“It Was the Worst Time in My Life”: The Effects of Emotionally Abusive Coaching on Female Canadian National Team Athletes

Abstract

This study sought to explore the long-term effects of emotionally abusive coaching on female athletes. Although the long-term effects of childhood emotional abuse are well-documented in the child abuse literature, this question has not been explored empirically in the domain of sport, an environment in which emotionally abusive coaching practices are known to be common. In various prevalence studies of athlete maltreatment in sport internationally, emotional abuse is the most frequently experienced form and yet the long-term implications of these experiences are not well-understood. This study involved interviews of eight retired, elite, female Canadian National Team members. The findings revealed that athletes reportedly experienced different effects depending on whether they were in their competitive careers, in the retirement transition, or in post-transition life. All of the athletes required professional psychological assistance to help them recover from their emotionally abusive experiences; for some, this process continued for six years post-retirement. The effects described by the athletes resembled the symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder suggesting an important line of future research. Until coaching practices become abuse-free, these findings also indicate a clear need for the provision of psychological supports and resources for athletes during and post-athletic career.

“I still wake up with nightmares” … The long-term psychological impacts from gymnasts’ maltreatment experiences.

“…Treatment for the array of negative disorders experienced, required psychological, sometimes clinical support. Our findings resonate with those by Kerr et al (2020) whose elite female athletes all required professional psychological support to recover from their experiences of emotional abuse. Building on these findings, longitudinal research is needed with former athletes currently working with psychologists to navigate through their maltreatment experiences, so that the most appropriate support mechanisms can be provided, thus extending the duty of care for athletes’ postsport.…”

“…Within the sporting domain, contemporary researchers have started to explore the impacts of abuse postsport (Kerr et al, 2020; McMahon & McGannon, 2020, 2021). For example, across a range of individual and team sports, Kerr et al (2020) interviewed eight retired, elite, female Canadian athletes who reportedly experienced emotionally abusive coaching practices. Of particular significance was the observation that negative effects persisted in the long-term, including disruption of relationships, avoiding talking about traumatic events, intrusive nightmares, and negative self-concepts.…”

Notes From the Editor

“…Johnson, Hanna, Novak, and Giardino (2020) discuss the prevalence of harassment and abuse, the important role the U.S. Center for SafeSport plays as an independent national organization, and the evidence-based prevention and response strategies being utilized by the Center. Kerr, Willson, and Stirling (2020) seek to give voice to elite-level female athletes' experiences with emotional abuse from their coaches. Their research highlights the short-and long-term effects of this emotional abuse and the need to provide psychological support for these athletes as well as seek prevention strategies to reduce likelihood in the future.…”

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“…All of these psychological effects have also been reported as a consequence of emotional abuse in parent-child relationships (Iwaniec et al, 2006;Stirling & Kerr, 2013). Likewise, emotional abuse has negative effects on the well-being of athletes, including depression, eating behavior, anxiety, and fear of the environment (Battaglia et al, 2017;Kerr et al, 2020). Emotional abuse in an athlete-coach relationship occurs when athletes show a lack of confidence in their own abilities (Gervis & Dunn, 2004).…”