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One of the defining elements of climbing culture is the bond of trust that forms from the moment climbers meet each other. Innate trust and everything that comes with it – camaraderie, kindness and respect – is what sets climbing apart from other sports and creates the climbing community we love so much.
However, the downside to this blind trust is that sexual abuse and violence can become widespread. If we turn a blind eye to this increasingly prevalent issue in our rapidly growing sport, we risk losing our community, our culture, and all of the unique parts that make our sport great.
If proper boundaries, reporting, and education had been standard and customary when I was a child, former U.S. Youth Climbing Team coach Alexander Fritz would not have had the opportunity to abuse me. His grooming process would have been ineffective and it would have been nearly impossible for him to continue his abuse of other victims. Instead, he mentally and physically abused three victims over a period of six years and across various state and international borders. If he had not been arrested and imprisoned, he would still be abusing young climbers.
Fritz pleaded guilty to four counts of child rape and was sentenced to five years in state prison on October 6, 2022. His four crimes for which he has been charged in no way fully reflect the true scope and depth of his abuse.
Considering the length of time served and his “good behavior,” Fritz could be released as early as 2025.
Apart from the criminal charges, Fritz was added to SafeSport’s disciplinary database and is listed as one of six USA Climbing members sanctioned for unconscionable violations of SafeSport’s policies. These six of his climbers represent countless acts of mental and physical abuse, including having their childhoods ruined and their families forever changed, all of which were caused to the climbers. On the other hand, it is continued by climbers and through mountain climbing.
Conditions of Fritz’s community supervision (formerly known as parole) will restrict him from coaching, mentoring, or working in environments that involve regular contact with minors after his release. Furthermore, they will be prohibited from entering areas where children are active, and access to climbing gyms will be effectively restricted. But once his five-year community custody period ends, there may be no legal hurdles for him to return to the climbing gym. SafeSport declared Fritz ineligible to participate in any aspect of the sport under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, but this ban does not extend to U.S. Climbing sanctioned events (programs, practices, competitions, etc.). ) only applies. Climbing gyms, as separate organizations, fall outside this jurisdiction. Although he is not allowed to coach the team, neither SafeSport nor law enforcement can prevent him from climbing with children during practice or offering private lessons. Additionally, his community custody and SafeSport sanctions do not limit his ability to climb outdoors.
While the six abusers named on the list may seem miniscule compared to mainstream sports (such as 284 on USA Gymnastics’ list and 374 on USA Soccer’s list), climbing remains a relatively It’s a small-scale sport. The introduction of climbing as an Olympic sport will only increase the popularity of the sport, creating more gyms, coaches, and teams across the United States. There have been landmark cases of pedophilia and sexual assault in many mainstream sports that have greatly increased awareness and prevention efforts. The most well-known case is that of gymnastics coach Larry Nassar, which led to the creation of SafeSport. Fortunately, Fritz’s actions are not as widespread as that incident, but I believe this needs to be a turning point in mountaineering.
Sexual violence in climbing doesn’t just affect children participating in competitive climbing, it can affect all climbers. A 2018 Safe Outside survey of more than 5,000 climbers found that 47% of female climbers had experienced some form of sexual harassment or assault while climbing, both in the gym and outside. There was found.
Climbing is not necessarily a respite from real-world problems, as many believe, but simply a continuation of real-world problems. As we, as a community, begin to recognize the contradictory relationship between sexual violence and the trust that is so integral to mountaineering culture, we can better remediate the parts of our community that allow violence to occur and stop the acts that perpetuate it. You can finish it.
While individuals and our communities must promote accountability and education regarding sexual violence, it is important to be aware of existing systems for preventing and reporting abuse in competitive youth climbing.
The U.S. Center for SafeSport was established to protect athletes from mental, physical, and sexual abuse. SafeSport has made internal adjustments and improvements each year to fulfill its mission of fostering respect and ending abuse in sport. During his seven-year history with this organization, he has significantly streamlined and strengthened the system to make processes more objective, efficient and effective.
