Abusive coach is in Hall of Fame

[Anemone]

I seem to recall there was some mention in Brasseur & Eisler's book about Leitch's abusive coaching practices, as well as something about the weigh-ins for the female skaters. I can't find my copy at the moment though, so can't look it up to check.

 

[uandmfan]

If the skater was at nationals in the mid 90s the injury may have been to Anabelle Langois.....although I may not have the right skater. I remember they showed footage of the accident on TV and it was horrendous. Wikipedia seems to support this memory if the timeline works.

Anabelle Langlois - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[uandmfan]

I seem to recall there was some mention in Brasseur & Eisler's book about Leitch's abusive coaching practices, as well as something about the weigh-ins for the female skaters. I can't find my copy at the moment though, so can't look it up to check.

I remember him talking about abuse. I recall something about being hit with skate guards.

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I'm not sure it's an admirable thing to be called Tuffy for continuing to skate through having an eating disorder and continually being injured. Some skaters are super-dedicated, yes, but sometimes responsible adults also need to step in and focus on the skater's long-term well-being.

The same thought crossed my mind, like, they're saying that she's battled anorexia nervosa for years and is always injuring herself, and we're supposed to be thinking "What a tough girl!" ???? Opposite of tough to me. I agree about the responsible adults needing to step in. But her parents were her coaches, right? Or was the mother just a trophy wife? I remember someone saying that years ago. And what upsets me most is that even today, thirty years later, we still wouldn't have thought twice about her getting back on the ice. A fall like that? Sorry, kiddo, you bought yourself a trip to the ER. I was horrified when Ashley Cain (?) had that horrendous fall and kept skating, I think her parents were also her coaches too. How could anyone let their child go on and not get immediate medical attention???? Skaters need to be saved from their crazy skate-parents it seems.

 

[overedge]

I seem to recall there was some mention in Brasseur & Eisler's book about Leitch's abusive coaching practices, as well as something about the weigh-ins for the female skaters. I can't find my copy at the moment though, so can't look it up to check.

He discussed how Leitch would never let anyone talk back to him or contradict him, and that once when Eisler refused to do something Leitch told him to do, Leitch made him run 20 miles or something like that as punishment. Eisler did the entire run because he was stubborn and didn't want to be bested by Leitch.

Leitch also told Eisler and his first partner that they should go to school in Preston, where his club was, so they could have more time on the ice. But Eisler insisted on staying in his home community with his family. There was a "big row" about that.

And then there's this:

Mister Leitch was a very hard disciplinarian. If I got into trouble I would either receive a lecture or was made to stand at the side of the boards, and at times I was even slapped across the face or smacked on the butt with a skate guard....My parents were aware of what was happening because I would always tell them, and they would ask me if I deserved the punishment. After a while of thinking about it, I would state that I probably did, and they would advise me that I would have gotten the same thing at home.

 

[honey]

If the skater was at nationals in the mid 90s the injury may have been to Anabelle Langois.....although I may not have the right skater. I remember they showed footage of the accident on TV and it was horrendous. Wikipedia seems to support this memory if the timeline works.

Anabelle Langlois - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Anabelle had a bad fall and hit her head on a throw at 98 nationals IIRC. That’s likely too late to match the timeline presented in the article for the incident that they were made to skate after.

 

[Erin]

Langlois also never trained with Leitch’s team.

 

[Carolla5501]

The same thought crossed my mind, like, they're saying that she's battled anorexia nervosa for years and is always injuring herself, and we're supposed to be thinking "What a tough girl!" ???? Opposite of tough to me. I agree about the responsible adults needing to step in. But her parents were her coaches, right? Or was the mother just a trophy wife? I remember someone saying that years ago. And what upsets me most is that even today, thirty years later, we still wouldn't have thought twice about her getting back on the ice. A fall like that? Sorry, kiddo, you bought yourself a trip to the ER. I was horrified when Ashley Cain (?) had that horrendous fall and kept skating, I think her parents were also her coaches too. How could anyone let their child go on and not get immediate medical attention???? Skaters need to be saved from their crazy skate-parents it sems.

What was her father supposed to do? As was hashed to death at the time there's not a good way for a coach to stop a program in progress. (I think that running on to the ice is probably not allowed as much as you the 'crazy skate fan" might want them too.)

