Kennesaw State Softball Coach fired for Sexual Misconduct

[grcsftbll]

Cheek kiss? No.
Massages? No.
Hugging? Depends. Hard to define.

Mike Candrea and Cat Osterman:

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That's what I mean about the underlying relationship.

 

[CoogansBluff]

How many college football coaches have called their team a "bunch of fa*gs" after a loss? How many have told them to put on their panties and get off the rag and go back on the game. How many have slapped the butt of a player.

Of course, this coach was fired over a series of things, not one incident.

Gay slurs, IMO, will get you in big trouble whether it's a men's or women's sport. One-time incident, you will be reprimanded. If it's one of a series of other incidents, you can get fired. I could be naive, but I think most college football coaches are smart enough not to go there these days. If it got out that Nick Saban said something like this to his players, it would all over ESPN.

I do agree that college football coaches are allowed to be more verbally aggressive or even abusive and get away with it. I don't think that means that other sports, women's sports in particular, should therefore be more thick-skinned and tolerate it, however.

I think the public is becoming more and more sympathetic with the student-athlete, who toils for free, and some of the old-school crap that coaches formerly dished out is no longer going to be tolerated nowadays.

 

[softballdad02]

I'm not down-playing anything that was done/said by KSU coach. I've been in sports my whole life, so none of this shocks me. That being said, have you ever had the pleasure of being around a female college coach and listened to what came out of their mouths? Sailors would definitely blush! Don't believe me, just ask a current or past college player who has had a female coach. You'll be surprised!

 

[Ken Krause]

Abusive coaches come in all shapes, sizes, genders, etc. It's kind of a self-perpetuating culture. "My coach was like that, and that's my role model for coaching, so I will be like that."

What's changed is the atmosphere. That sort of thing used to be tolerated a lot more. Now, not so much. Especially if someone has a grudge against the coach.

My personal philosophy is one of being positive. I would never think to berate players day after day as a way of motivating them. Not saying I've never said something I've regretted - I have, earlier in my coaching life - but I've tried to keep it to a minimum and learn from the times I've lashed out. I think you can get a lot more out of players if they believe that you believe in them. But not everyone agrees, obviously. Hopefully somewhere along the way more coaches can break the chain.

On the whole hugging/kissing issue, that's a tough one to discuss. I have hugged players before, but only those who open their arms to invite it. Heck, one player I had was a natural hugger; she hugged me when I went to see her in her schools' musical. But I'm not going to initiate it lest the player feel uncomfortable or obligated. Don't want to creep anyone out. It would never occur to me to kiss a player on the cheek. But then it would never occur to me to kiss anyone on the cheek other than my wife and kids.

I will defend one remark he made, however. He was quoted as saying "Avoid the clap." Pretty sure he was quoting from "A League of Their Own" on that one. That's how Jimmy Duggan (Tom Hanks) signs the baseball for the boy who approaches him.

 

[PEPPERS]

I know a few of the players on KSU softball team some DD played against and one DD and I met at softball camp, the players we know are all good young ladies.

 

[kjmpa]

Sensitive topic as we lived through our DD's HS coach being arrested summer prior to senior year. What I would like to convey is the importance of teaching our daughters not to be a victim. Talk about these news stories and situations with them (age appropriate) and be wise and trust your gut. I knew something was wrong in our situation, but had no idea what. Didn't ever think it would be what it was. As for the misconduct or harassment - again, our DDs need to know to respect themselves, and what kind of banter is not acceptable from a coach, teacher, boss, boyfriend...


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[grcsftbll]

 

[Em's Dad]

The massaging and cheek kissing and sexual comments are the things that instantly make red flags go up. No place for those things regardless of gender of coach/player.


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[RubberBiscuit]

DD & I knew this coach from when he was at TT. I am usually a good judge of character and I would say this doesn't fit.

But in general,... if things go as they do these days,... with no real repercussions,.... a coach in this kind of a case just moves a few states away and gets another similar level coaching job. We saw this two years ago and it was handled just like the Catholic organization handle deviant priests.......