Sexual assault and domestic violence keep finding a narrative within college football, which is easy when sports is at the forefront for a majority of America.
It happened at Texas Tech involving one of Tommy Tuberville’s assistants in 2011 and most recently at Ohio State with Urban Meyer.
Survivors are speaking out, saying they understand this isn’t their fault.
Sexual assault survivor Brenda Tracy said players and coaches need to lean in to educate when it come to these issues.
“I would love for us to address the issue of masculinity,” Tracy said. “We need to start talking about why it is not OK for boys to cry, why it’s not OK for boys to have feelings, why manhood is defined by your athletic ability, how strong you are.”
She adds these beliefs can sometimes create a toxic and violent environment for other people’s well-being.
Head football coach Kliff Kingsbury said athletics at Texas Tech does a great job of educating their young athletes.
“We try to have at least three speakers a year to come in and to keep it at the forefront and keep talking about it, to show incidents and to make sure it is constantly on their minds,” Kingsbury said.
Coaches should have an open conversation with players about sexual and domestic violence, Tracy said.
“They have the biggest voice, the biggest stage, the biggest opportunity of all to shift the narrative of rape culture on their campus,” Tracy said.
For more information about resources on sexual assault, go to the Texas Tech website and look for the Title IX tab.