A jury in Boulder County, Colorado, convicted former swim coach, Jon Beber, of sexually assaulting numerous teenage athletes and Olympic hopefuls that he coached throughout his career. The judge sentenced him to 42 years in prison.

In 1997, Beber was hired as the head coach of the Boulder Swimming team (f/k/a The Boulder Poseidon), which was an elite team of coed swimmers and Olympic hopefuls. Upon Beber's hiring, a mass exodus of male teammates testified they left the team after the ongoing verbal and emotional abuse they received from Beber. This departure of boys resulted in a team that was largely teenage female athletes.

It was revealed that USA Swimming had initially investigated several allegations of sexual touch, but that many parents were reluctant to pursue charges as they worried it would hurt their children's chances of making the Olympic trials.

After interviewing several former swimmers, authorities discovered that Beber had groomed and inappropriately touched athletes. He even went so far as to rape one in a locker room. Many of the former athletes noted that Beber showed them favoritism as long as they complied with his abuse. Once those feelings changed, Beber's abuse escalated.

Beber was arrested in Georgia, and banned by USA Swimming.

There have been other Colorado swim coaches investigated, however; no one else has been charged. Logan Smith, "Former Colorado coach imprisoned for sexually assaulting teen athletes: "Every parent's worst nightmare", https://www.cbsnews.com/colorado/news/former-colorado-coach-prison-sexual-assaults-teen-athletes-swimming-boulder-jon-beber-olympics-nightmare/ (Aug. 10, 2024).

Commentary and Checklist

Beber's crimes echo the crimes of sexual abuse perpetrated by Larry Nasser, a former physician. Nassar, a convicted felon, had sexually abused teen athletes under the pretense of providing medical treatment, including former USA Gymnastics national team members, training for the Olympics. https://www.npr.org/2024/04/23/1246647531/doj-settles-larry-nassar-usa-gymnastics-sexual-assault-victims

Nasser, like Beber, enjoyed the respect of the elite in the sport, parents hoping their children would make it to the Olympics, and the devotion of the child athletes themselves. This community respect, unchecked, gave a predator like Nasser a "blank check" to abuse for many years.

What are some steps safe adults can take to help prevent child sexual abuse in sports teams?

• Have educational and child sexual abuse awareness programs for athletes, parents, coaches, and team supporters regarding athlete safety.
• Have sexual misconduct reporting systems and mechanisms so that behaviors witnessed or reported can be responded to swiftly.
• Believe those who report. Child athlete victims often delay or do not report for fear of not being believed, being blamed and ostracized, or out of fear of losing "that one coach" who can make success happen for them.