Exactly so, and we see substantial issues in sports that are arms-length like figure skating and swimming.
It is, however, indeed interesting how disproportionate male coaching of female athletes is, especially when you consider how uncommon it is for women to coach men’s sports, even when they are sports that do not have significant gender differences in play or performance.
“coach” = position of authority = male
this is absurdly often true
Yup, I suspect that if you had a man and a woman of equal experience and coaching ability, the man would be far more likely to attract clients and to succeed simply because we have an unconscious bias that leads us to believe that a man is more competent in a position of authority, sadly. The woman is much more likely to be seen as bossy/weak/nagging even if she’s equally competent.
We probably have a higher number of female coaches and trainers in our sport compared to others simply because so many women are involved in the sport to begin with, and it’s not a sport that would be easy for an outsider to understand how to train. The ratio of male to female coaches still seems disproportionate given how many more women are involved in our sport, though (i.e. a man seems much more likely to eventually become a coach or trainer if he rides, whereas most women enjoy it as a hobby for their whole lives).
Has a woman ever held the role of chef d’equipe for an international show jumping team? I know there have been some for young riders, etc., but I can’t think of one for the bigger teams.
Di Lampard England Rio Olympics
And she was a novel change from Ronnie Massarella who was chef for 30 years, until 2000, and would never, ever have a woman on any team, and said so. Di Lampard was appointed head of performance for British Showjumping in 2002 and began to rebuild Britain’s international teams, with apparent results.
My comment was in response to the posts wondering about coaches, gymnasts and cheerleaders. BrendaJane made a comment about most men (including coaches) being regular guys (not perverts). I offered an example of a REAL person who has been around male cheerleaders A LOT, and her observations that the ones she has been around are REGULAR GUYS.
I do not dispute the fact that perverts are excellent at hiding amongst normal people. I do not dispute that many, many perverts were/are described as “the nicest person.”
I do dispute your insinuation that the male cheerleaders my friend has been around are a cesspool of closet perverts who are fondling and assaulting their female teammates.every chance they get. She knows these guys, you do not.
Rooting out child molesters and other perverts take all of us working together - men, women, victims, parents, law enforcement, and the community at large. It does no good to alienate a key group by casting aspersions on them as a whole. We have to be allies in this fight, not adversaries.
That isn’t at all what I said. I was pointing out that even your friends friends might not be who they say they are. Just because you think you know someone, doesn’t mean they aren’t hiding who they really are underneath.
It wasn’t an actual attack on these people you are talking about. Its a discussion.
You may not have intended it to sound like an attack, but it certainly read like an insinuation about a group of young men you know nothing about.
At any rate, as I said, I totally agree these people often hide in plain sight. We have personal knowledge of a case that struck close to home - my husband’s goddaughter was molested multiple times at ages 11-12 by her father’s sister’s husband. The guy had a steady job, was married with a kid, and also worked at the Y and at swimming clubs as a kid’s swimming and diving coach. He turned his “attentions” to our goddaughter when she stayed with him and his family whenever her parents were out of town (they both traveled periodically for work). She was only fondled by him, but it was escalating - he was teaching her to fondle him and “kiss” him (it), and he also masturbated in front of her at least once.
Thankfully she got up the courage to say something to her grandmother before she was actually raped by the b******. During the police investigation, it was learned that there had been a few “accusations” through the years by other parents, but none had wanted to go through with prosecution because they didn’t want to put their daughters through any more emotional trauma. So cases were dropped and the guy went on his merry way with nothing on his record to prevent him from continuing to work with kids. And that is sadly why so many of these creeps get to continue living their lives and targeting more victims. Parents don’t want to traumatize their kids more by having them talk to police or testifying, nor do they want their kids or themselves “stigmatized” by people “talking about them,” and they certainly don’t want people thinking ill of them for putting their kid in a situation that resulted in her/him being molested.
Thankfully we were able to convince our goddaughter’s parents they HAD to cooperate with the police and convince their daughter to testify so more little girls didn’t suffer the same fate down the road. It was a not a fun time for “Emily” (not her real name), but she was a strong little girl and a tough cookie, and she soldiered through the investigation and prosecution. The guy was convicted and although he served minimal time since it was his first “official” offense, he is now on a sex offender’s list and his access to coaching jobs (either paid or volunteer) is OVER.
