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Pressure builds on gymnasts

CARLY WEEKS

From Friday's Globe and Mail

Latest comment posted at 11:19 AM EST 02/09/08

For a chance at the podium, female gymnasts must work harder, spend more hours in the gym and pull off increasingly complicated moves once performed only by men ...Read the full article

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  1. Sammy Whammy from Olympics -- wall to wall fraud, Canada writes: All for what, exactly? Is any human helped by any of this flopping around?
  2. Bad Bob from Canada writes: If they or their parents choose for them to go into this sport than they must be made aware of the risks involved with it.

    If they still want to proceed then they should be on their own.

    If something happens sorry but too bad. They knew the risks before they started.
  3. My eyes are open, Are yours? from Canada writes: Bad Bob, the same could be said for any sport, or crossing the street for that matter.

    Just leave 'em bleeding on the curb, they knew the risks and should be on their own.
  4. B W from Canada writes: I love this line: "We don't typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport"

    I've never ever thought that - I think they're a bit nuts to do the things they do. In a messed up way though, I'm glad they do it - it's fun to watch!

    But is this article about the age concern? or the danger concern? I don't think the sport would be any less dangerous if 25 year old women were doing these skills instead of 15 year old girls.
  5. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: When they are 6 years old and already in training, no, they DON'T know the risks. When they are being pushed by adults to do everything in order to win-win-win, even at 14 they don't know the risks. Modern gymnastics destroys young bodies, and makes demands that are guaranteed to damage them. Permanently.
  6. Chrissy Simon from Canada writes: Angry West Coast is right. Six year-old are far too young and immature to understand the potential risks associated with most things. Even at fourteen, kids still aren't mature enough to make truly informed decisions about stuff like this. That's why children have parents. No six year-old is going to drive herself down to the nearest gym and sign up for gymnastics training. Any children in sports are there because their parents have weighed the risks and benefits and decided to enroll them. After reading about poor Taylor, I'd think twice about putting my daughter in competetive gymnastics, but that's my choice as her parent. Other parents choose to let their daughters compete, and most of them seem to come out of it okay.
  7. Stewart Mawdsley from Canada writes: What bothers me is that not only has Gymnastics Canada and th community ignored this young lady, but they've gone into lockdown so as not to 'damage their sport'. And the quote from the gym coach about this accident happening despite that fact that she was in a supposedly safe gym with proper coaching and equipment should scare many parents - are coaches not spotting these athletes as they learn difficult new skills and dismounts?
  8. Margot Glover from Canada writes: "We don't typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport" ??? What kind of comment is that?

    I would think any physical activity that involves turning upside down...or taking both feet of the ground...or flying through the air while twisting and/or flipping multiple times...or running full speed toward a giant hunk of metal and padding...or trying to flip and land on something barely the width of two feet... or trying to catch a high bendy bar from a really far distance...either individually or all at once might have some degree of risk associated with it and could be dangerous should a mistep be taken.

    But, I might have been looking at a different kind of gymnastics than the assistant professor all those years that I did it, coached and (still) watch it...

    Yes the sport has the potential to be dangerous, but that is why proper development and preparation is important at all levels. Even then, there's always that unfortunate possibility of disaster. I do though believe this also the case with all competitive sports and life in general...no matter how prepared, how young or old, etc something might go wrong.
  9. Margot Glover from Canada writes: Stewart: yes coaches will spot skills, there's also numerous steps involved in developing new skills (ie drills, extra padding, starting on lower equipment and moving up etc), but eventually the athlete needs to be able to do it on their own...it always comes to that point. I will say though that is should always be when the coach AND the athlete feel it is time.

    Unfortunately this sport is such that this gymnast could have been doing a skill that she has done for years, able "to do it in her sleep", and a brief moment of doubt, or a small mistep on entry, or weak take off or a slip of the foot or hand/grip could have ended up with her in the same position.

    I don't have a thought on GO or GCG not contacting the family. Perhaps investigation etc might preclude that being allowed? That doesn't make it right or any easier for any of the parties involved though.

