Well, it's a little unbalanced. That kind of stuff does happen, unfortunately, although also the book is somewhat outdated and there have been some major shifts in thinking and decentralization even within our system (more NTCs, more Olympic caliber coaches and programs). Now it would be uncommon for a kid to move away from their family to stay in another state away from their parents to train. Many elites don't move at all now, others who do move, the family relocates with them.
That said I think there are still plenty of programs that aren't creating positive experiences on net (there are always going to be isolated negative things in gymnastics, misunderstandings, hardships, whatever).
Probably a more interesting source to me is Reviving Ophelia. A lot of these things have to do with innate personality traits that are fueled by environmental factors. Parents have to be aware of coaching that's just objectively bad or abusive, but they also have to be aware that any high level gymnastics is an intensely high pressure environment and sometimes even the best you can do is not enough to prevent the development of self destructive patterns of behavior or emotional and physical burnout (often leading to other problems...). Honestly, around 18, I just kind of burned out of life. Three years later I'm a completely different person, which is fine, but the path I was on was unsustainable for my personality (I take things hard, very sensitive, prone to instability and self destructive behavior). I just couldn't live like that anymore. I think most of the coaches (barring one, who was abusive in multiple ways, but only had him a relatively short time over context of time in gymnastics) wanted the best for me, and my parents never pushed me, but I just wasn't cut out for some of the aspects of it...which is fine, I just stopped doing gymnastics after high school.
So there are abusive coaches, yeah, I've had them. But that's not the only issue. I think it's frustrating and maybe impossible to convey to people who didn't grow up doing gymnastics what it's like. I have an almost instant understanding with anyone who did high level gymnastics and the things they say. But I think people who have never tried it almost kind of have this thinking like it's possible, and it's not always possible, sometimes you just can't do things because you just can't (physically, emotionally, whatever). I think they develop some understanding over the years but I still think my parents don't really understand, they think you can just learn this or that if you want to and you're willing to try. Or I could just go compete in gymnastics now (I could - there are outlets available - but I don't want to. I can't.) It doesn't work that way. I can't even explain what I'm trying to say, it's just like this understanding. Even kids at the lower levels often don't understand, they think going through the levels is just a matter of being taught, and it's so much more than that. Some of it just luck. Honestly. Better hope you don't need career ending surgery by age 12 - I've seen that from girls with easily elite potential.
!!! And it looks like you are still enjoying the sport through coaching
!!! I'm sure all of your experiences have helped you to develop sound, encouraging & understanding coaching techniques!!! Even without doing gymnastics yourself anymore, you still have A LOT to give to the sport!!! Good for you!!!