Thankfully too, the tide is turning as more and more parents and the public at large are now understanding that the only way to stop these perverts is to nail their asses through criminal prosecution (our goddaughter’s case happened over 25 years ago). It takes courage on the part of victims and parents and others peripherally involved to keep things moving in the right direction, and again - it takes the entire village to root out these cockroaches and stomp their asses (legally, of course).
They’re back! Here’s the latest email from AES (sorry it’s long):
In 2021, Athletes for Equity in Sport (AES) continued to speak up and advocate on behalf of participants in Olympic sports who are under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport (SafeSport) regarding concerns about the SafeSport response and resolution process and its impact on both complainants and respondents. AES used 2021 to focus on outreach, urging greater oversight and reforms of SafeSport and providing additional support and assistance to members of the Olympic sporting community involved in SafeSport cases. Our goal remains the safety and well-being of all athletes by working to create a SafeSport process that is competent, fair, and trusted. AES had a busy and productive year with more work to do in 2022.
AES Meets with SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon
For well over one-year, AES has tried to meet with SafeSport officials to discuss AES policy goals and how AES and SafeSport can work together for a level playing field. In December, after insistence and persistence, AES President Diane Carney, AES Vice-president Kelly Cormaci and Athletes Equity Resource Center’s (AERC) President Susie Schoellkopf, met with SafeSport CEO Ju’Riese Colon, SafeSport General Counsel Heather O’Brien and SafeSport Vice-president for Response and Resolution Bobby Click. Engaging in a direct dialogue with SafeSport has been part of the AES Mission Statement from the beginning and we view this exchange as an important step forward in our efforts to fix what AES believes is broken about the SafeSport process. In the meeting, AES stressed its intent to engage in an ongoing dialogue with SafeSport in the coming year about ways to make improvements to SafeSport to better protect the safety of athletes and to ensure trust in the process by all participants. AES raised specific concerns about SafeSport’s lack of transparency in its operations and procedures that undermine faith and confidence in SafeSport, lengthy delays in resolving cases, some for more than a year, and the lack of safeguards against weaponization of the SafeSport reporting and response process. AES has already sent a letter to SafeSport following the meeting seeking additional information about the topics discussed and requesting a follow-up meeting early in 2022.
AES supports the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics
In 2020, Congress established a 16-member Commission on the State of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics to conduct an independent review on the state of the U.S. Olympics and Paralympics and to report its findings and make recommendations to Congress on needed reforms to strengthen existing governance structures and improve the experience of Olympic and Paralympic athletes in the future. All 16 appointments to the Commission were finalized in April of 2021, including the appointment of Nancy Hogshead Makar, Founder and CEO of Champion Women, whom AES was pleased to recommend for appointment.
In our outreach to members of the Commission, AES has urged members to prioritize athlete safety as part of its oversight work and to look closely at SafeSport and how it needs to be improved to effectively achieve its mission. AES has also worked to support funding for the Commission and is pleased that the U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee recommended that $2 million be allocated for the Commission in the federal budget and appropriations process Congress is currently working to finalize, which would enable the Commission to begin its important work. AES believes the Commission provides an important opportunity to tackle some tough issues facing the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic movement and will deliver to Congress specific and informed recommendations on needed improvements, including changes to SafeSport. This Commission will certainly raise awareness of the many pitfalls seen by AES.
AES Raises Profile on Capitol Hill
Over the past year, AES has conducted 25 meetings with staff of relevant Members of Congress with jurisdiction and oversight of SafeSport to promote AES policy goals and objectives. These meetings have enabled AES to raise its profile on Capitol Hill and educate key members of the House and Senate about AES concerns regarding due process, the management and operational integrity of SafeSport, weaponization and abuse of the SafeSport reporting process, and the lack of internal accountability mechanisms at SafeSport needed to inspire faith and confidence in SafeSport decisions. AES has provided firsthand knowledge through our pro bono attorneys, providing essential facts and experiences to these conversations for balanced oversight suggestions.
