<p>Man, this is nauseating</p>
<p><a href=“http://www.wftv.com/news/9513925/detail.html[/url]”>http://www.wftv.com/news/9513925/detail.html</a>
LONGWOOD, Fla. – Two coaches at a local gym could face criminal charges for harming young athletes. Seminole County investigators said the coaches used drywall screws to discipline gymnasts.</p>
<p>One of the coaches admits to stabbing training gymnasts with drywall screws for years. Investigators said it happened at Ace Gymnastics in Longwood, where one of the owners is an Olympian.
The phrase “stick it” is used in gymnastics about dismounts and landings, but one of the coaches told investigators he was taught to stick them when the gymnasts don’t have perfect form…</p>
<p>come on people…we all say that sports are fun, and that competition is good, and that no one has ever had bad experiences, yet when one is shown. eh.</p>
<p>got it</p>
<p>I do suggest any parent who has a young child in a very competitive sport, ask them how the coach treats them</p>
<p>I didn’[t make that much of a deal when my daughters complained about their soccer coach, till I hear him myself calling girls fat and lazy and gross. And these girls were just girls.</p>
<p>So if nothing else, if you have no comments, at least ask the questions</p>
<p>We get so concerned about sexual abuse, etc, we don’t talk about yelling, pinching, etc. </p>
<p>But so long as they win, eh?</p>
<p>I think that the more dedicated and the more “into” the sport the less likely they are to tell - especially if they are being trained by a high profile coach. It could be also that if the kids think they are olympic/NBA/Julliard whatever quality they might be more likely to put up with this behavior. </p>
<p>I am not realy sure since I have never been in the situation or close to it - but maybe somehow I can relate to the fact that I was suprised when my D mentioned in passing the other day that she was accidently hit by the camp counselors shoe. She didn’t think anything of it (with a bruised shoulder three days after the fact) and when I gave the slightest hint I was annoyed she begged me not to “over react” the counselor was not aiming at her but another girl who was annoying. I know the reason why my D didn’t want me to say anything is because she fundamentally loves the camp and did not want to do anything to jeopardize the experience.</p>
<p>we have been very fortunate- I love my daughters coaches.
Her soccer coach she has had for 6 years- he is so positive and helpful that the parents often talk amongst ourselves that if we recorded him- we could sell it as motivational tapes.
She has had a coach that in the past- wasn’t as positive, and while I had never seen any indications that he was abusive in any way- there was a contrast in style and interestingly- which coach do you think got more out of the girls?</p>
<p>Wow- this one ranks up with a recent news story where a T-ball coach paid one player to hit a less talented teammate with a ball to injure the kid and so he couldn’t play.</p>
<p>Unfortunately I think these crazy things go on far too often and if not physical abuse, “mental” abuse is very pervasive. Coaches have a great deal of power and influence and many kids are too intimidated to stand up to it and most just quit. The drop out rates in youth sports are astronomical and the reason usually cited is the coach.</p>
<p>One of my kids is very quiet which is typically seen by coaches as not being “agressive”. He has taken lots of garbage from coaches for that, along with quite a few “racial” remarks as he has often been the only “white boy” in many tournaments and showcases he has played in. He has had things said to him that are mind boggling.</p>
<p>Only once that I recall did he feel that enough was enough and he walked off the field in the middle of a game and just kept on going.</p>