The failure there was with the event referree who should have stopped that skate.

 

[DanseMacabre]

He discussed how Leitch would never let anyone talk back to him or contradict him, and that once when Eisler refused to do something Leitch told him to do, Leitch made him run 20 miles or something like that as punishment. Eisler did the entire run because he was stubborn and didn't want to be bested by Leitch.

Leitch also told Eisler and his first partner that they should go to school in Preston, where his club was, so they could have more time on the ice. But Eisler insisted on staying in his home community with his family. There was a "big row" about that.

And then there's this:

 

[DanseMacabre]

Eisler isn't as tall as she described.

This is what the training centre website says in the 'history' section:

Hough and Ladret finished 11th and finished ninth at the 1992 Olympics. In 1992 Jodeyne Higgins and Sean Rice finished third at Canadians while Kevin Wheeler and Michelle Menzies finished fourth. In 1993 Higgins and Rice advanced to the World Championships finishing 10th but missed Worlds the following season, with a 6th place finish at Canadians. They jumped back onto the Medal podium with a bronze at the nationals and grabbed 14th at the worlds in 1995. The 1997 Novice Pair Bonze Medallist were Ashley Daly and Greg Moore. At the 1998 Canadian Championships, Samantha Marchant won the bronze medal in the junior ladies event. Elisabeth Rumble and Mathew Hickey missed the podium by one placement finishing a respective 4th place in the Novice Pair Event. Melissa Mazzon and Mark Leslie finished 1st at the North American Challenge in pairs, while Matt King finished 3rd in the men's competition. In 1999 Krista Ricciatti and Shawn Verasammy won the Pairs title at the Juvenile Canadian Championships. Melissa Masson and Mark Leslie were named to represent Canada at the Junior Grand Prix event in Ostrava, Czech Republic, finishing in the gold medal position.​

http://www.prestonfsc.com/club-history.html#:~:text=The Preston FSC was formed,in 1961, "Rhapsody".

 

[uandmfan]

Langlois also never trained with Leitch’s team.

I didn't read it as someone she trained with the first time through. Sorry. That fall is still one of the worst I can recall......

 

[DanseMacabre]

I didn't read it as someone she trained with the first time through. Sorry. That fall is still one of the worst I can recall......

It wasn't at Nationals, wasn't televised - partner slipped off the back of his blade while she was in a star lift. And she fell face forward.

 

[MacMadame]

So do people think Skate Canada should do something about this like remove him from the Hall of Fame?

 

[DanseMacabre]

So do people think Skate Canada should do something about this like remove him from the Hall of Fame?

Well, if you look at SkateCanada's SafeSport policy it's pretty clear that any criminal offense (including assault) is in contravention of the policy.

So, either they support SafeSport, or they don't. His induction would clearly state that they DO NOT support Safe Sport. That being said, the induction was in 2012 and there is a different board/sfatt in place. I think that most of the "old crew" are gone. So here's hoping the new SkateCanada does the right thing.

https://skatecanada.sharepoint.com/Policies2/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FPolicies2%2FMisconduct%20Reporting%20and%20Resolution%20Policy%2Epdf&parent=%2FPolicies2&p=true&originalPath=aHR0cHM6Ly9za2F0ZWNhbmFkYS5zaGFyZXBvaW50LmNvbS86YjovZy9FWW14UnJzNUgtMUlqVTM2RXNkWElRa0I2aFJtMTllTUhnczFzVFVhVkRtQ2FnP3J0aW1lPTYtYmFwMmZqMkVn

 

[overedge]

IMO he should be removed from the Hall of Fame. There wasn't anything like SafeSport while he was coaching in Canada, but his behaviour certainly isn't something that should be held up as a model for others to emulate in the future.

 

[Erin]

So do people think Skate Canada should do something about this like remove him from the Hall of Fame?

He never should have been in there in the first place. He was inducted after he had criminal assault charges, which were publicly known. That is insane to me, although at the same time, not surprising at all.

 

[WanderlustTO]

There was some sort of shocking report about Hough that came out during her time with Stars on Ice...mid-90s. It may have been on TV...in the midst of the skating boom. I remember because Hough/Ladret were special faves of mine at the time, so I was especially saddened. It’s in my tapes/DVDs but I don’t have time to go through them now. It might have even been on a tape related to SOI...she was interviewed and said how much happier she was now (at SOI) compared to her Olympic-training days, then we saw her & Ladret perform a routine in SOI.