Specifically, AES urged Members of Congress to take a closer look at SafeSport’s operations and procedures and to conduct more aggressive oversight. This would allow Members to see for themselves what improvements need to be made so that SafeSport can fulfill the mission Congress intended, to protect the safety and well-being of athletes while treating all parties involved in the SafeSport process in a fair and equitable manner. In 2022, AES will continue its outreach to Congress and urge support for needed reforms.
AES and AERC Offer Support and Assistance to Athletes
Members of AES established the Athletes Equity Resource Center (AERC) in 2021 to provide education, support, and assistance to athletes and others who are impacted by SafeSport in all 51 Olympic Sports. AERC provides information and educational materials for all parties in cases of alleged abuse or misconduct. AERC offers these materials to ensure that each party has equal access to resources they need for their opportunity for a fair and just process.
In conjunction with AERC, a 501©(3) accepting contributions and donations that are tax-deductible to the donor, AES produced a 30-second Public Service Announcement (PSA) to promote the AERC Athletes Assistance Program Hotline (855-639-3009). Athletes and their families in all 51 Olympic sports, can call the hotline 24/7/365 to learn available resources and assistance to help them navigate the SafeSport process or to speak to a professional mental health counselor. The PSA aired during the CBS Sports Network broadcast of the 2021 National Horse Show and can also be viewed on our website at www.athletesforequity.org.
To learn more about the important work AERC is doing to support athletes and how you can help, please visit their website at www.athletesequityresourcecenter.com.
AES Experienced Significant Growth in 2021
In 2021, the collaborative efforts of AES have increased membership, added representatives from new sports, and achieved significant donations to support AES and its ongoing work to improve SafeSport.
AES is proud to report $2.5 million in direct and in-kind contributions from generous supporters who identify with the AES mission and have donated significant time and money to our work since AES was founded in 2019.
In addition to our ongoing fundraising efforts, AES has also added new members to the AES leadership team, including attorney Steve Silvey, who serves as AES Counsel (pro bono). Other talented and experienced attorneys who have joined the AES Executive Group this year include Mike Caddell and Cynthia Chapmen. These and many other members who joined AES in 2021 have added new energy, expertise, and incredible value to our bi-monthly Executive Group calls and strategy discussions that have been held since October 2019 and will continue in 2022.
AES was also pleased to welcome new members in 2021 representing a growing list of sports including pentathlon, badminton, wrestling, boxing, gymnastics, cycling, hockey, equestrian, figure skating, and fencing.
With new talent and resources in our corner, AES is planning an active agenda to improve SafeSport in 2022. Our work will include active engagement with Congress, the Commission on the State of U.S. Olympics and Paralympics, and The Center for SafeSport senior leaders.
AES is grateful for the generous donations it has received and the countless hours our members have freely given in support of AES and the work we do every day to make SafeSport work better for To learn more about the work AES is doing and how you can volunteer or donate, please visit www.AthetesforEquity.org or email athletesforequity@gmail.com.
They clearly are trying to pivot.
I’m sure SafeSport is imperfect, and parts of the process could be improved. But the people who formed AES were very much part of the ISWG group. It’s hard to square that with the claim that this is all about a sincere commitment to improving SafeSport now. At the beginning, many folks were pretty vocal about wanting to eliminate it.
It’s probably a positive thing that the entire discussion around SafeSport seems to have become more productive and positive… but many of the ugly and callous comments that flowed freely on Facebook for the last two years everytime COTH wrote an article related to one of a few prominent bans… well… its kinda hard to just forget that. 
Did they actually misspell their own web address in this press release? God I hope so 
Also a simple google search by any competent hill staffer will reveal who these people really are and who they have publicly advocated for and lead to more people who also don’t want to talk to them.
Contrast 2.5mill in donations and “in kind” donations 
with only the gymnastics settlement and you’ll understand how far this won’t go.
That is a direct cut-and-paste, so it appears so 
Although it looks like the link goes to the right place (I’m not clicking on it. That’s how I got on their list in the first place lol).
