By Kathleen Hessert
April, 1999

As more and more horrifying testimonials emerge from Columbine High School, the community of Littleton, Colorado begins the long and painful process of coming to grips with an inconceivable act of violence. On Tuesday April 20, two disgruntled students entered their school with an arsenal of bombs and guns; targeting, among others, their biggest rivals - athletes. 12 students and one teacher/coach were killed; while countless others are still recovering from injuries.

In the days following the incident, students who have lost their friends, their teacher/coach, and their innocence have gathered to mourn and console one another.

Meanwhile, the entire nation watches in astonishment as threats of copycat crimes emerge in Colorado, California, New Jersey, Texas, and Pennsylvania -causing us to look at our own communities with fear and uneasiness. In this incident, several students were targeted and killed by their classmates simply for being athletes. How does this impact student-athletes everywhere, and how can parents, teachers, and coaches help their athletes to work through their fears?

Events such as these can have a devastating effect on athletes, who draw their character and much of their success from closeness, interdependency, bravado, and chemistry among team members. In Colorado, athletes who have lost team members, and even a coach, may not know where to begin when coping with the tragedy.

The Aftermath of the Trauma

The impact of this tragedy is twofold. Firstly, it's a shock for the student-athletes of Columbine High School, who will never forget the violence and cruelty their fellow students directed toward them. Secondly, it's a crisis for student-athletes across the country, who no longer feel safe in their own schools. At a USA Today discussion forum, a scared student posted this question: "What is being done to make sure that it doesn't happen to me? What is being done to keep me, my friends, my classmates, and my teachers safe?"

There are two things you, as a coach, parent, teacher or school administrator, can do to deal with this situation. You can counsel your students now, helping them to deal with their own fears and concerns. If you're in the off-season, don't let that deter you. In fact, your caring attitude now can help build an even stronger bond between you and your athletes by the time the season begins. Call them, send them a note, stop them in the weight room, and tell them that you're there to listen.

School administrators and coaches can also prepare for the day when a crisis may hit your team by instituting a Crisis Management Plan that includes Post-Trauma Counseling.

Keys to Coping After a Crisis

1. Avoid "Business as Usual"
Experts contend that it's inappropriate to act as if nothing has happened or assume business as usual. Players and staff look to their coach for direction, so send them a clear message of understanding. In order to refocus your athletes for the season, you must acknowledge the emotions that run very high after a trauma.

2. Assess the Team's Needs
Because degrees of trauma vary, you must address the team's needs both as a unit and as individuals. Are school counselors and ministers needed, or should you bring in professional post-trauma counselors and sports psychologists?

3. Act Fast
When a traumatic event takes place, you must act within the first 24 hours. This is where crisis planning is critical. For example, what if the crisis happens on the road? When a traumatic experience occurs while your team's away, the confusion and lag time are multiplied. You'll need extra help because you don't have the same resources available as you do at home. Documenting steps taken while handling the crisis can also ease the process the next time a crisis occurs.

4. Look for Support
Another key to dealing with traumatic events is to look to assistants, trainers, and other coaches who've dealt with similar situations. Since the Colorado incident is causing ripples nationwide, all of your colleagues are probably dealing with similar fears among student-athletes.

There are also great resources out there for coaches, such as The Coach's Communication Playbook, which has a chapter on Post-Trauma Counseling. Coach's Websites, such as the Fast Track For Coaches section at http://www.sportsmediachallenge.com/coaches, have discussion groups where you can interact with coaches from all over the world about your coaching concerns.

5. Make it Mandatory
It's not unusual for coaches or athletes to avoid post-trauma counseling. There's something inherent about sports that convinces participants they're invincible. Your student-athlete may be experiencing anxiety, but he or she may not feel comfortable sharing it with you, for fear of being perceived as weak. How do you deal with this? Make the first meeting with a counselor mandatory. Let them gripe about it, but make them go so that the counselor can assess their needs.

6. Care About Your Team Members and Staff
Their well-being is your primary concern. If it's not your style to be warm and talkative, listen. It shows compassion and understanding.

Post-Trauma Counseling Can Help!

Post-trauma counseling benefits you and your team in the long run because it helps people sort out emotions and gain closure, while reinforcing the solidarity of the group. In Colorado, Columbine students and their families are doing just that as the community gathers to counsel and mourn.

Every coach lives in fear that something like this will happen to their athletes. The only way to face these fears is to deal with them head on, with planning and foresight. An important part of that is being prepared to offer Post-Trauma Counseling to your student-athletes if and when they need it. And, after such a high profile tragedy like the one in Littleton, talking about lessons learned can help you prepare before you have to learn them firsthand.