PLEASANT HILL, Calif. (KCBS RADIO) – UC Berkeley has put one of the most celebrated swimming coaches in its history on leave over stunning allegations of bullying and verbal abuse – but Teri McKeever isn't the only coach being investigated for what used to be commonplace coaching methods.
For more, stream KCBS Radio now.
"Take your marks, go! Push, push, push, push, push," can be heard echoing through the Pleasant Hill Dolfins summer recreation swim team pool.
This is where the love of sport is launched.
"Pleasant Hill Dolfins. Have fun, swim fast! 'Have fun' comes first for a reason," Head Coach Talli Pitcher told KCBS Radio. "They're going to swim fast if they're here having fun with their friends."
It's only later when kids start to show real talent that the trouble can start.
Cal's McKeever was – and still is – a hero to a lot of elite swimmers, but recent allegations of abuse are only the latest ripple in a wave of accountability among coaches and the institutions that hire them.
University of Southern California recently fired its baseball coach after a dismal season, as well as a misconduct investigation. The National Women's Soccer League suspended or placed on leave head coaches of two teams, as it delved into reports of systemic abuse.
Is this old style coaching colliding with a new generation of awareness?
"This makes me sound old, but I definitely feel like some athletes, or student athletes, are showing up not quite as resilient as they have been," McKeever said in a 2021 podcast episode. "Their coping skills when things get tough are pretty minimal."
Pitcher has been coaching the Pleasant Hill Dolfins for 20 years and swam for Cal in the late 80s, just as the National College Athletic Association recognized women's swimming. "Having been a D1 athlete, having watched my kids be D1 athletes, there's a point where you hate your coach," she laughed. "You have to because they're hammering you so hard and you're so exhausted, you know we trained five hours a day. Some people can take it and some people can't."
"Now, that's not to say whatever's going on is okay," she added. "I don't know all the details, so it's just – I know these days parents try to protect their kids more, shield them from anything that might go wrong, but there is pressure on those coaches to stay at the top. This whole idea of play through pain, do whatever it takes, sacrifice everything, sacrifice the body."
San Jose State Sport Sociologist Dr. Jessica Chin studies toxic sport cultures and abusive coaching practices.
"A lot of them are just leaving the nest for the first time and they want to show that they're able to be independent and be strong, and then with the athlete level athletics you especially want to show that," she explained to KCBS Radio. "You can't show weakness, you have to show that you're competitive, you have to show that you belong, and so people who abuse their positions of power will know that and that's when the abuse starts to occur."
How much pressure are kids putting on themselves in this new era of self awareness?
DOWNLOAD the Audacy App
SIGN UP and follow KCBS Radio
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Related
