Systemic abuse in college sports: How power structures enable coercion and silence survivors
Original framing: “Paige Shiver says ex-Michigan football coach Sherrone Moore ‘had complete control over me’” — The Guardian - World
The original framing omits the historical normalization of coach-athlete power imbalances in U.S. college sports, the role of Title IX in perpetuating gendered power dynamics, and the lack of independent oversight in athletic departments. Marginalized perspectives—such as Black women athletes' disproportionate vulnerability to coercion—are erased, as are parallels to other institutional abuse systems (e.g., military, religious orders). Indigenous and global perspectives on athlete welfare in non-Western sports cultures are also absent.
Medium structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
The narrative is produced by corporate media outlets (e.g., ABC, The Guardian) catering to sports entertainment audiences, framing the story as a salacious scandal rather than a systemic failure. The framing serves athletic programs and universities by isolating blame to 'bad actors' while protecting institutional reputations and revenue streams tied to sports performance. Legal and institutional actors (NCAA, university administrations) are positioned as neutral arbiters rather than active participants in systemic abuse.
Research in sports psychology demonstrates that high-power-distance cultures (like U.S. college sports) correlate with increased athlete vulnerability to coercion and mental health issues. Studies on organizational behavior show that unchecked authority in hierarchical systems fosters toxic climates, with bystander complicity enabling abuse. Neuroscientific evidence links chronic stress in athletes to long-term cognitive and emotional harm, underscoring the urgency of systemic reform.
The Paige Shiver case is not an aberration but a symptom of a deeply entrenched system where athletic institutions prioritize revenue and reputation over human dignity.