The issue of sexual misconduct by coaches isn't a new one, and at least some people have been working toward solutions for quite some time.

The Women's Sports Foundation leads the way. The WSF has an excellent position statement on the issue, including Guidelines for Administrators Charged with Hiring and Supervising Coaches. We should demand that every institution involved in girls' and women's basketball make an effort to comform with these guidelines.

The WSF also has a self-assessment tool for coaches to help define what it means to cross the line with players.

While we're in the realm of the Women's Sports Foundation, there's another issue worth addressing. A couple people have emailed and asked (usually with some trepidation) whether we're wrong to frame this problem as one of male coaches committing misconduct. They ask: aren't female coaches sometimes involved in inappropriate behavior with players? Are you, for political reasons, ignoring that aspect of the problem?

I don't doubt that female coaches cross the line too, but my sense is that it's less common.

I don't know what the academic literature on the subject of coaches' misconduct says about gender statistics for offenders. And I don't know whether the numbers might vary from youth sports to college sports.

But we do know, in general, that the great majority of sex offenders are men. Government statistics (see this PDF, e.g.) show that about 99% of rapes are committed by men. I believe that figure includes statutory as well as forcible rape. For other sex offenses, the number is not as high, but it is still over 90%.

I'm willing to be convinced otherwise by contrary data, but I think it's reasonable to suppose that female coaches are substantially less likely to abuse their position. I believe that parents' worries about "lesbian predator" coaches are vastly overblown. I believe that more female coaches in youth sports would reduce sexual misconduct (and have other benefits as well).

The most important point, however, is simpler and less controversial. Rules regarding sexual misconduct by coaches should be written and enforced in a gender-neutral manner. Every coach, man or woman, should receive training and should make a commitment to respect appropriate boundaries.

The WSF, which has earned more than a little credibility on issues of orientation and sport, nails the bottom line when it comes to sexual misconduct: "There should be zero tolerance of such behavior on the part of any coach, male or female, gay or straight."