Anon British Gymnastics bans coaches from weighing athletes

[Anonymous (a97d)]

Any thoughts on this story from the UK? Seems sensible to me but I've seen some online commentators saying that getting to the top isn't meant to be easy or fun...

British Gymnastics: Coaches banned from weighing gymnasts as part of sweeping welfare policies | CNN

Coaches will no longer be allowed to weigh gymnasts under one of several policies designed to tackle reports of “bullying, harassment and excessive control” in the sport in the UK.

amp.cnn.com

 

[Anonymous (d3c5)]

This has been the policy in Australia for a while now, with no obvious detrimental results. In fact we've just qualified a team for the Olympics for the first time in 12 years.

It makes sense - weight shaming is the foundation of so many abuse claims in elite gymnastics. It has been used in the past as a method of controlling gymnasts, and did not seem to correlate with gymnastic success at all.

Both the Australian policy and the new GB policy still allow for medical evaluation of a gymnast's weight (if they are over the age of 10), if necessary - they simply require permission now, and they make it an issue for their healthcare provider rather than their coach. Here, the person taking the measurements isn't even allowed to share the results with the coaching team without specific permission. So now gymnasts can head to training every day, adequately fuelled, and knowing for sure that being berated for weighing more last month (something that is normal during some parts of adolescence) won't be part of it.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Yes, in Australia. All gyms have to sign a contract saying they will only use body positive language.

Coaches are not allowed to use any word that may mention size, shape, weight or even height.

Not mentioning height is harder. We have to work kids based on height for various things like vault height, bar distance, equipment set ups.

All coaches are also required to sit a course about using body positive language in regards to how to speak to gymnasts about food and weight concerns etc. It’s compulsory to be registered as a coach.

 

[Anonymous (d3c5)]

Judges who are not coaches have to do the course in Aus too - can’t renew our registration without it.

 

[Anonymous (f3a8)]

I can't think of any reason why a coach would ever have a need to weigh a gymnast?!? There isn't even a scale anywhere in our gym.