WAG Some news on Geddert himself - suspended

[strawberries]

Those peels to her neck!!!!

https://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/us_5a6f8946e4b05836a25597df/amp

Interesting article, but 24 hours a week for a level 4? Yikes!

And I get some of these arguments — that Geddert isn’t her coach and stuff, but I would have a real hard time still sending my DD into that environment with what we know now, and a real hard time with my monthly gymnastics checks — knowing that they are going to Geddert.

That’s nothing. There are coaches out there with girls much, much younger than 9 doing 25% more hours.

 

[SMH]

Here's the video without the article. I cannot imagine this happening at our gym. Heck, when they were still relatively new to the jump to the high bar, one of my DD's friends broke her arm badly falling on a squat on with an alert coach standing right there!

https://twitter.com/tyschalter/status/820743507950370817?ref_src=twsrc^tfw&ref_url=https://d-26447378982669384565.ampproject.net/1516850240342/frame.html

Looks like an open gym. Kid doesn't even know how fall.

I asked my 8 yr old gymmie if they would ever be able to jump to the high bar without a coach spotting. She said ‘no way’- and when I showed her the video she gasped when the girl fell back on her neck.

Open gym at my kids gym (even the team only working open gym) has a rule that they cannot jump from the low to high bar.

 

[bogwoppit]

Looks like an open gym. Kid doesn't even know how fall.

Would that be allowed in your gym? Ours would not allow kids on the bars without a coach spotting.

 

[amiandjim]

Not ours. We do have open gym twice a week but it’s usually during team practice. The girls that attend can get on a couple low bars, but definitely not the high bar.

 

[gymnastmom05]

At our gym, I don't think kids are allowed on the bar sets - just the one low bar (I think). Our HC has told the team girls they are not allowed to go to open gym. He told them they need to be kids, do something else and since it's less experienced coaches supervising open gym, it's just an opportunity for them to reinforce bad habits or get hurt. I'm happy - now I don't get bugged to drive to gym an extra day OR spend more money and I'm not the bad guy!

 

[Gymmom0403]

My question is this : why don’t the coaches at twistars leave? If they are as good as people say, go to another gym. Kids will follow.
That’s what makes the gym good right? Good coaching.

 

[raenndrops]

Would that be allowed in your gym? Ours would not allow kids on the bars without a coach spotting.

At the open gym we attend (not at our gym), they allow kids on the bars. If one of the coaches sees something unsafe, he or she goes to the problem and fixes it... on whatever apparatus.
It may be that they spot the gymnast OR they get the gymnast to pick something else to do.

 

[Flyaway]

My question is this : why don’t the coaches at twistars leave? If they are as good as people say, go to another gym. Kids will follow.
That’s what makes the gym good right? Good coaching.

Amen!

 

[flippin out]

My question is this : why don’t the coaches at twistars leave? If they are as good as people say, go to another gym. Kids will follow.
That’s what makes the gym good right? Good coaching.

I seem to remember that they also sign an employment contract in which they also must give 6mo notice or be sued for breach of contract

 

[amiandjim]

My question is this : why don’t the coaches at twistars leave? If they are as good as people say, go to another gym. Kids will follow.
That’s what makes the gym good right? Good coaching.

Yes!!! And then it makes me question how “good” they are...they stayed knowing full well who and what Geddert is.

 

[amiandjim]

I seem to remember that they also sign an employment contract in which they also must give 6mo notice or be sued for breach of contract

Of course they do. He probably also has them blackballed in Michigan.

 

[flippin out]

Last one I Lino’s that left (a few years ago, was a compulsory coach). She did everything asked, turned in proper notice (was leaving for a gym closer to her)....he proceeded to spend the time she had there left belittling her in front of students, telling them Coach X is leaving you, she is a quitter and doesn’t care about you, etc.... even called her out in his silly monthly newsletter. Made her months there miserable and awkward for the kids.

 

[SMH]

There is another gym in the very nearby area that also has a competitive team- although not as ‘successful’ as Twistars. Right on their website in the section for competitive gymnastics it says
‘Founded in May, 1999 by a group of families, gymnasts, and coaches who wanted an alternative to existing competitive programs in the area.’