Yup…I am not involved in politics so don’t know the usual timelines, but I can only wonder if that’s the reason it took so long to get someone to actually meet with them (because they can use Google to see everything like we did!). Also “after insistence and persistence” sounds like “SafeSport couldn’t take our harassment any more so they caved and let us come in for a meeting”.
Steve Silvey is involved in youth Hockey and the prominent family of one of the other attorneys (the two other named attorneys are a married couple and practice law together) has many members involved in youth sports across the South and Mid-west. It helps to know why people are sitting down at the table, so you can understand their motivations and positions.
I imagine that they are valuing the time of their pro-bono volunteers at a very high rate to get to that $2.5 million number.
Amanda DeVore of True Flight Equine, in the Chapel Hill area, has been added to the Safesport list for Physical Misconduct. The other half of the business and owner of RateMyRiding, Corey DeVore, has not been sanctioned at this time. The business is a lesson barn that caters primarily to children riders and they are deeply involved in the local 4-H, but there are also adult riders there. From the look of things, the ban was sudden and completely unexpected, and it is unknown if the charge is connected to the children riders or the adult riders.
I have written about and very publicly spoken about our SafeSport experience (which was extraordinarily better than our law enforcement experience at the federal level). What I recognize now is that we can talk about SafeSport until we are blue in the face, but anyway you look at it, they are necessary for a reason. We need to work to start addressing that reason at the root of the problem. I am active on the WeRideTogether thread on this forum and would love to answer any questions you have. I would love to steer everyone there to learn about the campaign and talk about things we can do to make our incredible sport even better, and happier and healthier for the next generation of riders who are growing up in the barn. The thread can be found under #weridetogether video.
Carrie
For those of you who have Netflix, the second season of Cheer was recently posted. Episode 5 focuses on a rising star in the cheer community, Jerry, highlighted in season 1, who by filming of mid-season 2, had been arrested for child sexual abuse. SafeSport and athletic organizations’ need for more child safety controls was a major theme of the episode. It’s worth a watch. Journalists from USA Today, as well as a child safety advocate who had been a victim of Nassar while competing in gymnastics, were included in the episode.
And I was reminded of the equestrian community’s similar challenges, in particular, increasing safety and awareness within the USEF unaffiliated lesson barn scene.
Janelle Pierson has been added to the SafeSport list, for allegations of misconduct. This particular individual has a story attached to her sanction. In 2002, she was a HS English teacher, married to a budding dot-com stud named Greg. You might think, “Hey, what’s the deal?”. Well, Greg’s dot-com site was an online gambling site named “Ultimate Bet” and it was involved in a years-long multi-site cheating/rigged game scandal, along with some others owned and controlled by an online gambling syndicate. Anyway, while Greg was busy with his dubious side-gig and cash was flowing in, Janelle had begun to have a relationship with one of her HS students, which lasted about a year. Eventually, the boy’s family found out, informed the authorities, and Janelle quickly agreed to plead guilty to misconduct of an official, which is a misdemeanor.
You’re wondering why that happened, no doubt. Well, the official reason is that the family refused to cooperate with a criminal prosecution, to spare the boy additional difficulties. Because she had piles of her husband’s money to offer, a financial settlement was negotiated in addition to her misconduct plea and she basically had to do nothing except quit teaching and do some “for show” penance after paying the family of the boy a sizeable sum of cash.
Now that you’ve got the meat of the story, here’s the potatoes and why she’s being sanctioned by Safesport. Greg and Janelle own and operate The Deer Creek Equestrian Center, home of Kathy Kerron’s Echelon Training AKA Echelon Hunter/Jumpers and they attend horse shows she goes to, as their daughter is a rider under her guidance. There is the possibility that the sanction will be lifted due to the technicality of her not pleading guilty to a sexual offense involving a minor, despite the facts surrounding her case.
I noticed the suspension appears on the Safesport website itself, but the USEF sanction page does not have her up yet. Any thoughts as to why?
Amanda Devore was banned earlier this month. Subject to appeal.
Edit: typo.
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