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Coming Soon in the Fall of 2021
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What is "Success" in Competitive Sports?
Examining Values, Power Structures, and the Problem of Abuse
What, Where, When:
This is a small-group conversation about ethics and sports developed by Curious Soul Philosophy. Folks who register will participate in the conversation. It will be online via Zoom. Dates TBA. A session is two hours. As sessions fill up, more dates will be added.
Description:
In 2016, news broke of one of the biggest abuse scandal in sports history. Over 150 cases of sexual abuse came to light in USA Gymnastics. Since then, the number of reported cases has grown to over 500 and counting, covering decades of abuse.
The wide response to the USA Gymnastics scandal has made it clear that abuse in sports is complex and systemic: It is not just sexual in nature, but emotional and physical as well. It is not just reserved for the sport of gymnastics, but runs rampant across athletic programs. It is not just reserved for elite athletes, but regularly begins at intermediate levels. And, in case you were wondering, abuse is not just for girls.
In the stories streaming in from a wide variety of sports around the world, we hear a common narrative. Coaches, parents, and athletes turn to popular notions of “success” in sports, and what is believed to be necessary to achieve it, to explain how such harsh training environments, strict obedience, environments of intimidation and fear, neglected injuries, starvation, silence, and the general acceptance of dehumanizing behaviors could have gone on for so long. The stories point to long-standing cultures that normalize abuse under the assumption that it is necessary for high achievement.
In competitive sports we're dealing with a crisis in ethics.
It's time that we ask ourselves what our values and goals really are (and should be!) in competitive sports and what “success” really means. Let's consider:
Digging into this topic is not easy work, but it is motivated by the basic notion that ethical understanding, ethical commitments, and ethical practices are not things we can wait for someone else to require of us or hand to us in an abstract bullet-point "code". It's our responsibility to critically examine the beliefs, values, and power structures of the sports-cultures we inherited, to understand what their effects have been (the good, the bad, and the ugly), to come to terms with them, and to make change. It's our responsibility to articulate our own commitments and to find creative solutions for the future.
This is deeply personal work that requires some soul searching. It is also community work that requires listening to each other. In sports we can sometimes forget that the sides of ourselves that question, listen, deliberate, and shape values need a workout too. Let's get stronger together.
Who is this conversation for?
This conversation is appropriate for athletes (active and retired), parents of athletes, coaches, athletic directors or owners of gyms, therapists and counselors, and athlete-advocates. Though the conversation is relevant for any sport, I want to make a space for the gymnastics community to work on these questions, so it is likely that many examples will come from the gymnastics world.
The content of this conversation, though experienced first-hand by many children, can be emotionally difficult and trigger memories of past trauma. For now I am putting a 15 year-old age-requirement on participation.
This is a small-group conversation about ethics and sports developed by Curious Soul Philosophy. Folks who register will participate in the conversation. It will be online via Zoom. Dates TBA. A session is two hours. As sessions fill up, more dates will be added.
Description:
In 2016, news broke of one of the biggest abuse scandal in sports history. Over 150 cases of sexual abuse came to light in USA Gymnastics. Since then, the number of reported cases has grown to over 500 and counting, covering decades of abuse.
The wide response to the USA Gymnastics scandal has made it clear that abuse in sports is complex and systemic: It is not just sexual in nature, but emotional and physical as well. It is not just reserved for the sport of gymnastics, but runs rampant across athletic programs. It is not just reserved for elite athletes, but regularly begins at intermediate levels. And, in case you were wondering, abuse is not just for girls.
In the stories streaming in from a wide variety of sports around the world, we hear a common narrative. Coaches, parents, and athletes turn to popular notions of “success” in sports, and what is believed to be necessary to achieve it, to explain how such harsh training environments, strict obedience, environments of intimidation and fear, neglected injuries, starvation, silence, and the general acceptance of dehumanizing behaviors could have gone on for so long. The stories point to long-standing cultures that normalize abuse under the assumption that it is necessary for high achievement.
In competitive sports we're dealing with a crisis in ethics.
It's time that we ask ourselves what our values and goals really are (and should be!) in competitive sports and what “success” really means. Let's consider:
- Why do we get involved in sports in the first place, and what do we really want out of them for ourselves and our kids?
- In what circumstances are sports joyful, enriching, and healthy, and in what circumstances do they become toxic?
- Which risks and sacrifices are we willing to endure to achieve our goals, and where do we draw the line?
- How can we distinguish between tough coaching and abuse?
- How can we develop positive experiences for young athletes that nurture and respect them as whole persons and set them up for a healthy adulthood?
- How can we empower young athletes to have a voice in this conversation and in their own training?
