October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month

Domestic violence - when we hear those words it sounds like a problem way, way out of our hands.

A simple thing you can do as a coach or a staff to help this issue is to have your wife and children visit you at practices and games - even if it is only for one minute. You go over and give them a hug/kiss, smile chat for a minute and back to work. Your actions will speak quite loudly.

Maybe you could organize it so that different families are stopping by on a regular basis - so your players can have a constant example of how to treat women respectfully.

This is a powerful, real testimony that will help your players see how a man treats a woman with respect. Maybe if he does get in an argument with a woman in the future he will remember you hugging your wife at practice - and he will choose to act virtuously.

In the photo: Chris Tracy, head football coach at Franklin County High School (KY), with his two daughters before a Friday night game. As his beautiful little girls ran on to the field I watched as ALL of his players turned to look.

Remember * Your actions speak louder than your words *

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The Department of Justice and the Office on Violence Against Women joins advocates, survivors , and communities around the country to observe October as Domestic Violence Awareness Month. This is a moment to elevate the conversation so the majority of Americans will understand that violence against women and girls is unacceptable.

Violence against women is the seed to so many other forms of violence. This shift in our conversation must happen because violence against women continues to have devastating effects on entire communities. When children witness violence in the home, those children are impacted by what they have seen and often experienced themselves. If we want to tackle violence in our country, in our communities, then we must address the violence that occurs in so many homes. And all members of the community must be engaged to end the violence.