Category: safety

are American gymnasts any safer in 2017?

In the fall-out of the Dr. Larry Nassar scandal, I’m not sure they are.

Robert Andrews posted some recommendations:

• We must educate our athletes …

• We must educate the (silent) parents …

• We must educate coaches …

• We must demand a leadership body that is accountable to creating safe, positive, and empowering environments for our gymnasts. …

USAG Sexual Abuse Scandal Is A Symptom Of Deeper Issues (Sept 2017)

At great expense USAG replaced Steve Penny with Kerry J. Perry.

Are gymnasts safer with a new CEO? If so, how?

Is leadership any more accountable than in the past? If so, how?

Are competitive athletes, parents and coaches actually getting more education? Or are they simply offered more education?

The high priced Daniel’s report recommended  ‘cultural change‘ top-to-bottom. Has that actually happened?

What does the new director of SafeSport do day-to-day?

It seems to me USAG is still doing the minimum. Their press releases written by liability lawyers. The goal to protect themselves legally.

Here’s the official response to Aly’s accusations of last week:

USA Gymnastics supports Raisman’s focus on athlete safety, empowerment (Nov 10, 2017)

That statement wasn’t on the usagym.org home page Nov 11th. You needed to click over to NEWS first to find it. Not exactly up front and transparent.

Many will be checking the USAG home page to see the official response to Aly Raisman’s accusations against Nassar … and not immediately finding any response. 🙁

I didn’t see it on the USA Gymnastics Facebook feed either.

related – Robert Andrews is a sport psychologist who worked with the U.S. men as well as Laurie Hernandez and Simone Biles.

related – Tony Retrosi – New USA Gymnastics president needs to clean house

BIG problems for British Gymnastics

British Gymnastics is facing a crisis with its biggest stars, including the double Olympic champion Max Whitlock, refusing to sign World Class Performance Programme contracts and being threatened with having their funding withdrawn.

An internal power struggle between the performance, commercial and management teams about the content of the contract has led to a rebellion among the athletes. The Guardian understands almost all of the team which won a record seven medals at the Rio Olympics last summer have refused to sign the contract. …

Guardian

There are many more concerns listed in that article. Click through for sure.

via Gymternet Clan

Aly Raisman accuses Nassar

A second member of the Fierce Five squad that won gold at the London Olympics has said she, too, was sexually abused by USA Gymnastics’ longtime team physician.

Aly Raisman confirmed the abuse in an interview with 60 Minutes, which is to air Sunday night. The three-time gold medalist and captain of the 2012 and 2016 Olympic teams also describes it in her book, Fierce, being released next week. …

Nassar pleaded guilty to federal child pornography charges in July, and he faces 22 to 27 years in prison when he’s sentenced on Dec. 7 …

Three-time Olympic gold medalist Aly Raisman says she was abused by USA Gymnastics doctor

Click PLAY or watch her on Twitter.

Dangers of Trampoline Parks

Trampoline and pits are dangerous unless taught by a certified, qualified, experienced coach. Find the best club and coach in your area.

how much TRAINING / EXPERIENCE has this referee had?

Ty Thomasson died at 30 years old in February 2012 after somersaulting into a shallow foam pit at Skypark, a facility in Phoenix.

Trampoline parks host up to 50 million visitors annually but both adults and children are suffering severe and even fatal injuries after visiting these popular attractions. The families of injured victims speak out.

Watch the 3 minute feature on Doctor Oz.

Tonya Harding biopic trailer

A new trailer is out. NSFW

This might seem a goof. Like The Bronze. But it’s not so far off the truth.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

 

Olympic Winter Games 2018 Korea

With regard to the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the (IOC) Summit expressed its appreciation that the IOC has been in close contact for many months already with the governments and National Olympic Committees (NOCs) concerned. The Summit took note that none of them has called the Olympic Games PyeongChang 2018 into question.

The safety and security of the athletes are of course the top priority for everyone in the Olympic Movement …

COMMUNIQUE OF THE OLYMPIC SUMMIT

There are at least 150,000 Americans living in South Korea. The USA is not likely to do anything to endanger those citizens.

USA TOPS 2017 teams named

See the full list.

Gymnasts who participated in the two-day testing and their parents were invited to a parent meeting with Liukin, Kim Riley, managing director of athlete programs for USA Gymnastics, Tami Davis, TOPs camp coordinator, and Annie Heffernon, Junior Olympic program coordinator for USA Gymnastics.

During the meeting, parents watched a film from Toby Stark, director of safe sport for USA Gymnastics, regarding USA Gymnastics’ latest safe sport policies and initiatives. Over the two-day camp, parents were invited to tour the National Team Training Center.

USAG

Learn more about TOPS.

Ryan McKee is a sexual offender

A FORMER Commonwealth Games gymnast who represented Scotland has been spared jail for sex charges against schoolgirls.

Ryan McKee, 25, knew the girls were 14 when he became involved with them through the gymnastics club where he coached. …

McKee was given a community payback order with 250 hours unpaid to be carried out within nine months.

He has not to be in contact with girls under 16 and for the next eight months has to remain within his home between 8pm and 8am.

He will also be on the sex offenders register for three years. …

Evening Times