tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
The captain of the 1984 Olympic team has been outspoken for decades on what changes are needed in Gymnastics USA.
… They need someone who is an expert in child safety.
Who is that? Well, it’s not some gymnastics person they’ve just put into a position of overseeing safety. …
Week One Sunday October 7th at 4PT/7ET: Doc Ali teaches how to help your athlete be mentally tough for competition.
Week Two Sunday October 14th at 4PT/7ET: Jill Hicks discusses the ins and outs of college recruiting
Week Three Sunday October 21st at 4PT/7ET: Betsy McNally-Lauour teaches the essentials of gymnastics nutrition
Week Four Sunday October 28th at 4PT/7ET: Nicole Langevin discusses what the judges are looking for and coach communication.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.
Shawn has been featured on a number of recent Freakonomics podcasts on the ‘Hidden Side of Sports‘. But best is to listen to her full interview. There’s some good content on her relationship with Chow.
On May 29, 2018, University of Maryland lineman Jordan McNair ran the last sprint of his life. After a series of 110 yd runs, during which he became disoriented and had trouble standing, McNair collapsed and died of heat stroke. He had a body temperature of 106 degrees in the hospital. He was only 19.
What happened? Why did it happen? Should this have ever happened? Were any individuals negligent and responsible for this tragedy? These seem to be questions that should have been asked by the administration of Maryland, yet were they? Because it was not until an August 10 report by ESPN that the university started holding coaches and staff accountable. …
Aside from very frequent brain trauma, American football has always had many deaths on the field of play.
One study counted at least 49 deaths related to football in 1931. It’s always been an extremely dangerous sport. 1965 had a similar number.
Bottom line – American football is still too dangerous.
Thanks @GymCastic
My takeaways in advance of responses:
GymCastic founder Jessica O’Beirne is the conscience of the gymternet. I look to her first on all these issues.
Jessica, Mary Lee Tracy and Miss Val are all outspoken, brave individuals. I appreciate all three and often link to things they post.
I love the title – Truth & Reconciliation. Recall when Mandela brought that concept to South Africa? I was skeptical. But it did work.
Obviously MLT is not 100% evil. Miss Val is not 100% good. Both survived the dark ages of USA Gymnastics (Bella, Nunno era) and both improved over the years since. The last time I saw a scale in a Gym was 2002. I refused to use it. We’d figured out it was a bad idea in the early 1980s.
Gymnastics coaches today are more ethical than ever. The few BAD ones under greater scrutiny from parents and colleagues. More and more are being caught and put on the list.
MLT did try to apologize. Multiple times. It wasn’t as heartfelt as I would have liked. Though she might have done a good job in the USAG position, that opportunity is gone. She isn’t the right person for the job.
NCAA (despite the many injuries) is the best training environment in the world. Medical staff makes final decisions on return to play. Coaches do not have much power on those calls. All other programs should look to American College Gymnastics when trying to improve their training programs.
Hopefully we’ll all learn from the embarrassing incident where USAG hired MLT … then fired her days later. That’s a #FAIL. Exactly how NOT to run a NSGB.
It was revealing to hear how uneducated both Miss Val and MLT felt when they started. As always the best plan to improve coaching is …
Educate, Educate, Educate, Legislate.
related – INSIDE PERSPECTIVE: ALYSSA BECKERMAN | IN SEARCH OF SOLUTIONS FOR THE NEXT ERA OF USA GYMNASTICS
Alyssa was a 2000 Olympic alternate who was coached by both MLT and Miss Val.
“I never stopped talking about these things,” she says, “It’s just that people are listening now. I’ve been talking about all of these things for years.”
Van Horn, a 30-year veteran of USA Gymnastics, was involved in numerous gymnastics youth development programs and a medical supervisory task force, according to AP.
In January, one of Nassar’s victims said Van Horn was in the room “many of the times” while Nassar abused her, AP reports.
Van Horn was the first person other than Nassar to be charged in the abuse scandal. She is no longer a USA Gymnastics employee …
It’s inconceivable that Van Horn could have been unaware of Nassar’s unnecessary and illegal treatment. Yet she’s pleading innocent.
New CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee Sarah Hirshland blasted USA Gymnastics in an email to USA TODAY Sports on Friday night, saying “it is time to consider making adjustments in the leadership.”
Tony Retrosi on behalf of the U.S. Elite Coaches Association / Women posted a “Vote of No Confidence”.
Owner / Coach Sandy Spokoiny-Flores has always been a positive supporter of USAG. But she too asks for Kerry Perry’s removal.
There’s a petition on Change.org.
And of course every Tom, Dick and Spencer on the gymternet agrees.
It was a gamble bringing in a non-Gymnastics person to try to Steve Jobs the failing organization. It didn’t work.
NOW … Let’s remember how everything was fixed when Steve Penney was handed a million dollars and led to the door.
The biggest problems remained then. And they’ll still be there when Perry leaves.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 