Category: parents

will USOC end USAG?

I thought USAG would be forced to declare bankruptcy after the first lawsuit found them guilty of being complicit in the crimes of their team Doctor.

That could still happen. But they may lose status as the National Governing Body for gymnastics in the United States first.

US Olympic Committee CEO Sarah Hirshland:

“Today the United States Olympic Committee has filed a complaint initiating a Section 8 proceeding against USA Gymnastics, seeking to revoke USAG’s recognition as a member National Governing Body of the USOC. This is a situation in which there are no perfect solutions. Seeking to revoke recognition is not a conclusion that we have come to easily. …

USOC Statement Regarding Action To Revoke USA Gymnastics’ Recognition As Member National Governing Body

USAG responded:

USA Gymnastics Board of Directors message to the USA Gymnastics membership

I need Spencer to tell me what to think. Jessica to tell me what to feel.

This is the burn it all down scenario.

On the up side, it would be a completely fresh start.

On the down side, gymnasts and coaches may be hurt due to unintended consequences in the transition to an ALL NEW organization.

The USOC’s action Monday triggers a process that includes a hearing before a three-person panel. …

The USOC is known to have revoked the recognition or cut off the funding of an NGB only three times — with taekwondo, team handball and modern pentathlon.

USA Today

It will be difficult to defend the actions of the current Board of Directors. Their decision to hire a former politician as CEO was the last straw for me. I can hardly imagine a worse hire.

women’s sport in Qatar

The Federation is very committed to developing WAG in Qatar. It’s difficult due to the culture. Children of expats are far more likely to show up and train hard every day than are the Arab girls.

Happily the Press has been giving plenty of coverage to their lone female competitor Jana El Keky. She’s a fan favourite with the media too.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter. She talks about trying to increase the numbers of girls.

The National Team gym is just outside the Aspire complex. An excellent facility.

And the name Simone Biles is getting famous with the general public.

bullying made Dom Cunningham stronger

Watch the interview on BBC.

Call out bullies every time you see it happen. Take ethical action.

“What if I’m not believed?”

An NPR podcast asks the question:

How did Larry Nassar get away with his treatment for decades?

Listen to it online. (18min)

Larry Nassar with Kerri Strug 1996 Olympics

update on CDN coach court cases

Sexual assault trial of Canada’s former national women’s gymnastics coach begins Monday

Michel Arsenault’s trial was moved forward to some time 2019.

Steve Penny permanently ineligible

Confirmed here.

https://twitter.com/USAGymSafeSport/status/1053035286261850112

He also joins the short list of people charged with crimes associated with the criminal doctor.

 

GymCastic on Mary Bono

If you blinked and happened to miss the 5-day tenure of interim USAG President Mary Bono, listen to GymCastic to catch up.

328: The US Worlds Team & CEO Dumpster Fire

Even if she hadn’t bothered to tweet her distaste for Nike, there are another dozen reasons she NEVER should have been put on a short list for that job.

Who thought Bono was a good candidate?

How many more times is USA Gymnastics going to fail?

USAG names interim CEO

1. USAG needs a full-time CEO immediately.

2. The interim CEO is a former Republican Congresswoman who instantly ignited backlash from everyone I’ve seen on Twitter.

Including Simone Biles.

This is yet another poor decision in a long series of poor decisions. Needless to say, they needn’t bother approaching Nike for U.S. National team sponsorship. Ever.

Mary Bono.

Shawn Johnson went to regular school

Shawn on Freakonomics:

… My coach was Chinese, born and raised Chinese. When he was three years old, living in China, he was taken away from his family and actually put into their Olympic system. And raised to be an Olympic gymnast in China. And he kind of had this career within the gymnastics world in China that I would say almost traumatized him. He lost his childhood. He kind of lost his family in this trend. This crazy career.

So when he was 21 years old he actually left China, came to the United States, opened a gym in West Des Moines, Iowa, of all places. And had this dream, this American dream, to raise an Olympian or Olympians that were also children and how to balance in life and were fun loving and had a true childhood.

And I was really really blessed to fall under his guidance and his coaching because he let me go to school. I mean not even let me. He kind of demanded that we go to a full day of school. He encouraged us to go to school dances, to go to Dairy Queen after practice. He incentivized us by letting us sleep over at the gym and have popcorn and ice cream. And he just was this fun loving guy.

And I think because he let us have fun as children, but yet pushed us and challenged us at the same time, it challenged us and encouraged us to go farther in the sport. And I feel the intensity of elite athletics, you weed out a lot of people just because you burn them out so quickly. So no, I don’t think the intensity is necessary. I think you need intense training but in small doses, not the 80 hours a week people think. …

(via Steve Arkell)

Simone Biles: speaking out empowered me

So … the criminal doctor is in prison for hundreds of years.

What’s changed?

Will more girls and young women be willing to call out sexual assault and harassment? Are women more empowered in 2018?

I hope so.

Simone’s on prime time BBC TV news in the U.K.

But at the same time the President of the United States has been accused by at least nineteen women since the 1980s. He’s paid women hush money too.

Though initially calling testimony under oath by Dr. Christine Blasey Ford “very credible”, Trump later ridiculed her.

Young women who watched that harsh attack might be less willing to come forward. ☹️