over others. These actions can be acute and overt therefore appearing extreme in nature or can be covert taking place subtly and over a longer period of time.

Hazing has taken on an evil connotation in recent years, but can actually be a productive means of acclimating new team members into the culture of a program.  Forcing the rookies to pick up equipment, get water for the team and carry the seniors bags or sing a song in front of the team are all rather benign and harmless ways of initiating players into the team setting. It's bullying because these are tasks the newbies probably do not want to do, but are forced to do because of their status on the team.  Placing icy hot in someone's underwear, taping someone naked to a goal post or the introduction of alcohol to the proceedings are also examples of hazing and the reason we now have laws against it.

So,  I believe bullying in team sports can be classified into two general categories; acclimating individuals socially into the program or intimidatingly establishing a pecking order on the "team". In today's politically correct society any form of bullying is likely to be frowned upon. I'm not here to debate you on that matter.  Rather I would like to explore the effect bullying can have on your program, the team and individual players.

I once coached in a program considered to be among the best in the region. The teams that program produced won a lot year in and year out. It produced all-state players and many went on to play in college. Then the program began to slide and fell on some hard times. Why?  Bullying.

I will point out one case that demonstrates the point.  "Travis" was not a great physical athlete but he was a very smart one. As captain of the JV team he was a tireless work and often pushed his teammates further physically than they thought they could go in training. Travis demanded nothing of his teammates that he himself did not give.  Travis gave a lot though.  He was one of the up and coming stars of a very strong JV team. Travis was called up to varsity late in the season and played in the teams tournament run to a District championship.

The bullying had begun while he led the JV team. A parent of another player felt Travis blocked or threatened her son's advancement to the varsity. Mary rode Travis unmercifully from the stands. Derogatory and offensive comments directed toward Travis that were in extremely poor taste and abusive.  The head coach of the program at the time chose to ignore this behavior. In doing so, he condoned it. And people noticed.

Throughout the next off season, Patrick and a group of friends harassed and bullied Travis to the point that Travis decided it wasn't worth it. The head coach and JV coach met with Travis to convince him he was a valued member of the team and would play a strong role on the field. Their words were not supported by their (in)actions however and the bullies won. They opened a spot on the roster and a role on the team for a friend. This was the beginning of the end. Everything did not come crashing down right away. Rather it was a slow slide into mediocrity.

This is a more common occurrence than the casual observer might be aware.  Bullying often comes with an agenda. A senior player who feels his role on the team is not secure might choose to bully whomever he views as a threat to what he feels entitled to.  The prospect of being relegated to the bench or being cut from the team based on merit is unconscionable to them so a campaign is waged against the perceived threat.  The often underclassman object of the bullying decides not to play or play poorly enough during tryouts to be relegated to the JV team.

Of course, what we are describing is very selfish behavior by bullies. Isn't this often the case, though? Bullies as described above are not team oriented. No, they are "me" oriented.

As mentioned earlier, bullying is not always so dramatic. Freshmen having to pick up equipment, wash pinnies, carry a senior's bags - each of these examples could be considered bullying. And it is fact that being forced to perform has caused people to quit a team.  There is also a servant attitude that can be developed through the performance of such tasks. A player can be humbled and taught to appreciate doing for others. Coaches often preach to the players the need for them to play for one another. There is also an element of earning your way through performing "menial" tasks. And it would be remiss not to mention the mental toughness that can be developed through bullying of this type.  As coaches we must be vigilant that the performance of tasks like preparing water coolers for and getting them to practice does not escalate into something worse.

It's important to remember the transformation Adam Sandler's character undergoes in the movie Water Boy. Bobby Boucher went from a bullied water boy to the star of the team.  Paying one's dues is okay as long as in the balance is the maturation of the player into a competent contributor, starter and even a star for the team. Bullying that makes life so miserable for a player that it brings physical, mental or emotional harm to the athlete and forces him from the team and or sport cannot be allowed nor tolerated.