Digging into this topic is not easy work, but it is motivated by the basic notion that ethical understanding, ethical commitments, and ethical practices are not things we can wait for someone else to require of us or hand to us in an abstract bullet-point "code". It's our responsibility to critically examine the beliefs, values, and power structures of the sports-cultures we inherited, to understand what their effects have been (the good, the bad, and the ugly), to come to terms with them, and to make change. It's our responsibility to articulate our own commitments and to find creative solutions for the future.
This is deeply personal work that requires some soul searching. It is also community work that requires listening to each other. In sports we can sometimes forget that the sides of ourselves that question, listen, deliberate, and shape values need a workout too. Let's get stronger together.
Who is this conversation for?
This conversation is appropriate for athletes (active and retired), parents of athletes, coaches, athletic directors or owners of gyms, therapists and counselors, and athlete-advocates. Though the conversation is relevant for any sport, I want to make a space for the gymnastics community to work on these questions, so it is likely that many examples will come from the gymnastics world.
The content of this conversation, though experienced first-hand by many children, can be emotionally difficult and trigger memories of past trauma. For now I am putting a 15 year-old age-requirement on participation.
About Your Workshop Leader:
Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a specialist in ethics, a former philosophy professor, a certified philosophical counselor, and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She has long considered the intertwining issues of values, power, justice, and gender. She is a former club and NCAA Division I gymnast, and has a long-standing passion for the question of what success really means in competitive sports.
Monica is committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and for the last few years she has been working to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the local community to deal with urgent problems. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul. Her philosophical counseling work was recently highlighted in Oprah Magazine. She also collaborates with organizations and colleges, like Oregon Humanities, Literary Arts, and Lewis & Clark College.
If you are interested in pursuing individual philosophical counseling (whether you are an active athlete or retired, a parent, or a coach) to work further on critically examining inherited worldviews (especially related to ethics, values, success, and identity), coming to terms with past experiences and their effects, and moving forward with your own ethical commitments for the future, Monica is happy to work with you! Contact Monica through the main menu above.
Monica Vilhauer, Ph.D. is a specialist in ethics, a former philosophy professor, a certified philosophical counselor, and the founder of Curious Soul Philosophy. She has long considered the intertwining issues of values, power, justice, and gender. She is a former club and NCAA Division I gymnast, and has a long-standing passion for the question of what success really means in competitive sports.
Monica is committed to the practical value of philosophy for everyday life, and for the last few years she has been working to move philosophy beyond academic settings and into the local community to deal with urgent problems. She does this by offering workshops, retreats, and individual philosophical counseling through Curious Soul. Her philosophical counseling work was recently highlighted in Oprah Magazine. She also collaborates with organizations and colleges, like Oregon Humanities, Literary Arts, and Lewis & Clark College.
If you are interested in pursuing individual philosophical counseling (whether you are an active athlete or retired, a parent, or a coach) to work further on critically examining inherited worldviews (especially related to ethics, values, success, and identity), coming to terms with past experiences and their effects, and moving forward with your own ethical commitments for the future, Monica is happy to work with you! Contact Monica through the main menu above.
What to Expect:
This conversation is an adaptation of a "Conversation Project" designed and facilitated by Monica Vilhauer for Oregon Humanities in 2017-2018, which was sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This will be a small-group session in which those registered will participate in the conversation. We will create a welcoming and safe environment to think and brainstorm together, and participants will be able to speak from personal experience to the extent that they feel comfortable. Though we don't expect to have all the answers, we will ask good questions that move our critical and creative thinking forward, so that we may begin to figure out how to articulate clearly and practice for ourselves a "living philosophy" or "living ethic."
Unlike other "philosophy workshops" offered at Curious Soul Philosophy, we won't be reading philosophical theory in advance of our conversation. Instead we will draw on news articles, web pages, videos, and (most importantly!) our own personal experiences. From these resources we will outline and discuss the ethical positions and problems that need attention.
This conversation is an adaptation of a "Conversation Project" designed and facilitated by Monica Vilhauer for Oregon Humanities in 2017-2018, which was sponsored in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
This will be a small-group session in which those registered will participate in the conversation. We will create a welcoming and safe environment to think and brainstorm together, and participants will be able to speak from personal experience to the extent that they feel comfortable. Though we don't expect to have all the answers, we will ask good questions that move our critical and creative thinking forward, so that we may begin to figure out how to articulate clearly and practice for ourselves a "living philosophy" or "living ethic."
Unlike other "philosophy workshops" offered at Curious Soul Philosophy, we won't be reading philosophical theory in advance of our conversation. Instead we will draw on news articles, web pages, videos, and (most importantly!) our own personal experiences. From these resources we will outline and discuss the ethical positions and problems that need attention.
Rates:
- $25 per participant for a 2-hour workshop session.
