Details of the brutal physical and verbal abuse by the basketball coach of an Osaka high school boy who committed suicide have finally been released. The external independent panel found that coach Hajime Komura repeatedly and consistently used corporal punishment and verbal abuse on the boy before the boy killed himself. Clearly, the unjustified abuse contributed to the boy's suffering and death.
The details make for grim reading, even more so because such methods are not confined to one coach, one high school or one sport. Reports that the head coach of the women's national judo team used violence against athletes are just as disturbing.
Perhaps these coaches believe their abusive training methods get results. If so, they are mistaken.