All Articles by Donald C. Collins, J.D.

Preventing Sexual Abuse By Youth Coaches: Criminal Background Checks Not Enough

Protecting youth athletes from becoming victims of sexual predators involves much more than criminal background checks of coaches before they are hired, says a longtime interscholastic sports administrator.

The Egyptian Soccer Riot: Could One Happen Here?

When fans misbehave at sports contests in the U.S. we tend to blame individuals. When things get out of hand at sports contests in foreign countries, large groups of fans start fighting and, as in Egypt last week, people end up dying. What makes bad sportsmanship in America different?

Child Sexual Abuse: The Dark Underbelly Of Youth Sports Culture

The Penn State scandal didn’t occur in youth sports.  Yet, it is one of the rare occasions that sex abuse by coaches, which is a major problem in youth sports, got the type of national publicity that allowed the problem to penetrate the public consciousness.  The big question is whether we as a sports society are up to the task of doing to more to prevent future abuse.

 

Bad Acts In Youth Sports: Second Half of 2011

A round up of some really bad examples of poor sportsmanship and violence in youth and high school sports, along with a couple showing that sportsmanship is still alive and well. 

Jesus Chant by Fans Was Poor Sportsmanship

One should not taunt an opponent - even by invoking Jesus.  Yet, that's exactly what one all-boy's Catholic school recently did, prompting an unfortunate reaction from the coach of their co-ed public school opponent. 

Newspaper Challenge to State High School Association's Internet Broadcast Rights Rejected

Newspapers don't have a First Amendment right to stream Wisconsin high school sports in violation of the state association on-line broadcast agreements, a federal appeals court in Chicago rules.

Flash Mobs: Coming Soon To A High School Sports Contest Near You?

Flash mob violence is likely to happen at a high school sports contest somewhere, sometime.  That's the problem with flash mobs: where and when they occur is up to the flash mob itself. 

Sharing and Learning: A Constant for Sports Officials

Becoming a top sports official requires hard work, dedication to skill development, and a never ending desire to improve, whether for a teen starting out, to high school officials, all the way to the pros.

Can School Sports Survive the Bad Economy?

When an elite private school like California's Montclair Prep drops athletics, you know the economy is bad.  Is the athletic program at your child's school next to fall to the budget ax?

Not Going Pro? Not School or Coach's Fault

When high school athletes fail to win a college athletic scholarship, they sometimes look for someone to blame, even to the point of suing in federal court.  Attorney and long-time sports administrator, Donald Collins, highlights just the latest in a series of such frivolous lawsuits.