WAG Coach Posting Videos of Gymnasts With “Attitude”: Thoughts?

[Flyaway]

We're seeing a snapshot. We have no idea what conversations about these videos have been had between her, her gymnasts and their parents.

 

[gymnastmom05]

There are times I have recorded my kids (mostly my DD) when they are in a crazy, over the top "fit". I have NEVER shared it with anyone (outside of my DD when she's calmed down and able to laugh at herself). I don't put it on my own Social Media, private accounts with only people I know and trust that could see it! I get that sometimes people use other tactics to "lighten" the mood but posting it for anyone/everyone in the world to see is where the line is crossed for me. We don't know the backstory behind the video's, maybe the kids aren't in crazy emotional distress, maybe the bad attitude is a badge of honor - I don't know and I'm willing to at least give a little benefit of the doubt there BUT it should never be out there for others to see. That is no doubt, unacceptable, no matter the circumstance to me.

 

[gymbeam]

I just watched a bunch of her videos and there is much I do love about what I see. They look like they have a lot of fun in that gym. The coach seems to really connect with the kids and enjoy them. She also seems to be very capable in her technical coaching.

All that being said, I think this one aspect of what she does is wrong. With 42 thousand followers, I think she should not be putting these vulnerable moments of children on display. And if there’s more to it than what we see, it’s still wrong because of they way it appears to be quite mean to the general viewer. They’re too young to understand exactly what that means and that it will never go away.

I hope she can find a new “thing” to attract followers because this isn’t a tasteful tactic. I know my kid would be horrified. In fact I asked her and she said she would hate to have that kind of ongoing “threat” at her gym. She actually wouldn’t like to be at a gym that promotes instafame at all.

 

[Taxidriver]

We're seeing a snapshot. We have no idea what conversations about these videos have been had between her, her gymnasts and their parents.

Yes that’s very true but I don’t think these videos should ever be on social media, the mental damage it could do to a child, either directly from how they feel from the video or from the potential for bullies to use the videos.
I’m not going to slate the coach as we are only seeing a snapshot however I do think she has made a poor judgment call to post these online.

 

[NutterButter]

We're seeing a snapshot. We have no idea what conversations about these videos have been had between her, her gymnasts and their parents.

This isn't a snapshot though. It's a minutes long video showing multiple kids experiencing a vulnerable moment and an adult mocking it. Why not have an attitude cam that pans the gym asking each girl to give their best "girl power" pose? Why does she have to focus on a child who is clearly struggling and comment? Another member commented that she's a good coach. I believe this. I can see looking through her IG page that she is very proud of her gymansts. This doesn't make the video OK though.

 

[GymDad23]

Something tells me these gymnasts' parents already know about the Attitude Cam, all or any complaining should come from them. When there's a blooper/fail or new skill video posted, what kid doesn't want to be a part of it. They love the attention most of the time. Someone mentioned she had 42K followers and there are tons of posts of happy skilled gymnasts, so there's more to this than meets the eye. It's easy to criticize from the outside. You are all gym parents, right? You, your family, are at the gym about as many days as you're at work, if not more? Then you know how much time your kid spends with their coaches, so let those parents handle it how they want. Poor taste, bad judgement? Sure, that argument is fine, but there's no need to crucify or possibly threaten this coaches career when it's not familiar to you. Kids are precious, no doubt. The need to constantly bubble wrap and coddle them when days aren't going their way, but then stack them high on the pedestal for the entire world to be jealous of when days are good, just needs to take a few steps back. This girls side can be ruthless, backlash away.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

This coach is known to have unorthodox training techniques. She gets results, but is it worth it? I believe she recently left her home gym. I am not sure why. But she has a huge international following. A good self-promoter. I would also not stick around for my child to be publicly shamed.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

Even good people can do some not so good things. Posting this publicly and some of the things they say about the kids is still not okay. So many negative things done by coaches are explained away, they should not be.

I agree. The more I think about it, the more angry I am about this. It is totally part of the culture of abuse.

 

[skschlag]

Something tells me these gymnasts' parents already know about the Attitude Cam, all or any complaining should come from them. When there's a blooper/fail or new skill video posted, what kid doesn't want to be a part of it. They love the attention most of the time. Someone mentioned she had 42K followers and there are tons of posts of happy skilled gymnasts, so there's more to this than meets the eye. It's easy to criticize from the outside. You are all gym parents, right? You, your family, are at the gym about as many days as you're at work, if not more? Then you know how much time your kid spends with their coaches, so let those parents handle it how they want. Poor taste, bad judgement? Sure, that argument is fine, but there's no need to crucify or possibly threaten this coaches career when it's not familiar to you. Kids are precious, no doubt. The need to constantly bubble wrap and coddle them when days aren't going their way, but then stack them high on the pedestal for the entire world to be jealous of when days are good, just needs to take a few steps back. This girls side can be ruthless, backlash away.

