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Student Sample

Professor Gordon

EWRT 2

9 December 22

Winning the Game, Losing the War

The blasting music continues on in the background as the crowd disperses. I walk down

the steps from the stage with my friends after the awards ceremony has ended. Standing there in

the corner are two figures, one looming over the other. A young girl, the first runner-up in the

competition, barely 10 years old, stands sobbing into her hands as her mother berates her. Her

voice is barely above a whisper, and yet each word seemed to weigh hundreds of pounds,

crushing the girl in shame and guilt. Glimpses of “you should have practiced more” and “how

could you have fallen out of your turn” could be heard as the child continued to furiously wipe

away her tears, not daring to make a sound. Upon seeing the people staring, the mother drags the

girl away, back to the dressing room.

As someone who used to dance professionally, these scenes of teachers; parents

ruthlessly demanding perfection; attacking without restraint are a common sight. If it is not a

matter of winning, then it is a matter of gaining some benefit from these young adults without

regard for their wellbeing. In the podcast, “You’re Wrong About Tonya Harding”, Sarah

Marshall commented how the, “US FSA told [Tonya] that if she wanted to go to the Olympics,

she and Jeff needed to reunite because they felt that he was like an adult influence on

her” (Marshall). An association which was supposed to aid their skaters, had instead turned their

backs on her dire mental and emotional wellbeing. This resonated with the experiences I have

seen and heard as I wondered how many other children are being oppressed by the adults who

were supposed to
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support and nurture them into fine athletes. As malleable and impressionable children and

teenagers are, they are just as easily affected by these expectations and restraints put on them.

From this, I wonder: what consequences does child exploitation in sports have on their

upbringing and self-image?

In July of 2017, Lawrence G. Nassar pleaded guilty for sexual assault and abuse of over

five hundred girls and women. As the former national gymnastic doctor, he attempted to cover up

his actions through medical examinations and treatment. While the guilty was eventually brought

to justice, the process to reach this point brings the question as to where the priorities of the

authorities lie. In the article, “Every six weeks for more than 36 years: When will sex abuse in

Olympic sports end?”, Will Hobson and Steven Rich explain, “USA Gymnastics officials waited

five weeks after first hearing a complaint to report Nassar to law enforcement in 2015, and then

didn’t inform Michigan State, where he continued to work with young athletes until August

2016” (Hobson). For an entire month, the officials failed to take heed on the potential dangers

happening to their athletes. For a complaint that is dire enough to eventually send Nassar in

prison, the lack of action in investigating or even simply informing the athletes in contact with

him speaks volume on their inconsideration for the dangers the gymnasts face.

And the dangers had already left their scars. One of the abuse survivors, Maroney, who

was sexually assaulted since she was thirteen stated, “I had a dream to go to the Olympics, and

the things that I had to endure to get there were unnecessary and disgusting.” (Hobson).

“Unnecessary” would be an understatement. The near last thing any athlete or human should

worry about is their doctor sexually assaulting them and having no way to ask for help. Yet we

still have children—barely teenagers—suffering under the hands of someone they should have

been able to trust and betrayed from the very organization they are competing for. Thirteen is a
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very sensitive and impressionable age and the athlete is forced to carry that trauma and burden

with her as those who were supposed to protect her allowed her innocence to be stolen. In

another article, “Nassar Abuse Survivors Reach a $380 Million Settlement”, Juliet Macur

further explains, “Many of the girls and women abused by Nassar have battled mental health

issues, including anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, and some have attempted

suicide because of the abuse” (Macur). The pain does not end when the culprit has been caught.

The damage had been done. While the direct trauma may be caused by the assaulter, the

responsibility in not taking action in ending this abuse quicker lies in the US Gymnastic officials.

From their negligence, the athletes’ lives will never be the same.

While this terrible scandal demonstrated the scarring impact of having to go through

these traumatizing events, sexual assaults are not uncommon within the sports community.

According to “The Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in Sports” , The Zalkin Law Firm finds that,

“40% to 50% of young athletes have experienced sexual abuse ranging from mild harassment to

severe abuse” (The Zalkin Law Firm). The sexual abuse that happened to the USA Gymnastic

team may have been brought to light since it affected a high-profile team, but thousands of

children continue to be victimized within sports. Without significant players at risk, most assaults

go unnoticed.

