WAG List of Specific, Constructive Suggestions for USA Gymnastics to Implement

[suds]

Since USAG seems unable to bring themselves to reach out to parents for input on the current disaster enveloping gymnastics, it seems there is a role to create a list of specific suggestions for USAG.
Hopefully, those with connections to administration and leadership can take these ideas back for discussion.

The parents and great coaches on ChalkBucket all have a significant, vested interest in the health and well-being of our children / gymnasts: physically, mentally, and emotionally both short term and long term. We also recognize how great this sport can be, and the life skills and long-term benefits it can offer. We would like to see the sport of gymnastics successfully navigate through this very dark part of its history: acknowledge it, learn from it, and come through it stronger and changed for the better.

For this list, the suggestions need to be positive, constructive, specific, and realistic. Something that you truly believe would be both effective and able to be implemented. These would either be ways to address the current abuse tragedies and / or suggested changes to implement.

My first suggestion:

For those gymnasts attending training camps, to actively support gymnasts staying off-site with their parent (or teammate’s parent). This is especially important for the 13 and under age group. If children are to be optimally ready to learn in the intense environment of the National Team Training Gym, this means supporting their emotional needs, and not training them to deal with the pressure alone – especially at such a young age.

Physical proximity of a parent (or teammate’s parent) would also facilitate requiring a 3rd party presence whenever a physician, PA, or athletic trainer evaluates and treats the gymnast.

I would be interested to hear other suggestions.

 

[bogwoppit]

USAG should hire chaperones that care for groups of campers at the ranch.

Agree that allowing campers to stay off site with their parents is a good option for safety, and metal well being.

Rule that coaches may not travel alone with their gymnasts, and certainly must never share a room with them. Parents will have to deliver to camp or send them with another parent transporting their gymnast.

Move the training camps to a more central location that is a hub for flights, lowering the costs for travel and removing the Karolyi's from the mix.

All PT must take place in an open space, where other adults are present. All treatment must be explained to both the parent and child, using video conference if needed. Any PT that needs more privacy must take place with another female adult in the room, the treatment should be outlined to them as well. All PT must take place in a training room, never in dorms or bedrooms.

 

[twinmomma]

USAG should hire chaperones that care for groups of campers at the ranch.

Agree that allowing campers to stay off site with their parents is a good option for safety, and metal well being.

Rule that coaches may not travel alone with their gymnasts, and certainly must never share a room with them. Parents will have to deliver to camp or send them with another parent transporting their gymnast.

Move the training camps to a more central location that is a hub for flights, lowering the costs for travel and removing the Karolyi's from the mix.

All PT must take place in an open space, where other adults are present. All treatment must be explained to both the parent and child, using video conference if needed. Any PT that needs more privacy must take place with another female adult in the room, the treatment should be outlined to them as well. All PT must take place in a training room, never in dorms or bedrooms.

It's beyond sad to me that this has to be explicitly stated. I completely agree with everything you've said. It just sickens me we have to say it.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

No child should ever be alone behind closed doors one on one with an adult or a person in charge. Period. Never. Ever.

Even as an adult, my dentist office is all open. When I have an OB-GYN exam, the doc is not alone with me, her nurse is in the room as well.

At our church, alter servers are never behind closed doors alone with the priest. This protects the kids and the priest.

When our kids have their private floor routine lessons, it's during off hours. Us parents must be there. Our kids can not be alone with the coach. It protects both the child and the coach.

This is a no brainer to me.

 

[Faith]

This is not necessarily just usag, but should be applied across medical/osteopathic/physiotherapy professions.

Under no circumstances should the technique known as "intravaginal manipulation" be performed on any child or vulnerable adult without the consent and presence of a parent an/or certified ob/gyn. And it should be co signed by a second ob/gyn or paed that such invasive treatment is necessary.

I was somewhat horrified to find that intravaginal manipulation as a technique was being used on gymnasts.

 

[Faith]

Do they not have chaperones at the ranch?

Blimey. Standard here is two chaperones minimum for any age under 18's.

 

[bogwoppit]

Do they not have chaperones at the ranch?

Not really.

 

[Lunde]

There needs to be a firm policy that any allegations of abuse must be reported to law enforcement for investigation
- no more USAG "We're looking into this" internal investigations
- no allowing potential abusers to resign that transfers the problem to another (unsuspecting) gym

There needs to be proper systems for recording allegations of abuse - so many cases recently have revealed plenty of warning signals being sent to USAG yet these do not seem to have been acted on and in some cases reported

 

[Gymmommy71]

I think something that limits the power and longevity of command of individuals in leadership positions should be implemented. Maybe something like a limit to the number of years that a person can be in charge of the national team, the USAG, be the medical doctor, etc.

