US women's gymnastics...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t followed this beyond the twitter statements of the fab 5. Sorry to be obtuse but they were young healthy girls, why were there sooooo many routine dr appointments? If it was for wear and tear on the body and you went in say to have your back looked at and he proceeded to stick his fingers in your vag - understandably they couldn’t fight off a grown man - but wouldn’t you tell someone? Say your parents by phone even if they didn’t travel with you? And if they ignored you and you were summoned to the dr again next week, couldn’t you just say you wouldn’t go/require a nurse there or simply just not show up?!

The guy was a master manipulator and groomed all the survivors. The environment in elite gymnastics is very intense and this predator had them believing he was “on their side” and was their friend. I think that a lot of the girls said they felt uncomfortable st times and felt like something was off but they didn’t feel they could speak up or were to scared to. These are girls and women who are shooting for the Olympics and they were willing to endure A LOT to get there as we now know.

If you want more insight Aly Raismans new book “Fierce” gave some insight into the gymnastics culture and what it is really like doing elite gymnastics.

Some actually DID speak up,
and were IGNORED.
Let's please be honest here.

+1.

And where we're their parents all along?

[Anonymous]

Why haven't Strampel and the others at the MSU med program who knew about the abuse resigned?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why haven't Strampel and the others at the MSU med program who knew about the abuse resigned?

They must be investigated for this MASSIVE cover-up.

1. Michigan State University
2. USA Gymnastics
3. US Olympic Committee

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t followed this beyond the twitter statements of the fab 5. Sorry to be obtuse but they were young healthy girls, why were there sooooo many routine dr appointments? If it was for wear and tear on the body and you went in say to have your back looked at and he proceeded to stick his fingers in your vag - understandably they couldn’t fight off a grown man - but wouldn’t you tell someone? Say your parents by phone even if they didn’t travel with you? And if they ignored you and you were summoned to the dr again next week, couldn’t you just say you wouldn’t go/require a nurse there or simply just not show up?!

The guy was a master manipulator and groomed all the survivors. The environment in elite gymnastics is very intense and this predator had them believing he was “on their side” and was their friend. I think that a lot of the girls said they felt uncomfortable st times and felt like something was off but they didn’t feel they could speak up or were to scared to. These are girls and women who are shooting for the Olympics and they were willing to endure A LOT to get there as we now know.

If you want more insight Aly Raismans new book “Fierce” gave some insight into the gymnastics culture and what it is really like doing elite gymnastics.

Some actually DID speak up,
and were IGNORED.
Let's please be honest here.

+1.

And where we're their parents all along?

He's so much of a manipulator that in some cases, the parents were in the room (!), but he blocked their view with a sheet or his body. The parents were also told that "he's the best", and they already knew gymnastics is a tough sport. Needless to say, these parents are now especially wracked with guilt, and some of the testimony directly addressed the effects on families as parents realized that they hadn't protected their kids.

Earlier post about steps to be taken for legitimate pelvic floor therapy is spot-on, and I'd go further: I think it's reasonable for the dr to explain for any treatment what's going to happen where, and what might be painful.

[Anonymous]

These children should have access to independent child protection advocates. That's the only solution.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Haven’t followed this beyond the twitter statements of the fab 5. Sorry to be obtuse but they were young healthy girls, why were there sooooo many routine dr appointments? If it was for wear and tear on the body and you went in say to have your back looked at and he proceeded to stick his fingers in your vag - understandably they couldn’t fight off a grown man - but wouldn’t you tell someone? Say your parents by phone even if they didn’t travel with you? And if they ignored you and you were summoned to the dr again next week, couldn’t you just say you wouldn’t go/require a nurse there or simply just not show up?!

The guy was a master manipulator and groomed all the survivors. The environment in elite gymnastics is very intense and this predator had them believing he was “on their side” and was their friend. I think that a lot of the girls said they felt uncomfortable st times and felt like something was off but they didn’t feel they could speak up or were to scared to. These are girls and women who are shooting for the Olympics and they were willing to endure A LOT to get there as we now know.

If you want more insight Aly Raismans new book “Fierce” gave some insight into the gymnastics culture and what it is really like doing elite gymnastics.

Some actually DID speak up,
and were IGNORED.
Let's please be honest here.

+1.

And where we're their parents all along?

If you did not submit to the doctor’s visits(at night in your room), you were cut from the team and done with Olympic. If you did not do everything you were told or questioned anything, you were labled a troublemaker. You were not allowed to talk to your parents, agent, lawyer while at these camps.

[Anonymous]

Ok, pp.

But if a man stuck his fingers inside me, I would have told my parents as soon as I had a chance. Even if they couldn't make calls from camp (which should have been a red flag to parents---and certainly would have precluded me from sending my child there), they could have (and should have) told their parents at some point. If they did tell their parents and they ignored them, then their parents were complicit on some level.

I don't recall which girl it was (I think she was blonde), but she said she didn't realize she was victimized until she heard one of the others come forward. What does that mean? She didn't realize being fingered by a doctor was assault until
someone else came forward as an adult? That's odd.

[Anonymous]

Well you are a smarter braver girl than them, I guess?


Sorry, but you have no idea what you would do as a child. To say you do, and that you would do it better, is to heap more abuse on abused girls. You do you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They were also likely being advised by their general counsel to do things that minimized tort liability exposure of USA Gymnastics as a business. Hence, the blah, blah, blah generalities in press statement and now words from the Board except thru the President, CEO or spokesperson.