However, SafeSport has so far fallen short of its goals when dealing with real-world cases. The unfortunate combination of limited funding, resources, and personnel with an overwhelming number of cases has resulted in a frustratingly slow process and, more importantly, a loss of respect in the communities they are meant to protect. As a result, many see SafeSport as a way to get a quick laugh rather than using it to improve the community. It is easy to joke and make fun of SafeThought and its policies, but doing so ultimately undoes the trauma of every person and child who has ever been harassed or assaulted. Whatever the intention, downplaying such dark themes undermines the purpose of SafeSport and those who need it most.
Further complicating this issue in climbing is how lax Safe Sport rules and policies are interpreted and adhered to. SafeSport policies should not be interpreted by coaches, parents, athletes, or teams. Policies are absolute and non-negotiable. If all climbing teams were fully compliant with all of SafeSport’s precautionary policies, there would be virtually no means for predatory adults to track underage athletes. The simplest precautions include prohibiting his one-on-one electronic communications between athletes and coaches, as well as his one-on-one interactions between coaches and athletes outside the gym. All coaches, parents, and athletes should be fully aware of and abide by these rules and consistently report even the most minor violations to distinguish between the simply ignorant and the malicious. is needed. To ignore Safe Sport is to ignore the next generation of mountaineers, and to respect Safe Sport is to acknowledge the real trauma and suffering that necessitated Safe Sport in the first place.
When it comes to preventing sexual violence from climbing, we can all contribute to a better future for the sport. While many climbers may feel far removed from the competitive side of climbing professionally, most potential victims of abuse occur during practice or when the gym is at its busiest. Appears well-groomed on time. In a crowded gym, in a situation where a parent or coach may not be present to observe the occasional inappropriate comment or gesture, someone somewhere can make a change by reporting the prohibited behavior. You will be provided with an opportunity to wake up. Also, from an outside perspective, this behavior is better recognized without the context that other coaches, parents, and athletes may use to justify violating Safe Sport rules. Additionally, as gyms begin to adopt SafeSport policies and employee training, there will be far less room for uncertainty regarding reporting grounds and reporting processes.
By normalizing reporting of prohibited behavior throughout the climbing community, we are setting the stage for a cultural shift towards a safer and more responsible culture. Problems that are easy to ignore are just as easy to recognize. It just takes a little effort from all of us.
After all, it’s not my responsibility to prove that this is a climbing problem or to make you think you can help. It is your responsibility as a supportive, trustworthy and kind community to learn from my story and help end sexual abuse and assault in mountaineering. We can lose our culture by ignoring prevalent problems, or we can preserve it by holding people accountable and using it to uphold the standards we set for ourselves. . Being aware as a community, providing information, recognizing warnings, and reporting symptoms is how we protect this and future generations of climbers.
You can learn more about the importance of making our communities safer and how Fritz impacted my life by reading my victim impact statement here. Masu.
Learn about SafeSport here and help make our community safer.
A team of experts including attorney Shelby Smith, victim advocate Nanci Bidondo, detective Marshall Tolbert, lead prosecutor Jarrett Goodkin, and special assistant U.S. attorney Laura Harmon brought this case to a close. I would like to thank all those who made it through and their wonderful work. Smith, an attorney at Hagens Berman in Seattle, volunteers through the King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC). When we first reported to SafeSport, she was our lifeline, but we didn’t understand our legal rights and responsibilities. She provided support, advice and guidance throughout the process and even though we tried to compensate her, she insisted on doing everything for free with the help of her company. If you are a victim of sexual abuse or assault, RAINN (Rape, Abuse, & Incest National Network) is a great resource for finding organizations similar to KCSARC. RAINN has a national phone number, 1(800)656-4673, and by using the area code in the phone number, we connect all callers to a support person in their area.