Another reason for the high number of assaults comes from the vulnerable position most

young athletes find themselves in sports. In another article, “Perpetrators of child sexual abuse

use sport as cover, inquiry finds”, Wrack explains, “sport provides a more conducive

environment for physical contact, with the primary perpetrators being coaches, both of clubs and

privately, and other adults working in sporting facilities” (Wrack). With training, being in close

proximity with coaches and teachers is inevitable. This window where touching is normal and
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expected allows these adults to push the boundaries of what is considered appropriate all for the

sake of satisfying their own twisted desires. For these grown-ups—who should be focusing on

guiding and supporting these teenagers—to view their students as nothing more than an object

who they can use as they please is both sickening and enraging. A victim who went through

sexual abuse in sports explained, “It was step by step and grooming [...] So there wasn’t the

immediate transition where you think: ‘Oh, my God, that’s completely abnormal.’ He sort of

built it. But as a kid, you’re not taught what’s abnormal” (Wrack). A child should not have to

learn for themselves what abnormal behavior is in order to properly protect themselves. There is

a certain trust that is already established early on between the student and the teacher, and the

responsibility to not abuse that trust lies in the adult. Yet, when trust is abused, children grow up

struggling to ask for help or find themselves doubting every grown-up they come across. With

young athletes already in a rather unguarded position, especially due to the need for physical

contact when practicing, the adults must be held accountable for their actions and how they

impact the teenagers. Being an easy target does not give people the right to harm them. Instead, it

should be made certain that the fragile and impressionable are protected.

In the past 2022 Winter Olympic, Anna Shcherbakova won gold in the Women’s single in

figure skating. Russia has long reigned as a strong competitor in this category with their

centralized training system pushing young girls to do difficult jumps at an earlier age than the

last. Each generation, the expectations and skill level of olympians continue to increase at a

drastic rate as more challenging tricks are demanded from young teenagers. The pursuit in

reaching a higher level at times where children’s bodies are still developing are not without

consequences. Longman states in his article “Success of Russia’s Female Figure Skaters Takes a

Toll in Injuries and Stress”, “It is easier to jump before the body matures and fills out after
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puberty. [...] Yet, while young bodies are flexible and resilient, they are still growing and can be

susceptible to injuries to the joints and soft tissue” (Longman). In exchange for a lighter weight,

these adolescents are at a constant risk of injuring themselves in ways that can be irreversible.

Getting hurt is to be expected when training for something as competitive as the Olympics.

However, the sudden increase in physical health issues and injuries highlights the dangers of

continuing to push these young skaters beyond their limit.

Several instances have occurred throughout the years where the societal pressure and

expectation have caught up to these skaters. Longman continues in explaining, “Yulia

Lipnitskaya, who won a gold medal in 2014 in the inaugural team skating competition at age 15,

retired last August, saying she had struggled with anorexia.” (Longman). At her peak life at 19,

Lipnitskaya was forced to finally put her health in front of her ice skating career. For a sport

where weight-regulation is seen as extremely important on top of the need to maintain an

aesthetic body image, eating-disorders are not uncommon within the competitive sport industry.

Nonetheless, commonality is not an excuse to dismiss this recurring problem. Rather, it

addresses how the media and the overall system have continued to fail these adolescents who

have no choice but to endanger their own health in order to meet unreasonable expectations.

Young girls no longer view their bodies as something to be taken care of, but rather something

that needs to be molded into what others want. In a more current case, Longman recounts, “In

early November, Medvedeva won the NHK Trophy, a Grand Prix competition in Japan. But,

after returning home, she revealed that she had needed painkillers to perform in Moscow in

October and had competed in Japan with a broken metatarsal bone in her right foot” (Longman).

Once again, the young athlete’s body was unable to get the rest it needed for the sake of winning

at a competition. When prompted as to why she continued on despite the broken bone,
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Madvedeva simply stated, “This is the Olympic season” (Longman). While the young skater was

not forced to join the competition, her mindset and priorities is rather concerning to see. This

emphasis on how important the Olympics is over her own health sends a message that a wound

should be allowed to have the time needed to heal only until it is time to compete. When have we

as a society started constantly putting down these athletes' well-being under the excuse that the

glory and fame gained from winning the Olympics is enough to compensate for the risk of

irreparable damage? What idea have we been enforcing on these children that they slowly

desensitize themselves from the pain as winning became everything to them? For these

teenagers, most not even old enough to drink yet, there is only so much their body can take

before they break.

The issue of child exploitation—especially within the sport industry— has been a

recurring problem for far too long. The close proximity between authority figures and students

allows adults to take advantage of the established trust the young athletes hold towards their

teacher; the unending stress from harsh demands and expectations leads teenagers to turn a blind

eye towards their health. When an issue persists over a long period of time, the people become

accustomed to the problem and no longer view it as something that needs to be solved

urgently—repetition leads to desensitization which leads to passivity. For each day that passes

where nothing is done to aid these children who continue to be harmed in the pursuit of doing

something they love, we offer twisted priorities and lasting trauma on silver plates. These

adolescence are our future, and yet we continue to insist on standing on the side while our

societal failures burn through their blooming talents far too quickly. At the end of the day, a

competition is just a competition, but these young athletes' health and wellbeing is what enables

them to have a future.

