Bullying, nit-picking, constant criticism, intimidation, threat, violence, kicking? Read this

Bullying in school sports

Case history #97

When I entered the seventh grade I loved football. Unfortunately I was small for my age and could not play, so I signed up to be the equipment manager. I enjoyed being with the team and working to keep things running smoothly. Of course, I didn’t know what I know now: adults often live vicariously through children and teenagers.

I didn’t know it when I started, but the coaches despised me. First it began with a few comments about my size or lack of strength. Then the harassment began with a few of the players and the other managers. The worst occurred one day when I had been sent into the supply closet to sort equipment. I was working alone when suddenly two players and three other managers came in. Normally, they would be out at the practice…they had been sent in to me. One grabbed me, the others helped place me into a large equipment bag. The top was held shut while I struggled to get free. It seemed everyone began to kick me so I curled up in the fetal position to wait it out. It seemed like forever and I can remember to this day the kicks and the laughter and the names being yelled at me. Suddenly the bag was loose and I freed myself. To my surprise, practice had ended. The players were filing by laughing and the coach stood over me saying, “We need to toughen you up.” He had watched and condoned the event.

From that day on, I was not safe in the locker room at school. I avoided football practice by intentionally getting detention or by making up excuses to miss. I had always been taught to be dependable and to respect my teachers. I felt I had no where to turn. I could not escape because the coach was also my PE teacher.

This coach would continue to harass me. I remember the PE classes where myself and other small kids would be made fun of in front of everyone. “Don’t cry” was the only advice I would give myself, waiting to get home to cry, knowing my tears would only be fuel for this coach. This coach liked to single kids out each day with a game. We would play some sort of group game where the winners could return to the locker room one by one, leaving the loser for the end. This last would be called the “Greenie Weenie” and his name would be placed on a chalkboard for everyone to see. I remember how hard I would try to avoid being last. On one particular day, I tried as hard as I could and actually came in second to last. I wasn’t the last!!! The coach just looked at me and said, “You are always the greenie weenie” and wrote my name on the board as he laughed.

I think what bothers me the most is that all this still affects me. I am respected in my field. I am well thought of, have a nice family, etc, but these memories attack me all over again. I have more education than this man. I am more accomplished, yet just his memory seems to have power to put me down again and again.

What have I drawn from this? I believe children need to be taught to be honest. Teachers should be respected but children need to know that adults, even trusted ones, can hurt. These teachers should be reported immediately. Parents who raise concerns and children who report such things should not be viewed as troublemakers or disrespectful. Of course the biggest question is how is someone like this left unsupervised or unnoticed. School officials need to learn that the safety of the kids in the school is THEIR responsibility.

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