Winning was just one of 81 determinants that makes playing sports enjoyable for children, and it was rated 48th, which means that there are 47 more important things that children, coaches, parents and league administrators should be focusing on, said Amanda Visek, lead author of the study and associate professor of sports psychology at The George Washington University in Washington.
…
Wendy Grolnick, co-author of “Pressured Parents, Stressed-out Kids: Dealing With Competition While Raising a Successful Child” and professor of psychology at Clark University in Massachusetts, said parents still can be highly involved with a child’s team without pressuring or pushing. In fact, it’s when they find balance that their children are most likely to enjoy sports and to persist at them.
Most reviews of Fierce focused on Aly’s reveal of having been abused by the U.S. National Team doctor. It’s damning for Nassar and USA Gymnastics. Of all his victims, Aly Raisman has the largest audience. She successfully got the message out to the general public announcing it on 60 Minutes the week of the book launch.
Every ninety-eight seconds another person experiences sexual assault, and sexual violence affects hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. 1 in 4 girls and 1 and 6 boys will be molested before 18. Society WAKE UP.
We appreciate Aly’s time, energy and bravery in taking on this most important issue. She’s done more, personally, to educate Americans than has USA Gymnastics collectively.
If, like me, you are still trying to understand how one of the USAG medical team could abuse so many gymnasts for so many years without being caught, read Aly’s chapter on the Survivors.
___
Fierce is as good a gymnastics celebrity biography as I can recall. I enjoyed it start to finish.
Her relationship with her coaches and Marta Karolyi is heartwarming. A great insight from one of the most decorated American gymnasts.
U.S. gymnast Alexandra Raisman with coach Mihai Brestyan after stumbling while competing in the balance beam during a women’s team qualification round, at the Olympic Arena, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Aug. 7, 2016. (Chang W. Lee/The New York Times)
Aly has already had one of the greatest careers in international gymnastics history, but the book modestly focuses on her failures. Her many 4th place finishes. Her lowest moments.
As a child she was never the best gymnast in her group. The future Olympic Floor champion had problems learning back twisting on Floor. For months she was the only girl in her group training layout rather than full twist.
Like Shawn Johnson, she (mostly) went to regular school. She played many other sports, especially soccer, and attended physical education class when a principal would not count Gymnastics training as equivalent.
Her many young gymnast readers can relate.
I was shocked to read about her self-doubts over the years. Watching Aly from the cheap seats she appeared to be the best prepared, the most consistent medal contender in the world. Fierce and confident.
The section on her participation in the 2015 ESPN Body Issue is excellent. Another important message.
For her second Olympics Aly worked with a dietician. She details her program. I’d advise gymnasts not to blindly copy what worked for Aly Raisman. Get your own dietician. Every body is different.
One takeaway I got from this book is that USAG should abandon The Ranch as a training centre.
Aly Raisman was twice the Olympic team captain. Has 6 Olympic medals, 3 of them gold. Yet there’s no rah rah hyper patriotism in this biography. She’s much more interested in her family. Her teammates. Her friends.
It’s upbeat but not a fluff piece.
My only complaint is that I’d like to know more. She scarcely speaks of club teammate Alicia Sacramone, for example. I’d like to have had more insights into what happened at all those secretive team camps.
To sum up, however, I’d highly recommend this book as a Christmas gift.
… It all started when I was 13 or 14 years old, at one of my first National Team training camps, in Texas, and it didn’t end until I left the sport.
It seemed whenever and wherever this man could find the chance, I was “treated.” It happened in London before my team and I won thegold medal, and It happened before I won my Silver Medal.
For me, the scariest night of my life happened when I was 15 years old. I had flown all day and night with the team to get to Tokyo. He’d given me a sleeping pill for the flight, and the next thing I know, I was all alone with himin his hotel room getting a “treatment.” I thought I was going to die that night.
Because the National Team training camps did not allow parents to be present, my momand dad were unable to observe what Nassar was doing, and this has imposed a terrible and undeserved burden of guilt on my loving family. …
Aly Raisman had requested to read a Victim Impact Statement in court on the day of sentencing.
Unfortunately the judge decided not to allow it in the case of Larry Nassar. He was sentenced to 60 years in federal prison on child pornography charges.
Aly posted it online today:
Larry was the USA Gymnastics national team doctor and the U.S. Olympic Team doctor. He was trusted by so many and took advantage of countless athletes, and their families.
The effects of his actions are far-reaching, since abuse goes way beyond the moment, often haunting survivors for the rest of their lives, making it difficult for them to trust others, and impacting their relationships. It is all the more devastating when such abuse comes at the hand of such a highly respected doctor, since it leaves victims questioning the organizations — and even the medical profession itself — upon which so many rely. …
I am trying now to take back my control, to remind myself that Larry has no power over me. It is never easy, but I am fighting to believe that the sport — which I do love — is independent of Larry and those who allowed him to do what he did. I’ve decided that I can’t let him take gymnastics away from me. …
I want more than anything to make sure the next generation never goes through something like this. …
One in four girls and one in six boys will be molested before they turn 18.
Larry was decorated by USA Gymnastics, by the United States Olympic Committee — he was even named to an advisory board to come up with policies that would protect athletes from this kind of abuse! …
Read the entire statement on The Player’s Tribute.
We have just learned of the allegations published by Radio-Canada.
We take these allegations seriously and want to reassure the parents and their children who attend our gym.
Moving forward, Mr. Arsenault will not be involved in any activities at Champions Gymnastics and will not be allowed on our premises.
This decision has been taken to allow our coaching team to pursue the club’s mission to offer our athletes an environment where they will be able to flourish.
See the elbow in the right bottom corner of that photo. It’s a hospital worker from the middle of the country, who doesn’t feel that she can come forward without threatening her livelihood.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 