Athlete Minded: Stories

Prep school professor in British Columbia Dr. Jennifer Fraser, author of the book Teaching Bullies, joins us today to discuss the prevalence of bullying in athletics, especially with high school athletes.  Her book Teaching Bullies goes into deep detail about how her son and his teammates were bullied by specific coaches when he was playing high school basketball. Our conversation was powerful and emotional, and it brought back a lot of memories for me.  We didn't just blame people, we talked at a high level about the psychology behind bullying, why it happens, and why nothing is done about it.  One of the most powerful moments came when we talked about why nothing is done, and we came to the conclusion that the administrators who know what is going on don't want to lose their jobs at the school or put their necks out for these kids.  It's shocking and illuminating, but just the nature of athletics we now live in. Dr. Fraser also wants there to be laws around emotional abuse, and rules for how coaches can get