"Chalked Up" by Jennifer Sey

[bogwoppit]

This book has provoked a lot of chat on other boards. The following is from Rick McCharles's extensive gym blog site.

Gymnastics Coaching Blog Archive is ex-gymnast author Jennifer Sey a liar?

GGMB (gym gossip board) has had a lot to say about it, can't post the link as it's members only and a lot of what was said is not for tender ears.

Obviously this book is being released at a time when it would have the most impact, as in sell a lot of books. I won't be buying it, but I would read it from the library.

[Livinatthegym]

Read it. Not particulary well-written (but then I am kind of a literary snob!). What I enjoyed about the book was that Sey did not indict the sport of gymnastics. She gives "credit" for many of the abuses she suffered to her own inherent personality traits. Nobody pushed her harder than she pushed herself.

I also found it interesting that Sey was competing during the rise of the pixies, the time when gymnasts were getting younger and smaller. Suzzanne Yoculan's book, Perfect 10, talks about athletes getting better and stronger in college with fewer practice hours than elite training typically entails. Sey shows us how USAG repeatedly targets younger and younger girls for more intense training, damaging quite a few in the process. The irony, of course, is that those older girls of the NCAA are those who survived years of extensive training in USAG.

[MtnGymMom]

I just heard about this book a couple days ago. I found this interview on Salon.com:

Interview with Jennifer Sey, "Chalked Up" | Salon Life

There was also a book review on Amazon that called in "Gymnastics' version of a Million Little Pieces." The interview linked above makes me think the reviewer is correct.

My initial reaction is that the book is greatly dramatized. The exerpt linked by the OP has many examples of this- judges as homeless people? The whole Hope Spivey falling off beam drama?

I was an athlete pretty close to the time Jennifer was (OK, I'm a little older...) but one of the people she accuses of ***ual abuse was one of my coaches. A more unlikely suspect you will never find.

On the other hand, I do think elite gymnastics is too much for many kids to handle. I was pretty bitter about my experience for a long time. But in retrospect, I would not change a thing about my gymnastics career, and I still love the sport. I think parents and coaches should read books like this, just to keep them on the right track. I will get it from the library.

[Ingymmom]

I have also read/heard the controversy surrounding j. Sey's book. I am curious to read the book, but will wait until I can pick it up at the library or borrow it - I won't run out & purchase it, because I agree that she is clearly trying to cash in, and has a huge chip on her shoulder. I still love all of these ultra dramatic book/films/movies/docudramas surrounding gymnastics so I want to eventually read it. You certainly have to take it all with a grain of salt.

The fact that she is releasing it now proves she is trying to take some sort of vengeance on the sport... It was no secret that she stopped training at Parkettes because of coaching issues - although she sure stayed there a long time for someone that did not mesh well with her coaches. But, she was not as successful after leaving Parkettes. I wonder for those that have read it, does she talk about her move to Will-Moor? (Where National Team member Darlene Hill currently trains).

Ironically, because of her femur injury she was the reason that coaches are allowed to stand by the gymnasts as they compete - a great change in the rules as far as I am concerned.

[Shawn]

Quote:
Originally Posted by MtnGymMom The whole Hope Spivey falling off beam drama?

What was the drama? Gymnasts fall off the beam all the time.

[MtnGymMom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn What was the drama? Gymnasts fall off the beam all the time.

Exactly my point. In the book exerpt on the NPR link, Hope Spivey falling of beam is greatly dramatized (in my opinion.)

Falling off beam at National Championships is a bigger deal than usual- I've done it- but still not as big a drama as written.

[Shawn]

Wow. The way it was written, I thought there was some big rivalry between them or something.

[Livinatthegym]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ingymmom The fact that she is releasing it now proves she is trying to take some sort of vengeance on the sport... It was no secret that she stopped training at Parkettes because of coaching issues - although she sure stayed there a long time for someone that did not mesh well with her coaches. But, she was not as successful after leaving Parkettes. I wonder for those that have read it, does she talk about her move to Will-Moor? (Where National Team member Darlene Hill currently trains). .

I wouldn't read author's intent into a release date for the book. Release dates would be determined by the publisher, not the author. I doubt Sey had any control over it whatsoever.

She has very positive things to say about Will-Moor.

[Ingymmom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Livinatthegym I wouldn't read author's intent into a release date for the book. Release dates would be determined by the publisher, not the author. I doubt Sey had any control over it whatsoever. She has very positive things to say about Will-Moor.

As Jen Sey is the director of consumer marketing for Levi's, & was named as one of the "Top 40 marketer under 40" in 2006, I believe J. Sey certainly had an idea of when she would want it to be released. She knew EXACTLY what she was doing... $cha-ching$

[lannamavity]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Shawn Wow. The way it was written, I thought there was some big rivalry between them or something.

Spivey had WAY more ability than Sey...and they came from the same gym. Spivey went on to have far more success internationally than Sey, and she also went on to be an awesome college gymnast.

What annoys me is how Sey presumes to know what Spivey was thinking during and after that routine. The shame would have come from losing to Sey!

And, by the way...I don't know where that story came up about the "change of rules" for Tkachevs...but I think that one is a pile of crap as well.

Sey's injury couldn't have been avoided by a spot...she landed on her butt on the bar and fell straight down backwards! The spot was allowed to keep kids from missing the Tkachev and hitting their head/neck and back on the low bar. What does that have to do with Sey's crash? There is no way a spot could have saved that kid from that horrible Tkachev.

Lots of kids were hurt both before and after that doing Tkachevs. Where is it said that her particular fall "changed the rules?" Are we sure it was her Tkachev and not a million Jaegers to the head and Geingers to body-slam on the mat? I'm not convinced that this incident and the rule change were in any way related.