    Good luck to Taylor. Keep on working hard, be determined, driven and optmistic! There are many thinking of and rooting for you!
  10. gordon foster from Canada writes: If the outcome of a competition is based on subjective judging, it's not a true sport in my understanding of the word. Something gymnasts might want to consider. They'll never really know if they're actually better than anyone else. Who ever heard of competitive arts? I suggest dance for the more body-focused youngsters as a discipline much more focused on expression, creativity, and social benefit. People actually pay to see it year-round, and no one is usually asked to risk breaking their neck.
  11. Jeff Johnson from Caledon, Canada writes: This recent accident is a tragedy and my thought and prayers go out to this girl and her family. Having raised three girls that competed in the sport at a high level I am all too familiar with the risks involved and the injuries associated with the sport. I am also familiar with how wonderful the sport is and that gymnastics prepared my girls very well for school, university and life in general. Lets not make this negative occurence shine less light on the wonderful sport. HOWEVER, this is also an opportunity to review all of the great things in the sport and maybe look into areas where we can improve the sport. We owe it to the sport and the future participants. I once stood up in the annual general meeting of the OGF and questioned the insurance company on how many clubs they visisted and audited. I suggested that perhaps some form of audit would rasie the awareness of safety and perhaps eventually reduce the number of injuries. The insurance company was not the least bit interested in being pro-active. The OGF seemed to be somewhat interested but the discussion ended eventually with no action items. I would be willing to volunteer with the OGF and perhaps work toward introducing some form of safety program in place with the clubs. Lets not destroy the best sport out there! Jeff Johnson
  12. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: gordon foster from Canada writes: "If the outcome of a competition is based on subjective judging, it's not a true sport in my understanding of the word. Something gymnasts might want to consider. They'll never really know if they're actually better than anyone else. Who ever heard of competitive arts? I suggest dance for the more body-focused youngsters as a discipline much more focused on expression, creativity, and social benefit." I agree with you that gymnastics is not strictly speaking a 'sport', it's more an athletic skill, but I don't see what that really has to do with anything... not everyone is interested in 'expression, creativity, and social benefit'. If that's what they wanted, they'd probably be doing that. Some just want the challenge of seeing what their body can do, without all that 'expression and creativity' stuff. The 'problem' to me with gymnastics is in how extreme the competition is... I would probably be happy to have a kid interested in some parts of gymnastics, but not in gymnastics competition. And BTW, dance can be pretty harsh on bodies... do a little research on ballet dancers...
  13. Geoffrey May from Canada writes: Children are not capable of making decisions on the risks involved in gymnastics.Ballet and other dance forms offer chldren all the advantages of gymnastics without the risk and competition.
  14. John Medrzycki from Vancouver, Canada writes: Good God, folks - everything we do does have some risks. This is not a question of whether one activity is better than another.

    Let us take this back a step - and discuss young Taylor. My wife & I decided we would contribute some money to the family. We figured @ $50. Our 6-year-old son is in gymnastics, as well. So, we explained to him that this girl was 'hurt' (we did not want to try to explain what paralysis was all about), and that we were going to try to help her with some money. We left it opened to him - we figured $5 might be a reasonable amount - if he wished to help. Well, he did want to help - with $15. This is a heck of a lot of money for him.

    Instead of debating the merits of this activity vs that ... why don't we all think a bit like a 6-year-old? Who knows, it might make you feel a bit better.
  15. Bad Bob from Canada writes: People here are saying that the kids 6 - 7 or whatever age do not know the risks involved.

    That probably is true but their damn parents sure do or should.

    If not they have no right to have kids.
  16. Bob McDonald from Canada writes: The best way to combat these injuries is to fully describe them and publish that information to all the coaches and parents in the sport. Doing this causes concerns that the info might be used in lawsuits so, like the airline industry, the reporting method has to be anonymous. The Cdn and US gymnastic associations should get together and create this anonymous reporting system to improve safety for all the youngsters in the sport.
  17. Blaque Jacque Shallaque from Canada writes: I have two daughters, and I always thought that any parent who puts their kids into serious gymanstics is an idiot, or doing it for themselves, not the kid. One of my kids did it briefly just to try, but it was for fun, not serious. She was pretty good at it, but it was pretty boring after a while, and it was clear that she had to choose between stopping, or really get into it big time by going on a daily or near daily basis and making it a focus, or moving on to another activity.

    Why would you do this? They won't be able to make a living with this. Even if they are the most elite gymnasts, and get to the olympics, then what? And that applies to a tiny fraction of a percent of those who participate.

    Aren't the discpline and effort that this sport requires better spent on studying, or music (which provides a lifetime of joy), or on more common sports that can be leveraged into social contacts and which are more sustainable for a lifetime of fitness like running, or tennis.

    And it's not even a socially useful sport, at least compared to much more common and less demanding things like soccer, hockey, tennis, etc etc. When you grow up and get a job, you can't make friends and get to know work colleagues by "hangin' out at the gymanstics club".

    Parents have to make choices for what activities their kids do, and how they use their time, pretty much from gradeschool. I am totally baffled as to why a parent would choose gymanstics when there are so many more sensible choices.
  18. guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: B H from Toronto: "Who ever heard of competative arts?" Your statement is beyond belief. There are competative arts all over the planet. Judging in carving, sculpting, crafts of all kinds. You better got out more B H!!
  19. Nature Lover from Canada writes: "We don't typically think of gymnastics as a dangerous sport" What a bunch of bull.

    The first thing you are required to do when you sign your child up for gymnastics is to buy into a group gymnastic insurance plan (if you quit the program, the insurance fees are not refundable). You are not required to do that with swimmng lessons, dancing or jack rabbits ( x country skiing). Hockey, baseball, football does have an insurance component, so don't BS the general public about the inherent hazards of gymnastics .
  20. stephen mcintyre from Langley, BC, Canada writes: Women's gymnastics has developed a gladiatorial quality that makes for difficult spectating. The prospect of something going horribly wrong is looming there at the forefront of one's thoughts. For the same reason that I don't enjoy high-wire acts, I find myself turning away. These are children or near so after all.

