Jay coached the Red Tigers girls soccer team and absolutely loved his job.  The girls worked hard, played hard, and most importantly, had lots of fun.  However, ever since Cecilia joined as the team's newest board member, Jay has been having problems.  She had a slightly different approach to soccer.  She wanted the Red Tigers to eliminate the fun team-building exercises and solely focus on techniques, drills, and strategies. 

The tension between Jay and Cecilia has caused division not only within the team, but also between parents, and other board members.  Cecilia threatened to find another coach if Jay wasn't able to fulfill his duties.  Jay threatened to take half the team with him if he ever left.  Unable to come to an agreement, they decided to try Sports Mediation Service.

The mediatior encouraged both Jay and Cecilia to reveal why they behaved the way they did, putting themselves as well as the team in jeopardy.  Cecilia confessed that as the newest and youngest board member, she did not want the other members to take her as a joke, so she figured a hard approach to soccer would give her that edge.  Jay explained that he felt insulted when Cecilia came on board and dismissed all his efforts thus far and implemented her own vision for the team. 

Jay and Cecilia realized how selfish they had been and how much time and energy they wasted fighting over what they thought was best for the team.  With the help of a mediator, they came up with an agreement that involved using both "fun" team-building strategies as well as technical ones.

"The mediation helped put things in perspective.  Our differences seemed microscopic in the grand scheme of our team's vision.  We moved from "me" to "we" and ultimately came up with an agreement that satisfied everyone - me, Cecilia, board members, and the team."

Jay, Mediation Client

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Who We Are

Whether you are playing for fun or if you are a serious athlete, sports associations are an important part of community life because they motivate both adults and children to live heatlhy lifestyles.  Given the number of players involved - associations, teams, coaches, parents, administration, athletes, and other stakeholders - sports-related conflict can become increasingly complicated.  As part of our Sports Mediation Service, with the help of a neutral third party, we offer the opportunity for people to be directly involved in resolving disputes. 

What We Do

Our goal is for all individuals to communicate and resolve their issues.  Due to the competitive nature of sports, arguments can easily escalate out of control.  Our job is to diffuse the situation and move towards a productive resolution that is ideal for all participants involved.

Why Choose Sports Mediation Service 

Sports-related conflict is inevitable.  Our Sports Mediation Service does not put an end to conflict; rather we facilitate discussions in a way that allows individuals to work towards a win-win situation.  Perhaps that means compromising something little for something big.  Our Sports Mediation Service is confidential and efficient. 

Photographer: Filomena Scalise @ FreeDigitalPhotos.net