Local coaches encourage players to respect women

Jim Boyd, Le Mars Community Schools head football coach talks with a team member. Both Boyd and Cross Country coach Al Engebretson participated in the "Coaching Boys into Men" program through the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention. The program's intention was to instill in athletes the importance of respecting women. [Click to enlarge]

Two Le Mars Community Schools Coaches and athletes participated in a research project, "Coaching Boys into Men," a worldwide program intended to teach athletes to respect women.

The program was sponsored by both the Family Violence Prevention Fund and the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention, in North Sioux City, S.D.

"The program is meant to access the leadership of coaches and their influence on their athletes," said Alan Heisterkamp, education consultant with the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention.

Jim Boyd, head football coach and LCHS counselor, and Al Engebretson, head cross country middle and high school coach and a math teacher at LCMS, were asked to participate.

"I think it's good stuff and I think that using the athletic platform to teach boys how to respect women is a good thing," Engebretson said. "Coaches have a relationship with young men than other people don't have."

The "Coaching Boys into Men" mini-lessons were intended to give students something to think about in respecting women using scenarios they might experience, what would be appropriate response or behavior to make the situation better, Heisterkamp said.

As part of the research project, football and cross country students filled out pre and post surveys online, given at the beginning of the season and in the fall.

Spencer Vore, a senior at LCHS and captain of the football team, said he answered questions differently after the project than he had before.

"I think that it's good that it's being implemented now although high school is almost too late," Vore said.

Boyd used the mini-lessons by putting them where his players were sure to see the various scenarios and steps they could take to make right decisions.

Engebretson received his materials with just three practice sessions left, but he also tried to instill in team members the importance of treating women with respect.

"I tried to squeeze five or six of the lessons in those three practices," Engebretson said. "I went through the main points."

Those lessons focused on talking respectfully, not engaging in locker room talk and not using physical size to intimidate smaller or weaker women, he said.

"We talked about being a good husband," Engebretson said. "And how attitudes toward relationships can start now and carry over into your marriage."

Vore said there seemed to be less derogatory remarks during the project although they have increased again.

"The locker room talk was down considerably that's why it would be better to have it all year," Vore said.

Although he doesn't know where he will go with the program, Engebretson said he would not be opposed to fully implementing it in the future.

"I'm going to hang onto the materials," Engebretson said. "It opened up communication scenarios that were probably socially healthy for coaches to be talking about with young men."

Heisterkamp said many of the schools chosen to participate in the "Coaching Boys into Men" program had coaches and students with evident leadership skills in this area.

"The coaches, both Al and Jim, have conversations with their athletes about other things rather than just football and cross county," Heisterkamp said.

Research data on the effectiveness of the "Coaching Boys into Men" on improving attitudes and behaviors among young male athletes will be available in mid-December.

Vore plans to represent LCHS at a 5:30 p.m. reception Tuesday at the Sioux City Country Club for the school's participation in the "Coaching Boys into Men" research project.

Boyd said as a counselor he sees girls who are hurt by derogatory comments, which is one of the reasons he plans to introduce the "Coaching Boys into Men" program during leadership camp at the beginning of next season.

At this point, he doesn't have all the details worked out, Boyd said but will continue the lessons throughout the season.

"We try to teach more than just football," he said.