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SPORTS Tuesday 26 June 2018
College scandals put sports doctors under new scrutiny

By COLLIN BINKLEY brought into the room to looking for guidance and
Associated Press monitor the doctor’s work. growth, and so the intensity
Allegations of sexual abuse Purdue University says it’s in the relationships can be
carried out over decades crafting a new policy re- stronger,” said Marks, who
by team physicians at quiring chaperones for has also served as a doc-
Michigan State and Ohio team doctors, even if stu- tor for Canada’s national
State are sending ripples dents don’t request one. diving team. “As people
through university athletics Michigan State updated a become closer, boundary
departments, with some similar policy last year. crossings can become eas-
schools exploring whether Physicians, too, are in- ier to slide into without real-
more oversight is needed creasingly bringing in izing what’s happening.”
for figures in such powerful chaperones for their own When abuse does occur,
positions. protection, said Dr. Chad the risk tied to reporting it
The scandals involving for- Asplund, president of the is often enough to silence
mer Michigan State team American Medical Society victims whose athletic ca-
doctor Larry Nassar, who for Sports Medicine. In his This combination of photos shows Dr. Richard Strauss, left, from a reers hang in the balance,
was also a physician for work at Georgia Southern 1978 Ohio State University employment application, and Michi- said Sue Ann Van Der-
USA Gymnastics, and Rich- University, Asplund said, he gan State doctor Dr. Larry Nassar, right, during a Nov. 22, 2017 myden, the head of a Cali-
ard Strauss, a former Ohio has become more diligent plea hearing in Lansing, Mich. fornia law firm that helps
State doctor, reveal how about calling for a chaper- Associated Press colleges investigate sexual
the trust and intimacy one any time he examines she’s adding lectures on said they’re “following the misconduct.
granted to team physicians a female athlete or asks a sexual abuse and is help- national conversation” to “They recognize by bring-
can also provide cover for patient to remove clothing. ing other colleges develop see if updates are needed. ing it forward, their dreams
sexual predators. “It’s safety for the patient their own training, which Others declined to com- could be shattered,” she
“It’s almost this god figure and safety for me,” Asplund she says has long been ment, including the uni- said.
that people don’t want to said. “I think people are overlooked in a male-dom- versities of Michigan and In April, a state investiga-
question,” said Dani Mof- becoming a lot more pro- inated field. Illinois. tion in Michigan found that
fit, who leads a master’s tected and a lot more cau- “It’s something that is go- Both recent cases have Nassar twisted the power
program in athletic training tious about doing the right ing to be talked about a lot cast light on a role that and privacy of his job for
at Idaho State University thing.” News of the Nassar more. There’s just so much typically operates behind abuse. Over time, he con-
and researches sexual ha- case prompted leaders at education that has to be the scenes but can still car- vinced gymnasts that his
rassment in college sports. the University of Wisconsin done,” she said. ry great power. Decisions vaginal “treatments” had a
“They are thought to be to launch a wide review of The National Athletic Train- made by team doctors medical purpose. And with
these people who are not their own practices, includ- ers’ Association responded can shape an athlete’s ca- no chaperone policy, there
going to make mistakes.” ing safety measures guid- by issuing new guidance to reer, determining how long was often no one there to
Groups that represent ing team doctors. Officials members, telling them how they’ll be out with an injury question it.
team doctors say it’s hardly declined to share details, to identify abuse. Trainers or whether they’re even fit Details at Ohio State are still
the only profession shaken saying the study has yet to are also being told to re- enough to make a team. emerging. An outside firm
by sex scandals, and they wrap up. port misconduct to legal That power, coupled with has been hired to investi-
largely blame the recent Athletic trainers, who work authorities first rather than the familiarity they often gate complaints against
cases on a couple bad alongside team doctors university officials, who in develop with younger ath- Strauss, who was a team
seeds. Still, the fallout has and treat minor injuries, some cases have been ac- letes, creates a dynamic doctor in the 1980s and
left some doctors and col- have also been alarmed by cused of keeping accusa- that is ripe for abuse, said ‘90s and died in 2005. The
leges scrutinizing their prac- the allegations. In the Nas- tions quiet. Dr. Saul Marks, a sports psy- school says men from 14
tices. sar case, two trainers were Some colleges, though, chiatrist at the University of varsity sports have brought
Some are ramping up the reportedly told of Nassar’s say it’s too soon to make Toronto. allegations of sexual mis-
use of exam chaperones abuse but failed to stop it. changes. At the University “Athletes are especially vul- conduct, but officials have
— medical staff who are Moffit, at Idaho State, said of Iowa, athletics officials nerable at this age. They’re declined to elaborate.q
Comeback Match against someone like Stan,

who I’ve had lots of great
matches with — tough,
Continued from Page 17 from his own long-term tough guy to play against
knee injury, contributed to — was tough. But delight-
“I’m not putting any pres- his downfall with an erratic ed to get the win.”
sure on myself to make serve. He hit eight aces He next faces second-
that decision after one but double-faulted four seeded Kyle Edmund, who
match here or two match- times, including on match overtook him as the British
es, because I don’t need point. No. 1 while he was injured.
to. I can decide when I Murray’s last success Another Briton is also
want. came in the fourth round through to the second
“The match with Nick was of Wimbledon on July 10, round, after Jay Clarke
two hours, 45 minutes, and 2017, when he was No. 1. beat Ryan Harrison of the
the slams, you have to be “I thought the first set I United States 6-4, 6-1.
prepared for four hours. played well, second set It was the teenager’s first
That (against Kyrgios) ob- was a little bit patchy at ATP Tour win and his first Karolina Pliskova returns the ball to Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova
during day two of the Nature Valley International at Devonshire
viously could have gone times, a bit nervous to- victory over a player in the Park, Eastbourne, Monday June 25, 2018.
another couple of sets po- wards the end. top 100. Harrison is ranked Associated Press
tentially, and I didn’t feel “When you’ve not played 58th. In the women’s draw, de- scare to beat Anasta-
great the following day.” for the best part of a year, Also through was sixth- fending champion Karo- sia Pavlyuchenkova and
Wawrinka, coming back closing out the match seeded David Ferrer. lina Pliskova survived a reach the third round.q