WAG Jeff Thompson out at Penn State

[skschlag]

Clearly not since the aforementioned coaches were coaching at a meet last weekend!

where are they coaching??

 

[FlippinPrincess]

Clearly not since the aforementioned coaches were coaching at a meet last weekend!

Really? Wow, that’s extremely disappointing.

 

[amiandjim]

Texas

 

[lucyvp]

Wait, so Thompson's were fired. (took too long, but in the end, they got it right). They are coaching a USAG team, but Sandy Barbour should be held accountable for that ? She fired them. Is she supposed to get them blackballed, too ?

 

[amiandjim]

I’m in no way talking about Sandy Barbour. I’m saying USAG should not have given them a membership number so they can inflict their abuse on girls even younger than their NCAA gymnasts.

 

[donoharm]

hold Sandy Barbour accountable for Nasser ? This makes no sense. clickbait.

How about holding Michigan State accountable for Nasser?

No ... hold Barbour accountable for not properly investigating things at PSU. The Nassar issue has provided clarity about the state of the inappropriate culture that has been allowed to fester in the gymnastics community. Click bait .. seriously?

 

[LindyHopper]

Wait, so Thompson's were fired. (took too long, but in the end, they got it right). They are coaching a USAG team, but Sandy Barbour should be held accountable for that ? She fired them. Is she supposed to get them blackballed, too ?

She didn't fire Rachel (who quit hoping that would make the furor die down), only John, and after far too long. And after completely dismissing their assistant coach's concerns about them in her written complaint.

Yes. Barbour bears part of the responsibility, just as Mark Hollis (the AD at MSU) bears part of the responsibility for Kathy Klages handling of Larry Nassar. Sometimes it sucks to be the person at the top, because if you don't handle the failings of your employees well, then you fall with them.

USAG shouldn't certify coaches who are notoriously abusive, no matter what Barbour' s response

 

[donoharm]

Wait, so Thompson's were fired. (took too long, but in the end, they got it right). They are coaching a USAG team, but Sandy Barbour should be held accountable for that ? She fired them. Is she supposed to get them blackballed, too ?

Well, when one employer can just say they were fired and the reason is a personnel issue it gives license for them to carry on elsewhere. Had there been a required reporting in place back to their days at auburn perhaps they wouldn't have been hired by Penn State. Then Penn State fires them but refuses to publicly admit why ... why is That? Because they had been casting aside all the complaints.... CYA at it's finest. If they said the reason had to do with the culture or oppressive coaching style they would have to admit they dropped the ball going back to 2010 .... maybe earlier. The Nassar case just makes it obvious that this type of dismissive approach can come back to haunt you. If you were part of that mess wouldn't you want Barbour to offer apologies to all the people she blamed and wrote off? She and all the adminsitration had many chances to do the right thing but that didn't happen for 5-6 years. So yeah, just because the coaches are gone there is still culpability.

 

[LindyHopper]

only John

*Jeff* stupid autocorrect

 

[donoharm]

Wait, so Thompson's were fired. (took too long, but in the end, they got it right). They are coaching a USAG team, but Sandy Barbour should be held accountable for that ? She fired them. Is she supposed to get them blackballed, too ?

She "resigned" because we all do that for no reason .... Then he was fired in February las t year - mid season. They didn't even wait for him to finish out the year. Do you believe it had nothing to do with all the complaints. Many of the girls who were on the team last season complained ... So seriously, nothing had changed from the time the first complaint was brought to the ADs attention. If PSU can drop the ball like that after the crap with Sandusky, it doesn't give me much hope that any school knows how to make the right choice. Trust me, I couldn't be happier that those girls are in good hands now but too many had to pay the price.

 

[donoharm]

where are they coaching??

I heard they are coaching but I don't know where. There is another thread started by a parent asking what you would do if your club hired a coach who had been called out for creating and abusive culture. The problem is that if one employer says oh we fired for this reason, they will get sued by the individual for inability to earn a living because there is absolutely nothing in place to charge these people who are emotional abusers. When you think physical abuse in the legal sense you think of someone beating someone but physical abuse can occur in the athletic arena when a coach doesn't believe an athlete who says they are in pain or who forces someone who is ill to extreme conditioning. When a coach knows they have pushed someone mentally so far and made them dangerously vulnerable yet they dont back off or better yet get the person help its just a bad situation.They just get to walk away and carry on elsewhere. Everyone has to make a choice for themself but if I had a child in the JO program and read the countless stories and comments on a 1400+signatute petition tjat painted a pretty ugly picture I'd not take the chance with my child.

 

[donoharm]

The other issue I have is that their contract at Auburn did not get renewed. There were many reports of the same abusive behavior fromvthat time so of course logic tells you that is at least partly the reason for the nonrenewal ... bot to mention the team wasnt doing well. They had the opportunit, it they were even capable of doing so, to adopt a healthier approach at Penn State. They didn't. The question you have to ask yourself is why? Did they get stellar results? No they didn't. They had very talented athletes but they couldn't deliver. Why? That's another question you have to ask yourself. Did countless recruits come to them as uncoachable, lazy brats? That's anquestion you have to ask yourself. I challenge you to look up many of the names of the people they abused and investigate their athletic histories and asj yourself one more thing, coud none of them handle college gymnastics. or was it something else?

 

[amiandjim]

I do know the gym, and it’s in Texas. That’s all I will say. I do think a good number of parents probably have no idea who they are. On the gym website, they listed the gym staff as “coming soon.” That’s a big coincidence IMO.

 

[strawberries]

*Jeff* stupid autocorrect

Maybe he goes by John now and that’s how he got a new job

 

[sallysue]

I believe the gym owners are friends with the Thompsons, so pretty sure they are aware of their past.

 

[Texasmomof3]

For the benefit of those of us in Texas, can you be a little more specific. Or PM me? I know they didn't come to my gym, but because I have an older optional gymmie, people often ask what I know about gyms near them. I would hate to steer someone wrong.

 

[MeghanMeghanMeghan]

I do know the gym, and it’s in Texas. That’s all I will say. I do think a good number of parents probably have no idea who they are. On the gym website, they listed the gym staff as “coming soon.” That’s a big coincidence IMO.

Can I ask what the reason for keeping the gym a secret is? I am sure you have a rationale I just can't think of what that reason would be. Seems to me like if abusive coaches are out there they should be named.

 

[suebee]

I also am curious to know which gym they are at and am not sure why it can’t be said publicly on the board.

That being said, I know that at my dd’s gym, coaches sometimes come and go, and there are not always announcements about new coaches. If the gym owner is trying to hide or downplay who they are, then I can see why people would be reluctant to bring it to the public and worry about the repercussions.

But that’s even more reason to be concerned, then.

 

[amiandjim]

Mostly because I haven’t made much of an effort to hide my identity on this site and I don’t really know if it’s my place to say. I’m nowhere near Texas.

 

[amiandjim]

I guess I would also say that while I’m 99% sure I know the gym, I don’t have 100% confirmation. It’s not on the gym website and I don’t know anyone who attends to the gym to confirm. I know it was rumored to be the gym they were coaching at, and I saw a Facebook video of a level 10 vault from this gym at Texas Prime meet and I am almost positive it was Jeff Thompson coaching her vault. So, again, I’m pretty sure I know, but I guess it’s possible I’m wrong.