From the horrific Larry Nassar abuse scandal in United States gymnastics to the “environment of fear” some volleyball athletes endured at the Australian Institute of Sport, abuse in sport has been well documented in recent years.

This abuse in elite sport sport has been particularly visible but it is not just happening at the top level. Abusive and harmful practices are happening in all sports, at all ages and at all competition levels.

While sport can have many wonderful benefits for young people, it can also have a dark side, one where abuse can flourish, leading to serious psychological and physical harm.

How can parents ensure their children are safe?

Read more:
The 3 changes Australian sport must make after Volleyball Australia’s shocking abuse report

Abuse in sports

A 2022 Australian study showed 82% of children had experienced physical, psychological or sexual abuse during their time participating in community sport. This makes the abuse prevalence similar to that found in elite sport environments.

The line between abuse and acceptable behaviour is blurred more in sport than in many other environments.

For example, in school, it would be unacceptable for a teacher to scream at a child who performed poorly on a test but in sports, screaming is a commonly used strategy by a coach to correct a young athlete’s behaviour.

Research from earlier this year shows athletes often justify the behaviours of their coaches.

The following quote from an elite-level gymnast in an ongoing research project demonstrates how athletes often learn to accept abusive behaviours as necessary for their performance:

(He) was a strict coach. He spoke loudly […] but I’m a gymnast, I need that. I don’t know if everybody needs that but if I did something really bad, he screamed at me and this kind of gave me motivation to push myself more, so for me this type of coaching style was really good.

Challenges and changes

The “win-at-all-costs” mentality in many sports is also problematic.

When winning is everything, abusive practices are not seen as a problem to be stamped out but rather as legitimate strategies to motivate and toughen up the participants.

Athletes are not the only ones who normalise these practices. Parents, coaches and administrators might also come to tolerate, accept or even celebrate abusive behaviours and cultures as a “natural” part of sport.

This means experiences of abuse may flourish in such environments.

Thankfully, some sports organisations have in recent years made significant changes to reduce the likelihood of abuse and deal with cases as soon as they arise.

Sport Integrity Australia (SIA), for example, is implementing national policies for safeguarding and whistleblowing, where abuse and harmful behaviour can be reported.

SIA has also recently co-developed a course with other leading sport agencies to help coaches working with young athletes better navigate the complexities of physical, emotional and psychological development.

While these are potentially steps in the right direction, researchers have pointed out that similar efforts have achieved mixed results and there are no guarantees of athlete safety.

Parents may therefore rightly ask what they might do to protect their child(ren) from abuse and maximise the positive gains from participating in sport.

Tips for parents and caregivers

Firstly, parents and caregivers have the right to be included in their childrens’ sporting participation.

This involves being informed about training times and competition schedules, training content, coaching style and behavioural expectations.

Parents should also be welcomed to watch their children’s training sessions at any time and unannounced.

Denying parents information or access to facilities have been identified as a potential risk factors.

The right for inclusion also refers to decision-making. Sport is often hierarchical with authoritarian leadership styles, which are significant risk factors for abuse in sports.

So it is important children and their parents are provided with spaces and opportunities to have a say in matters related to their (child’s) sporting participation.

Secondly, young athletes and their parents/caregivers should be made aware of the policies and safety measures put in place to keep children safe.

If these are not clearly communicated, parents/caregivers are encouraged to ask what actions a club has put in place.

If protection and prevention are not developed, or considered limited or ineffective, parents are recommended to raise their concerns.

Lastly, parents should be conscious of the “win-at-all-costs” mentality found in many sports and consider how this can lead to abusive practices being accepted as a “natural” part of sport.

By staying informed, involved and attentive, parents can play a powerful role in supporting safer sporting environments for all children.

Sports bettors in Illinois on Saturday logged into their apps and were met with an uncommon warning: the state legislature was considering new taxes.

The tax, which passed minutes before midnight local time on Saturday, will be 25 cents for every bet for a licensee’s first 20 million bets, and 50 cents per bet thereafter. This arrangement came as part of $1 billion in new taxes to ostensibly fund public transit, after a new provision last year raised taxes on sportsbooks from a 15% flat fee to up to 40%. 

