WAG USAG clarifies Safesport guidelines

[jennyj]

Imagine being in an abusive gym situation and informing the gym/coaches you're leaving and then having to stay there for a whole year. With the coaches resenting you, can't help thinking it affects how they coach/treat you during the year.

And you can't train elsewhere either because they will make sure to badmouth you to the new gym even if you were able to afford two different gyms at the same time. And you'll lose strength and skills or level placement etc if you just take the whole year off.

So yes, I am very glad about this new rule forbidding year long contracts.

 

[txgymfan]

That has happened to at least one CB family. The DD never could find a place to train and was essentially blacklisted from the sport at Level 10. Her former gym that was abusive badmouthed the family to every conceivable gym in the area.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

That has happened to at least one CB family. The DD never could find a place to train and was essentially blacklisted from the sport at Level 10. Her former gym that was abusive badmouthed the family to every conceivable gym in the area.

Why do other gyms just take the word of the abusive gyms? I’m sure not every abusive gym is known to be abusive, but I would imagine that John Geddert and Twistars have that reputation just based off his actions alone at meets. Yet even with his known abusive reputation, I’ve heard other gyms refusing to take athletes from Twistars who are trying to leave. Why is this?

 

[skschlag]

Imagine being in an abusive gym situation and informing the gym/coaches you're leaving and then having to stay there for a whole year. With the coaches resenting you, can't help thinking it affects how they coach/treat you during the year.

And you can't train elsewhere either because they will make sure to badmouth you to the new gym even if you were able to afford two different gyms at the same time. And you'll lose strength and skills or level placement etc if you just take the whole year off.

So yes, I am very glad about this new rule forbidding year long contracts.

Is this a rule? Or a suggestion for a new change by one of the members? I admit I haven't read everything, but I didn't think this was a rule yet.

 

[gymbeam]

I think it’s just a suggestion in this thread

 

[Aussie_coach]

Why do other gyms just take the word of the abusive gyms? I’m sure not every abusive gym is known to be abusive, but I would imagine that John Geddert and Twistars have that reputation just based off his actions alone at meets. Yet even with his known abusive reputation, I’ve heard other gyms refusing to take athletes from Twistars who are trying to leave. Why is this?

I find this very bizarre as well. I would assume that most gym owners are intelligent enough to realise that just because a situation did not work at one gym, does not mean that it won't work at another.

 

[amiandjim]

Honestly, it wouldn’t surprise me if Geddert used his intimidating and bullying ways on other gyms and coaches. Ex: he could have easily told them if they took his athletes he would badmouth them to USAG officials...especially back when he was the “Olympic coach.” In this day and age, I would be surprised if a gym wouldn’t take a gymnast from Twistars.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

As a parent I would never sign a contract like that. For gym, music, preschool, whatever.

You get a month.

 

[skschlag]

We sign a contract at the start of every season. Basically it says we will pay the season fees as agreed to, and that we will follow the CAP policy of the gym. It does hold us to the season but I am ok with that. At our old gym, we were burned multiple times by people choosing to quit after 1 meet.

 

[FlippinPrincess]

We sign a contract at the start of every season. Basically it says we will pay the season fees as agreed to, and that we will follow the CAP policy of the gym. It does hold us to the season but I am ok with that. At our old gym, we were burned multiple times by people choosing to quit after 1 meet.

We have to sign a 1 year contract for the meet portion of the season but not the monthly training. That way it doesn't affect the per meet cost for the other gymnasts if someone leaves mid season.

 

[skschlag]

We have to sign a 1 year contract for the meet portion of the season but not the monthly training. That way it doesn't affect the per meet cost for the other gymnasts if someone leaves mid season.

Yes. This is what I meant

 

[SIRIDACTYL]

I’m an athlete and an Assistant coach for the younger kids. Because of Safe Sport I’m not allowed to get in contact with my coach which is a problem because I also work with her. Because of the gray area of being a coach and an athlete it becomes a problem at competitions when we are looking for kids who are late and other things like that. They need to add a section for athletes who are also coaches.