I wonder if this gym was founded by coaches/gymnasts who left Twistars way back then? It just seems interesting to mention ‘an alternative to existing programs’ when Twistars is the ‘big’ other program around there.

 

[LindyHopper]

Our HC has told the team girls they are not allowed to go to open gym.

Same here. No open gym allowed, because coaches aren't there and you might try things you're not ready for and/or reinforce bad habits.

 

[Mish]

Last one I Lino’s that left (a few years ago, was a compulsory coach). She did everything asked, turned in proper notice (was leaving for a gym closer to her)....he proceeded to spend the time she had there left belittling her in front of students, telling them Coach X is leaving you, she is a quitter and doesn’t care about you, etc.... even called her out in his silly monthly newsletter. Made her months there miserable and awkward for the kids.

 

[Flippin'A]

That video was absolutely terrifying and I found it downright disturbing that the dad seemed to point to it as an example of why his family is staying at Twistars. And to claim there are no other gyms near Lansing? No, what he means is there are no other gyms near Lansing that have produced an Olympian. So that right there is him saying that he puts some vague possibility of future glory over the health and safety of his nine year old. The whole article made me sick to my stomach. I understand what he's saying, I just vehemently disagree. I'm sure this man loves his daughter very much and I can only hope that he simply doesn't know the dangers of peeling off the bar like that when you so obviously haven't been taught how to fall correctly. So grateful for my daughter's coaches right now.

 

[Flyaway]

That video was absolutely terrifying and I found it downright disturbing that the dad seemed to point to it as an example of why his family is staying at Twistars. And to claim there are no other gyms near Lansing? No, what he means is there are no other gyms near Lansing that have produced an Olympian. So that right there is him saying that he puts some vague possibility of future glory over the health and safety of his nine year old. The whole article made me sick to my stomach. I understand what he's saying, I just vehemently disagree. I'm sure this man loves his daughter very much and I can only hope that he simply doesn't know the dangers of peeling off the bar like that when you so obviously haven't been taught how to fall correctly. So grateful for my daughter's coaches right now.

Exactly. This is what I said in another thread: I kind of think that there may be SOME parents (not ALL) who actually secretly revel in the notoriety of their gym. They get to say, "look at my little 9 year old, going 24+ hours, she's so good that there's just no other gym anywhere who can get her to "where she wants to be". It's not that they at all celebrate the fact that this abuse happened or that gymnasts were hurt, of course. But there may just be a tiiiiiny part of them that thinks that staying put proves their child's commitment to the sport and by association, their child's chances of "making it" someday.

In the end, it means nothing at best. And puts their child at risk at worst. And that's what those parents are missing.

 

[LindyHopper]

he proceeded to spend the time she had there left belittling her in front of students, telling them Coach X is leaving you, she is a quitter and doesn’t care about you, etc.... even called her out in his silly monthly newsletter.

Talk about a hostile work environment! Wonder if she has grounds for a harassment vase of a different sort.

 

[amiandjim]

And really, if you have level 4s going 24 hours a week, and you cannot teach them a proper squat on and jump to high bar, you are doing something wrong!

 

[Flippin'A]

Exactly. This is what I said in another thread: I kind of think that there may be SOME parents (not ALL) who actually secretly revel in the notoriety of their gym. They get to say, "look at my little 9 year old, going 24+ hours, she's so good that there's just no other gym anywhere who can get her to "where she wants to be". It's not that they at all celebrate the fact that this abuse happened or that gymnasts were hurt, of course. But there may just be a tiiiiiny part of them that thinks that staying put proves their child's commitment to the sport and by association, their child's chances of "making it" someday.

In the end, it means nothing at best. And puts their child at risk at worst. And that's what those parents are missing.

Yes. Thank you. It's this compulsion to have a child that's so special, so talented, that they somehow need an environment that intense. Heaven forbid your third grader would have time to go to normal school or take piano lessons. Not going to lie, it makes me a little bit crazy.