Parents Building a new culture in US gymnastics

[profmom]

I don't know how to do it, but I absolutely want people like Taqiy Abdullah-Simons to be part of it. Go read.

https://www.facebook.com/taqiy.abdullahsimmons/posts/10106125056534497

 

[RTT2]

Great post. If only all coaches recognized this:

"The culture of USAG rode on the back of teenage girls to fill their pockets, feel the success of winning without TRULY caring that these young women were being mentally and physically abused in the process. They did not look out for these girls or athletes. It was the most selfish thing an organization could do. Children are our future, and will always be. And to not have an ounce of care of the culture in which the winning was done, is honestly unforgivable. Female gymnasts have to be some of the strongest women ever to endure what they had to. I have nothing but respect for what they endure. Gymnastics is already hard as hell, and to deal with the mind games that coaches play and the pressure girls' parents place on their shoulders, it's amazing - plus most are outstanding students as well. GET IT GIRLS!! Shame on USAG for snatching the identity of what the sport truly is. They have made it hard for female gymnasts to not be questioned about their time as a gymnast, and for that, 'shame on you'. They stole what the public associates with gymnastics and for that, I cannot forgive them."

 

[mdot]

Thank you for posting this link. I do hope that there is a better and brighter future for gymnasts in the very near future. The Nassar testimonies of the young women describing their experiences in the sport are devastating and haunting. And as parents, I do believe that we need to invest (we pay a lot for gymnastics! ) in coaches and gyms that are respectful, knowledgeable and not overly invested in a gymnast’s performance, but focused on his or her physical and mental growth and well-being.

 

[mommyof1]

This part is true even at the very lowest levels of the sport:

"They have made it hard for female gymnasts to not be questioned about their time as a gymnast, and for that, 'shame on you'. They stole what the public associates with gymnastics and for that, I cannot forgive them."

When the Nassar story first broke, I had friends openly question my judgment for allowing my child to participate in the sport. Never mind that she was just an L3 at a safe, positive club that we had carefully chosen, or that she was never going to get anywhere near the Ranch. The public perception is that the sport as a whole is a rotten cult of abuse, right down to the grass roots, and that only a crazy or negligent parent would allow her child to participate.