Recall the BAD OLD DAYS when parents were not allowed to watch training?

Those are gone forever.

Swing open the front door beneath the tin roof at Achieve Gymnastics, and the first thing you see are rows of chairs in front of a glass wall.

The design is intentional.

Viewed through the glass is a large arena where the daughters of more than 800 families train and compete. At least two staff members must be on watch at all times. Security cameras blanket the facility. …

Every door, except for a restroom in use, is left open and unlocked. …

Why the need for so much transparency?

“We can’t afford not to,” said Alan Herron, Achieve’s operations manager. …

Athlete abuse: How local sports organizations are taking charge to protect kids

Inside the walls of Achieve Gymnastics, the staff works daily to bolster the morale of the young athletes.

At my home Gym for some years we had one way mirrors between the spectator areas and the Gym. That worked well. Parents could see in. Kids couldn’t see out.

These days you can put colourful graphics on the Gym side of the mirror.

So the children’s book author and illustrator drew  the survivors who spoke at the Ingham County, Michigan, hearing …

CNN

(via GymCastic)

The father of three of Larry Nassar’s victims who tried to tackle the former USA Gymnastics doctor last week in court says he will donate more than $30,000 from an online fundraiser created in his name to Michigan groups that help survivors of sexual assault. …

… Margraves said in a statement Thursday he did not need the money and will instead donate the funds to “local charities like Small Talk, RAVE and the Firecracker Foundation.”

All three charities assist survivors of sexual assault …

Dad who lunged at Larry Nassar to donate funds to groups that help sexual assault survivors

My gut feeling is that Canada is sincere in commitment to make Gymnastics training safer.

But has been slow getting to this point.

Having women’s national team director in national media did speed the process, I think. David Brubaker’s sexual-offence case returns to court Feb. 20th

The following are the initiatives that our community has committed to:

1. Immediately begin the staffing process for a full-time staff member at Gymnastics Canada dedicated to the area of safe sport.

2. Finalize the review, revision, and implementation of both existing and new safe sport policies by March 31, 2018.

3. The provincial/territorial gymnastics federations have committed to aligning their own provincial policies with these national policies to eliminate any gaps in implementation.

4. Gymnastics Canada will build and promote online resource toolkits related to safe sport participation for athletes, coaches, and parents and will continue to develop and add to these toolkits. ….

5. Gymnastics Canada will create a Safe Sport Update to be sent to the gymnastics community on a regular basis to keep everyone informed about updates, tools and resources, and more.

6. Gymnastics Canada, through a partnership with the Coaching Association of Canada, has arranged to make the “Commit to Kids” online training resource to the head coach and 1 other club-appointed individual at each gymnastics club in Canada at no charge. ….

7. The Gymnastics Canada Board has approved the formation of an Athlete’s Commission that will report quarterly to the Board of Directors as a standing point on the meeting agenda.

“The sport of gymnastics has been hit hard recently with the Larry Nassar trial in the US, and the charges laid against our own coaches over the last few months, but I am greatly encouraged by the passion and drive our community has collectively shown to make our sport better,” said Peter Nicol, President/CEO of Gymnastics Canada.

“We have heard the concerns from our community and we understand that they need to receive support and see action. We are committed to working together at the provincial and national levels to make that happen.”

Gymnastics Canada