Indiana Water Ski Association Junior Development Clinic Coached by Nate Smith

[amyrooker]

Image removed at the request of one of the parents.

 

The Indiana Water Ski Association needs to answer for why they allowed their 2020 Junior Development Clinic to be coached by a man who was suspended from the sport after the accusations of physical abuse and sexual conduct with a minor against him were found credible by SafeSport.

[Ali]

Yeah, that is unbelievable. Should not be allowed to happen.

[VermontSkier]

And they removed the post

[Ali]

What I struggle to understand is over 600 views and only 2 comments? Do people not think this is important? Anybody who has done the Safe Sport training want to comment?

 

Cheers

Ali

[amyrooker]

It’s a blatant disregard for the safety of the minors at the clinic, and extremely disrespectful to survivors of abuse in our sport.

 

The Indiana Water Ski Association should never have allowed this. It’s disgusting. The association’s decision to change the privacy settings of their original post and refusal to comment on their actions is cowardly.

[Ali]

Can we leave a crop of the orginal pic without the image of the skiers who wanted to be removed? @amyrooker ?

 

[Orlando76]

It disgusted me. Sadly I see so many people on this website and Facebook who either support him or at least give him the benefit of the doubt. By many people I mean well over 50%. If I was a parent in Indiana I would’ve raised hell.

[WoodySkier]

Very bad look for the Indiana Waterski Association, no way to spin it.

[amyrooker]

 

[APB]

Horrible. Indiana waterski association does the right thing! X Nate smith

[mlange]

That is also Nate on their cover photo, isn't it?

 

 

[mfjaegersr]

(Edited) Appreciate the correction, @BraceMaker.

 

I was (or wasn’t) thinking...’probation’...which *is* still active...isn’t it?

[BraceMaker]

@mfjaegersr - he is no longer under any form of USOC based safesport suspension.

 

In terms of the sanctioning bodies/USA Waterski IWWF etc. etc. he is fully eligible to participate/coach/mentor etc.

 

 

[Orlando76]

A lot of dislikes popping up.

Surely those people don’t have children especially daughters. Nor a conscience.

[ScottScott]

I can't imagine anyone in water skiing doesn't know the story, or at least the details that are available. It appears that not just here, but several of the parents in Indiana are giving the benefit of doubt also.

[BraceMaker]

@mfjaegersr - I believe the reporting was a 2 year probationary period however I don't believe that provides any restriction from participation in waterski sanctioned events and doesn't show on the centralized database - So it probably was written more of a during this period of time conduct will be reviewed type of scenario.

[MuskokaKy]

@Ali , its not that; this has been commented on many many many times in other threads. most viewers have shared their thoughts and have their camps. i agree and hear you but you must understand people have moved on for better or worse. I dread even sending this for the sake of adding to this thread but thought you may have missed the previous threads..

[Geppetto]

It is hard to read this and just move on like nothing happened.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/sex-misconduct-report-on-water-ski-champ-shows-limits-of-safesports-reach/2019/09/19/17696572-d8bb-11e9-ac63-3016711543fe_story.html

[Ali]

@MuskokaKy I have read the other threads and links which is why I found this to be big news. It should not have happened IMO. Kids should not be put at risk.

 

I have noticed references to NS appearing more on my social media feeds which makes me feel uncomfortable. I am concerned that companies which myself and my wife use (ML, D3 and Eagle) still seem to be sponsors.

[BraceMaker]

@Geppetto - I think unfortunately for your opinion or mine - the sanctioning body has issued a judgement.

 

I don't know if any of the persons who were harmed have weighed in with further complaints, objected, requested additional sanctions etc.

 

However if they have not - the sanctioning body has weighed their penalty and at this point in lack of someone pressing it forwards it does need to die. It is entirely possible those persons have been acted upon by sponsors that write a check or provides equipment or a boat that would fear that it would be taken away, or a parent who has blamed that party - or simply that a parent has pressed these charges forwards in a municipality such as maybe Florida where a younger person has the ability to consent. Its hard to know/

 

BUT - at this point I think it is important for people to respect the opinions of the involved persons and back down unless the actual victims wish to press forwards. If these persons are directly representing a victim who has asked for people to work in their behalf that is very different.

 

Like it or not someone be assaulted and no press charges. In which case it is basically impossible unless a group of direct witnesses are available and can assist in prosecution. That is representative of a culture in which perhaps they don't feel their sponsors will support them, or that they will be a pariah - but it is important that that persons options be honored.

 

Like it or not a youth athlete who is of age of consent prior to safe sport's existent can consent to whatever activity they would like so long as it is presently legal and that person can not be prosecuted for activities which were not at that point illegal.

 

All of the above statements I feel represent the law - they don't need to represent anyone's personal opinion - however I would encourage anyone who feels the need to protest for those persons to consider what their personal feelings are towards the event. From my reading of the encounters some of them were criminal assault but no charges were pressed, some of them were consensual sexual activity in a state that age of consent was achieved. But I have not seen that a minor is alleging sexual assault.

 

That is a much longer post than I intended and anyone is welcome to argue any of those points.

 

[BraceMaker]

And if any of those brands should be shown to have done such pressure I would strongly pressure to not support those brands - I have not seen posts that indicate that a victim is indicating that - but I would weight that heavily in future purchases.

[amyrooker]

While it’s true that a lot of people have already formed opinions on this and are stuck in their camps, we cannot just let it go and move on. When people stop talking about it, abuse becomes normalized and swept under the rug. When we stop talking about it, it becomes that much harder for anyone else in our sport who has survived abuse to ever come forward.

[Manon_Costard]

Knowing that, beside the abuser, the victims are the only ones knowing the true facts, in my opinion, one of the most efficient ways to prevent child abuse or sexual misconduct is to show them that we will listen, support and take the ones who come forward seriously.

 

One of the many unfair things a victim has to go through, on top of the abuse in itself, is the battle between wanting to leave their painful past behind or speaking out to protect potential future victims. Because the sad reality is that, at the end of the day, they are the only ones who can bring light to the facts which can lead to justice and a safer environment (I say sad because they truly deserve to move on and not to inherit the tough position of having to step up to protect others).

So, when someone has to go through all of this, showing them their entire community will take them seriously, have their backs and will support their bravery is the very least we can do. We must show them that such bravery is not disregarded but on the contrary leads to positive impacts.

 

I have come to the point where the thing that shocks me even more (if possible) than the abuse in itself is the victims being silenced by fear of repercussions (whether it is judgments on a personal level or potential consequences on their careers within skiing). We can generally blame the abuse on one person; however, if victims fear our reactions it means that our entire community is to blame for creating or tolerating an environment in which support is shown to the wrong persons. If we fail in reassuring victims in their decisions to come forward, we fail in our duty to keep our community safe and healthy.

 

I am speaking here in a general manner about the attitude towards sexual misconduct and child abuse in our community, not about a specific case. Sadly, there are far too many of these.

 

[Than_Bogan]

No fair being an amazing athlete AND an articulate, insightful writer and observer. Leave something for the rest of us!

 

But seriously, VERY insightful comments. Thanks for putting in the thought and taking the time to share.

[mwetskier]

Edmund Burke famously said:

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

and

"Nobody made a greater mistake than he who did nothing because he could do only a little."

 

My personal thought is that the good men among you have done something, and though that little you could do was to continue to shine a light on the issue when it arose, you've done that now, and maybe you've arrived at that limit of what you can do.

 

Continuing to beat on this currently-dead horse may not be in the best interests of anyone. Again, just IMO.