WAG Heartbreaking

[Deleted member 18037]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/2019/11/11/melanie-coleman-gymnast-death-scsu/

Beyond words

 

[TumbleTimes4]

I’ve heard coaches say that the most dangerous skill, at least on bars, is the tap swing because of the danger of peeling off the bar. I know she wasn’t doing a tap swing, but from my understanding it sounds like what happened would be similar to that.

My heart goes out to and my prayers go up for her family and teammates. I can’t imagine the trauma of witnessing that. Heartbreaking reminder that this is a dangerous sport.

 

[bookworm]

My 2 former gymnast daughter's both texted me about this last night and we're so upset . My oldest said one of her biggest worries in gymnastics, especially in college, was "worrying I'd die at practice....people always thought I was exaggerating but it only takes one mistake on something you've done 100s of times" ...I can't even imagine what this family is going through, it's just so incredibly sad...

 

[txgymfan]

This is heartbreaking. I can’t imagine the pain her teammates are going through, in addition to her family.

 

[gymgal]

Can't even put into words how I am feeling today. Stomach is in knots and am tearful for the family friends teammates coaches and all the parents close to this gym family. I cannot begin it imagine what they are going through.

 

[bookworm]

And if it wasn’t horrible enough, her club gym was contracted with SCSU to be their practice facility since 2003 ... so both her college teammates and coaches and her club teammates and coaches were there when this all happened.... how does a team go on after witnessing something so devastating?

 

[txgymfan]

And if it wasn’t horrible enough, her club gym was contracted with SCSU to be their practice facility since 2003 ... so both her college teammates and coaches and her club teammates and coaches were there when this all happened.... how does a team go on after witnessing something so devastating?

I have absolutely no idea. None. How do they get on the bars again?

 

[TumbleTimes4]

And if it wasn’t horrible enough, her club gym was contracted with SCSU to be their practice facility since 2003 ... so both her college teammates and coaches and her club teammates and coaches were there when this all happened.... how does a team go on after witnessing something so devastating?

Wow, that adds another level of tragedy to this. I hope counseling is available to all who witnessed her accident, especially for younger gymnasts in the club. I doubt it would happen, but I don’t think anyone would blame them if they decided not to compete this season. I don’t know how you get back on a bar without that always in the back of your mind. Such a horrible and sad situation for everyone.

 

[RTT2]

Devastating. My heart goes out to her family, teammates, and coaches. Such a terrible tragedy.

 

[LJL07]

Was she doing a double back dismount? This is beyond frightening and terribly sad.

 

[bookworm]

Was she doing a double back dismount? This is beyond frightening and terribly sad.

That was what she was reported by Gymternet to be attempting and somehow when she balked and "didn't release the bar , swung back out of it, her hands let go and she flew over the low bar and landed in a really bad position on the mat (on her stomach, feet flipped over her head) "
I still can't wrap my head around how it all transpired...

 

[CuriousCate]

I feel so sick over this. Is anyone else sitting here today saying to themselves that this just isn't worth it?

 

[mommyof1]

I feel so sick over this. Is anyone else sitting here today saying to themselves that this just isn't worth it?

Same. Yesterday was the first time I ever wondered if we were taking too big a risk with our daughter's safety by sending her to practice.

 

[Flyaway]

Gut-wrenching. It really is a reality check. We see gymnasts throw these skills all the time and get desensitized to how dangerous they really can be. Let me tell you, it's a reminder to me to refrain from telling my gymnast to "just throw it" when she is feeling uncertain on a skill. There may be a reason her brain is telling her to not do it.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

I feel so sick over this. Is anyone else sitting here today saying to themselves that this just isn't worth it?

Yes. When I first heard the news, my immediate thought was to pull my daughter out the sport. I have always known there were risks with this sport, but this just made it real.

I also know that I can’t bubble wrap her either. Statistically speaking, she’s more likely to be seriously harmed on the way to practice than during it. As tragic as it is, accidents like these are rare (at least I haven’t heard of any others) and DD is in a very safety conscious gym. For now, I’m ok with her remaining in the sport. But it definitely makes you stop and think.

 

[Flyaway]

Yes. When I first heard the news, my immediate thought was to pull my daughter out the sport. I have always known there were risks with this sport, but this just made it real.

I also know that I can’t bubble wrap her either. Statistically speaking, she’s more likely to be seriously harmed on the way to practice than during it. As tragic as it is, accidents like these are rare (at least I haven’t heard of any others) and DD is in a very safety conscious gym. For now, I’m ok with her remaining in the sport. But it definitely makes you stop and think.

There is a gym nearby who had a gymnast (lvl 9 or 10, can't remember) who was paralyzed from the neck down several years ago attempting a double back off bars, something she'd done a hundred times before. I always think of her when we see that gym at a meet. It IS rare, but it does happen. The knee jerk is to protect your kid no matter the means. But you're right, bubble wrap isn't the answer either.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

It's terrifying, but last year a competitive swimmer drowned at practice. We've known of a number of aerialists who have fallen from a great height and been paralyzed or died - and those are my daughter's two other sports. I think in any sport you can find freak accidents, you just have to be someplace that puts safety high on the priority list and then pray that nothing 1 in a million happens.

 

[Natasha]

THis is heartbreaking and difficult to hear about. My daughter when she was in her 2nd year of L10 and had been doing double backs off bars for 3 years, one day just didn't release and landed on the top of the high bar right across the shoulders and then crumpled to the ground. Thankfully, she hit the bar in just the right place that she had no injuries, but it was terrifying to watch. That incident has haunted me for a long time because I know if she had hit the bar just a couple inches higher or lower it would have been devastating. I had a really hard time watching her do bar dismounts after that. It is really hard when we hear about these stories, because this IS a dangerous sport- that is part of what makes it so exciting and impressive. And as above poster stated, it is a good reminder to not push kids when their brains are telling them not to go...

 

[Aussie_coach]

So, so awful. As a gym owner and and coach, this has to be at the back of your mind every day. I implement so many safety rules and policies and feel like a broken record reinforcing them. But the what if’s in this sport and too huge to ignore.

I often wonder if I could ever carry on, if such a thing were to happen in my gym.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Absolutely horrific, every gymnast, parent and coaches nightmare....
This is an incredibly hard sport and one little mistake at exactly the wrong time can have unthinkable effects.... So what do we do? The only thing we can do.... Talk about it, analyze it, rationalize it, create a contingency plan and..... Learn from it. I had a long talk with my kids the other day..... I can only hope my words made a difference....
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