Podcast: What to do about abuse in sport
Positive experiences in sport are instrumental in helping kids to develop the skills, confidence, and love of movement that are the hallmarks of physical literacy. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, some sport experiences turn very dark.
In February, CBC Sports published a story describing how more than 200 amateur sport coaches in Canada have been convicted in the past 20 years of sexual offences against over 600 athletes under the age of 18. These revelations shook the foundations of the Canadian sport community, and they added impetus to the creation of a new toll-free hotline for reporting abuse.
Related read: Safe sport tips for parents
The Canadian Sport Helpline provides professional listening and referral services from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time, seven days a week. You can reach the helpline by phoning or texting 1-888-83-SPORT, or by emailing [email protected].
In this podcast, Active for Life editor-in-chief Richard Monette speaks with Marie-Claude Asselin, one of the people who was instrumental in creating the helpline. Marie-Claude is the chief executive officer of the Sport Dispute Resolution Centre of Canada, and she has over 40 years of experience as an athlete, coach, official, administrator, and volunteer at all levels of Canadian amateur sport.
