England’s governing body apologized and said it would work to reform after an independent report found a “culture of fear” at some clubs.
The report, based on 1,000 responses from athletes of all ages, parents, coaches and others involved in swimming, identified five ‘cultural themes’ that put the health and safety of people involved in the sport at risk. Identified.
The report says some clubs are prioritizing performance and ignoring the wider benefits of swimming, leading to undue pressure on young athletes and power imbalances, which can lead to a “toxic environment”. It turned out that there is a sex.
The report, commissioned by Swim England, highlighted problems such as bullying and aggressive coaching styles going unchecked, with parents reluctant to complain for fear of retaliation from coaches and peers. I made it.
Coaches also said they felt vulnerable to allegations of wrongdoing.
In a statement on Tuesday, Swim England chairman Richard Hookway said: “The culture in swimming has fallen short of what we aspire to and this has led to negative experiences within our community. I feel sorry for that.”
“As part of that, we take the views expressed about Swim England in the report very seriously and we are committed to changing.”
“We will now take the appropriate amount of time to develop our next steps…Our overarching goal is simple: We want everyone to be safe, participate in our sport, and feel welcome. It’s about making it feel.”
The report also outlined 21 recommendations focused on improving safeguarding and welfare.Reuters