5 minute read
Know What To Do, Who To Tell
U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport
After multiple months of leading athlete wellbeing presentations at camps and clubs across the nation, the U.S. Figure Skating SafeSport team faced an interesting challenge: How to present relevant topics to groups ranging from 9- to 18-years-old?
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The answer? Movies.
With nearly 200 athletes and their parents attending U.S. Figure Skating’s inaugural High Performance National Development Team Camp in January, the SafeSport team used scenes from three movies to present uncomfortable scenarios. After each, the athletes were asked: What would you do? Who would you talk to?
“The main theme throughout our entire discussion was if you see signs of misconduct, talk to a trusted adult. Don’t be afraid to report it,” said John Anderson, U.S. Figure Skating senior director of the SafeSport program. “The movie clips and open dialogue helped support that message. It gave the athletes a visual situation and allowed them to interact with the presenters more easily.”
During the presentations – to 17 groups over two days – athletes were asked to really think about who they would turn to if they witnessed misconduct.
“A lot of them said a parent, some said coaches, teachers and older athletes, which is good, because it got them thinking it doesn’t just have to be a parent,” Anderson said.
“It’s all part of empowering the athlete. What’s the one thing they can use? Their voice. And, after interacting with these athletes, I’m confident they will.
For more information about the video clips used or U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport Program, please contact safesport@usfigureskating.org.
THE MOVIES: What would you do?
Shelbi Meyer, manager of outreach and education for U.S. Figure Skating’s SafeSport program, has a background in child welfare and victim advocacy. She takes a look at the three movie clips shown at the National Development Team Camp and answers the question, “What would you do?”
‘Mean Girls’
In a condescending manner, popular athlete Regina (Rachel McAdams) confronts new girl Cady (Lindsay Lohan) in the busy high school hallway about why she has been talking to a less popular girl. Regina then spreads disparaging rumors about the girl while Cady takes it all in.
What would you do?
SHELBI MEYER: I’d tell Regina that my friends don’t spread rumors or talk poorly of others because really, what does that accomplish? Besides being popular, what power does Regina think she has in all of this? I would have stood up for the other person and removed myself from the situation. High school and those teenage years can be tough and for some it can feel like a very lonely place — especially when people like Regina take it upon themselves to label somebody as a being “weird” or an “outcast.” I’d also talk to my school counselor or a teacher because I strongly believe that everybody deserves to be treated with dignity and respect. I’ve always been a very empathetic person so even when I was 16 I know that I would’ve offered support to the person being talked about — I would’ve invited her over after school or given her my number so she could text me if she needed to talk. The world would be a much kinder place if we all looked out for one another.
‘Kicking and Screaming’
Youth soccer coach Phil (Will Farrell) is told by his assistant coach Mike Ditka that he shouldn’t encourage his young team to hurt other players. Coach Phil loses his temper, begins screaming and acting erratically in front of the young players and their parents. The kids uncomfortably take the field while the parents stand nearby on the sidelines.
What would you do?
SHELBI: I would’ve been so uncomfortable if I were one of those kids watching this. We’re all humans and we can all have tempers, but when adults start acting like children? It’s different and it’s odd. You can tell in this video that nobody knew what to do — even the parents! Kids should never have to jump in the middle of adult problems to teach them what’s right and wrong. Assuming my parents were there with me, I would have talked to them about it on the way home. I’d tell them how that made me feel in hopes that my trusted adults did what trusted adults are supposed to do — act on my behalf. I know that if anything ever made me uncomfortable, my dad would be the first to step in to try to make it right.
‘Bad News Bears’
Coach Buttermaker (Walter Matthau) chews out his Little League baseball player after he hits into an out. Coach continues yelling at the player when he returns to the dugout and then starts yelling at the entire team. The players stare at him in silence before the coach — who has now calmed down — sends them back out onto the field with a humble “get out there and do the best you can.”
What would you do?
SHELBI: Kids should be allowed to be kids during sporting events, regardless of how much the adults have invested in the sport. What’s interesting here is that you can really see a change of heart in the coach as he tells the team “do the best you can.” It shows that we’re all human and I’m sure every single one of us can name a time we said something we wish we could take back. It’s OK to have bad days and it’s OK to make mistakes, but it’s not OK to belittle and berate others. In this situation I’d talk to my parents or my teammates’ parents about how we as athletes felt when our coach said all these nasty things to us. Just because a coach promises to produce a successful athlete doesn’t mean that coach has the right to treat an athlete poorly. I’d expect my trusted adults to have that conversation with the coach and I’d want the coach to apologize to our team for his/her actions. If this kept happening, I wouldn’t want to be a part of that team.
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