WAG Discussion of abuse in USAG - Nassar

[profmom]

Another thing about this that angers me is that, if done right, it can be a good model for keeping kids healthy. We have a PT person in our gym who sees the optionals weekly and helps with preconditioning. They talk to her about issues. The athletes also talk to the coaches, and the coaches help them to figure out when it's time to get imaging done or when just resting for a while might set things right. The gym has collective experience with three or four docs in a particular practice who know gymnastics, one of whom was recommended specifically to us because "he will tell you if he thinks it's time to leave the sport."

 

[aerials]

I know!!! I mean I can understand why the gymnasts put up with the abuse because they're kids and easy to control through fear but the parents...I just can't wrap my head around it. If my child attempted suicide, there is NO WAY she would be going back. Similarly the one with the broken neck, or the one thrown on the bars who incurred the stomach injuries, etc. All this for college scholarships

That's what I kept thinking while I read it....No college scholarship is worth that

 

[gymbeam]

Another thing about this that angers me is that, if done right, it can be a good model for keeping kids healthy. We have a PT person in our gym who sees the optionals weekly and helps with preconditioning. They talk to her about issues. The athletes also talk to the coaches, and the coaches help them to figure out when it's time to get imaging done or when just resting for a while might set things right. The gym has collective experience with three or four docs in a particular practice who know gymnastics, one of whom was recommended specifically to us because "he will tell you if he thinks it's time to leave the sport."

Gosh, I would to have that sort of infrastructure at our gym.

 

[hearts_and_stars]

I can tell you from personal experience (I won't elaborate) that there are parents out there who are desperate for their kids to be 'elites'--that is, the coach says jump, and the parents ask how high. Nothing is off limits--if the coach says it is for her to have better gymnastics, the parents go along with it. I've personally witnessed a kid complain to her mom about the 'rough' coaching and demeaning attitude of the coach and her mom told her the coach was trying to make her gymnastics better and sent her back into the gym. For some parents, from my experience at least, it seems that the stars in their eyes govern their decision-making. That, and a couple of coaches who are clear that any attempt to question what they're doing with the kid and her gymnastics will lead to immediate blackballing, talent/work ethic/drive/determination be damned.

(Hence my handful of posts about elite ideology in USAG recently).

 

[duyetanh]

I can tell you from personal experience (I won't elaborate) that there are parents out there who are desperate for their kids to be 'elites'--that is, the coach says jump, and the parents ask how high. Nothing is off limits--if the coach says it is for her to have better gymnastics, the parents go along with it. I've personally witnessed a kid complain to her mom about the 'rough' coaching and demeaning attitude of the coach and her mom told her the coach was trying to make her gymnastics better and sent her back into the gym. For some parents, from my experience at least, it seems that the stars in their eyes govern their decision-making. That, and a couple of coaches who are clear that any attempt to question what they're doing with the kid and her gymnastics will lead to immediate blackballing, talent/work ethic/drive/determination be damned.

(Hence my handful of posts about elite ideology in USAG recently).

Sadly I have seen this also, it happened when we were visiting a gym when we were out of town....luckily my kid wasn't practicing with that coach at the time, but wow. Very sad.

 

[TakeTwo]

To those asking about why parents wouldn't seek medical attention, when the gym has an"expert" doctor who visits and assures you that the injury is not severe -- it's a "minor sprain," or a "pulled muscle" -- with 100% confidence, it is hard to justify to the coach why the kid is missing practice for a follow up appointment, and to yourself why you are spending money when a renowned expert just told you there's no problem. Unless there are obvious signs -- bruising, swelling, etc -- which do not happen in all kids -- there's no magic green light to show something is wrong. Compound that with a coach who is aggressive with any kid who complains about any kind of pain, and holds it against them in the future, and I'm not surprised at all to hear people in Twistars didn't go for additional medical advice. We were told more than once not to seek medical attention for an injury unless it hadn't gotten better in a month.

Even when we DID go to a doctor and had a documented injury with a doctor's note, the coaches more than once sent my child to see the team doctor again, not believing the other doctor's assessment. Have that happen once or twice and you become far less likely to look for a second opinion.

 

[Muddlethru]

I do not know what I would have done if my daughter had aspirations of becoming elite; and I'd really hate to pass judgment on the parents. I know sometimes kids don't tell their parents anything. They are so driven by their dreams and they know their parents might step in. Geddert seems like a horrible person. But I feel half of the burden lies on some parents as well. These are young girls and as their parent we are here to protect them. Even if a renowned doctor told me it is a minor injury, if the pain continues you take them for a second opinion. I have four kids so it is not like I baby my only child. There are some situations in that article where I feel the parents were not "negligent". But in a couple of the situations, the parents were well aware of what Geddert was saying and doing to their daughter, yet they kept taking her to the gym. I suspect they knew the behavior of Geddert was horrible at the time but chose to look the other way. I feel in this situation, they've lost their right to complain. I don't know the entire story and perhaps there is more to what is written in the article. But some parents should be held liable for the toxic environment they've allowed their children to stay in.

 

[gymgal93]

Jordyn Wieber has filed lawsuits against MSU, USAG, and USOC, and alleges that USAG destroyed the medical records of all Nassar survivors to cover up his abuse. Horrifying.

https://www.lansingstatejournal.com...suit-michigan-state-usa-gymnastics/525730002/

 

[sce]

I wonder what the Karolyi’s will have to say:
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/dateline-sunday-preview-silent-no-more-1214578755505

 

[bogwoppit]

I wonder what the Karolyi’s will have to say:
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/dateline-sunday-preview-silent-no-more-1214578755505

Lies most likely.

