Bullying In Youth Sports And What To Do About It

Bullying in schools and sports teams has become a hot-button issue in recent years. While some tragic examples make headlines, many more instances of bullying don’t. Millions of children participating in youth sports can face bullying on a daily basis, and the effects can be devastating.

Recognize the Situation

You need to recognize that bullying is occurring in order to deal with the problem, but it’s not always easy to catch the perpetrators. One or more athletes on the team may let you know that they or others on the team are being bullied, but don’t depend on being told. Instead, keep an eye out for situations that indicate bullying, such as the following:

• A group of the more talented athletes that pick on less talented athletes
• Hazing rituals targeted at newcomers to the team
• A clique of the more popular athletes teasing a less popular athlete
• The majority of the team taking aim at the “odd one out,” such as a short, tall or overweight athlete, or one who is of a different ethnic background than the others

Bullying can take many forms. You may hear name-calling and other forms of teasing during practice and games. If the bullying is done by a group, the group may prevent the targets from participating fully, such as not passing them the ball. There can also be hazing rituals ranging from hurtful, such as cutting up a uniform, to dangerous, such as sneaking onto a freeway in the middle of the night.

Possible Effects of Bullying

Taking and dishing out light teasing is a normal part of growing up, but bullying can have serious consequences. Children who are bullied won’t have as much fun, if any at all, during practice and games. According to Sport Psychology Today, they’ll be so busy focusing on the bully that they won’t be able to focus on improving their skills during practice or deciding whether to shoot the ball during a game. Consequences can reach further, such as quitting the team mid-season or deciding not to sign up next year, and having reduced confidence on and off the field.

Coaches Can Take a Lead

Since coaches are on or near the scene of the bullying and they know the children who are involved, they can and should intervene. Bullies tend to act the way they do because they have problems at home or feel insecure. If possible, don’t shame the bully by singling him or her out in front of the team. Instead, these are some approaches to handling bullies:

• Give the bully an excuse not to follow through with threats. For example: “Coach Smith said I can’t fight you”
• Keep lines of communication open so your athletes feel comfortable coming to you, according to Athletic Training Now
• Keep the bully out of the starting lineup if the behavior happens
• Let the entire team know that bullying will not be tolerated

Parents Can Help Prevent Bullying

Parents can support coaches in the fight against bullying. MomsTeam.com suggests providing coaches with articles and information on bullying so that situations are easier to recognize and handle. At home, parents can teach their children to say something as simple and effective as, “Stop bullying me. That’s enough!”

The issue of bullying in youth sports is all too common, but it doesn’t need to go so far. Keeping an eye out for bullying and confronting it when it happens can help prevent tragic results while promoting wonderful experiences for your athletes.