Annotated Bibliography

Hobbes, Michael, and Sarah Marshall, hosts. “Tonya Harding Part 1.” You’re Wrong About,

episode 50, Buzzsprout, 18 July 2019, https://www.buzzsprout.com/1112270/3883967-

tonya-harding-part-1. 23 Nov. 2022

Hobson, Will, and Steven Rich. “Every Six Weeks for More than 36 Years: When Will Sex

Abuse in Olympic Sports End?” The Washington Post, WP Company, 17 Nov. 2017,

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/every-six-weeks-for-more-than-36-years-when-

will-sex-abuse-in-olympic-sports-end/2017/11/17/286ae804-c88d-11e7-8321-481fd63f17

4d_story.html. 23 Nov. 2022

In the article, Hobson and Rich discusses how sexual abuse have been a reoccuring

problem for 36 years while highlighting on the Nassar case. They go into specifics on

what had happened during the scandal, what actions the authorities did and did not take

as well as some of the responses from the victims. They utilized multiple quotes from

olympians who have gone through this traumatic experience as well as quotes from

authority figures. This article is useful to my research since it emphasized how the

Olympic sports organization failed to do their part in protecting these athletes as well as

providing first-person accounts of some of the victims. However, this article has some

limitations since it offers only one aspect of child exploitation and does not go into depth

on what lasting impact these assaults have left on the children.

Longman, Jeré. “Success of Russia's Female Figure Skaters Takes a Toll in Injuries and Stress.”

The New York Times, The New York Times, 7 Feb. 2018, https://www.nytimes.com/2018

/02/07/sports/olympics/russia-womens-figure-skating.html. 28 Nov. 2022

In the article, Longman argues how many women Russian skaters have faced an increase
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in injury and health issues. He provides multiple examples of figure skaters who have

retired due to eating disorders or risked getting further injured. They provided different

quotes ranging from authority-figures about this citation and the athletes themselves

about what they have noticed has changed. This article is useful to my research since it

offers many specific examples where the skaters have been forced to reevaluate their

priorities due to the amount of pressure they have on them. However, this article still has

limitations since it only offers one aspect of child exploitation and does not go into depth

on how their actions reflect on their upbringing.

Macur, Juliet. “Nassar Abuse Survivors Reach a $380 Million Settlement.” The New York Times,

The New York Times, 13 Dec. 2021, https://www.nytimes.com/2021/12/13/sports/olymp

ics/nassar-abuse-gymnasts-settlement.html. 23 Nov. 2022

In the article, Macur explains the resolution to the Nassar case and further actions taken

upon closing this case. She discusses how the everlasting effects of being a victim to the

sexual abuse and provides multiple quotes on the authority’s response to this incident as

well as links to show where they got the information from. This article is useful to my

research as it highlights how finding the offender and arresting them does not mean that

the scars and pain the victims endured simply goes away. However, this article does have

some limitations as it only provides one viewpoint on child exploitation and does not go

into depth on other examples as it focuses mainly on the Nassar case.

The Zalkin Law Firm. “The Prevalence of Sexual Abuse in Sports.” The Zalkin Law Firm, 11

Apr. 2022, https://www.zalkin.com/news/2022/april/the-prevalence-of-sexual-abuse-in

-sports/. 30 Nov. 2022

This short post highlights the main points of what happens when an athlete's trust is

broken, some statistics, provides warning signs of abuse and where to find support. They

did use some previously conducted research as a source and provided statistics from it.

This post is useful to my research as it provides a specific statistic on how many young

athletes have suffered from sexual abuse. This provides a more general outlook on how

many young children are being exploited through statistics. However, there are some

limitations as it does not provide any other specific details or quotes on these accounts.

Thompson-Wells, Margot. “Exploitation of Children in Sport : A Widespread and Unchecked

Problem.” Humanium, 29 Mar. 2022, https://www.humanium.org/en/exploitation-of-ch

ildren-in-sport-a-widespread-and-unchecked-problem/. 23 Nov. 2022

In the article “Exploitation of children in sport : a widespread and unchecked problem”,

Margot Thompson-Wells addresses many scenarios in which children have been

exploited in sports as well as reasons for why these abuses have occurred. The author

uses multiple sources including statistics and real world examples to prove how child

exploitation is a serious issue that continues to persist today. This article is useful to my

research since it provides statistics on how many children suffer through this as well as

different examples that can be further expanded on to address this issue. However, this

article has its imitations as it does not go into depth on the anecdotes given and does not

fully go into the details on how these exploitations impact children and their upbringing.

Wrack, Suzanne. “Perpetrators of Child Sexual Abuse Use Sport as Cover, Inquiry Finds.” The

Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 18 June 2020, https://www.theguardian.com/sport

/2020/jun/18/perpetrators-of-child-sexual-abuse-use-sport-as-cover-inquiry-finds. 28

Nov. 2022
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In the article, Wrack discusses the new research found from The Independent Inquiry into

Child Sexual Abuse. The author finds the main points addressed from the research

findings in a way that would be easier to process and understand. They also utilize

statistics found and specific quotes from victims of sexual abuse who volunteered to be a

part of the research. This article is useful to my research as there are proven research on

how adults are able to have physical contact with their students and many first-person

quotes that help share their experiences. However, there are still some limitations as it

does not go into depth on the impact the experience had on the victims, but rather what

approaches their coaches or teachers used to get closer to them.