Article: Skater Bullied by Axel of Evil

[Dustin]

http://www.nypost.com/seven/04262002/news/regionalnews/42000.htm

I think it is really bad what other kids are doing to him. Seems that I am lucky that people at my school actually like that I skate and even want to come and watch me skate!

I am glad his parents got a lawyer and are actually doing something about it. Hopefully the school/school board will clean up their school and punish the students!

[Schmeck]

Dustin, thank you for the link, but don't hold your breath waiting for the school to do anything. If they thought moving the victim to another school was a good solution, they just don't get the problem!

Or, they're afraid that they'll be sued by the bullies' parents if anything is done to punish these brats. And it's all because no matter how nasty you are, you are guaranteed an education by the public school system.

And remember, it's cheaper to move one kid than to remove many.

Schmeck, who has learned all of this the hard way, working eight years (on and off) for public school systems in Massachusetts.

[AxelAnnie22]

I am sorry, but I don't believe he is being picked on because he is a figure skater. I really can't imagine that a bunch of 12 year old boys care that another kid skates. 8)

[Dustin]

You would be suprised :? :(

[Schmeck]

I can believe he's being picked on, because we have a similar situation at our rink. We've got a boy very interested in figure skating who is in middle school (10-14 yr olds). He's had a bit of a hard time, but his mom is very involved in the school so things get settled very quickly.

Schmeck

[Lucky]

In Europe where ballet was born and is revered, FS is loved. Perhaps that is why Plushy and Yags are as good as they are. They did not have to go through the same taunting that boys in this half of the world has to go thourgh. :(

[Lee]

I can believe it happened too. We have a young fellow in our school who has been skating for about 3 years now. He really enjoys it, but the other guys in his class give him a really bad time. They were doing so one day in my class and I lit right into the bunch of them -- up one side and down the other. I haven't heard any snide comments since.

The young man in question was impressed, I guess, that I 'stood up' for him -- he told his mom and some of the other skaters (including my daughter) that I'd 'gone on a tear.'

I just won't put up with it...of course, the fact that I'm so closely tied to skating here at the local level and have enough knowledge about the kinds of money a male dance partner or any coach can make probably helps a bit...and the kids I teach all know my ties to skating (through my daughter and my own volunteer work).

I feel for the young man in this story -- guys do have a rough go at it...

[Dustin]

Katerina Witt sent him an e-mail and invited him backstage at Divas On Ice :)
http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/46802.htm

[TRAxel]

:D That was so nice of Katerina to do.... I hope those bullies take a hike!

[foxxyskater90]

wow ive never heard a story like that, thats really...and its a shame because hes really good, and the kids who bully him probably dont understand figure skating at all...in my opinion its one of the toughest sports out there.

*Melissa

(hes at my rink for easterns over the next couple of days)

[roza]

In Europe where ballet was born and is revered, FS is loved. Perhaps that is why Plushy and Yags are as good as they are. They did not have to go through the same taunting that boys in this half of the world has to go thourgh. :(

Saying the whole of Europe loves figure skating is a bit of an overstatement. Maybe in Russia this holds true, but go to many countries, particularly Western Europe, and you'll find that skating is seen as a girl's sport.

Sorry about the OT post, but it really, really annoys me when people refer to Europe as being one even semi-homogenous block when clearly a distinction needs to be made.

[Hydroblade]

Yeah it's horrible that people would do those things to defenceless boy that figureskatesbut it's not uncommon. I am a male figureskater and i;ve had all the names thrown at me but i'm used to it now and it doean't fase me. We lost a kid from my club last year because he was made fun of at school. He now plays lacrosse..he's having alot of fun with that :roll:

[BladeGal]

I've never really been bullied about skating...I used to skate back when I was younger, and I may have had a few people make fun, but I always got over it. I know that Aaron used to get bullied for it, but I think as you get older, it gets easier to deal with...

[Aussie Willy]

I was watching a competition one day and a girl that I sat next to had her boyfriend with her. One of the boys came out to skate and the boyfriend made some comment about the kid being gay (quite denegrating comment). Well did I give him a serve - basically told him to keep his mouth quiet unless he knew what he was talking about and that I found what he said really offensive.

I am not going to put up with that kind of intolerance around me - particularly at skating.

[loveskating]

I believe it! I think its is cultural, and that some places have more of the "macho" culture than other places.

[flippet]

How on earth do geriatric threads like this get dug up again?? *scratches head* Weird.