Also, there is a note in the USOC directive that athlete directors can reapply for a role on the board.

They have been scam artists to allow this egregious abuse.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Well you are a smarter braver girl than them, I guess?


Sorry, but you have no idea what you would do as a child. To say you do, and that you would do it better, is to heap more abuse on abused girls. You do you.

I'm just stunned that these teenagers either didn't realize it was wrong or were too afraid of disappointing their parents to speak up. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for all parents and a teachable moment for all girls.

I'm also stunned by the parents' dicey behavior. Setting aside sexual assault (which I suppose wasn't on their radar), what about the regular injuries that often happen and the reputation gymnastic coaches have for pushing kids too hard? We have a handful of kids who play sports, and we never leave them unattended just in case they are injured (watching a kid carted off on a stretcher during LAX practice probably scared us into being present). I can't imagine shipping my kid off to some pressure cooker camp alone.

[Anonymous]

Assuming your kids are not elite athletes, you (again) can't say what you would or would not do. This isn't like one week a year of camp where Mommy can tag along. This was their life. You are exactly right, you can't imagine which makes your statements about how perfectly you would handle it both as someone who was abused or as their parent hurtful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you are a smarter braver girl than them, I guess?


Sorry, but you have no idea what you would do as a child. To say you do, and that you would do it better, is to heap more abuse on abused girls. You do you.

I'm just stunned that these teenagers either didn't realize it was wrong or were too afraid of disappointing their parents to speak up. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for all parents and a teachable moment for all girls.

I'm also stunned by the parents' dicey behavior. Setting aside sexual assault (which I suppose wasn't on their radar), what about the regular injuries that often happen and the reputation gymnastic coaches have for pushing kids too hard? We have a handful of kids who play sports, and we never leave them unattended just in case they are injured (watching a kid carted off on a stretcher during LAX practice probably scared us into being present). I can't imagine shipping my kid off to some pressure cooker camp alone.

You are a FREGGIN pig.

These child Olympic medalists were threatened to be EXPELLED from the OLYMPICS if they spoke out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Well you are a smarter braver girl than them, I guess?


Sorry, but you have no idea what you would do as a child. To say you do, and that you would do it better, is to heap more abuse on abused girls. You do you.

I'm just stunned that these teenagers either didn't realize it was wrong or were too afraid of disappointing their parents to speak up. Hopefully this will be a learning experience for all parents and a teachable moment for all girls.

I'm also stunned by the parents' dicey behavior. Setting aside sexual assault (which I suppose wasn't on their radar), what about the regular injuries that often happen and the reputation gymnastic coaches have for pushing kids too hard? We have a handful of kids who play sports, and we never leave them unattended just in case they are injured (watching a kid carted off on a stretcher during LAX practice probably scared us into being present). I can't imagine shipping my kid off to some pressure cooker camp alone.

You do realize that for a gymnast to be successful at the elite level, a certain amount by of self-drive and hard work is required right? Parents don’t simply create elite gymnasts by shipping them off to camp. It wasn’t just about dusappointing parents, I’m sure they knew speaking up meant the end of everything they had worked for. Being afraid to speak up isn’t just limited to elite gymnasts either. I think we should focus on creating an environment where girls/women are comfortable to come forward rather than just blaming them for not speaking up earlier. But good for you for knowing what you’d have done as a child/teenager.

Also, I really don’t think you understand how manipulative predators can be, especially in an already toxic environment. Listen to some of the statements, I think you may learn something. From what I can gather, Nassar took it further with some gymnasts than others. Some seemed well aware they were being abused, while others just thought it was a weird, but legit procedure.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, pp.

But if a man stuck his fingers inside me, I would have told my parents as soon as I had a chance. Even if they couldn't make calls from camp (which should have been a red flag to parents---and certainly would have precluded me from sending my child there), they could have (and should have) told their parents at some point. If they did tell their parents and they ignored them, then their parents were complicit on some level.

I don't recall which girl it was (I think she was blonde), but she said she didn't realize she was victimized until she heard one of the others come forward. What does that mean? She didn't realize being fingered by a doctor was assault until
someone else came forward as an adult? That's odd.

You have no idea what you would have done as a child. You're looking at the situation through an adult lens. I watched 20/20 last night and one of the women said that pain and discomfort was part of gymnastics. There were a lot of things about it she didn't enjoy and she trusted her doctor and coaches. These girls were taught to suck it up, work through it and don't complain or there would be another girl happy to take your place.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Ok, pp.

But if a man stuck his fingers inside me, I would have told my parents as soon as I had a chance. Even if they couldn't make calls from camp (which should have been a red flag to parents---and certainly would have precluded me from sending my child there), they could have (and should have) told their parents at some point. If they did tell their parents and they ignored them, then their parents were complicit on some level.

I don't recall which girl it was (I think she was blonde), but she said she didn't realize she was victimized until she heard one of the others come forward. What does that mean? She didn't realize being fingered by a doctor was assault until
someone else came forward as an adult? That's odd.

You have no idea what you would have done as a child. You're looking at the situation through an adult lens. I watched 20/20 last night and one of the women said that pain and discomfort was part of gymnastics. There were a lot of things about it she didn't enjoy and she trusted her doctor and coaches. These girls were taught to suck it up, work through it and don't complain or there would be another girl happy to take your place.