ANd if having "attitude cam" is a part of their culture, and kids like it, that is one thing. It could be a fun thing in the gym. Once it goes public is when I have concerns......

 

[Freddy's Fred]

We're seeing a snapshot. We have no idea what conversations about these videos have been had between her, her gymnasts and their parents.

Doesn't matter. They are vulnerable and she is mocking them. It's abuse.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Doesn't matter. They are vulnerable and she is mocking them. It's abuse.

Enough already. Why don’t you contact the Coach directly and stop assassinating her character and making suppositions about what’s going on?

 

[Flyaway]

Doesn't matter. They are vulnerable and she is mocking them. It's abuse.

Well, we disagree there. I do not see this as abuse. And actually, if I were a parent of one of these gymnasts who knows and understands these clips within the context of my child's relationship with this coach and gives consent, I would be PO'd that a bunch of strangers think they know better and suggest my child is being abused because of this.

Are these clips in good form? What is considered good form these days? I can agree that they are not going to be everyone's preference. Ideally it would remain private amongst the gym but I still maintain that they have to be taken within the context of a relationship that none of us are a part of.

I realize I'm in the minority here and that's ok.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

Enough already. Why don’t you contact the Coach directly and stop assassinating her character and making suppositions about what’s going on?[/QU

Good idea. I'll do that. I'd hardly call it character assassination though. And what about everyone else here who is appalled by her behavior? Is the enough already for them too?

 

[Annikins]

Nope, not ok with me. I would never give consent for this, and I don't believe my child would.

 

[NutterButter]

Good grief. Spare me on the character assassination comments. The IG page is public and available for all to see. If you don't want comments or criticism, then make your page private. With 40K+ followers, her page is fair game for comments.

People evolve over time. Societal attitudes evolve over time. There is no shame in realizing that a fun joke is no longer funny. With some tweaks this attitude cam could be transformed into something fun and empowering with no risk of shaming a child. I see no downside to this. It has nothing to do coddling and wrapping a kid in bubble wrap. Don't create something fun at the expense of a child's vulnerability. That is my problem with the attitude cam. Why wouldn't you want to lift people up?

 

[Madden3]

The problem with this kind of behavior is not so much that it is necessarily abusive in the particular situation (I think it sounds very strange but I can buy that some parents and even some gymnasts are “OK“ with this.)

But the problem is that this kind of cavalier attitude towards the privacy and emotions of young people is part of the systemic issues within the sport. (And frankly a systemic issue we are dealing with throughout society with the social media explosion but that’s another discussion.)

Safe practices- which include respecting the privacy and emotions of young people - have to be followed by everyone. It does no good to say “well my coach\gym does not need to follow safe practices because I know they are safe.” It does no good to say “I told my coach it was fine to put my childs uncomfortable moments at gymnastics on social media because it teaches my child a lesson and it doesn’t do them any harm.” Whether or not this is true is irrelevant - the point is that it is not about whether one specific child, coach or gym is ‘safe’ it is about creating a culture of safety that encompasses everyone -even those parents who do not have the information, the strength or the sense to protect their children appropriately.

The point is to make safe practices so universal and common place that they are simply accepted as the norm so that variances from the norm can be seen as the red flags they are.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

But the problem is that this kind of cavalier attitude towards the privacy and emotions of young people is part of the systemic issues within the sport. (And frankly a systemic issue we are dealing with throughout society with the social media explosion but that’s another discussion.)

Yes to all of the above but especially this.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Does the coach share her crappy/behavior moments.............?

These are minor children. Not even her minor children. No should have a bad moment locked in time, in public forever. No one. But especially not children.

 

[reluctant]

This is horrifying. I would imagine that these little girls' parents know about the attitude cam and have done nothing about it. It's shocking. I wonder if anyone has gotten in touch with the gym owner. Or maybe these little ones wised up and don't even train with her anymore.

 

[Flyaway]

Does the coach share her crappy/behavior moments.............?

Yes, she has. She is pretty open about her ups and downs.