Image Credit: Hockey Canada

By Doug Collins

One Man's Opinion

COLLINS: Expectations in the sports world is not confined to the arena

Jul 31, 2022 | 7:00 AM

While we should be enjoying the sports action on the field, with the Blue Jays in an exciting run, the Lions playing well, NFL teams getting ready for another season, Blazers forming their roster as they prepare to host the Memorial Cup next spring, we find most of the high-profile sports news taking place away from the field of battle.

Two versions of our World Junior hockey team are under investigation for sexual assault allegations, several of our women gymnastics team are talking about sexual harassment and bullying, and more stories are bubbling under the surface.

We need.to have an investigation into all of these allegations. We need to clear the air.

This is not a new problem, and not just in Canada. We have, over the past few years seen a number of instances where coaches at all levels as well as support personnel, have been accused of various degrees of bullying and assault.

To be fair, there is always some non-sexual touching when trainers, coaches and others are working with athletes. And there will be more of that as clubhouses bring professionals from other sexes into the teams’ operations..it is rather the gratuitous activity, the hassling and the bullying that needs to be brought to an end.

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It has happened often and it has taken brave people like Sheldon Kennedy to bring some of the truths to light. But until we dig deep, and put the pressure on our government to find answers, nothing will be done.

We cannot keep sweeping these things under the rug so another generation of athletes face the same humiliation or victims of these athletes face abuse without being able to come out of hiding for fear of the consequences.

Time to step up and find a path going forward to deal with these complaints quickly and definitively as opposed to trying to make them fade into the woodwork by making use of a “special fund” to take care of these “problems”. (quotation marks are mine).

Hockey Canada has spent millions since 1989 from this fund, mostly because of Graham James, charged with assaulting young hockey players. Hockey Canada says the fund is necessary because the organization’s insurance policies don’t cover every single type of claim, and while that may be so, paying over three million dollars to quietly settle a claim of sexual abuse is not the type of claim that qualifies in my book.

Let’s hope we can deal with this situation quickly. And let’s make sure whatever consequences we put in place have the teeth in them to make anyone tempted to think twice.

I’m. Doug Collins and that’s One Man’s Opinion.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.