The recent allegations from former IU rower Katlin Beck against IU athletics have been a topic of conversation ever since Beck’s interview with “Outside the Lines,” an ESPN program.
The claims from Beck targeted IU medical trainers and the current coaching staff, most notably Coach Steve Peterson.
The 2015-16 Big Ten rower of the year, Rebecca Davis, was teammates with Beck at IU during the time of Beck’s injury in the 2013-14 season. Davis was in the same situation as Beck because they were both injured during the same season. Davis said the medical and coaching staff were extremely cautious with not rushing her back to practice too soon.
“I don’t remember a single time where any of the coaches pressured me to push through my injury,” Davis said. “Every single time they were supportive of my recovery and making sure I was doing whatever was necessary to get back to practices.”
Davis, known as Rebecca Brougher before she was married, injured her neck during her sophomore year at IU and was kept out of practice for longer than she would have wished. Although it was a freak injury — she slipped while doing pull-ups — trainers told her to stay in bed for multiple days and rest despite her displeasure.
“I had a coach who cared about me like my dad cares about me,” Davis said. “He treated me like he would his daughter, and I knew that I was more important to him than winning championships.”
Davis went on to say that Peterson’s behavior is hard to find in collegiate athletics especially with such a huge team of more than 60 athletes.
“When I got injured, I was terrified because I didn’t know what was happening, it was really scary,” Davis said. “Steve actually stayed in the waiting room the entire time I was in the hospital and didn’t leave until they said I could go home.”
Davis got injured around October of her sophomore year, right around the time Beck’s injury also occurred. Davis also said how the training staff and coaches were quite careful about when players were ready to be back practicing.
Davis said the players were doing whatever they were capable of and the staff was judicious in making sure members of the “injured squad” were fit to practice. The injured rowers were monitored carefully and not forced to do anything outside of their capabilities.
An important part of Davis’ story is the IU medical staff specifically sending her to a local chiropractor in Bloomington to aid her neck injury. Davis said the IU staff cared enough about her to send her outside of the University, and it ended up being helpful to her recovery.
“They went out of the typical athletic department because the things we were doing in the training room weren’t working,” Davis said. “Somehow that had the magic trick that my neck needed.”
Davis overcame her injury with the assistance of the IU athletic department and the local chiropractor. Davis said the coaching and medical staff did their best to aid her recovery.
Davis said it may have been challenging for Peterson to know Beck’s injuries. According to the IU Athletics website, Beck was a varsity rower in 2014-15, but as a freshman in 2013-14 she was listed as one of dozens of novice rowers. While Peterson is the head coach, he mainly oversees the varsity rowers instead of the novice rowers.
“Specifically calling out a coach who cares so deeply about his athletes is very hard for me to listen to and accept,” Davis said. “He doesn’t deserve that. He’s gone above and beyond for me and my close teammates to benefit us as people.”
NOTE: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Katlin Beck, then known as Katlin Brown, was with the IU rowing program for one season. She was in fact listed on the IU roster for both 2013-14 and 2014-15. The IDS regrets this error.
