Galatasaray Club published a statement on its official website regarding the girls’ basketball youth teams of the yellow-red club.
The statement made is as follows:
Following the accusations made about our Club’s Basketball Girls Youth Teams on social media on September 2, 2023, we would like to share the results of our research openly and transparently – as we promised.
Starting from the day the issue was received by us, a commission formed by members of our Board of Auditors, our Equal Opportunities for Women and Men Commission and our Legal Consultancy started investigations. For a healthy and objective evaluation, comprehensive interviews were held with a total of 22 people, including employees, parents and athletes, and their verbal and written explanations were consulted.
First and foremost, it has been confirmed, based on the statements of both the athlete and the other parents interviewed, that one of the youth team coaches, who was the subject of the social media post in question, did not exhibit “special attention”, discrimination, sexual innuendo or harassment that could be considered within the scope of sexual abuse. . We demand that the person who accuses such a serious crime with incomplete and hypothetical information to take responsibility.
On the other hand, it was revealed that another employee working within the scope of this process could give asymmetrically harsh reactions to the athletes, behave in an exclusionary and reactive manner towards the parents, and in short, display a profile that would set a bad example for the athletes and would not suit the community, and his employment contract was terminated. Written warnings were given to four employees and managers regarding the expectations in the athlete and parent communication approach.
With this process starting in our girls’ basketball youth teams, it has been decided to make new arrangements in the management system of all our youth teams, which can be seen under very brief headings below. According to this ;
Based on the need to update educational approaches in line with the social and individual changes of our age, regular training will be provided to all youth team coaches and all staff with athlete contact, including management, so that they can develop education and communication approaches suitable for the new generation pedagogy.
In order to adapt to today’s parental approach and to respond more closely to the different expectations and demands of parents, regular and proactive information and cooperation environments will be created, both verbally and in writing.
The Code of Ethical Conduct signed by all employees of our club will be distributed to the athlete data of the youth teams, and the Ethics Consultation and Reporting Line, which is actively operating within our Club, will also be made available to parents and athletes.
As part of their development, athletes will be subject to pedagogical evaluation by an expert at least once each season and the issue will be reported to their stakeholders.
Throughout the season, training records will be monitored regularly by a centrally assigned person.
As we stated before, as Galatasaray Sports Club, we are aware of our leading role. Always communicate openly and transparently; It is our moral, conscientious and social responsibility to work in a mentality of continuous growth and development by evaluating not only congratulations but also constructive feedback.
Regards…