Did you see the media coverage new study on gymnastics injury in the USA?
… USA Gymnastics believes some of the points made in the study are misleading. The study is based on injury information that was entered in an emergency room database from different hospitals, which means there is little consistency in what may have been classified as a gymnastics-related injury.
Also, the study did not differentiate whether or not the injuries occurred in a proper setting with appropriate supervision. In addition, the study represented participation numbers at 600,000, which represents those who compete in events, rather than the 4-5 million recreational and competitive participants cited in some industry surveys. Although it was not featured prominently in media reports, the study documented a 25 percent decrease in gymnastics-related injuries during the period of the study and that 97 percent of the injuries were treated and released. …
read the rest of the USAG Press Release
Me thinks they protest too much.
The study is not perfect. But few coaches deny that gymnastics is a dangerous activity.
The message from USAG should be: Keep your kids safe. Send them to a USAG affiliated program. Search out experienced, competent USAG affiliated coaches.
broken wrist from gymnastics – original – flickr – Dave Parker
Please leave a comment if you’ve got an opinion.
PS
Let’s not gloss over the fact that the coach education non-system in the States is far inferior to any other developed gymnastics nation. The mandatory safety certification for professional members is not nearly enough.
In sadly Socialist Canada, for example, we have mandatory coach training called the National Coaching Certification Program. It’s not great. But our NCCP is far better than the hodge podge of coach education schemes in America.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 