He was the guru of private basketball instructors. Parents would hire him to tutor their sons and daughters to give their children a better chance to make high school basketball teams and to put them into the position of winning scholarships to play basketball in college and maybe even go on to the pros.
Now 51, he is in jail being accused of sexually abusing a 17 year-old girl. Among Howard Avery's potential charges are three measure 11 crimes that carry minimum penalties of more than eight years in prison for each offense. Measure 11 is a measure passed by the State of Oregon several years ago that imposes minimum sentences for some crimes and allows juveniles to be tried as adults for certain crimes. Avery's alleged crime took place in the upscale suburb of Portland, Lake Oswego. The parents allowed the girl be one of Avery's students even though in 2003 the Oregonian reported on a sexual relationship that Avery had with one of his students. At the time of the incident, in the 90's, the girl was fifteen and Avery had gotten her pregnant and paid for her abortion. Avery wasn't arrested when the first incident came to light because the statue of limitations had expired. After the story broke in 2003 several parents pulled their daughters from Avery's tutoring. However, several parents, even after the story broke, left their daughters in Avery's care.
One of the fathers that had taken his daughter out of Avery's hand was quoted in an article in the Oregonian on February 24 as saying "His arrest didn't surprise me. As a matter of fact, we are excited he finally got caught, I think he is a creep and he got what he deserved."
He still has he supporters. One high school coach from a school in the area that has banned Avery from coaching girls was quoted as saying: "He's been a successful trainer, he still works with NBA players. So people were willing to say, "he must know what he is doing."
While Avery has been banned from several high school campuses since he is an independent trainer he doesn't need to follow the high school rules and virtually works without any oversight.
There is so much troubling about this story. One of the questions that I had is where does the high school's responsibility ends? Does it end with the school's banning Avery from campus or should they have banned their girl basketball players from Avery's instruction on or off campus? Should the state now step in and regulate independent instructors? Should there be a statue of limiations on the sexual abuse of anyone 16 or under? What in the world would possess a parent to put their daughter in Avery's hands despite his well know reputation as an abuser? Are parents so blinded by wanting their daughter to succeed that they ignore so many red flags? One female basketball coach was quoted in the February 24th article as saying "how could someone's basketball teaching ability overshadow their moral character?"
What makes this story even more troubling is that after the 2003 article appeared in The Oregonian similar stories appeared in the local papers in Denver and Seattle. You can read the Portland Oregonian February 24 article and other related articles by searching Howard Avery at oregonlive.com
What is your take on this story? Are you surprised by the parents? The lack oversight of independent basket ball coaches? I would love your take on this story!
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4 comments:
Once again, I'm appalled. And yes, I'm surprised at the parents, and the lack of oversight of independent coaches. I didn't even know there were independent coaches for kids. I suppose if they were only accusations, I might leave my daughter in his hands, but you can bet I'd be right there with her at all times or no dice. But this was apparently proved, and I can't imagine leaving a kid with him knowing that.
Hi Pat
The whole story is apalling. I wouldn't let my daughter any where near a dude even if it was just alelged. Where there is smoke there is fire. And it wasn't just one complaint it was several.
With the amount of money involved in sports private tutors and summer camps have been big now for about ten years. Because there are so many of them the states need to step up to the plate to regulate them.
Bill
Like Pat, I hadn't realized there was no oversight of independent coaches. I'm appalled the parents would take their kids to the coach, but in some ways not surprised. Too many parents with talented children or with children they want to live out their (parents') dreams, will do anything to make sure they're a success. Still... if I was taking a child to an independent coach or anywhere the child would be alone with an adult I wasn't real familiar with, I'd be right there all the time. In a world where those who teach, mentor, coach our children are strangers to us, rather than someone we know well or our friends know well, the unforunate truth is that children are trusting and too many adults aren't trustworthy.
Hi Dr
It doesn't surprise me either and I think you hit the nail on the head with parents wanting to live their dream through their children.
Bill
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