Twenty years ago, former Michigan State University softball star Tiffany Lopez told three of her trainers that she was being sexually abused by one of the university’s team physicians. His name was Larry Nassar.
It would be 19 years before Nassar — who has been accused by at least 265 women with sexually abusing them in his role as a doctor to young athletes at MSU and USA Gymnastics — would be arrested for his crimes.
Lopez says she stopped playing the sport she loved and left MSU after her claims went unheard. …
“If I had been heard and believed 20 years ago,” Lopez told the crowd gathered at today’s summit, “the women standing beside me — all of the 265 young women who have now bravely come forward as victims — would have been spared from the horrors of sexual abuse.”
Lopez was joined by other elite athletes who are survivors of Nassar’s abuse on stage at USOW, including Aly Raisman, Jeanette Antolin, and Jordyn Wieber. …
Category: ethics
Karolyis sue USAG, USOC
In the world’s most litigious nation, we expected this.
Bela and Martha Karolyi have filed suit against the U.S. Olympic Committee and USA Gymnastics, seeking more than a million dollars in damages and saying they should not be held responsible for any lawsuits stemming from crimes committed at their Sam Houston National Forest ranch by disgraced doctor Larry Nassar.
The suit, filed last month in Walker County, accuses USA Gymnastics of being in violation of a purchase agreement and a lease agreement at the couple’s ranch, which until last year housed the women’s national training center, and of failing to live up to a promise to “wrap their arms” around the couple and to defend them against allegations stemming from the Nassar sexual abuse scandal.
related – Sabrina Vega sued Bela and Martha Karolyi as well as USA Gymnastics and the U.S. Olympic Committee.
Changing Gymnastics Culture by Dave Tilley
After fifteen years competing up to the college level, and ten years coaching, I have spent the last five years as a medical provider treating almost all gymnasts (Sports Physical Therapy) while also still actively coaching competitive gymnastics at the same time. …
… in an effort to help, I have spent the last twelve months writing a new e-book covering all of these topics and more. I wrote it in an effort to spark conversations on how the sport of gymnastics can move into a new era that prioritizes athlete health, builds positive training cultures, and seeks the most optimal training methods based on scientific research as well as expert coaching opinion.
Dave’s made his book free. Click through to download.
The book is 3 PDFs.
In addition are two resources: Myofascial Release Checklist and a Splits Complex.
I’ll be reviewing my own copy. I’m keen to hear what the sports medicine community has to say. So far as I can see they’ve been very quiet on Nassar. It was gymnasts who finally took him down, not parents or coaches nor his professional fraternity.
coach Fernando de Carvalho Lopes fired
Brazil.
Reporters for the “Fantastico” news show on Globo TV spoke to 40 gymnasts and former gymnasts who said Fernando de Carvalho Lopes had abused them while they were minors …
Sao Paulo state Security Department confirmed police are investigating …
Lopes denied the accusations …
… the first accusation against Lopes came in July 2016, when a 13-year-old whom Lopes coached told his parents he was being abused. The accusation resulted in Lopes being fired from Brazil’s gymnastics coaching staff, a month ahead of the Olympic Games in Rio …
(via papaliukin)
Chris Waller – Locker Room Speech
After a somewhat disappointing start, I felt UCLA would not be able to challenge for the team title.
Coach Waller was not happy. He chewed out the team.
Click PLAY or watch an edited version on Twitter.
The rest is history. The Bruins’ big comeback was keyed in rotation five by a season-high 49.6375 performance on Bars. Kyla going 9.9875. Peng a perfect 10.
Grace Glenn led off Beam with 9.9375. The team finished with fantastic routines from Katelyn, Kyla and Peng to barely edge past Oklahoma.
(via theGymter.net)
Eddie Van Hoof settles with BG
Seems to me it was wrongful dismissal.
Seems to me they’ve paid Eddie to stop contesting.
No disciplinary procedure was implemented against Mr Van Hoof. Both parties have agreed not to comment on the content of the settlement agreement other than to clarify that it has no bearing on Mr Van Hoof’s British Gymnastics membership, which is continuing.
Gymnastic Canada hires Director of Safe Sport
peace breaks out in Korea
… the Korea Gymnastics Association has invited gymnasts from the North to compete at the Korea Cup in Jeju Island later this year.
EPIC GymCastic audiocast #301
Peng Gets a 20, Martha Gets a Zero
Over 10,000 hours long, this one is well worth listening to.
Even if you attended Nationals in St. Louis you’ll learn something new. Coaching fashion tips, in particular.
I thought NCAA Nationals judging was no worse than usual … but it looks worse than usual when you have more judges and they can’t stay in range.
Despite the CRACK, Spencer is OK with most of the final rankings: team, individual and apparatus.
I was a bit distracted celebrating Peng’s 20 and didn’t pay much attention to Saturday’s Dateline TV show with Maroney and the Karolyis. After all, it’s network TV. Normally pretty bland.
Happily Jessica and Spencer dissect the interview in detail putting statements in context and into the timeline. It doesn’t look good for USA Gymnastics.
If you don’t subscribe, you can listen streamed via their website.
STOMPOutBullying.org
Somehow the word STOMP seems an oxymoron in an anti-bullying campaign.
Perhaps that’s intended to make the URL more memorable. #stompoutbullying
Click PLAY or watch Laurie Hernandez on Twitter.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 