Category: ethics

Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Gymnovosti posted on how rape is viewed in former Soviet Union nations. Things are even worse there for girls and women than in the west.

The protection afforded rapists there, however, reminded me of the protection afforded American Football stars.  🙁

_____ originally posted June 2016

I’m worried when gymnasts – male and female – go off to University.

College athletes have, at least, a support system on arrival. A team. Coaches and staff looking out for them.

You would never have seen Brock Turner’s face if he had been sentenced 3-5 years. Or more. He could’ve gotten 14 years.

brockturner

When he was sentenced only 6 months people asked:

• Is it because he’s a Stanford student?
• Is it because he’s a scholarship athlete?
• Is it because he’s white?

This case led me to read Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer.

The acclaimed author researched 230 rapes in town, most of which either weren’t prosecuted or the prosecutions were bungled. Most rapists walked away without punishment.

This guy did go to trial.  If I were on the jury I would have found star quarterback Jordan Johnson guilty of rape.

Jordan Johnson

Instead the state of Montana paid Johnson $245,000 under a settlement where he agreed to drop claims that the school and its officials mishandled the investigation against him.

This guy – Brandon Vandenberg – former Vanderbilt football player,  was found guilty for his role in the gang rape of an unconscious female student in 2013.

Brandon Vandenburg

Only one of his rapes. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The Department of Education has an investigation ongoing into 192 universities alleged to be mishandling sexual-assault complaints.

A good gift for a student going away to University for the first time would be this book – Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Most young people don’t know the law. Are clueless when it comes to date rape. Acquaintance rape. 😦

related – my full review of the Krakauer’s book

petition demanding change at USAG

By any standards, response by USA Gymnastics to the Nassar scandal has been slow at best. I assume their lawyers are advising foot dragging in hopes of reducing the number of liability suits.

Three of Nassar’s victims ask you to sign a petition:

Jamie Dantzscher – 2000 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Artistic Gymnastic

Jessica Howard – 3 Time National Champion, Rhythmic Gymnastics

Jeanette Antolin – Former USA National Team Member, Artistic Gymnastics

Change USA Gymnastics Leadership in Wake of Sex Abuse Scandal

People hoped that the forced resignation of President Steve Penny in March 2017 would make a difference.

Has it?

Penny got a $1 million severance package from an organization with annual revenue of about $23.7 million (2015).

If USA Gymnastics Chairman Paul Parilla resigns tomorrow, will USAG athletes be safer?

I’m not so sure. 

But lacking any other way to pressure a monopoly like USA Gymnastics, I signed.

 

safe, ethical spotting

In Canada we’ve long told coaches when spotting not to touch any part of the body covered by a bikini bathing suit. (Hips are an occasional exception.)

One gymnast messaged me to speak of her personal experience.

The Gym was her second home. As a little girl it was common for the coach to spot touching the buttocks of kids in her group.

By age 16 she became very uncomfortable with her coach spotting this way. She told him repeatedly to cut it out. He seemed unable to spot using any other technique.

Finally a less experience female coach was able to spot without grabbing the buttocks.

Here’s her message:

“… It is difficult to write about things that have become so normal and were never perceived as “wrong” by me. Coaches spot small girls on their bottoms from the very beginning, and this goes on as they get older. Almost maybe unaware of their own physical change and the innocence that goes paired with a coach following the way he spotted you from the very beginning. But the coach is the adult and especially at a higher level strong power relations can be involved.

Then suddenly you move to a new gym with new coaches and your eyes are opened. opening change… Something you thought to be impossible is suddenly is so easy. … the realization of the past kicks in. …

This is one of the many unintended consequences of spotting. The less spotting the better.

USAG responds to McKayla Maroney

“USA Gymnastics admires the courage of those, like McKayla Maroney, who have come forward to share their personal experiences with sexual abuse. Because of their strength in coming forward, predators can be held accountable for their actions. We, like so many others, are outraged and disgusted by the conduct of which Larry Nassar is accused. We are sorry that any athlete has been harmed during her or his gymnastics career.

“We are strengthening and enhancing our policies and procedures regarding abuse, as well as expanding our educational efforts to increase awareness of signs to watch for and reporting suspicions of abuse, including the obligation to immediately report. USA Gymnastics, its members and community are committed to working together to keep our athletes as safe as possible.”

USAG

SafeSport updates

If you are trying to make sense of recent accusations and denials online, click over to GymCastic.

Jessica puts together a summary at the 1 hour mark of the audiocast.

SafeSport updates about Dominque Moceanu, Mary Lou Retton, Michigan State, Jeena Nelson (a sex offender volunteering at Altius Gymnastics Club in Utah, not the one in WI) and 1992 Olympic Champion, Tatiana Gutsu has accused Vitaly Scherbo of rape.

277: Post-Worlds Therapy Session

McKayla Maroney molested by Nassar

Read her statement on twitter. #MeToo

training hours for new gymnasts

Coach Brittany posted her recommendations:

1st Year or ages 4-5
I recommend 4-6 hours per week and move to 9 hours by the end of that season or year.

2nd–3rd Year or ages 6-7
A this age and/or level of experience I suggest training 9-12 hours at 3-4 days per week.

3rd-4th Year or ages 7-8
I generally recommend 14-16 hours at a minimum of 4 times per week.

4th-5th Year or ages 8-9.
In the 4th-5th year I would recommend 20 hours per week, training 5 days per week.

Those look a bit high for me. Especially in year one and two. We typically do 4 hours a week the year before Grade 1. Six hours a week in Grade 1.

On the other hand, I’m not worried for children of this age. They love the sport, improve rapidly and have relatively few injuries. This is the “easy and fun” stage of the sport.

How Many Hours Should Pre-Competitive Gymnasts Be Training?

sadly … #MeToo has gone viral

Following a week of more devastating and disturbing news about film producer Harvey Weinstein, Hollywood actor Alyssa Milano took to social media to ask women to share their own personal experiences of sexual harassment and sexual assault.

In a message posted Sunday, she asked Twitter users to reply “me too” to her tweet if they had been sexually harassed or assaulted …

Mashable 

Tommie Smith and John Carlos 1968

It’s been 49 years since Tommie Smith and John Carlos decided to take political action – the 1968 Olympics Black Power salute. 

After having won gold and bronze medals, respectively, in the 200-meter running event, they turned on the podium to face their flags, and to hear the American national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner“. Each athlete raised a black-gloved fist, and kept them raised until the anthem had finished. In addition, Smith, Carlos, and Australian silver medalist Peter Norman all wore human rights badges on their jackets.

In his autobiography, Silent Gesture, Smith stated that the gesture was not a “Black Power” salute, but a “human rights salute”. …

The american sprinters Tommie Smith,John Carlos and Peter Norman during the award ceremony of the 200 m race at the Mexican Olympic games. During the awards ceremony, Smith and Carlos protested against racial discrimination: they went barefoot on the podium and listened to their anthem bowing their heads and raising a fist with a black glove. Mexico City, Mexico, 1968 Mexico city, Mexico, 1968

In a perfect world we would keep politics and sport separate.

Now age 72, John Carlos was interviewed – 50 years before Colin Kaepernick knelt, John Carlos raised his fist

Despite being ostracized and ridiculed, Carlos says it was worth it to bring attention to the oppression of people of colour.