That’s the title of a guest post on International Gymnast magazine, the most venerable in the industry.
All sorts of nonsense gets posted on “blogs” — but when the best known publication in the industry questions the veracity of your book, you know the game is up. There’s no way Jennifer Sey is getting on Oprah now.
Sey memoir not all it’s chalked up to be
By Lisa Lazar
Perception is not always the same as reality, writes former Parkettes gymnast Lisa Lazar after reading Jennifer Sey’s new memoir, “Chalked Up.”
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I grew up within the Parkettes organization, was an elite level gymnast and two-time U.S. junior national team member in the mid-’80s. I trained with Jennifer Sey and was coached by the same people she writes about in “Chalked Up.” I find myself admiring Jen for letting people see the depth of her childhood trials and tribulations, which she reveals as having begun long before she ever went to the Parkettes gym. I struggle, however, to understand how some of her detailed recollections are so very different from mine.
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… read the entire article on International Gymnast
Lisa Lazar is a former elite gymnast who trained at the Parkettes from 1977 to 1990. She now resides in Baltimore.
Related post: is ex-gymnast author Jennifer Sey a liar?
6 comments ↓
I can’t comment to the accuracy of the content of the book, but there i one thing for sure that from what i understand is true. The method of coaching at Parkettes is not one that i would encourage or practice. We have all seen the perfect 10 documentry, and as much as i am sure that it was edited in a manner to make the gym owners and staff look bad, the fact that the coaches reacted and acted they way they did realllly shows something out their character. Lisa Lazar tries to point out some good things about the staff at parkettes but doesn’t do a very good job if you ask me
“I remember Donna being the first to jump up and down for joy when someone hit a new trick for the first time” how sad, she is happier then the gymnast.. to me the gymnast feeling like their are accomplishing is the most important, and i would never want to take that away from them (i know what some of you are thinking, that i am taking this out of context, but am I?…) or “joke around with snowballs when the first snowfall came each year.” wow once a year she is friendly haha…, and for ” Parkettes is still one of the top gyms in the country. They are producing numerous successful, well-rounded gymnasts who earn full scholarships to many of the top universities in the country.” this however should only be measured against the number of unsuccessful, injured, mentaly scared gymnasts that leave and don’t make anything from their gymnastics experience then more bad memories then good, as Author is clearly left feeling.
Valentin Uzunov
TheGymPress
http://www.thegympress.net
… especially the injured girls seem to be a big part of the Parkettes picture. Something is wrong there if kids are not taken to see a real doctor just because that would mean no more practice for some weeks. That is sick.
Wow Valentin talking about taking things out of context – you are very good at it!
Nonetheless, having coached alongside Parkettes at meets – there were things going on I didn’t agree with. I have been called strict, demanding, and tough, but never would I do what those coaches asked their athletes to do. I will say my experiences with Bill Strauss were very good, however.
Tuesday to me it sounds like you opinion support my. “I have been called strict, demanding, and tough, but never would I do what those coaches asked their athletes to do”. Well there is my point. Its absolutely fine to be strict, demanding, and tough, I think you need to be at high level, but there is a point where you can go over the top, and from everything i have seen of Parkettes and the coaches that represented Parkettes they go to that point. Its downright unhealthy and unsafe.
Your experience with Bill Strauss as a coach will be considerably different to the experience of a 12yr old girl aiming for stars.
I am not saying anything about the Strausses ability in coaching, i am just commenting that even through the author of the book may have made up some stuff, even if 1/2 of it is true, well poor kids in that gym. Don’t get me wrong, like i said before i am all for being a “strict, demanding, and tough” coach, but this needs to be done fairly, safely, and for the best interest of the Athlete, and not just so you can keep claiming that your club is 1 of the best or the best in the USA.
Like i said before i would like to actually see their success rate. (number of kids that achieve their goals and number of kids that are burned out, injured, demoralised and quit, etc..). That is how i would classify the success of a club, and not just because they have produces 2 more Olympic team members then any other clubs (arbitrary figure..just to illustrate a point).
Valentin Uzunov
TheGymPress
http://www.thegympress.net
[...] Media interest in this story, I think, has passed its peak. Sey memoir not all it’s chalked up to be [...]
ughhghh – thank god…this story is getting exhausting. Why don’t we move on to something relevant and positive…not dwell in the past of a story that may (i use this loosely) have had some relevance about 25 years ago….yes that long ago!
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