I truly feel that a lot of these issues that are now coming to light were made much worse because of how many years those close to Nassar had been in charge.

People are just very afraid to speak up when a person who is close to someone (like Nassar was w/ the Karoylis) who is in charge indefinitely, and already has been in charge for very long time before then, has done something to them. I don't think it's a coincidence that all of this is coming to light now that two people who were in charge for over 40 years just retired.

 

[ayyyrial]

Better reporting.

If a child tells their parent that something happened, that parent needs to tell USAG and the police. If the parent can't or won't contact the police, USAG needs to do that as soon as possible. Doesn't matter who it was, it just gets reported to law enforcement. Police are an outside agency, ideally, without ties to suspects or to the family...and if things are reported in a timely fashion, they may be able to get physical evidence. Of course, the police don't always make the right decisions, but it's important to try to go through the correct channel and leave a formal record of that.

Where I worked a few years ago there was a suspected case of child abuse - coaches saw warnings signs with a child and their caregiver (I believe), told the gym director, and contacted the police. There turned out to be nothing wrong and it was very embarrassing for everyone involved, but everyone also understood that it's better to be too careful than let these things slip through the cracks.

 

[bookworm]

1. USAG should hire chaperones that care for groups of campers at the ranch.

2. Agree that allowing campers to stay off site with their parents is a good option for safety, and mental well being.

3. Rule that coaches may not travel alone with their gymnasts, and certainly must never share a room with them. Parents will have to deliver to camp or send them with another parent transporting their gymnast.

4. Move the training camps to a more central location that is a hub for flights, lowering the costs for travel and removing the Karolyi's from the mix.

5. All PT must take place in an open space, where other adults are present. All treatment must be explained to both the parent and child, using video conference if needed. Any PT that needs more privacy must take place with another female adult in the room, the treatment should be outlined to them as well. All PT must take place in a training room, never in dorms or bedrooms.

A few thoughts:

1. Supposedly there were chaperones there once upon a time...I believe Mary Lee Tracy's daughter used to be there at times in that role and I think there were others but I don't believe there was ever a ratio type thing (i.e. 1 chaperone/5 gymnasts etc)

2. This would be a definite game changer for the whole camp system as the thought was a centralized place for "gymnasts/coaches/National team staff only" concentrating on winning and shutting out all outside distractions....

3. I never had an issue with my girls traveling alone with any of the coaches we ever had, and I still would not. I think to take a parent away from work for a week a month would be tough financially for many families as any time we went to the Ranch , it was kiss 1000 bucks good bye, and that was just for her and her coach, and not me or any lost work time. I think making it an option parents to travel (whereas before it was forbidden) with their gymnast would be a good addition.

4. Originally the whole "central system" was based out of Indianapolis , where USAG is based , but the Karolyis got involved, had the Ranch and then sold the idea of centralizing everything there....in the middle of the Sam Houston National Forest, 2 hours from any real civilization, down a dirt road, lousy (if any) cell service, no parents.....what could go wrong? I think there would have to be a different place if you wanted to make that more transparent just by virtue of the actual location of the Ranch....that Karolyis never said had a "toxic" environment, but always in the eye of the beholder...

5. Needs no further explanation and can't believe this wasn't already policy...

 

[fuzi]

I think requiring parents to travel to camp with their kids would be quite prohibitive and may rule out many potential top gymnasts from participating. That said, I think parents should have the option to travel to camp and have their children stay with them.

USAG should arrange for coaches and gymnasts to travel in groups to camps. I.E. - all the Northern California clubs get on this specific flight from the SF airport, so then you have multiple coaches and multiple kids (not one on one).

 

[bogwoppit]

USAG should arrange for coaches and gymnasts to travel in groups to camps. I.E. - all the Northern California clubs get on this specific flight from the SF airport, so then you have multiple coaches and multiple kids (not one on one).

Great suggestion.

 

[raenndrops]

There needs to be a firm policy that any allegations of abuse must be reported to law enforcement for investigation
- no more USAG "We're looking into this" internal investigations
- no allowing potential abusers to resign that transfers the problem to another (unsuspecting) gym

There needs to be proper systems for recording allegations of abuse - so many cases recently have revealed plenty of warning signals being sent to USAG yet these do not seem to have been acted on and in some cases reported

The person reporting it should report it to the authorities…. and to the gym management… and to USAG (IN THAT ORDER). There should be no only reporting it to USAG and expecting them to handle it, especially considering that the reporter is more likely in the same time zone as the perpetrator.

