Study: Kids Bullied in Gym, Sports Avoid Future Activity

[radicalliberal]

9. When I was in school, mandatory P.E. began in the fourth grade and continued --

Last edited Wed Jul 9, 2014, 04:07 PM - Edit history (4)

-- through junior high. (Since I was a band student in high school, I wasn't required to take it -- which was quite fortunate for me because, as I heard, for nonathletic boys it was even worse than it had been in junior high).

You seem to be implying that I was the one who was responsible for the misery I experienced in mandatory P.E. (in contrast to my health club experience). Please ask yourself this question: Why is it that I languished in P.E. but have flourished at my health club? What accounts for the difference?

None of the coaches even mentioned exercise programs. Not even bodybuilding. And as an uninformed boy in his early teens, I knew nothing about bodybuilding or any sort of exercise program. I had to be taught about them, but never was by any of my mandatory P.E. coaches. There was not even any instruction in the sports themselves. We were never taught how the games of baseball, basketball, and football were played. We were never taught how to throw a baseball or a football or how to shoot a basketball. These are physical skills that must be taught, but they never were taught by any of my P.E. coaches. Any boy who was obviously and painfully lacking in these areas never received any offer of remedial instruction.

I'm glad you had a positive experience in your P.E. classes, but please don't assume your experience was universal with your implication that any boy who suffered or has suffered in mandatory P.E. has only himself to blame. (By the way, why must every boy be forced to participate in sports? It certainly isn't necessary to get into shape!) Some P.E. coaches have been outright bullies who never should have been hired in the first place. (A friend of mine who played football at the university where he earned his degree in sociology once was physically assaulted by one of his high-school coaches.) I suggest you do Google searches on "phys ed bullying" and "p.e. bullying" and take the time to read messages that have been posted by men who experienced (or witnessed) humiliation and/or bullying in mandatory P.E.

Tell you what, I'll do you a favor by copying and pasting an example. For the sake of providing context, I'll also post a link to the topic in which the DU member (lerkfish) posted.

128. 7's point, although conjecture, does bring up a valid issue...

(even if it turns out to be irrelevant in this particular case) the issue being that crimes committed by sports players are more likely to be covered up by administrators than crimes by other students.

Witnessed it myself many times. The old "boys will be boys" defense for cover ups. I saw a lot of behavior from sports players that were not only bypassed by normal discipline procedures, but in some cases, encouraged by faculty as they occurred. I personally witnessed the football team grab a "geek" in the shower after gym, do a "dogpile" on him and force him to the team's jocks over his mouth and face while being taunted with various homophobic slurs. The coach was not only a witness, he was orchestrating it. The only reason he finally stopped it was because he realized having 8 heavy guys on your chest and jocks stuffed in your face was probably preventing the kid from breathing.
Unless some discipline happened behind the scenes, I never saw any punishment against the students involved.


Of course, I'm 46, so I would have hoped that situation no longer happens, but I would not be surprised if it continues.

7's point is that sports players are wrongly accorded a select set of looser behaviour rules compared to regular students.128. 7's point, although conjecture, does bring up a valid issue...

(even if it turns out to be irrelevant in this particular case) the issue being that crimes committed by sports players are more likely to be covered up by administrators than crimes by other students.

Witnessed it myself many times. The old "boys will be boys" defense for cover ups. I saw a lot of behavior from sports players that were not only bypassed by normal discipline procedures, but in some cases, encouraged by faculty as they occurred. I personally witnessed the football team grab a "geek" in the shower after gym, do a "dogpile" on him and force him to the team's jocks over his mouth and face while being taunted with various homophobic slurs. The coach was not only a witness, he was orchestrating it. The only reason he finally stopped it was because he realized having 8 heavy guys on your chest and jocks stuffed in your face was probably preventing the kid from breathing.
Unless some discipline happened behind the scenes, I never saw any punishment against the students involved.


Of course, I'm 46, so I would have hoped that situation no longer happens, but I would not be surprised if it continues.

7's point is that sports players are wrongly accorded a select set of looser behaviour rules compared to regular students.

http://election.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x1389741

Frankly, you appear to lack empathy for victims of bullying, especially nonathletic boys. I'm not surprised. There has always been an element of intolerance in the culture of school sports directed against them. (For example, two friends of mine played football at a "rival" school in our district. Years later they would tell me that most of their teammates had looked down on the nonathletic guys at their school as being inferior. Incidentally, as this period included the year 1968, many of them also supported the segregationist candidate George Wallace for President. So much for football building character!) Wouldn't you say that the attitude you have just manifested is more appropriate for a RW forum? Try to broaden your view (and develop your sense of compassion) instead of trying to shame anyone who was ever bullied in P.E.

Have a good day, buddy.