Category: safety

USAG Camp chaperones

Lauren Stevens (Chalk Warrior) attended the recent U.S. Gymnastics Developmental Camp.

She was impressed with the mandatory Camp chaperones.

Read Lauren’s full report – Developmental Camp culture shows promise for the future of USA Gymnastics

NCAA sport – injuries before College

The majority of gymnasts have had a major injury before getting to College.

Ours is a youth sport. And a dangerous sport.

Via Greg Marsden

designing safer Gymnastics mats

Former gymnast Van den Avont was injured in a fall.

He’s now trying to design safer mats.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

GymCastic episode 363

If you blinked and missed USAG’s hiring and firing of Professor Edward Nyman as its full-time sports medicine and science director — a new position — Jessica has got you covered.

Another hire where vetting was bungled.

The podcast reviews two other recent issues:

  • Terin Humphrey posting and defending a dumb, wrong meme on Facebook. Terin was was a member of the selection committee that chose women’s teams for the 2012 and 2016 Olympics.
  • Mary Lou Retton‘s recent TV appearance. Recall that Mary Lou lobbied against  Protecting Young Victims from Sexual Abuse and Safe Sport Authorization Act as a USAG Board Member. Happily it was signed into law February 14, 2018. Mary Lou seems still in denial that children were abused.

In addition was new CEO Li Li Leung’s wrong statement that gymnasts who saw the criminal doctor with their coach were safe. Leung did later apologize.

363: Five Is the New Four (…Is the New Five)

FIG Beam landing mats

FIG allows the COLUSSI-PELAEZ dismount. Yet doesn’t allow Nush sufficient matting  to do that dismount safely.

Miss USA on the “Me Too” movement

North Carolina’s Cheslie Kryst, 28, won the Miss USA pageant on Thursday and was celebrated online after supporting the “Me Too” and “Time’s Up” movements onstage during the pageant’s question period. …

The Hill 

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

At the Heart of Gold – May 3rd on HBO

I had high hopes for new USAG CEO Li Li Leung.

She asked to be judged not on her words, but her deeds.

Shortly after that statement USA Gymnastics bungled the vetting of a first full-time director of sports medicine and science. That’s a position that would truly help the organization.

A bigger test will be how Li Li Leung handles the public response from Erin Lee Carr’s new documentary. Producers Dr. Steven Ungerleider and David Ulich began this project before the criminal doctor’s accusers came forward.

At the Heart of Gold argues that Nassar succeeded despite the many complaints against him because the people who could’ve done something about them never acted on them.

He belonged to a system that protected him and cared more about his importance in winning gold medals than the wellbeing of the girls he harmed.  …

‘At the Heart of Gold’ centers survivors as it condemns those who protected Larry Nassar

Future of the U.S. Olympic Movement

Reimagining Goals Beyond Medals

Date – Wed May 22, 2019
Washington, DC

Some argue that heightened focus on medals laid the groundwork for the sexual abuses that emerged in USA Gymnastics, which has caused deep soul-searching at the USOC and the sport-specific national governing bodies (NGBs) it oversees.

What’s next for the U.S. Olympic movement, as reforms are introduced?

What if the USOC focused first and foremost on the safety and well-being of athletes while also growing opportunities for all, not just those with medal potential? …

Aspen Institute

Shannon Miller will be one of the speakers.

Li Li Leung interview

In my opinion, too many are too quick to criticize.

Give the woman a chance.

Let’s judge the actions of USAG, not every word of every interview.

Can Li Li Leung Save USA Gymnastics?

After years of turmoil in the sport, the new president and CEO wants to overhaul the culture.

Her salary is $450,000 / year and as much as $90,000 in annual bonuses. Almost as much as D-D.