A young hockey player faced ongoing bullying from his coach, who appeared obsessed with the player’s father.
The coach frequently made sexist comments and lewd, inappropriate remarks to players, creating a hostile environment on and off the ice.
Despite clear warning signs, SafeSport in Denver, Colorado, dismissed the family’s concerns.
The ordeal began when the coach, displeased with the child’s father, began targeting the player.
“He stopped playing our kid and would make comments like the game was ‘too important’ or that we ‘had to win this one!’” the child’s mother said.
Even when the team’s performance didn’t impact playoffs or league standings, the coach continued to bench her child.
The family first sought help from their hockey organization.
While the coach eventually offered some playing time, his behavior only improved when the mother was absent. “If I was there, the coach was a jerk,” she said.
Frustrated, the mother contacted SafeSport herself, hoping for intervention.
Instead, she was told to take her child to a different organization and was warned about potential retaliation.
She added, “I was flabbergasted. I had evidence showing he was not fit to work with kids—text messages with sexist content, inappropriate comments about my child, and pictures of him on the laps of little girls with lewd remarks.”
The coach’s conduct extended beyond the rink. In team chats, he posted sexually suggestive photos of himself and sought dates while making inappropriate comments about the players.
While some parents laughed, the family found his behavior alarming and completely inappropriate.
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When asked what would happen if the coach harmed another child, the SafeSport representative offered little guidance, suggesting only that she email her evidence—a step the mother feared would go nowhere.
Ultimately, the family decided to move their child to a different hockey organization.
Since then, they report four happy seasons free from harassment.
“We’ve been so happy for the last four seasons,” the mother said, emphasizing the positive change in their child’s experience.
This case raises serious questions about the oversight of youth sports and the role of organizations like SafeSport.
When clear evidence of inappropriate and predatory behavior is dismissed, children are left vulnerable, and families are forced to seek safety elsewhere.
