I'm not impressed by your crying," a sentence from handball coach André Fuhr, as one of several players reported to "Spiegel".

A sentence that is sometimes heard in other halls, in other places in sport.

Competitive sport hurts, it's tough.

But how painful can it be, how much can it hurt the souls of the athletes?

And how should coaches and athletes talk to each other?

Language can hurt, degrade, plunge people into depths.

Fuhr is said to have threatened and intimidated players.

He is said to have guarded her, harassed her and made her docile.

It is well known that the language in sport is sometimes rough when it comes to mobilizing the last bit of energy and getting the best out of yourself.

It will be normalized.

A normalization that can lead to the words of those affected not being taken seriously.

It's often said that if you can't stand it, you're not tough enough for competitive sports.

Reports are trivialized and those affected excluded, although they should be listened to.

The view becomes blurred

The Fuhr case clearly shows how a coach got the power to psychologically destroy people - without being stopped, not by clubs, probably not by the association where he was employed as a youth national coach.

The system helped him keep going.

So he is not the only one.

The proximity of those responsible in clubs to each other, who have mostly known each other for many years, means that the view becomes blurred, covered by personal experiences.

They are known as nice people at the club, their role as coaches who bring success is idealized.

Negative things, a murmur here and there, are ignored.

It is all the more important that those affected can turn to an independent body outside the association, such as "Start against Violence", where they will be listened to.

The classifies and supports - from a distance.

HSV Weimar could be a blueprint for other clubs.

There, an independent investigation commission is working on the offenses of the gymnastics coach, who was convicted of sexual abuse.

Those affected are also involved in the processing.

Looking closely, listening, understanding the structures that encourage violence - that's what everyone who works in sports should do.

The reality is often different: coaches are granted the power to make decisions about athletes.

The boundaries of what is motivating and what is degrading are fluid.

Fuhr has more than exceeded these limits.

And it's also the clubs, the parents, the officials of German sport who have to protect this border so that athletes don't break what they once enjoyed.