Sporting Violence: The Parents, Coaches, and Child Exploitation

And lesser, though still very serious forms of parental and coaching violence flourish, too often unchallenged by others. Most sports fans can recall examples in which they've witnessed parents and/or coaches publicly demean young children who “fail” in various sporting endeavors. 

The bottom line is too many young children are exploited by parents and coaches, who justify their abusive actions by arguing that they are molding the children for future success, stardom, and wealth.

The reality is no matter how hard (or early) an athlete begins perfecting his/her sport of choice, the odds of making the pros are minuscule, especially given the prevalence of severe injuries that can transpire in athletics. 

Our laws do not allow children to work, least of all for excessive hours per day, but we venerate parents and coaches who push juvenile athletes to the extreme physical and emotional limits. The abused child-athlete is much like the child physically abused by way of family violence. 

It’s common knowledge that abused children frequently blame themselves and will do almost anything to please their parents or other familial abusers.

Likewise, the youthful athlete, still developing physically and emotionally, will internalize his or her athletic failures and do whatever the coach/parent says without complaint, hoping one day to finally gain acceptance via the ultimate symbol of success.

Yet how many athletes in a particular sport or event win the gold medal? 

Most of my writing pertains to MMA. For those readers familiar with this rapidly rising sport, think about Joe “Daddy” Stevenson and UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Forrest Griffin, who, after losing to B.J. Penn and Keith Jardine, respectively, literally sobbed in front of thousands of fans in the arena and millions of viewers on television. 

Said Stevenson of his emotions that came to a climax after his loss, “I put everything I had into it, so it was OK” (Acosta, 2008).

Now imagine a young child, who has put everything he or she had into excessive practices in order to please a parent or coach, but subsequently did not get the win. Would he or she be OK, too? 

Don’t be silent like I was when I witnessed that young 13-year-old take a brutal roundhouse kick to the head. Ensure that sport is an institution used to promote fun.

Despite the distorted images of sporting success and wealth celebrated on television, hardly anyone makes it to the Olympics or the pros. And you know what? That’s OK.

Let the kids know that’s OK, too. 

David Mayeda, PhD, is lead author of Fighting for Acceptance: Mixed Martial Artists and Violence in American Society, the first political book on mixed martial arts, based on in-depth interviews with 40 mixed martial artists, including Randy Couture, “Rampage” Jackson, Dan Henderson, Guy Mezger, Chris Leben, Antonio McKee, Frank Trigg, and Travis Lutter. The book’s Forward is written by Jason “MayheM” Miller.

Part three, "Sporting Violence: The Fans," will be posted Monday.

Non-Internet References: 

Cary, P., Dotinga, R., & Comarow, A. (2004). Fixing kids’ sports. U.S. News & World Report, 136 (20), 44-53. 

David, P. (1999). Children’s rights and sports: Young athletes and competitive sports: exploit and exploitation. The International Journal of Children’s Rights, 7, 53-81. 

Dochefff, D. M., & Conn, J. H. (2004). It’s no longer a spectator sport. Parks & Recreation, 39 (3), 62-70. 

Lord, M. (2000). Parents are dying to win. U.S. News & World Report, 129 (4). 

(Photo by David Mayeda; note: photo not taken at event described in the beginning of this article). 

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