Before the new surcharge passed on Saturday, alarm signals were sent out by the sports betting industry. Proxies for FanDuel and DraftKings, the Capulets and Montagues of sportsbooks who have been in a blood feud with each other for years, both tried to warn against the new tax.

The Ringer, sponsored by FanDuel, posted a since-deleted tweet that said, “The Illinois legislature is considering an unprecedented tax on every bet placed on online apps like FanDuel. This would hurt sports fans in Illinois and potentially drive them to the illegal market.” The tweet led to a link at the Sports Betting Alliance to urge politicians to reject the tax. Dan Katz (“Big Cat”) of Barstool Sports, which is sponsored by DraftKings, said in a video that the new tax would be “very bad” and shared the same Sports Betting Alliance link. It has not been common for Katz or The Ringer to engage in political advocacy.  

The Sports Betting Alliance—which consists of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Fanatics—issued a statement calling the sports betting tax “discriminatory, punitive and constitutionally suspect.”

“With this change, lawmakers are essentially urging customers—and especially these small dollar bettors—to switch to unsafe and unregulated sportsbooks who defy state consumer protections and generate zero taxes for state priorities,” the Sports Betting Alliance said. “These illegal operators are the big winners from Saturday’s vote. 

It added that it will continue to fight this tax and potential other similar taxes that might be proposed in Illinois or any state moving forward.

This is the second straight year lawmakers in Illinois have approved a budget hiking taxes on regulated sportsbooks. In the budget passed last May, the Illinois Senate approved a progressive wagering tax increase that changed the sports betting tax from a flat 15% rate to a system based on adjusted gross revenue, meaning larger sportsbooks pay higher taxes.

Adam Hoffer, director of excise tax policy at the Tax Foundation, tells Front Office Sports this is the first fixed-rate per wager tax on sports betting he’s seen. Based on the language of the policy, he says it’ll be “practically impossible” for sportsbooks in Illinois to take $1 bets moving forward.

“It’s going to distort the market, which is not something you generally want tax policy to do,” he says.

Hoffer says perhaps the act of discouraging small-money wagers could reduce the rates of problem gambling. But on the other hand, there will be bettors who will increase the amount of money they place on individual bets because of the tax.

Meanwhile other states could look to replicate this policy in the future. “A lot of states’ tax policies are driven by what they see in other states,” he says. “There’s very much a copycat system.”

Analysts at Truist said in a Sunday research note that the change will most impact the two biggest players—FanDuel and DraftKings—while more moderately affecting those below them, like BetMGM, Fanatics, and Entain. The note also said the change could embolden illegal market operators, and said “we fear other states could look to copy [Illinois]…”

Robert Walker, director of operations at ARMS—which helps retail sportsbooks manage potential risks to their business—tells FOS he read about the new sports betting tax “with a sinking feeling,” and says “it confirms exactly what I’ve been worried about.”

The tax pushed through in Illinois “sets a dangerous precedent,” he says. Expect other states to impose similar taxes on licensed sportsbooks “whenever they need quick revenue.”

Walker, who for more than a decade was the sportsbook director for MGM Mirage’s Las Vegas casinos, says this comes at a particularly challenging time for the legalized sports betting industry, which is facing new competitors in the form of companies like Kalshi that offer sports “prediction” markets.

“This feels like short-sighted revenue grabbing that could drive casual bettors away from legal, regulated platforms,” he tells FOS. “Exactly the opposite of what good policy should accomplish.”

He expects sportsbooks to respond by raising their minimum bet requirements, meaning that sports bettors are the ones who will ultimately feel the tax.

“Make no mistake: this cost will ultimately land squarely on the customer,” Walker says. “The tax may be levied on the operator, but basic economics tells us who really pays. What’s particularly frustrating is how this undermines the competitive position of regulated operators just when they need every advantage they can get against emerging alternatives.”

The emerging alternatives include Kalshi, an exchange-based platform whose sports betting markets have expanded onto Robinhood, which are not subject to state gaming taxes.

LeBron James has gripes with the current state of youth sports. Between single-sport specialization, year-round participation and the rise of social media influencers, the Los Angeles Lakers star noted in a podcast appearance with Luka Dončić and Steve Nash that there are concerning trends in youth sports programs that lead to early physical and mental burnout. As the father of three children, the James noted his experiences raising kids and how today’s sports realities differ from those of the past.