- The workshop has limited space in order to maximize conversation. Sign up soon to save yourself a spot. If your preferred date is full, send a note through the "contact" form in the main menu to voice your interest for future sessions, and we'll work on setting them up.
- Register by clicking the button below and following instructions to use PayPal. You'll receive a personal confirmation and the Zoom link from the workshop leader within 24hrs. Thanks!
Recommended Resources
I recommend reading a couple of these articles before the workshop. I should warn you that they do speak of abuse of all kinds and can be triggering.
Articles
"Why do athletes tolerate abusive coaches?" by T.F. Charlton, 4/05/13, Salon
"A blind eye to sex abuse: How USA Gymnastics failed to report cases" by Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans, 8/04/16, IndyStar (first article in their "Out of Balance" series that broke the Larry Nassar story)
"The U.S. Gymnastics System Wanted More Medals, And Created A Culture Of Abuse To Get Them" by Dvora Meyers, 5/01/17, Deadspin
"US gymnasts tell AP sport rife with verbal, emotional abuse" by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr, 2/24/18, AP
"Mistreatment of young gymnasts alleged against Anna Li, USA Gymnastics' new athlete rep, and her mom" by Scott M. Reid, 8/05/19, Orange County Register
"Special report: Families detail Maggie Haney's abuse of young gymnasts" by Scott M. Reid, 5/08/20, Orange County Register
"Gymnasts World Wide Push Back on Their Sport's Culture of Abuse" by Juliet Macur, 8/03/20, New York Times
"What if Everything We Know About Gymnastics is Wrong" by Lizzie Feidelson, 5/04/21, New York Times Magazine
"Medals Keep Piling Up. But at What Cost?" by Lauren Green, 7/30/21, Sports Illustrated
"Simone Biles has changed what it means to be an elite gymnast" by Alyssa Roenigk, 8/03/21, ESPN
Videos
"I Was Broken" Katelyn Ohashi, 8/08/18
"Silent No More" 4/22/18, Dateline
Films
"At The Heart of Gold" 2019, on HBO
"Athlete A" 2020, on Netflix
"End Game" 2020, on Vimeo
Podcasts
"Heavy Medals" 30 for 30 Podcasts
"Aimee Boorman on Coaching Simone Biles and Must Hear Advice for Gymnastics Culture Change" on The SHIFT Show
Books
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, Joan Ryan, 1995
Chalked Up, Jennifer Sey, 2008
Off Balance, Dominique Moceanu, 2012
Helpful Websites
"Abuse in Sports: A Primer for Parents" SmartTeams.org
I recommend reading a couple of these articles before the workshop. I should warn you that they do speak of abuse of all kinds and can be triggering.
Articles
"Why do athletes tolerate abusive coaches?" by T.F. Charlton, 4/05/13, Salon
"A blind eye to sex abuse: How USA Gymnastics failed to report cases" by Marisa Kwiatkowski, Mark Alesia and Tim Evans, 8/04/16, IndyStar (first article in their "Out of Balance" series that broke the Larry Nassar story)
"The U.S. Gymnastics System Wanted More Medals, And Created A Culture Of Abuse To Get Them" by Dvora Meyers, 5/01/17, Deadspin
"US gymnasts tell AP sport rife with verbal, emotional abuse" by Mitch Weiss and Holbrook Mohr, 2/24/18, AP
"Mistreatment of young gymnasts alleged against Anna Li, USA Gymnastics' new athlete rep, and her mom" by Scott M. Reid, 8/05/19, Orange County Register
"Special report: Families detail Maggie Haney's abuse of young gymnasts" by Scott M. Reid, 5/08/20, Orange County Register
"Gymnasts World Wide Push Back on Their Sport's Culture of Abuse" by Juliet Macur, 8/03/20, New York Times
"What if Everything We Know About Gymnastics is Wrong" by Lizzie Feidelson, 5/04/21, New York Times Magazine
"Medals Keep Piling Up. But at What Cost?" by Lauren Green, 7/30/21, Sports Illustrated
"Simone Biles has changed what it means to be an elite gymnast" by Alyssa Roenigk, 8/03/21, ESPN
Videos
"I Was Broken" Katelyn Ohashi, 8/08/18
"Silent No More" 4/22/18, Dateline
Films
"At The Heart of Gold" 2019, on HBO
"Athlete A" 2020, on Netflix
"End Game" 2020, on Vimeo
Podcasts
"Heavy Medals" 30 for 30 Podcasts
"Aimee Boorman on Coaching Simone Biles and Must Hear Advice for Gymnastics Culture Change" on The SHIFT Show
Books
Little Girls in Pretty Boxes, Joan Ryan, 1995
Chalked Up, Jennifer Sey, 2008
Off Balance, Dominique Moceanu, 2012
Helpful Websites
"Abuse in Sports: A Primer for Parents" SmartTeams.org