always very verbal in class," Semenetz said. "I would always raise my hand. "After this happened, I rarely spoke in class. I had no confidence. My mind would go blank because I was so nervous. I still can't get up in a group and speak."

Hussong has been removed as basketball coach at Windsor-Plainsboro High School, but he is still an assistant field hockey coach at Rider University in Lawrenceville. Although his behavior is rare, he's not the only New Jersey coach who has verbally blistered athletes.

Ed Strohmeyer, a veteran baseball umpire and basketball and football official, is concerned about what he sees and hears around the gyms and fields of North Jersey. "I've heard it at halftime when I'm in an area near where the team goes into the locker room," he said. "Brutal at times. The filthy language, extreme profanity. As bad as you can imagine." Strohmeyer said he has slapped coaches with technical fouls for cursing at their players in the huddle loud enough for him -- and spectators - to hear. Even worse, he said, is that the coaches continue this behavior with their athletic directors within earshot.

But while the verdict was clear, the line dividing proper behavior and abusive, reckless, even destructive conduct is another story North Jersey coaches say. For some, the prospect that time-tested motivational tools and a slip of the tongue could get them sued is chilling.

"Just listening to this makes you kind of say to yourself, 'What did I say that was not too smart or could be construed differently?'" said Joe Leicht, boys basketball coach at Wayne Valley High School and softball coach at Indian Hills. "I think this might make us reflect on how we say things to people. You never know how your tone of voice might be construed."

"The legal system is getting ridiculous with this stuff," said a North Jersey football coach who asked to remain anonymous. "People are suing the tobacco companies because they smoke, and they're suing McDonald's because they sell fatty foods. "How far can you go with this? Sometimes a swear word will just slip out."

Some officials also fear the verdict will discourage coaches from taking jobs coaching girls.

Although startling, the verdict is not a surprise. Even before the lawsuit, administrators and coaches had become more sensitive about verbal abuse. Since March 2003, the state athletic association has offered workshops and clinics on subjects such as: "What You Need To Know About Girls Sports" and "Challenges Facing Women Athletes."

"It's a different age," Leicht said. "[Yelling] is not looked on too highly by administrations. In the past, there was more yelling as far as coaches go, but most have toned down their act, so to speak."

And coaches also are beginning to understand the effect and influence they wield on young lives. "Sometimes we, as coaches, don't understand the impact of our words on these kids," said Brian Dunn, who coaches football and girls basketball at Northern Valley at Old Tappan. "Think back to when you were 15 and how much emphasis you put on your coaches' words. Sometimes there's something that you think is just a throwaway comment, but they latch on to it like glue."

This is a landmark case.

We do not know whether it will be appealed.
The ramifications of a case like this are difficult to predict but it is an easy leap to see cases brought against both paid and volunteer YMCA coaches.

Volunteer and paid YMCA coaches must be monitored to ensure appropriate behavior.

Your recruiting procedure must ensure that before a candidate ever works with children, an application and CBC must be completed. In addition, candidates should:
be interviewed and their application reviewed and verified. There should be a discussion of abuse, its prevention, and the Y's no tolerance policy. This should be an integral part of this interview.
receive the Code of Conduct and you must ensure that they read and sign it. KEEP A COPY OF THE SIGNED AGREEMENT.
be subjected to a complete, documented reference check that includes a close family member.
be subjected to a social security check and a criminal background check; (the former provides an inexpensive validation of the application's list of residences; missing or conflicting information is a red flag).
There must be a strict standard of reporting, supervision, and monitoring that
prohibits coaches from scheduling additional group or individual practice sessions.
includes an end-of-season satisfaction questionnaire that asks about additional sessions, gifts or favors, improper or questionable behavior, etc.
requires at least one non-coaching parent to attend all sessions including practices.
informs all parents and participants of the rules (e.g., no private practices, appropriate physical contact, etc.).
informs all parents and participants who to contact if anyone (kids, parents, or coaches) violates the rules.
Volunteer enlistment screening must end one week before practices, games, or other program activity begins; any team not conforming is dropped without exception. There is documented verification of predators actually counseling one another to wait until the last minute because screening typically is looser as the start date approaches.
Peer monitoring should be implemented. Volunteers should be paired together to create co-coach or assistant coach relationships. Part of the ongoing and season-ending protocols should be peer review of coaches (including co- and assistant coaches) by coaches.

Please call us at 800-463-8546 to discuss this or any other risk management safety tip, or visit our web site at www.redwoodsgroup.com to learn more about YMCA risk management related issues.

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Risk Management services are provided by The Redwoods Group to assist the insured in fulfilling its responsibilities for the control of potential loss-producing situations involving their YMCA operations. The information contained is not intended as legal advice; it simply represents trends in the YMCA industry, related industries and/or law. Laws and suggested standards are under constant review by courts, states and trade groups. They can be vastly different in each jurisdiction. For legal advice relating to any subject addressed, YMCAs are advised to seek the services of a local personal attorney. The information is provided "AS IS" without warranty of any kind and The Redwoods Group expressly disclaims all warranties and conditions with regard to any information contained, including all implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The Redwoods Group assumes no liability of any kind for information and data contained or for any course of action you may take in reliance thereon.

released 04/02/04

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