Intimidation is a major problem among 11-to-17-year-old soccer players, a new study from the Universite du Quebec in Rimouski has determined.
As much as 91 per cent of the almost 1400 players who participated in the study reported witnessing intimidation on the field.
“They are exposed to behaviours such as mockery, sarcasm, insults, also intentional shoving and pushing as well as elbowing,” said study author Martin Gendron.
Some coaches disagree.
“It's not something we see often,” said Christian De Serres, president of the NDG Soccer Association. “We've had one, maybe two cases last year or two years ago out of 16,000 players at the recreational level.”
The rules are enforced on the field, he said.
“There is a legal way of doing it and an illegal way. You're not supposed to use your arm, no elbows, no shoving, no pushing,” he explained.
The study also found players and referees are more likely to report acts of bullying, but some players hold back because they don't want to hamper their chances of moving up in the league.
“They don't want to be pointed out as babies and they don’t want to lose their spot on the starting lineup,” said Gendron, who says the solution is educating the youngest players that intimidation is not part of the sport.
“It’s education that we have to do with the soccer players, but also with the parents and some of the coaches and the referees,” he said.
