Bullies are lame. 

Yet unfortunately, they keep doing their bullying thing. 

So why do bullies bully?

It could be because they are jealous of a gifted athlete, or they want to exert some sort of control over another person.  

Bullies typically have low self-esteem hence trying to control or overpower someone else gives them a false sense of self-importance.  

No matter what the reason, being bullied by a bully feels lousy. 

So how do you deal with a bully as an athlete?

Here are 3 things you can do to safely handle a bully:

1. Take Your Power Back:  A bully's primary goal is to take your power away by intimidating you and getting a reaction out of you. So the first thing to do is not give them the desired reaction they want. If they make fun of you, instead of shrinking down or fighting back, throw the bully off track by laughing or making a joke. By not getting angry the bully cannot take your power away AND the bully loses their own power in the process! 

2.  Walk Away: By engaging in a back-and-forth with a bully you are giving them the opportunity to continue to harass you. As they start their nonsense, give them a big smile, and turn and walk away with confidence (even if you have to fake it at that moment). No matter if they keep spewing stupidity your way, just keep walking with your head held high and a smile on your face.  Heck, you can even laugh as you walk away, nothing bothers a bully more than knowing they cannot get to you.  

3. Be Friendly. I know this sound crazy especially when someone is being mean to you but you would be surprised at what happens when you repeatedly give a negative person a positive response.  If they start teasing you say, "Hey once you're done with teasing me, do you want to go hit that kicker?"  Being nice to a bully totally throws them off. Next time you see them say "hey what's up?" or "how was your heat?" This will make their head spin because not only is their bullying totally not working on you, but on top of it you have the confidence and self-assurance to be positive and the ultimate boss. 

Like we said in the beginning, bullies are lame. 

The most important thing is that as a young athlete you feel safe, first and foremost, so if you are being bullied let your parents, coaches, or an adult you trust know what is going on. 

Bullies bully because of their own insecurities, not because there is ANYTHING wrong with you! 

We want you to continue to be a rad person, work hard, surround yourself with friends and family that love and support you, and ignore anyone that tries to bring you down. 

We believe in you, and like you just the way you are. 

The SMM Team xo 

Author: Sue Izzo