Geddert's response to Thelma's removal

[aerials]

Did anyone else read this? Very sad and strange. Geddert has attorneys involved with Thelma's removal. A mess for the 2 gymnasts.

http://wired868.com/2016/04/17/geddert-marquez-and-the-ttgf-cheated-thema-and-risked-marisas-health/

 

[GlobalNomad]

It's heartbreaking. From reading, I guess this is the same Marisa Dick with the "new" beam mount. So, Dick was training and competing in Canada but will represent Trinidad and Tobogo in the Olympics?

 

[Ali'sMom]

I wondered about Marisa Dick also - how she can represent them - but apparently her mother is Trinidadian(?) and Marisa is dual citizen. When you google, some articles that reference her beam mount do refer to her as "Trinidad & Tobago gymnast..."
Still seems wrong to just throw one girl out and fly another one in.

 

[bogwoppit]

Crappy all around.

 

[bookworm]

I'm sorry but Geddert should have known better...he's a seasoned coach who has been to the Olympics (albeit he mismanaged Weiber's peaking a year too early) but he knew the Trinidad folks were gunning to remove Thema and he gives them all the ammo they needed in his first report ...which he acknowledges that he could have been vague about. Granted the T and T federation had the ultimate say in pulling the trigger on this but Geddert loaded the gun...

 

[bogwoppit]

I'm sorry but Geddert should have known better...he's a seasoned coach who has been to the Olympics (albeit he mismanaged Weiber's peaking a year too early) but he knew the Trinidad folks were gunning to remove Thema and he gives them all the ammo they needed in his first report ...which he acknowledges that he could have been vague about. Granted the T and T federation had the ultimate say in pulling the trigger on this but Geddert loaded the gun...

Plus he just loves to whine like a toddler every time he sees some perceived injustice. He should take a lesson from Chow in how to suck it up and move on.

 

[wandrewsjr]

It's heartbreaking. From reading, I guess this is the same Marisa Dick with the "new" beam mount. So, Dick was training and competing in Canada but will represent Trinidad and Tobogo in the Olympics?

Both Marissa and Thema competed for Trinidad at last years world championships.

 

[aerials]

I'm sorry but Geddert should have known better...he's a seasoned coach who has been to the Olympics (albeit he mismanaged Weiber's peaking a year too early) but he knew the Trinidad folks were gunning to remove Thema and he gives them all the ammo they needed in his first report ...which he acknowledges that he could have been vague about. Granted the T and T federation had the ultimate say in pulling the trigger on this but Geddert loaded the gun...

Agreed. I was surprised too at his email about her performance.

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

This is so sad. Geddert has to be kicking himself for his report. Horrible!!

 

[bogwoppit]

You think he would learn to choose his words more carefully after all these years.

 

[duyetanh]

You think he would learn to choose his words more carefully after all these years.

Well if he doesn't learn now...

 

[bookworm]

And if you read more into posts on other sites, Dick's coach (Riccardo Lue Shue) and his wife (Donna Lue Shue) are 2 of the 4 votes ( 2 voters were absent and the Lue Shues are the other 2) needed to pull Thema from the test event and replace her with Dick!! The wife is the assistant treasurer of the federation and he is the second VP. Shady all around...

 

[gymmomx2]

And if you read more into posts on other sites, Dick's coach (Riccardo Lue Shue) and his wife (Donna Lue Shue) are 2 of the 4 votes ( 2 voters were absent and the Lue Shues are the other 2) needed to pull Thema from the test event and replace her with Dick!! The wife is the assistant treasurer of the federation and he is the second VP. Shady all around...

Wow that is quite the conflict of interest

 

[strawberries]

And if you read more into posts on other sites, Dick's coach (Riccardo Lue Shue) and his wife (Donna Lue Shue) are 2 of the 4 votes ( 2 voters were absent and the Lue Shues are the other 2) needed to pull Thema from the test event and replace her with Dick!! The wife is the assistant treasurer of the federation and he is the second VP. Shady all around...

Wait...WHAT?!? That is completely insane!!!

 

[wandrewsjr]

And if you read more into posts on other sites, Dick's coach (Riccardo Lue Shue) and his wife (Donna Lue Shue) are 2 of the 4 votes ( 2 voters were absent and the Lue Shues are the other 2) needed to pull Thema from the test event and replace her with Dick!! The wife is the assistant treasurer of the federation and he is the second VP. Shady all around...

