Photo Credit: © Can Stock Photo / tammykayphoto
I recently received a call from a reporter who was investigating a court case in New Jersey involving a coach and a former player. At the heart of the matter were communications between the two and what was shared during those exchanges.
Though all the facts have not come out yet, and none of the charges were verified at the time I spoke with the reporter, the situation doesn’t look good for the coach. This case (and a couple others that I have been contacted about recently) reminds me of the importance of programs having specific guidelines in place when it comes to volunteers and their communication and interaction with young athletes.
It’s certainly no secret that youth-sports programs are on the radar of child predators. The access to large numbers of children, combined with the opportunities to be in close contact with them on a regular basis, can lead to the destruction of innocent young lives. And sadly, the stories of children being abused in youth sports occur with alarming regularity across the country.