Some would say that sports has been ruining itself for the past several years, or perhaps more accurately, the antics of some of the participants have been ruining sports.
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No actually it’s SafeSport that is ruining sports.
Another report this week of a figure skating competition (just a local one, mainly with children and teens competing) that is not providing locker rooms for the competitors because they can’t get enough people willing to volunteer.
Changing into figure skating gear (the outfits, the mondors, the makeup and hair, and the skates) is kind of difficult in the car in the parking lot. The hotel is an option, but driving to the competition in your gear is kind of uncomfortable.
Are the parents and other volunteers lazy? Hardly! Figure skating parents are historically willing to put in 48 hour shifts working to keep the competitions, ice shows, and other skating events running!
But now, people are afraid to volunteer because if, God forbid, something happens (bullying, sexual impropriety, even someone telling an off-color joke in the locker room that makes another skater feel "uncomfortable)–the parent who was signed up to be the Locker Room Monitor during that time is treated like a criminal. They generally get banned from the sport for life, and once the news is released to the public, they may lose their job, their standing in the community, memberships in any club or organization outside of the rink, and possibly even be banned from entering their church or their children’s school!
This year, one of the sport’s champions killed himself because once SafeSport got hold of him, he was banned from the rink and the SPORT for a lifetime (his only livelihood, BTW)–on the command of SafeSport, not because of any legal conviction of any wrongdoing!
I am not exaggerating to say that unless SafeSport is reigned in, the sport of figure skating may end. Earlier this year, United States Figure Skating made a pitiful attempt to modify SafeSport’s draconian approach, and the Power that they possess to levy punishments EVEN BEFORE FORMAL CHARGES HAVE BEEN MADE, and before any conviction is pronounced in a court of law.! What law?? SafeSport is a Law unto themselves, answerable to no one but themselves!
United States Figure Skating, that proud organization that has sent figure skaters to the Olympics since the Winter Olympics began (Figure skating was a charter sport ) backed away and withdrew their request. So sad.
It could probably be argued that SafeSport is a Child of the Political Left, where government is entangled with every aspect of life in the United States. I have to say that SafeSport is one “chlid” that I wish the Left would have aborted.
