Category: safety

Why coach Amy Nyman was suspended

Amy Nyman has appealed the suspension and an arbitrator is scheduled to hear her appeal over three days beginning June 29.

Nyman, the New Heights owner and head coach, ordered gymnasts to do so many repeat rope climbs that the insides of their legs bled and their arms were too sore to continue training, according to the documents.

When a New Heights gymnast said she was afraid to attempt a balance beam skill during a 2016 camp the team was attending in Pennsylvania, Nyman ridiculed the girl in front of her teammates, then made her do a series of sprints up a hill and 1,000 push-ups, according the SafeSport documents. …

SafeSport: Amy Nyman made gymnasts feel ‘scared, degraded and humiliated’

Confidential documents detail case against wife of former USA Gymnastics sports medicine and science director

Ella Douglas interview

In appreciation of LGBTQ Pride Month, June in the USA, I’m linking to an entertaining interview on the Half In, Half Out LGBTQ+ Podcast.

Listen to out Canadian gymnast Ella Douglas who was Co-Captain of the MSU team in 2020, her Senior year.

https://twitter.com/MSUgymnastics/status/1236438930867851267

Ella was totally accepted by her team after announcing her girlfriend. Coaches, friends, everyone.

Ella will be a volunteer coach with MSU next year now that she’s graduated.

Of course there have been other Lesbian WAG gymnasts in College Gymnastics. And some have been open with that to friends and teammates while still competing.

Click through to listen.

Laurie Hernandez interviews Li Li Leung

Laurie is so well spoken. A natural.

This is an upbeat conversation.

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

coach Chris McClain suspended by Chelsea Piers

For two years, Sara Allan, a former gymnast who grew up in New York City, had wanted to file a complaint.

In 2018, she wrote a letter saying that her former gymnastics coach at Chelsea Piers, Chris McClain, had engaged in a litany of emotional abuse, including insulting and berating gymnasts about their weight, eating habits and mental abilities. …

In less than a month, Allan had compiled a 13-page document filled with specific complaints against McClain that spanned 15 years — from 33 gymnasts, nine of their family members and five coaches. They demanded that McClain be suspended and, to their surprise, their pleas were quickly heeded.

Chelsea Piers suspended McClain last Saturday, the day after Allan sent the complaint. Then, on Wednesday, U.S.A. Gymnastics also suspended McClain, pending an investigation. …

She Accused a Coach of Abuse. Then More Than 30 Gymnasts Backed Her Up.

can you kill COVID-19 with ultraviolet light?

Some Gyms are considering ultraviolet light sanitizing wands for disinfecting Bars, Beams, etc.

At this point, I’d not recommend the technology. 

UV-C works well for purifying liquids. And it’s been used for making food safer for over 50 years.

UV-C light probably kills the new COVID-19 virus IF the light is strong enough, direct enough, and long enough. As I post, however, that’s not yet been scientifically proven.

It did work on MERS and SARS.

But light wands work best on flat, hard surfaces.

UV-C light is dangerous for humans, as well. UV light can cause cancer. Damage eyes. It’s difficult to protect yourself while waving a wand.

NY is testing whether using  powerful ultraviolet lamps can disinfect subways and buses.  In future there might be a way to turn on UV-C lights at night in the Gym to help sanitize.

Companies are working on new ways to disinfect hard surfaces with UV-C light waves.  Robots, for example.

Hospitals and airlines are using the technology.  Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

read more – Ultraviolet germicidal irradiation

individual Bars mats at GAGE

Al Fong’s club has expanded on how they train Bars safely on return from COVID-19.

Gymnasts have their own bath mat to hold everything they need for Bars:

  •  freezer bag for chalk
  • tape
  • water bottle
  • etc.

Do not share. Disinfect after the rotation.

Click PLAY or watch it on Facebook.

how NOT to coach Gymnastics ðŸ˜•

Remember the bad old days of negative coaching?

It went something like this …

Click PLAY or watch it on YouTube.

Kyle Shewfelt on reopening Gymnastics

The 2004 Olympic Floor champion today owns a Gymnastics club in his home town Calgary.

Kyle Shewfelt Gymnastics 

Kyle was interviewed by Jock Wilson on Sports Talk radio.

He believes his Province, Alberta, has made a mistake in deciding when to allow children back indoors into sport and fitness clubs.

Right now indoor sports are relegated to phase 3 along with nightclubs.

Phase 3 could be October.

Will Gymnastics clubs survive?

Other Canadian Provinces are opening sooner. Kyle says some athletes are considering moving so they can resume training.

Outdoor sports will resume soon in some municipalities.  Soccer, for example.  But an indoor soccer centre in Calgary has already had to shut the doors.

High Performance Centres in Spain open

The National centres in Spain closed March 11th … and stayed closed for 67 days.

Spain was hit hard by COVID-19.  Plan is to start training slowly and with an abundance of caution.

160 athletes were evaluated by questionnaires, examinations and blood tests. Only 2% were not allowed to return. Yet.

Athletes in phase 0

Ray Zapata

(via Gimnasia artistica masculina España)

USAG on safe reopening

It seems to many that USA Gymnastics was quite slow in posting their own document.

Member clubs had already reopened before they saw this document, I believe.

Here’s a SAMPLE:

Spotting

• Athlete safety is paramount, and coaches should not be restricted from spotting an athlete if necessary, to protect the athlete from injury.

• While spotting remains an important element to athlete safety, consider alternative teaching/coaching methods that align with social distancing protocols.

• Clearly communicate any alternative teaching/coaching methods so they are understood by the athletes and their parents.

• Coaches should consider the use of gloves for personal contact, with a goal of switching gloves between athletes.

Parent Viewing

• Per USA Gymnastics’ Safe Sport Policy, a parent/guardian must be provided the opportunity to observe their child’s training.

Read the entire document for yourself:

USAG Safe Reopening