WAG The Cult Culture of Gymnastics Article

[raenndrops]

I think it is a good read for those who have not seen it. Not everyone will have experienced this, but it is still important to understand.

https://wendybrucemartin.com/2017/03/20/the-cult-culture-of-gymnastics/

 

[strawberries]

This culture of mental/emotional abuse is what makes the physical/sexual abuse so easy, and even inevitable. It is the next logical step in a broken system.

I have seen this cult-type environment produce top athletes who need years of therapy, as do their parents. I have also seen completely healthy, stable, respectful environments produce the same top athletes, except they are also whole human beings in the end. These things are not mutually exclusive.

I don't know the exact answer, but somehow, as a community, we need to stop tolerating this.

 

[AgingHippie]

This literally teared me up.

 

[ayyyrial]

This article talks about a lot of important things, even though many of them may be unsurprising. It's also important to remember that even though stuff like this may have been more open/mainstream in Bruce's era, in the 90s, abusive training methods are definitely still impacting gymnasts around the world, including in the USA. For example, I know at least two recent Olympians (Maroney and SJ) talked about the emotional and physical damage involved in training, as well as eating disorders.

 

[Aero]

I think it is a good read for those who have not seen it. Not everyone will have experienced this, but it is still important to understand.

https://wendybrucemartin.com/2017/03/20/the-cult-culture-of-gymnastics/

Excellent article! I like how it addresses everyone involved in the problem, from the coach, to the parents, and even the gymnast. Caring and effective coaches along with well educated parents can create the best atmosphere for a high level athlete. The culture must be cultivated and actively worked towards by all involved. I think this sort of thing should become part of coaching education. The old school ways of coaching with borderline abusive methods need to be completely abandoned by all coaches within USAG. It is clearly inferior.

This thread should be pinned so everyone can read it. It will help get the word out more!