Category: parents

NCAA Gymnastics is not for everyone

Heather Parker, entering her second season as a gymnast at Central Michigan after transferring from Georgia, posted an important article on College Gym News:

College gymnastics can project an image of perfection–skills look effortless, and the athletes finish successful routines with glowing smiles. Teams broadcast the wins, celebrations, recruits, and rankings on social media.

Less often discussed is what goes into making a team successful and what happens behind the scenes to make those exciting competitions happen.

Jason Vonk, a former assistant coach at George Washington, Yale, and Georgia, had 12 years of experience across the three universities when he moved on from college coaching.

According to Vonk, a lot of what defined his time in college gymnastics wasn’t reflected in the polished version of the sport that fans and recruits see. For him, it was a system marked by fear, silence, and a culture where, as he puts it, “head coaches get complete leeway, and the assistants can’t report them, or they will lose their job.” …

Read more:

College Gymnastics Looks Perfect—

Until You’re Inside It


Greg Marsden responds:

SafeSport suspensions: Al Fong (5 years) & Armine Barutyan (1 year)

Both pending appeal.

Fong and Barutyan’s suspensions are active and enforceable as of the date of issuance: December 22, 2025. They retain the right to appeal the sanctions, which could result in the suspensions being upheld, modified, reduced, or otherwise altered.

Here’s the only response I’ve seen, so far.

Gymnast paralyzed training Round-off Back Tuck

Gymnastics is dangerous.

This severe injury resulted in a lawsuit in Arizona.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

gymSAFE

This organization has been around since 2015.

From injury prevention lectures at clubs, it’s evolved into gymnastics-specific movement screenings and full on symposiums.

Mission

To provide gymnastics professionals and athletes with the tools and knowledge to prevent gymnastics-related injuries.

Vision

To promote the concept that physical and mental wellness are vital components of gymnastics excellence.

Check it out at discovergymsafe.org

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

NEW Gymnastics Nutrition Book

Betsy McNally Laouar just published her 4th book.

You Can’t Flip on Empty: Fueling the Fifth Event of Gymnastics.

Through powerful stories from nearly 300 clubs, backed by current sports science and her own lived experience as an athlete, mother of two special needs children, and coach, Betsy reveals why athletes stall, parents struggle, and coaches feel stuck when fueling is left out of the training plan.

  • Why under-fueling is the silent performance killer (RED-S and beyond).
  • How small cultural shifts in gyms transform athlete confidence and endurance.
  • Practical fueling strategies for busy households that actually work.
  • A fresh, compassionate approach to food that prioritizes both performance and joy.

… Betsy McNally Laouar is a NSCA-certified personal trainer, certified sports nutritionist, professional bodybuilder, author, podcaster, and former gymnast.

Amazon

Is Gymnastics too Expensive?

Mom Kris Ann Valdez explains why they did not continue our sport with their talented daughter.

Gymnastics is her favorite sport (so far), and I believe she has what it takes to be on the competition team, but why spend the next 10 or so years investing in this sport at significant financial and, to her, likely, physical and emotional costs?

Most competition teams practically live at the gym; their families must sacrifice weekends for tournaments and performances.

And more money. The class fees are just the beginning. There are also costumes, travel and competition fees.

Ask any gymnastics parent what they’ve invested in the sport, and they’ll shake their head or stutter through an answer. It ain’t cheap.

Then ask the parent if it was worth it. They often say yes. One mother told me she even took a second job to help pay for the $800+ monthly expenses …

A Gymnastics Coach’s Request For My Daughter Seemed Harmless — But What I Learned Deeply Worried Me

A.I. image

female gymnasts from Saudi Arabia

Having been to that nation for MAG Gymnastics courses, I’m thrilled to see female gymnasts representing The Kingdom internationally.

This cannot have been easy for these young women and their families.

Coach Elena Eremina, bronze AA at the 2017 Worlds, posted a behind the scenes vlog from Pharoah’s Cup in Egypt. Abumansoor won Saudi’s 1st ever international WAG medals.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Watanabe visits parents of Indonesian gymnast

I certainly respect the FIG president for making the extra journey on behalf of the worldwide Gymnastics community.

Gymnast sues Club for unsafe Pit

Level 10 gymnast Cody Bennett was injured when he landed on the edge of the foam pit training H Bar at Evolution Gymnastics Academy during an open gym, according to a $350M lawsuit.

Attorneys for the family of the Chesapeake teen are alleging a “loose foam pit” caused the boy to sustain a major spinal cord injury in 2024, resulting in his quadriplegia.

The lawsuit alleges that the gymnastics foam pit was too shallow and did not have enough foam cubes, which resulted in Cody Bennett, then 16 years old, sustaining a spinal cord injury.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Rebeca Andrade by her coach Xico Porath

Adidas posted a charming mini-documentary of the great Rebeca Andrade’s relationship with her life long coach, Xico Porath.

He’s been coach and father figure through her long career — including 3 major knee injuries.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.