ReluctantGymMom
Proud Parent
I’m not American, I live here mildly begrudgingly because my husband wanted to return home, so I have some -strong- feelings on what is actually regulated here. And I don’t trust the schools either, not because of the shootings, that’s a separate issue but because they don’t always run nationwide background checks. There’s 50 states. That’s an issue.In Australia it’s illegal to be a Gymnastics coach unless you have a coaching certificate and a regular criminal background check.
It’s illegal to work of volunteer with children or anywhere near children at all unless you have a current working with children card, which requires regular background checks.
This is the first time I’ve left my kid alone at the gym, because besides the coaches (who my husband background checks personally), she has a medical issue and we lived far. We moved to a closer location, with coaches with stable routines who have their own kids who trained upper level gymnastics and whose gymnasts adore them, but they don’t form overly friendly friendships with families. She’s now old enough to speak up for herself and I make it clear to every adult around her that I’m incredibly involved in everything she does.
That’s not in terms of like I’m coaching her at home or anything - but kids with uninvolved parents make easy targets (I know firsthand), it’s a lot easier to prey on the kid who gets dropped off early and left several hours after practice with no parent answering their calls (and we have a lot of those).
I trust where she is because from all my extensive research, I have no reason not to trust them. I hope it remains that way but the systems in place are not there to inspire trust.