 

[Ginger]

I wonder what the Karolyi’s will have to say:
https://www.nbcnews.com/dateline/video/dateline-sunday-preview-silent-no-more-1214578755505

Thanks for sharing! I normally don't watch TV on Sundays but I don't want to miss this.

 

[UGA2016]

I can tell you from personal experience (I won't elaborate) that there are parents out there who are desperate for their kids to be 'elites'--that is, the coach says jump, and the parents ask how high. Nothing is off limits--if the coach says it is for her to have better gymnastics, the parents go along with it. I've personally witnessed a kid complain to her mom about the 'rough' coaching and demeaning attitude of the coach and her mom told her the coach was trying to make her gymnastics better and sent her back into the gym. For some parents, from my experience at least, it seems that the stars in their eyes govern their decision-making. That, and a couple of coaches who are clear that any attempt to question what they're doing with the kid and her gymnastics will lead to immediate blackballing, talent/work ethic/drive/determination be damned.

(Hence my handful of posts about elite ideology in USAG recently).

There are some interesting posts on a blog called Warriors in Leotards which examine the ideology/subculture of elite gymnastics and asks some pertinent questions. One post details a narrative from a mom of an elite gymnast where she wrestles with her feelings toward the way the coach handles a situation. It is quite emotive and many may not be able to relate to it but it is how many parents feel. They become socialised into the subculture and learn to accept an awful lot as 'the way it is to produce elite athletes'. This mind set is not restricted to gymnastics, research has looked at parents socialisation into a number of sports at the elite level with much the same affect. Many parents are left with feelings of guilt once their children retire from sport and it is only in retrospect they see the damage caused and wonder how they could have condoned certain coaching practices. Here is a short excerpt, go to Link Removed to read the full post.

By the time I reach the gym the anger has been replaced with trepidation. I know what will happen, I have been here too many times before. Coach greets me with a smile, “I just don’t know what to with your little minx!” I nervously ask where she is. “Oh, she’s helping the little ones with their range and conditioning. She’s really good, looks like I did something right!” Coach replies with a chuckle. I want to scream at her, I want to cause her the pain she has caused Sienna. How can she be so calm, so dismissive about what has happened today? No apology, no remorse, no concern. Coach has moved on, that was yesterdays news. Sienna comes out of the gym, walking gingerly on her heel. She smiles at me and greets me with a hug. “How you doing hunny?” I ask, not daring to mention the injury in front of Coach, taking my lead from Sienna. Perhaps it wasn’t as bad as I had thought, maybe she was more upset than hurt. “I am ok, it hurts a little but not too much.” That twist in my stomach again, the internal conflict raging inside me. I am so relieved she seems to be ok, yet wary of the backlash to come as my daughter obviously has neither the ‘tenacity nor hardiness to make it at the elite level’. How many times have I heard that? How many times has Sienna been told she’s not injured, she is just lazy and choosing not to do something? How often have I heard she is wasting her talent. I realise I am actually a little disappointed she’s ok and dispel the thought quickly, that’s not how a good mother should think!

 

[duyetanh]

I just read the whole thing.....am wondering if this is the child I think it is....the name is not very common. Ugh.

 

[flippin out]

I just read the whole thing.....am wondering if this is the child I think it is....the name is not very common. Ugh.

The blog says —- “I have permission to share the following narrative describing a parents thoughts and feelings regarding an injury their daughter sustained (names have been changed).”

 

[gymdog]

It also seems like they're in the UK (not that it isn't relevant just since timcame up I don't think it's an American gymnast).

 

[sce]

Apparently Amy had reported to Rhonda Faehn, and Rhonda did nothing!

https://m.sportskeeda.com/gymnastics/aly-raisman-reveals-nbc-omitted-interview

 

[Flyaway]

Apparently Amy had reported to Rhonda Faehn, and Rhonda did nothing!

https://m.sportskeeda.com/gymnastics/aly-raisman-reveals-nbc-omitted-interview

Well, to be fair Aly says that she doesn't know what Rhonda did or didn't do. Other girls were molested during that time, so we can speculate, but we don't know for sure that Rhonda did nothing.

"This is something that, of course, I am so passionate about, and I did mention in the interview that I reported my abuse to Rhonda Faehn, who is currently still the vice president of USA Gymnastics so I reported my abuse to her, and there was, I don't know what Rhonda did or didn't do from there, but at least 40 more gymnasts that we know of that have spoken up have been -- were molested -- in that time.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Well, to be fair Aly says that she doesn't know what Rhonda did or didn't do. Other girls were molested during that time, so we can speculate, but we don't know for sure that Rhonda did nothing.

Well if she did something, it surely wasn’t something effective- something that says she should still be employed there.

 

[Flyaway]

Well if she did something, it surely wasn’t something effective- something that says she should still be employed there.

For sure. I'm just saying we don't know what she did. Could be nothing. Or there could be (and likely is) more to uncover.

 

[flippin out]

Well if she did something, it surely wasn’t something effective- something that says she should still be employed there.

Also something to keep in mind, I believe Rhonda had just started the position maybe 4-6weeks prior to Aly coming to her.....she may (and I repeat may) have thought that reporting to Penny would’ve been her proper course of action....and that he then would take the proper steps. Not at all saying this was the best choice or the right choice, just saying that she may have believed that she was being responsible and doing the correct thing by resorting to her superior and allowing the president to be lead on this. After all, she was super new to the position