tumbling, tramp, diving, acrobatics, circus, cheer, dance, martial arts, X sports … and more
It turned out to be a dental emergency. All is well now.
SUPPORT A CAUSE: $5 of each t-shirt sale is donated to the Joyful Heart Foundation.
GREAT DETAILS: Be strong and fearless wearing this We Rise tee to support athletes around the world. …
Mariska Hargitay founded Joyful Heart in Kona in 2004 to help sexual assault survivors heal and reclaim a sense of joy in their lives. Today, Joyful Heart is a leading national organization with a mission to transform society’s response to sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse, support survivors’ healing, and end this violence forever. …
A long, but excellent overview of best practice at a club.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (36 min)
Thanks TumblTrak.
USAG has long published a list of permanently ineligible members.
They are now also posting a list of those currently under suspension.
It does not include names of those suspended in the past nor minors serving suspensions.
Coach and Mom Nicole Paseka Grundmeier advises parents to ask these questions:
1. Will I be allowed to watch my child practice once she joins the competitive team?
2. Will my child be required to be home-schooled now or when she reaches a certain competitive level?
3. Will the coaches weigh my child at practice or at any other time?
4. Will my child get a snack break during practice?
5. Will my child be punished with painful conditioning for mistakes made inside the gym?
6. How will the coach respond if my child is afraid of a skill or bails on a skill?
7. What percentage of my child’s teammates suffer from overuse injuries?
8. Do my child’s teammates cry frequently at the gym?
9. Do my child’s coaches communicate well with me?
10. Will my child ever be alone with a coach?
I’d add one red flag I look for in every Gym I visit …
How many older girls are on the competitive team?
If there are few (or none) when and why did they quit?
The love of gymnastics still runs deep among the thousands of young girls who streamed into suburban Chicago’s Sears Centre Arena this weekend to cheer reigning world all-around champion Morgan Hurd and other rising stars at the 2018 American Cup. …
At the Safe Sport booth, eight-foot-tall banners displayed the toll-free number (1-833-844-SAFE) and email address (safesport@usagym.org) for reporting abuse. Brochures about child sexual abuse prevention were free for the taking, as were copies of USA Gymnastics’ beefed-up Safe Sport policy, which requires all members to immediately report instances of abuse. …
Rhonda Faehn:
“You have to let the athlete at a very young age understand and know that they can — and it’s important that they do — learn to communicate and speak up,” said Faehn, a former elite gymnast who coached 13 seasons at Florida. “It’s not only okay, but the best gymnastics results from a teamwork of communication.”
Athlete empowerment wasn’t the hallmark of the command-and-control coaching style of the Romanian husband-and-wife tandem of Bela and Martha Karolyi …
As USA Gymnastics promises to change in post-Nassar world, love for the sport remains
All good.
But, like many others, I’m still wondering what happens when USAG is hit in court with their first multi-million dollar payout to an athlete.
The organization doesn’t have many millions of dollars in their budget.
Coach Kyle gets specific on exactly what’s inappropriate in his Gym.
Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube. (11min)
Leave any comments you have on the YouTube page.
Calgary Gymnastics Centre brought in Sheldon Kennedy for a Special Education evening on abuse prevention – Wed February 7th at the Sport Hall of Fame.
Sheldon Kennedy (born June 15, 1969) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. …
Kennedy is known for going public as a victim of sexual abuse by his coach, Graham James. In 1998, Kennedy roller bladed across Canada to raise awareness and funds for sexual abuse victims. Currently, Kennedy serves as a spokesperson for violence and abuse prevention programs with the Canadian Red Cross. …
Click PLAY or watch the trailer on Vimeo.
GymCastic asked FIG about how they plan to protect participants at Worlds 2018 in Doha.
The official response from the FIG regarding LGBT gymnasts and staff in Qatar for the world championship:
“We understand your concerns with regards to LGBT gymnasts and staff at the 2018 Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Doha.
However, as a FIG member and by hosting the championships, the Qatar Gymnastics Federation adheres to the FIG Rules that does not allow any kind of discrimination or any violation of human rights as per Article 2.2 of the Statutes and Article 1. of the Code of Ethics.
During the last ten editions of the Doha World Cup no incident has become known, where a gymnast, coach, official or fan has faced any mistreatment in this regard.
The same applies to World Championships of other sports that have been held in Doha, including the 2015 IHF Handball World Championships, the 2015 AIBA World Boxing Championships and the 2016 UCI Road World Championships as well as the annual ATP and WTA Qatar Open tennis tournaments.
As long as the participants, coaches, officials and staff, irrespective of their race, sex, language or religion, respect the law of the host country and abide by the rules, there is no reason to fear imprisonment.”
(via GymCastic #292)
Qatar talks about a commitment to human rights, but homosexuality is still illegal.
Richard de Mos, a member of the Dutch Parliament for the Freedom Party (PVV), has proposed that the Dutch football team play ( the 2022 FIFA World Cup) in pink, instead of the country’s national colour, orange, to protest the gay rights situation in Qatar.
I’m planning on going. I’ve found Qatar surprisingly tolerant in the past. 88.4% of the population is non-Qatari. It’s a very cosmopolitan place. Rapidly changing.
With Saudi Arabian finally liberalizing I expect we’ll one day see Gay marriage in Qatar.
1. Physical safety and health of athletes
2. Coaching responsibly
3. Integrity in relations with others
4. Respect of athletes
5. Honouring sport
It’s a simplified version of the COACHING ASSOCIATION OF CANADA (CAC) CODE OF CONDUCT with DISCIPLINARY PROCEDURES.
Canadian coaches do some online courses on ethics, as well.
When it comes to coaching ethics Keith Russell recommends: Educate, Educate, Educate, Legislate.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 