Gymnastics Coaching.com

Gymnovosti posted on how rape is viewed in former Soviet Union nations. Things are even worse there for girls and women than in the west.

The protection afforded rapists there, however, reminded me of the protection afforded American Football stars. 🙁

_____ originally posted June 2016

I’m worried when gymnasts – male and female – go off to University.

College athletes have, at least, a support system on arrival. A team. Coaches and staff looking out for them.

You would never have seen Brock Turner’s face if he had been sentenced 3-5 years. Or more. He could’ve gotten 14 years.

When he was sentenced only 6 months people asked:

• Is it because he’s a Stanford student?
• Is it because he’s a scholarship athlete?
• Is it because he’s white?

This case led me to read Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town by Jon Krakauer.

The acclaimed author researched 230 rapes in town, most of which either weren’t prosecuted or the prosecutions were bungled. Most rapists walked away without punishment.

This guy did go to trial. If I were on the jury I would have found star quarterback Jordan Johnson guilty of rape.

Instead the state of Montana paid Johnson $245,000 under a settlement where he agreed to drop claims that the school and its officials mishandled the investigation against him.

This guy – Brandon Vandenberg – former Vanderbilt football player, was found guilty for his role in the gang rape of an unconscious female student in 2013.

Brandon Vandenburg

Only one of his rapes. He was sentenced to 17 years in prison.

The Department of Education has an investigation ongoing into 192 universities alleged to be mishandling sexual-assault complaints.

A good gift for a student going away to University for the first time would be this book – Missoula: Rape and the Justice System in a College Town

Most young people don’t know the law. Are clueless when it comes to date rape. Acquaintance rape. 😦

related – my full review of the Krakauer’s book

World Champions 2017

Lauren Hopkins posted a detailed wrap-up of the AA final.

Historic in many ways.

persistance – Viktor Ahn

Viktor Ahn, the Korean-born Russian short-track speed-skater.

Click PLAY or watch it on Twitter.

"No pain, no gain." 💪⛸ @ISU_Speed @PyeongChang2018 pic.twitter.com/L4hveSYrFw

— The Olympic Games (@Olympics) October 4, 2017

Canadian Coach Education revision

The change from textbook to digital media is nearly complete. A big improvement.

Digital media can be easily revised in future.

Click through to see a diagram showing the OLD requirements at the top for Gymnastics Alberta and the NEW structure in the graphic.

NCCP Summary – Revised September 6, 2017

Left to finalize are the Evaluation components of Comp 2 and Comp 3.

petition demanding change at USAG

By any standards, response by USA Gymnastics to the Nassar scandal has been slow at best. I assume their lawyers are advising foot dragging in hopes of reducing the number of liability suits.

Three of Nassar’s victims ask you to sign a petition:

Jamie Dantzscher – 2000 Olympic Bronze Medalist, Artistic Gymnastic

Jessica Howard – 3 Time National Champion, Rhythmic Gymnastics

Jeanette Antolin – Former USA National Team Member, Artistic Gymnastics

Change USA Gymnastics Leadership in Wake of Sex Abuse Scandal

People hoped that the forced resignation of President Steve Penny in March 2017 would make a difference.

Has it?

Penny got a $1 million severance package from an organization with annual revenue of about $23.7 million (2015).

If USA Gymnastics Chairman Paul Parilla resigns tomorrow, will USAG athletes be safer?

I’m not so sure.

But lacking any other way to pressure a monopoly like USA Gymnastics, I signed.

safe, ethical spotting

In Canada we’ve long told coaches when spotting not to touch any part of the body covered by a bikini bathing suit. (Hips are an occasional exception.)

One gymnast messaged me to speak of her personal experience.

The Gym was her second home. As a little girl it was common for the coach to spot touching the buttocks of kids in her group.

By age 16 she became very uncomfortable with her coach spotting this way. She told him repeatedly to cut it out. He seemed unable to spot using any other technique.

Finally a less experience female coach was able to spot without grabbing the buttocks.

Here’s her message:

“… It is difficult to write about things that have become so normal and were never perceived as “wrong” by me. Coaches spot small girls on their bottoms from the very beginning, and this goes on as they get older. Almost maybe unaware of their own physical change and the innocence that goes paired with a coach following the way he spotted you from the very beginning. But the coach is the adult and especially at a higher level strong power relations can be involved.

Then suddenly you move to a new gym with new coaches and your eyes are opened. opening change… Something you thought to be impossible is suddenly is so easy. … the realization of the past kicks in. …

This is one of the many unintended consequences of spotting. The less spotting the better.

Youth Olympic Games, Buenos Aires 2018

… the third edition of the Summer Youth Olympics, a major international sports in which culture and education are also of great importance, are due to be celebrated in the tradition of the Summer Olympic Games on 1–12 October 2018 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.