A culture of sexual misconduct has grown within the ranks of elite competitive swimming.  The organization responsible for protecting our youth, USA Swimming, has consistently ignored sexual transgressions of its swim coaches, much as the Roman Catholic Church overlooked the transgressions of its sexually abusive priests.  Recent media attention only highlights the consistent pattern of swimming coach sexual abuse, which has actually been occurring for decades within the sport.  Following recent pressure by media outlets and sexual abuse lawyers, USA Swimming issued a letter to its members, in late-April 2010, finally agreeing to address “Child Protection Efforts.”

 

Issuing a letter describing a plan to be implemented in 2010 does little to help those scarred by recent or years-old trauma from emotional or sexual abuse at the hands of a trusted swim coach. 

Parents have long trusted USA Swimming to protect the interests of their children.  USA Swimming is, after all, the national governing body of competitive swimming in the United States and is responsible for training and selecting our Olympic athletes.  Swim coaches in effect become surrogate parents to these children and young adults.  Normally the athletes spend more time with their coaches than with their blood relatives.  How horrifying is the notion of a parent unknowingly delivering their child into the hands of a sexual predator?  

How could “the national governing body” allow sexual predators within the ranks of its swim coaches?  USA Swimming apparently did conduct background checks of its coaches.  According to media reports, however, the organization only conducted searches for criminal convictions.  As long as a sexually abusive coach’s record remained conviction- free, he would apparently pass this rudimentary “background check.”  It was relatively easy for sexual predators to outwit this system.  Predators would simply perpetrate their crimes until discovered, resign, and move on to the next pool.  This would not stain their record with a recorded conviction to be discovered at their next job screening.  A simple telephone call from USA Swimming would have revealed allegations from previous coaching jobs.

The emotional scars of sexual and emotional abuse can last a lifetime.  These sexual predators are preying on some of the world’s most elite athletes during their formative years.  Pre-teens and teens, already struggling with typical adolescent issues, also face national and international competitive pressures of the sport.  With these pressures, sexual abuse by a coach is a pressure few, if any, are prepared to handle.  These young elite swimmers must focus their emotional attention of their immediate swimming career, many suppressing the emotional pain, and its results, until later in life.

If you have suffered sexual abuse by a swim coach, contact the attorneys at Bailey & Partners.  Our California sexual abuse lawyers understand the need to send a message that the use of authority over youth to commit sexual abuse is not normal and not allowed.  Whether sexual abuse is perpetrated by swimming coaches or the clergy, when organizations have failed to prevent child predators from interacting with youth, they must compensate the victims’ of their inaction.