Fight Bullying in Sports by Patrick Cohn, Ph.D. and Lisa Cohn

Bullying is an epidemic in our society today. It's especially
rampant in sports.

A recent survey of high school students across the U.S. found
that 48% of respondents had been subjected to hazing--a form of
bullying in which kids are humiliated or required to take part
in dangerous activities. Much of this hazing happens in sports,
the study found.

Young athletes are bullied by adults as well as peers. Youth
coaches often yell at, tease, humiliate and intimidate kids.

Bullying is a sure-fire way to hurt young athletes' confidence
and enjoyment of sports. In fact, many kids who are bullied drop
out.

Parents have told us they don't know what to do to help their
kids cope with bullies--or how to prevent them from quitting
when they're targets.

Paul Coughlin, a sports dad and coach, says his son quit playing
soccer because two of the kids on the team picked on his son
repeatedly. "They made fun of his hair and what he was wearing,"
he says.

In this case, the bullies were physically advanced, and used
that power to put other kids down, he says. "It was awful for us
as parents. We felt powerless," says Coughlin, now an
anti-bullying advocate.

Not only are the less physically advanced athletes targets of
bullies. So are gifted athletes. Bullies try to hurt gifted
athletes because they're jealous.

Kirsten, a sports mom, says a group of jealous boys tried to
beat up her son. They also stole his belongings, damaged his
belongings, and described sexual acts to him.

Kids, parents and coaches should not tolerate bullies. But
dealing with them is tricky. That's because kids are afraid and
embarrassed to talk about being bullied.

What's more, bullies are crafty and it's hard to catch them. And
schools, sports teams and other organizations often turn a blind
eye to bullies.

Here at the Ultimate Sports Parent, we're developing a series of
resources to show parents and coaches how to help kids stay
mentally tough in the face of bullies.

We're also working on resources specifically for young athletes,
aimed at helping them stay mentally tough in the likely event
that they'll deal with this challenge at some point in sports.

We'll reveal more details of our new program later, but our aim
is to provide practical, proven sports psychology tips for
helping kids stay confident, focused and on track when bullies
target them.

Right now, we need your help!

Do you have any stories to share with us about bullying? You
might discuss the following:

*Have your kids or any of their friends ever been the target of
bullies—peers or coaches--in sports?

*How did this treatment affect the young athletes?

*How did you as parents and your kids' coaches address this?

*Were your efforts successful in putting an end to the bullying?

We'd appreciate it if you post your comments on our blog here:

http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/?p=621

If you'd rather, you can also reply to this email with your
story.

Thanks for your input. Stay tuned for more bullying resources
very soon.


Sincerely,

Patrick Cohn, Ph.D. and Lisa Cohn


P.S. One last question: Do you suspect or worry your young
athlete may be bullied in sports, but feel he or she is too
embarrassed to tell you? Please post your comments on our blog
or return this email!

http://www.youthsportspsychology.com/youth_sports_psychology_blog/?p=621