WAG Gymnastics is F*****

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Exgymmomx3

Proud Parent
I know there is bad language in this, but it is being discussed everywhere I go on the internet right now. If this isn’t okay to post, feel free to take it down. I hope I linked it correctly, I am not internet savvy. This was very emotional for me to read, as I have a lot of gymnastics baggage having been in an elite training gym growing up and having 3 daughters in high level gymnastics. I’ve seen the worst of the worst. I cried when I read some of this and I think she is very brave for writing it.

https://link.medium.com/9vxfoOKjlR
 
Every parent should read and when it happens to your daughter, stand up for her and say gymnastics isn't worth this.

My daughter could barely walk on her knee and the coach wanted her to tumble. We switched gyms.
This. The young woman is correct this is not just USAG.

And yes M2Abi, it starts with speaking up and not staying in a bad environment.
 
My ds was at an open gym this morning, not at his gym. Watched a little girl come out (10-11ish). She was limping. Her mom asked what is wrong. She said it hurt to walk on, and every time she put pressure on it it hurt. Her mom snapped "what do you want me to do?" and sent her back out to the gym. Not sure if the girl said anything to her coaches or not...but it was tough to watch.
 
That’s so sad.

I finally got myself to read that article. I knew it would make me cry. It did. It’s horrifying but I’m so impressed she was brave enough to write it.
 
I read this a few days ago and it brought up memories of our last gym.

I’m so grateful that we had the courage to leave. After we did about a dozen other team kids followed.

Be awake to what is going on in your gym and stand up for your kids. Too many don’t have the courage to.
 
This story broke my heart.
So glad we are at our gym.
A couple months ago (might just be 1, I dont remember exactly when), YG fell doing a clear hip on bars. She went to the bathroom to "regain composure" ... taking a friend who was there and saw it, and one of the coaches also followed to make sure she was ok. They did concussion protocol "field testing" and she was fine ... BUT, because of the fall, HC rearranged the event rotations so she would NOT go to floor. HC knows we leave early every night so she made floor the last rotation for her group.
YG wasnt exactly happy because she wanted to tumble, lol. But instead her group went to beam ... and she was restricted to the low beam and no acro. HC told her that if she was feeling fine the next day, she could tumble, but she didn't want to take any chances with her health! HC also checked in on her (texted me knowing I would be in contact with YG and her dad and stepmom) later that evening and the next morning before school AND again after school!
 
I am going to leave it here, even though the article itself would trigger the profanity filters if posted in full.

I think it needs to be read. Children’s sports have a very dark side.
Maybe I missed it but ,,,,,,parents ??? Some horrible coaching yes but Does she remember them pushing her through this ? Sorry folks but some really delusional whacko pushy parents that will do anything (including putting their child at risk ) to move to the next level. And they don’t listen ... I remember telling dozens of parent parents over the years that it isn’t safe to move a child up. I remember them leaving to others gyms. I remember watching them struggling that year and repeating the next year only to quit the next.
I remember telling a parent that I would not allow her child to return to the sport because of chronic back issues that lasted over a year and a half. I remember getting hated on by the parents . I remember pleading with the coach from another Gym to take it easy on her and “help her to retire “. I remember other parents on my team being upset at me because the owner of that gym told them I said that ... I remember that child going to the other gym to fulfill her parents dream. I remember hearing that she was conditioning for 2 months at that gym and ready to start again . I remember thinking if I had made the correct decision... I remember hearing that after a week of actual Gymnastics she was in horrendous pain and was basically Bed ridden... I remember seeing her a year later .... (my baby who I brought up from level 4 and retired as a 9 Trying to go 10.).. I remember hugging her .... I remember being choked up.... I remember her coming back into the gym 5 months ago after being retired for several years... I remember her telling me that she just had her second back surgery ..... I remember being so angry ..... I Remeber hugging her again and her telling me that “she now understood why I did what I did ..”. I remember thinking , could i of done more .... I remember telling her that “I am sorry that this happened to you”...

I remember other memories with other parents and kids as well... so while I agree that we as coaches push and drive and do stupid harmful stuff... I also know that parents can be just as destructive, and worse yet , enablers .... ....
 
^^^^yes coachp

... but then I get skewered when I say what about the parents, but yes
 

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