Travel teams and offseason training programs continue to rise in popularity across all sports and are now bastions of the youth athletics model. They offer exposure on the college recruiting trail and provide ample development opportunities but also come with high demands.

“I think a lot of kids, they burn the hell out,” James said on his podcast, Mind the Game. “‘I’m gonna just do this one all year round and just play basketball or just play volleyball or just play soccer all year round.’ You burn out at 22, 23, 24 because you’ve just been doing it. Or younger. They just say, ‘To hell with it. I don’t even want to play no more.’ I don’t think putting a cap on these kids — they should just be able to explore, man.”

LeBron James, Luka Dončić reflect on first Lakers season together: ‘I’ve never played with a guy like this’

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James was a two-sport star in high school at Akron (Ohio) St. Vincent-St. Mary’s and shined on the football field as a wide receiver. Debate still abounds as to whether he would have excelled in college and the NFL as a receiver or tight end. He went with basketball and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft straight out of high school.

“I’ve made sure that our kids, and my wife included, have always taken a break,” said James. “We’ve told our kids, ‘This is not an all year-round thing for you guys.’ One, we don’t want you to burn the hell out. And two, there needs to be some family time involved, as well, too.”

Both of James’ sons are accomplished basketball players who picked up significant interest from major college programs. Bronny James played one season at USC before he departed and was drafted to join his father with the Lakers. Bryce James committed this offseason to play his college ball at Arizona. Zhuri James, his only daughter and youngest child, plays volleyball.

Given his fame as one of the greatest basketball players of all time, James and his family are constantly in the public eye. That visibility comes with its blend of challenges and opportunities, too.

“A lot of their skills coaches and trainers and stuff that’s involved in a lot of these kids’ lives, they actually want to be more famous than the actual kid,” said James. “They think they’re more important than the actual kid that they’re training. Their motive is not pure. They want to be on the camera. They want to be recognized. They want to talk to the media. … That’s not the [expletive] objective.”

Eugene “Gene” Wiersma, 74, of Cloquet, passed away on May 31st, 2025, surrounded by his family at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, MN.

Born on December 22nd, 1950, to Merton and Evina (Uhden) Wiersma in Rock Rapids, IA, Gene spent the first 10 years of his life in Iowa until the family moved to Stillwater, MN. He went on to graduate from Stillwater High School in 1969 and then enlisted in the United States Navy, where he served as a radioman in Guam.

After completing his service, Gene met the love of his life, Thera (Gunderson) and they married in 1974. They raised their three sons, Heath, Eric, and Lucas in Cloquet where Gene was active in coaching various youth sports and teaching them how to fish and hunt from a young age.

Gene was proud of his community and was involved in almost every aspect. He worked for the City of Cloquet as a heavy equipment operator for 33 years, was an active member of Our Saviors Lutheran Church, and was proud of his service to the Masonic Lodge, holding many positions over the years including being a Past Master of the Dallas Lodge #181 and recipient of the Hiram Award.  He was also involved with Job’s Daughters and DeMolay, in which he was awarded the Honorary Legion of Honor.

Gene loved hunting and fishing and was always willing to share with a new outdoorsman the tricks of the trade. He took many fishing trips with his friends and family and had a one-liner for any occasion. Gene was always willing to lend everyone a helping hand when it was needed.

He is preceded in death by his parents,

Gene is survived by his wife, Thera; children, Heath (Kristin), Eric, and Lucas; grandchildren, Kiara, Kylee, Scarlett, Landon, Maassen, Maverick, Severus, Destiny, and Khalalah; great-granddaughter Taylor, siblings Richard (Josie), Esther, Marilyn (Mike), Beverly; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Masonic Funeral Rites will be held at 11:00 am on Friday, June 6th at Nelson Funeral Care, followed by visitation at 12:30 pm at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. Memorial service will be held at 1:30 with luncheon to follow. Interment will be held at the Minnesota State Veterans Cemetery-Duluth on Monday, June 9th.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to your favorite charity.

Arrangements by Nelson Funeral Care.

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