Courtesy: Addison Cooley
The topic of sexual assault in sports has always been tip-toed around, discussed in hushed voices, never being truly acknowledged. Coaches and athletes have rejected mentioning this topic due to the fear of being ridiculed by those who think sexual assault is ‘uncomfortable’ or ‘inappropriate’ to speak of. And it is. It is uncomfortable to talk about, but it cannot be ignored any longer. We’ve moved past the days of being contently ignorant regarding sexual assault in sports, as the issue has grown immensely behind closed doors. Every day there’s a new headline about how (insert school name)’s coach has resigned after assault reports or (insert athlete’s name) is going to court for reporting an assault. Not only that, but survivors of assault are fearful to speak about their experiences because they will be antagonized as if they are just lying for attention or trying to cause controversy. In reality, the exhausting and stressful process of reporting assault is not something one would choose to do for attention, and false accusations of assault are extremely rare. Ignoring sexual assault in sports is not only deteriorating the safe space that sports should provide, but is also an indirect attack on all survivors of sexual assault. It is for these reasons that I planned a protest against sexual assault in sports, specifically swimming.
My name is Addie Cooley, I’m a sophomore in high school, and I’ve been swimming for about 7 years in total. Throughout these many years of morning practices, tech suit try-ons gone wrong, and basically living at the pool on meet weekends, I have heard many stories. Stories of the amazing community that swimming has, the beneficial impact of this sport on kids, as well as stories of the darker side of this sport. I reached a breaking point in August of 2021, after hearing a multitude of stories from other athletes that have experienced sexual assault. These stories, along with my own story, are far too serious and common to be ignored any longer. With this in mind, I planned to wear temporary tattoos of teal ribbons (the awareness color for sexual assault) that said ‘Believe Survivors.’ at my team’s high school championship meets, along with T-shirts of a similar design. I chose this design to not only raise well-needed awareness for the topic, but also show survivors of assault in swimming that they are not alone. I wanted to show that survivors are seen and validated. This project gained support from my coaches, teammates, athletic director, and school principal. Additionally, it was approved by IHSAA (Indiana High School Athletics Association).
The tattoos were worn at my team’s junior varsity invitational meet, and our IHSAA Sectional and State meets, with participants on both the boys and girls teams. Not only were the tattoos worn by our boys and girls teams, but they were also worn by our competitors at these meets. Harsh competitors unifying to endorse the message of the tattoos really shows how the next generation of swimmers are prepared to make change in the sports world. Long-held rivalries were overlooked in understanding that this issue is of importance and must be acknowledged. It’s important to raise awareness for this topic because according to RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network), 1 in 9 girls are assaulted before reaching the age of 18. Additionally, only about 1/3 of assaults are reported. These statistics have connotations to the sports world because studies by Child Help show that 40-50% of child athletes have experienced harassment or abuse. Sexual assault in sports has been an issue for a long time, and it is clear that we cannot continue to diminish its importance.
The outcomes of this protest can’t be seen through statistics, but that was not the goal in mind. The goal was, firstly, to make survivors feel supported and, secondly, to acknowledge the issue of sexual assault in swimming. If even one person was positively affected by these protests, I would be happy. In actuality, many athletes and coaches were impacted by this protest, along with hundreds of spectators at the meets in which it took place. In the words of my teammate, “As a fellow survivor, I want this movement to flourish. People deserve to know the reality. This world can be so cruel, so please believe the survivors.” Her words alone prove the magnitude of this issue, and how important it is to stand up and make change. While I am so proud of the outcome of the protests, the fight is not over. I want the protests to inspire coaches and athletes to stop avoiding this ‘uncomfortable’ topic. I need the swimming community to understand that while it’s not easy to speak of such a serious topic, we cannot continue on the same path. A long-term impact can be made by these protests if it encourages teams to stop shying away from discussing sexual assault in sports, making athletes feel more comfortable sharing their stories. Sharing these stories will hopefully cause perpetrators to be held accountable, and help athletes rebuild their sport as a safe space. The sports community is in need of change, and now is the time to show your solidarity. No athlete deserves to have their issues ignored or belittled. No person deserves the trauma that sexual assault causes. No child deserves to fear for their safety at their sport. Change is long overdue, and I am willing to speak up and make that change. Are you?
ABOUT ADDISON COOLEY
Addison Cooley is a 16-year-old swimmer for Noblesville Swim Club in Noblesville, Indiana. She has been swimming for 7 years total, 5 of which were for Carmel Swim Club from ages 7-11, and 2 of which were for Noblesville (ages 15-current). Addie has always has an appreciation of the sport of swimming, having been the daughter of a former swim coach and the sibling of two swimmers. When she’s not at the pool, Addie enjoys studying English, experimenting with fashion, and listening to music. As a young activist, Addie values learning more about different cultures and social justice issues. In the pool, Addie is a freestyle sprinter and a confident hater of butterfly. She loves practicing with her team, and, sometimes, distracting her coach from practicing by talking about dumb reality TV shows. For more information, you can find Addie on Instagram, @addiecooley_.
Just an FYI, RAINN severely under reports assaults on Boys, and I mean by a lot. CDC estimates 1 in 6 boys by age 18, and RAINN has it at 1 in 53. I can tell you by my own experience that RAINN using that number is borderline criminal. 1 in 53 expressed as a percentage is 1.88%…come on, you’re telling me that less than 2 percent of males are the victims of sexual assault prior to age 18? It’s almost like they have an anti-boy grudge. We won’t get near really addressing this issue until everyone admits that this is equal problem with boys and girls.
Headline kinda reads like the SA was happening at the meet
Brilliantly done. Thank you so much for advocating for awareness and change. We can only hope this movement grows.
and that safe sport does their job.
Kudos to this younger person for speaking out
Boo on swimswam for the click bait
And last, anyone who’s taken safesport training, sadly, knows it’s a CYA risk mitigation for USA swimming