Yeah, I remember that stuff around the same time. i don't remember the details though.

I also remember she was extremely thin even by FS standards. It might be nothing. But I always remember that about her - even though i was fairly young at the time.

 

[emilieh]

He never should have been in there in the first place. He was inducted after he had criminal assault charges, which were publicly known. That is insane to me, although at the same time, not surprising at all.

I was appalled that he was being inducted at the time. I was young in the 90s, so my rule of thumb is if I heard about something from the 90s, then everyone else had heard it too. I can't remember now if he wasn't given a ceremony at Nationals, or if he was and I skipped it, but I know I never sat through one.

 

[DanseMacabre]

He never should have been in there in the first place. He was inducted after he had criminal assault charges, which were publicly known. That is insane to me, although at the same time, not surprising at all.

The crazy part is that SkateCanada banned him because of his assault charge. But there was a period where all the pros had to kiss his arse because he was the judge on the circuit.

He has many powerful and influential friends, but this isn't the 90's. Soon the story of his full "legacy" twill be made public.

If needed, you can file a complaint with SafeSport at Skate Canada and an independent body will investigate.

I know several of his old victim...er..students are going to do that.

 

[Mont]

The crazy part is that SkateCanada banned him because of his assault charge. But there was a period where all the pros had to kiss his arse because he was the judge on the circuit.

He has many powerful and influential friends, but this isn't the 90's. Soon the story of his full "legacy" twill be made public.

If needed, you can file a complaint with SafeSport at Skate Canada and an independent body will investigate.

I know several of his old victim...er..students are going to do that.

Good. Overdue.

 

[DanseMacabre]

Good. Overdue.

The whole thing hinges on people making reports and bringing forth their experiences to SkateCanada. It's been covered up for so long, so many people have been silenced. So the only way to change this is for people to speak up.

One has to wonder what the experiences of Nicole Bobeck are?

 

[Mont]

The whole thing hinges on people making reports and bringing forth their experiences to SkateCanada. It's been covered up for so long, so many people have been silenced. So the only way to change this is for people to speak up.

One has to wonder what the experiences of Nicole Bobeck are?

I know someone who witnessed it as a young person. Wasn't really the target but saw more than enough. Has told me about what went on. Do you know if SC has opened a file? If so, will encourage him to share what he witnessed.

 

[DanseMacabre]

I know someone who witnessed it as a young person. Wasn't really the target but saw more than enough. Has told me about what went on. Do you know if SC has opened a file? If so, will encourage him to share what he

I know someone who witnessed it as a young person. Wasn't really the target but saw more than enough. Has told me about what went on. Do you know if SC has opened a file? If so, will encourage him to share what he witnessed.

I
witnessed.i

 

[DanseMacabre]

I think SkateCanada "may" be getting a few complaints now that this is more public - but everyone who experienced and witnessed should speak out if they want to help.

 

[Coco]

How in the hell can there be a co-ed changing room for teenagers and young adults and no one complain about it? Is that a thing in Canada?

 

[honey]

How in the hell can there be a co-ed changing room for teenagers and young adults and no one complain about it? Is that a thing in Canada?

Our club did this in my time (25 years ago or so). To be honest, I don’t think anyone thought twice about it. Of course now looking back, I see it differently. I don’t know if that was the norm for all clubs or not. At competitions always separate change rooms, but on a regular basis we were all in there together.

 

[MacMadame]

At the rinks I skated at, the changing rooms were for hockey teams. The figure skaters changed in the bathrooms. Except during competitions when there were changing rooms divided by gender. So it didn't come up that much.

 

[mackiecat]

How in the hell can there be a co-ed changing room for teenagers and young adults and no one complain about it? Is that a thing in Canada?

Remember this was quite awhile ago. Also generally the only thing being changed is your feet from shoes to skates. I remember if someone wanted to change clothes, they went into the bathroom.

 

[Aceon6]

Remember this was quite awhile ago. Also generally the only thing being changed is your feet from shoes to skates. I remember if someone wanted to change clothes, they went into the bathroom.

Same.

 

[Coco]

OK, that makes more sense.