    One cannot easily imagine that any such young athletes go into later life unscathed by permanent injury or disability. I am guessing that Mary Lou Retton has not moved on to ballroom dancing.

    Let women's gymnastics be a three-way marriage of strength, beauty and spirit instead of the punishing grind that it has become.
  21. Eat Your Weedies from Canada writes: I'll not mince words. I think most of it is child abuse. Even without the catastrophic injuries there are the many young girls that fall to the wayside because of eating disorders or that develop complications like amenorrhea and osteoporosis (later) and arthritis. Child abuse is what the sport has become. Too bad. It needn't be.
  22. Nature Lover from Canada writes: Eat Your Weedies from Canada writes: I'll not mince words. I think most of it is child abuse.
    ----------------------------------------------------
    Not to mention the stunted growth that is considered desirable to keep that girlish frame. A friend of mine in Edmonton had a daughter whose growth was stunted through 15-20 hours in the gym each week, and the family considered that a "good" thing. The parents themselves acknowledge that, and "buy in" to that belief system.
  23. Carol Mackay from Toronto, Canada writes: Eat your weedies and nature lover....you are right. All that does happen in the sport. And it is crazy that parents (like me an ex-gymnast parent) watch it happen. Most of these problems occur with the very top level athletes as a result of the years of pounding and stress and of course injury on their bodies at such a young age. We should slow down the level and intensity of this girls sport. Why can't we pace it like men's gymnastics. Men are much much older when they start doing the high level skills....they actually might be legal adults who can make that decision on their own. But in "women's" gymnastics the intense training starts much earlier at around the age of 12 and often pauses puberty, which will bring on hips and thighs and yes even the dreaded breast development as well as a collection of injuries that are with them for life. And they are finished by 16-18, most of them still look like little girls. It is kind of weird. But if we slowed it down a little and let girls become women and had them train and learn skills at a slower pace. They could build the strength and maturity necessary and maybe it would be different. But people seem to want to see a tiny girl-woman- a Nadia- out there on the floor competing. Well, go to You Tube and see what skills Nadia competed in 76. Then compare it to what Nastia Luikin did in 2008. Times have changed. Let’s not ban gymnastics. Let’s get a real functioning body that oversees safety in the sport and try to elimiminate that element of exploitation of young talented girls in this sport. They are treated like disposable girls.....If one breaks they replace her with another and many do break. My advice to parents is to sign your girl up for gymnastics at a really good and safe gym and if she likes it let her learn some skills and have fun. But if she shows any signs of being really good pull her out immediately .
  24. John Medrzycki from Canada writes: Carol Mackay - excellent comments.

    However, your comment "But if she shows any signs of being really good pull her out immediately" is an interesting one. Chances are, if she is good, she also enjoys it. That is a quandry - after all, according to your logic, the only wrong thing she has done is become proficient in this activity. Because of this, it is taken away.

    Perhaps you were speaking in a 'tongue in cheek' fashion?
  25. M. Mark from Victoria, Canada writes: Stewart Mawdsley from Canada writes: What bothers me is that not only has Gymnastics Canada and the community ignored this young lady, but they've gone into lockdown so as not to 'damage their sport'.

    I have read some other articles about this tragic accident. One of the points I noted was that the lawyer hired by the victim's family is currently reviewing video tapes, etc to try to find any basis from which he can launch a lawsuit. In our litigious society, is it any wonder that members of the gymnastics community are saying nothing for fear that their words may innocently start a massive lawsuit. It's too bad the lawyers won't allow them to express their emotions and help the healing process.
  26. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: " guy tozer from Saskatoon, Canada writes: B H from Toronto: "Who ever heard of competative arts?" Your statement is beyond belief. There are competative arts all over the planet. Judging in carving, sculpting, crafts of all kinds. You better got out more B H!!" I really hate it when people quote me quoting someone and then tell me off about something someone else wrote... usually something I was disagreeing with. At least take the energy to find the right person.
  27. B H from Toronto, Canada writes: Carol Mackay from Toronto, Canada writes: "My advice to parents is to sign your girl up for gymnastics at a really good and safe gym and if she likes it let her learn some skills and have fun. But if she shows any signs of being really good pull her out immediately." You know this actually kind of makes sense to me, weird though it is... There is so much in gymnastics that looks sooo fun and amazing and cool, so unlike all the 'sports' that are more often celebrated and that I can't personally see the interest in, and that were such torture as a kid in school. But the pure joy of moving gets so completely screwed up and disgusting as soon as it actually gets competitive.... The talented kid might resist and not understand why you're pulling them out, but I think I'd agree with you. Or if you could find a low-key less-hours a week program without involvement in the competitions, that would be ideal.

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