 

[bookworm]

I think requiring parents to travel to camp with their kids would be quite prohibitive and may rule out many potential top gymnasts from participating. That said, I think parents should have the option to travel to camp and have their children stay with them.
.

I totally agree with this , and not just from a financial standpoint , but to take a parent away from home for a week a month would be tough too...at the time my daughter started going there, my other kids were 5 and 8, and my husband often travelled for work...I couldn't have seen myself being away a week a month from my family, and my job. Like I said prior, I never had an issue with my girls' coaches travelling alone with them. Sometimes there were other gym mates that went but often it was just her.

 

[Seeker]

My advice is quick and simple to implement:

FIRE STEVE PENNY.

Like yesterday.

 

[ayyyrial]

The person reporting it should report it to the authorities…. and to the gym management… and to USAG (IN THAT ORDER). There should be no only reporting it to USAG and expecting them to handle it, especially considering that the reporter is more likely in the same time zone as the perpetrator.

Yes, people who report it should also report to the authorities - but anyone who finds out about it, including gym management or USAG, should also report. A lot of times things go unreported because the people affected by it have a problem with the authorities themselves or fear retaliation.

 

[Faith]

My child does GB camps.

Travelling with coaches is against safeguarding rules. it does happen, but that is the parents decision.

The camps are strictly no parent. I have said this before but they do it as part of their welfare, they know which kids will be fine travelling to internationals, which ones will get homesick. They also teach them about packing and kit responsibility, eating right when faced with hotel food, resting etc.

All this though is dealt with by chaperones. The kids only see coaches during training. The kids only have chaperones telephone numbers, never coaches. They are not allowed to be friends with coaches on social media.

Their introductory camp also included a welfare talk on sex, bodies, and appropriate behaviour. Not sex education, but boundaries and what is and isn't allowed- no boyfriends/girlfriends, no opposite sex in bedrooms, no phones in changing rooms, what to report and who to go to, not just abuse, but stuff like if they need sanitary protection or are worried about personal matters.

There is no medical treatment at camps, unless they need the er. A parent would be called if necessary and asked to take the child to the dr.

I think there are ways. I am comfortable with dd going to camp at the moment. As a parent also i need to be comfortable, she has already had one international assignment and has another coming up. I know the chaperones amd the coaches, and so does dd. Without the camps i'm not sure i'd want to put her on a plane to another country with a bunch of people we don't know.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Since USAG seems unable to bring themselves to reach out to parents for input on the current disaster enveloping gymnastics, it seems there is a role to create a list of specific suggestions for USAG.
Hopefully, those with connections to administration and leadership can take these ideas back for discussion.

The parents and great coaches on ChalkBucket all have a significant, vested interest in the health and well-being of our children / gymnasts: physically, mentally, and emotionally both short term and long term. We also recognize how great this sport can be, and the life skills and long-term benefits it can offer. We would like to see the sport of gymnastics successfully navigate through this very dark part of its history: acknowledge it, learn from it, and come through it stronger and changed for the better.

For this list, the suggestions need to be positive, constructive, specific, and realistic. Something that you truly believe would be both effective and able to be implemented. These would either be ways to address the current abuse tragedies and / or suggested changes to implement.

My first suggestion:

For those gymnasts attending training camps, to actively support gymnasts staying off-site with their parent (or teammate’s parent). This is especially important for the 13 and under age group. If children are to be optimally ready to learn in the intense environment of the National Team Training Gym, this means supporting their emotional needs, and not training them to deal with the pressure alone – especially at such a young age.

Physical proximity of a parent (or teammate’s parent) would also facilitate requiring a 3rd party presence whenever a physician, PA, or athletic trainer evaluates and treats the gymnast.

I would be interested to hear other suggestions.

You absolutely can send an email and it will VERY likely be read. Do not feel like your voice is not strong enough to resinate within USAG, they really do care.

 

[suds]

You absolutely can send an email and it will VERY likely be read. Do not feel like your voice is not strong enough to resinate within USAG, they really do care.

This is a wonderful line of thinking.
It is a great example of what USAG should be saying: loudly, publicly, and repeatedly, through multiple pathways, directed to all parents of gymnasts.
USAG should be making it very clear that they want our input, carefully thought out suggestions, and feedback to make the sport of gymnastics stronger, better, and safer for our children.