Rondebosch Boys High School has taken legal steps to shield its sports coaches in the “face of intimidation tactics, threats and abusive language of certain parents” unhappy about the selections for premier teams.
Shaun Simpson, headmaster of the top public Cape Town school, wrote to parents saying the issue was of “great concern”.
“We are not a sports academy, we are a place of learning. We are a place of learning, not for the parents but for the boys. In the face of intimidation tactics, threats and abusive language of certain parents, it is alarming and unprecedented that we find ourselves having to turn to legal recourse to protect our coaches,” he wrote.
To protect coaches from such abuse, the school said parents must not approach coaches after matches or practice sessions to raise concerns: “Concerns must be raised in compliance with the relevant policies.”
Coaches will not interact with parents on team WhatsApp groups or other social media accounts and “all engagements whether in person or by email, must be mature, respectful and civil”, among other interventions in response to the “bullying”.
Rapport newspaper on Sunday reported that a parent had allegedly threatened a first team rugby coach after their child did not make the team. The coach was allegedly threatened at training sessions and received threatening text messages.
“Sport at school level should be a classroom where skills such as co-operation and teamwork are learnt. It should be a place of enjoyment and self-growth,” wrote Simpson.
“A boy’s journey in sports heavily relies on the crucial role played by their parents. A parent’s involvement can significantly impact how children perform, perceive and experience sports. It is unfortunate that sport at high-performing schools like Rondebosch has become more than this and that some parents place more emphasis on their child’s success in sport than success in the classroom.”
TimesLIVE
Top school shields sports coaches facing 'threats, intimidation' by parents
Rondebosch Boys High School has taken legal steps to shield its sports coaches in the “face of intimidation tactics, threats and abusive language of certain parents” unhappy about the selections for premier teams.
Shaun Simpson, headmaster of the top public Cape Town school, wrote to parents saying the issue was of “great concern”.
“We are not a sports academy, we are a place of learning. We are a place of learning, not for the parents but for the boys. In the face of intimidation tactics, threats and abusive language of certain parents, it is alarming and unprecedented that we find ourselves having to turn to legal recourse to protect our coaches,” he wrote.
To protect coaches from such abuse, the school said parents must not approach coaches after matches or practice sessions to raise concerns: “Concerns must be raised in compliance with the relevant policies.”
Coaches will not interact with parents on team WhatsApp groups or other social media accounts and “all engagements whether in person or by email, must be mature, respectful and civil”, among other interventions in response to the “bullying”.
Rapport newspaper on Sunday reported that a parent had allegedly threatened a first team rugby coach after their child did not make the team. The coach was allegedly threatened at training sessions and received threatening text messages.
“Sport at school level should be a classroom where skills such as co-operation and teamwork are learnt. It should be a place of enjoyment and self-growth,” wrote Simpson.
“A boy’s journey in sports heavily relies on the crucial role played by their parents. A parent’s involvement can significantly impact how children perform, perceive and experience sports. It is unfortunate that sport at high-performing schools like Rondebosch has become more than this and that some parents place more emphasis on their child’s success in sport than success in the classroom.”
TimesLIVE
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