Can I ask where you read this? Everything I read said they are 2 of 6 votes (6 officers in the federation). Didn't read anything that said they were the only 2 votes to make the decision. Most of what I read said Marquez(president of federation) was involved in the process.

 

[gopuckgo]

I'm sorry but Geddert should have known better...he's a seasoned coach who has been to the Olympics (albeit he mismanaged Weiber's peaking a year too early) but he knew the Trinidad folks were gunning to remove Thema and he gives them all the ammo they needed in his first report ...which he acknowledges that he could have been vague about. Granted the T and T federation had the ultimate say in pulling the trigger on this but Geddert loaded the gun...

Spot on! My wild guess would be that the email was most likely used as a tactic to get the athlete to perform better at practices not realizing that the email would have been taken so seriously. Some coaches still employ the use of negative reinforcement in order to obtain positive results ( which we all know doesn't work ).

It's just a shame that this tactic appeared to backfire so badly. It's sad that a young aspiring athlete entrusted this coach to guide and steer her in right direction. All while leaving her country to live in another country, far away from family and friends in order to pursue her lifelong dream, which is now shot to ****. My heart breaks for this athlete

We don't know the whole story either and only pieces get reported in the news. I wonder if this isn't the first bad report he has given? It just seems so odd that they would remove her so quickly without a thought involved. I've also heard ramblings of this being political as well. All in all terrible, terrible, terrible for this young lady. But as Bookworm said, Geddert was the smoking gun.

 

[aerials]

Yes, that is the saddest part...this does sound political and two young women are being used for the egos of adults.

 

[gymdog]

And if you read more into posts on other sites, Dick's coach (Riccardo Lue Shue) and his wife (Donna Lue Shue) are 2 of the 4 votes ( 2 voters were absent and the Lue Shues are the other 2) needed to pull Thema from the test event and replace her with Dick!! The wife is the assistant treasurer of the federation and he is the second VP. Shady all around...

Is he actually her coach though? I think he was acting as her coach this weekend, but I'm not sure he really is, from that email. If all that is true I agree with Geddert. Flying her in and having someone who isn't her day to day coach is not acceptable and FIG should have had some measures to disallow that. If an alternate was a choice she should have been there already.

I'm not sure about the whole report situation. It is odd. I'm not sure we have enough info to conclude he did it as a negative reinforcement or something, but that's certainly one reason I hadn't thought of. I would assume though that it would be difficult for him to just outright lie and say everything was perfect because it sounds like there was at least one rep from T and T (the trainer) who might have contradicted his report and he didn't have her do everything. But I don't really know exactly what kind of deal he has with them or whatever.

I think of course in hindsight they were looking for a reason, but I'm curious to learn more because I'm not sure what led up to this or if Geddert/Thema should have known. My gut feeling based on a few things is that T and T isn't happy with the whole situation of her being in the U.S. and there is probably an ongoing conflict with Geddert and the officials (this I'm extrapolating based on personality).

 

[wandrewsjr]

Is he actually her coach though? I think he was acting as her coach this weekend, but I'm not sure he really is, from that email. If all that is true I agree with Geddert. Flying her in and having someone who isn't her day to day coach is not acceptable and FIG should have had some measures to disallow that. If an alternate was a choice she should have been there already.

I'm not sure about the whole report situation. It is odd. I'm not sure we have enough info to conclude he did it as a negative reinforcement or something, but that's certainly one reason I hadn't thought of. I would assume though that it would be difficult for him to just outright lie and say everything was perfect because it sounds like there was at least one rep from T and T (the trainer) who might have contradicted his report and he didn't have her do everything. But I don't really know exactly what kind of deal he has with them or whatever.

I think of course in hindsight they were looking for a reason, but I'm curious to learn more because I'm not sure what led up to this or if Geddert/Thema should have known. My gut feeling based on a few things is that T and T isn't happy with the whole situation of her being in the U.S. and there is probably an ongoing conflict with Geddert and the officials (this I'm extrapolating based on personality).

I think you are correct. The Lue Shue's are from Trinidad, not Marissa's coaches. As you said, I think Lue Shue agreed to step in as Marissa's on the floor coach for test event, since her coach could not travel on that short of a notice.

 

[bookworm]

There were some reports earlier that in February , racy pictures of Thema surfaced on line and the federation was all set to cut her from the test event in favor of Marissa...and then some questionable pictures of her turned up as well....so it looks like the Federation was never a big Thema fan to begin with and when Geddert opened the door, out she went....