Author: Rick Mc

The love of gymnastics still runs deep among the thousands of young girls who streamed into suburban Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena this weekend to cheer reigning world all-around champion Morgan Hurd and other rising stars at the 2018 American Cup. …

At the Safe Sport booth, eight-foot-tall banners displayed the toll-free number (1-833-844-SAFE) and email address (safesport@usagym.org) for reporting abuse. Brochures about child sexual abuse prevention were free for the taking, as were copies of USA Gymnastics’ beefed-up Safe Sport policy, which requires all members to immediately report instances of abuse. …

Rhonda Faehn:

“You have to let the athlete at a very young age understand and know that they can — and it’s important that they do — learn to communicate and speak up,” said Faehn, a former elite gymnast who coached 13 seasons at Florida. “It’s not only okay, but the best gymnastics results from a teamwork of communication.”

Athlete empowerment wasn’t the hallmark of the command-and-control coaching style of the Romanian husband-and-wife tandem of Bela and Martha Karolyi …

As USA Gymnastics promises to change in post-Nassar world, love for the sport remains

All good.

But, like many others, I’m still wondering what happens when USAG is hit in court with their first multi-million dollar payout to an athlete.

The organization doesn’t have many millions of dollars in their budget.