Category: safety

Gymnastics Coaching leaving Twitter

Since Elon Musk acquired Twitter in October 2022, there have been a range of issues and controversies that have concerned me.

Without question he allows dangerous people to post dangerous things. He himself is guilty of amplifying posts that endanger people. And Musk frequently posts things himself that he knows are wrong. Misinformation and disinformation.

Starting January 2025, Gymnastics Coaching will not post on Twitter. Not comment or respond to posts, other than to BLOCK. We’ll continue to lurk as it’s (surprisingly) still the best social media platform for gymternet news.

It’s likely to get worse, not better, in 2025. At some point we’ll quit permanently.

In addition to Twitter, I’d concur that Elon Musk has too much money and power. In particular, too much influence over the U.S. government.

Here are some of the problems according to ChatGPT:

Mass Layoffs and Talent Drain

  • … not enough personnel to manage content moderation or address security vulnerabilities.

Content Moderation and Misinformation

  • Policy Shifts: Under Musk, Twitter reversed or weakened many of its previous content moderation policies. This included restoring previously banned accounts (such as U.S. President Donald Trump) …
  • Rise in Hate Speech and Misinformation: …a surge in abusive content and lies, particularly in sensitive areas like elections and conspiracy theories.

Global Controversies and Legal Challenges

  • Content Moderation Legal Risks: Musk’s more permissive approach to content moderation led to concerns from governments and regulators in the U.S., EU, and other countries. Twitter faced potential legal consequences for not complying with stricter laws on online content and misinformation, particularly in Europe under the Digital Services Act.

Privacy and Security Concerns

  • Security Features Reduced: Some security features were weakened under Musk’s direction, including fewer protections for high-profile accounts and a decreased focus on tackling bots and spam accounts.

Challenges of Managing a High-Profile Platform

  • Musk’s Direct Involvement: Musk’s frequent involvement in Twitter’s daily operations has been both a blessing and a curse. While some see his hands-on approach as revitalizing the platform, others view it as erratic and unpredictable.

Conclusion:

Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has led to significant changes in the platform’s culture, structure, and functionality. While Musk’s vision for Twitter X as an “everything app” and a hub for free speech has garnered attention, the platform’s reputation, stability, and user experience have faced substantial challenges. Many users and observers are concerned that these changes could result in long-term damage to Twitter’s once-dominant position in the social media landscape.

German Gymnastics investigates abuse claim

The German gymnastics federation DTB has pledged to launch an investigation into physical and mental abuse allegations made by 24-year-old retired gymnast Tabea Alt.

On Sunday, the DTB told Germany’s DPA news agency that it “had concrete information on potential wrongdoing from coaches at the federal training center in Stuttgart.”

“The subject of the investigation will be possible misconduct by coaches as well as errors in the high performance sports system at national bases,” the federation said. …

The Street Journal

training Parkour safely

Elis Torhall is the 2024 Freestyle World Champion.

HOW do you train triple back from an inflexible Bar without grips? Landing on hard surfaces?

Here he is training right before Worlds.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Here’s some training footage from earlier in 2024.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

NEW Gymnastics NZ Training Guidelines

New training guidelines issued by Gymnastics New Zealand for all ages and stages of a gymnast’s development will help ensure the sport is a safe, fun and healthy pursuit for all New Zealanders.

… created by a working group of club managers, coaches, athletes, parents and code representatives, Gymnastics NZ education staff, and a consultant from High Performance Sport New Zealand …

The guidelines suggest a range of training hours that strike a balance between developmental considerations, pathway priorities, and technical requirements. They are based upon considerations including: 

  • the fundamental requirements of gymnastics training sessions.
  • age considerations
  • athlete stages
  • our unique New Zealand setting
  • provision of choice
  • a targeted approach to keeping gymnasts in the sport as they reach adulthood and beyond 
  • the key principles of Sport NZ’s Balance is Better initiative.
Gymnastics-NZ-training-guidelines-ART-RG-GFADownload

Time’s Athlete of the Year …

… What!? … It’s not SIMONE. 😀

Actually, I’m cool with Caitlin Clark.

Amazing athlete. And she’s done a lot for ALL women’s sport in 2024.

Injuries in MAG Vault Competition

FIG MTC meeting minutes held 3-6 June 2024:

The MTC is concerned about the severity of injuries on the Vault.

The TC would like to study and define what other disciplines use for mats and what have their experiences been. For example, what is used in Double Mini trampoline?

Dr Han. will begin the process by reviewing the number and severity of injuries that have occurred.

The TC believes it is possible that changing or re-configuring the mats used on Vault may help reduce injuries. However scientific studies will need to be done.

Paris Olympics – Statistics

The December 2024 FIG Bulletin includes detailed reports on MAG & WAG Olympic competitions. It includes good graphics.

For example, only 25% of WAG competed 2 Vaults in the qualification round.

Average age for WAG was 21.91.

December 2024 FIG BulletinDownload

USAG’s future ‘training & wellness center’

USA Gymnastics is searching for a ‘campus‘.

I’m hoping this will get the offices out of Indianapolis. Ideally, the national sports governing body should relocate to a state government that better protects girls and women. For example, Indiana enacted a new total ban on abortion, which took effect on August 1, 2023.

Indiana does not have a law protecting LGBTQ people from discrimination.

In addition, a more central location geographically with better airline connections would be appreciated.

USAG-Training-Wellness-CenterDownload

controversial Béla Károlyi

Getting over the shock of Béla’s death at only age-82, many are still wrestling with conflicting emotions about the legendary coach.

YES he inspired many around the world. YES he helped popularize the sport in the USA.

But many, many gymnasts were injured and psychologically damaged by the Károlyi system which I would call unscientific and unsafe.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Béla Károlyi was never convicted of any crime. You might argue that he escaped justice many times.

GymCastic has always done a good job covering the controversies. Listen to this PODCAST episode if you want to know more:

The Legacy of Bela Karolyi

shoulder angle on Yurchenko

Excellent vaulters use a number of different techniques.

For beginners, I recommend keeping the hands facing slightly towards one another. Fingers inward, so the elbows CAN bend. For safety.

For beginners, I recommend keeping the shoulders as stretched as possible.

Click PLAY or watch it on Instagram.

https://twitter.com/thorpeheath/status/1774102521226653835