How to Protect the Gymnasts

Aly Raisman recently came forward to speak out and say that she, like, it would appear, virtually every other elite gymnast, was abused by Larry Nassar. Nassar was the team doctor for many years, and saw many gymnasts, privately, for “treatment” — by which he meant he molested them. For decades. At this point, its seems virtually impossible that the Karolyis and USA Gymnastics, although they probably did not know exact details, should have known — or at the very least were choosing not to know — that something was very, very wrong. As Raisman herself said: “Why are we looking at why didn’t the girls speak up? Why not look at what about the culture? What did USA Gymnastics do, and Larry Nassar do, to manipulate these girls so much that they are so afraid to speak up?”

I can tell you. They created a culture where winning was far more important than safety. You can see this in all kinds of ways — in the way, for example, that Rebecca Bross did a DTY she clearly wasn’t ready for, among many, many other injuries — but this is the clearest example of it. USAG, and Bela and Marta, and the coaches, decided it was easier not to know so they could focus on what “really matters:” winning.

To be clear, I am not saying that anyone at USAG had direct knowledge of what Nassar was doing. I AM saying that it should not have been difficult for these people in charge to know that something was wrong. It’s not enough to wait and see if a gymnast comes forward with a story of abuse. You have to be proactively protecting the children in your care. Anyone who works with children owes them that much.

So if I were in charge of USAG, which at this point I think would be a great idea, here’s what I would do:

1. Move the National Training Center so athletes aren’t constantly triggered by what happened there.
2. Develop a system of rules — not guidelines, but RULES — about children not being left alone with adults. Group PT/training. Chaperones for anything remotely sketchy medically. If a coach needs to speak to an athlete privately, which is certainly understandable, leave the door open a crack. These are RULES. Any violation of them results in some kind of disciplinary action and repeated violations in financial penalty and a letter to parents.
3. ALL parents who have children in a USAG affiliated gym get a letter. I don’t care if they are elite gymnasts or level 5s or preschool rec kids. The letter says that USAG apologizes profusely for their complicity in failing to notice that abuse was taking place. It lays out every step that USAG is taking to fix the problem.
4. A pyschologist with a speciality in sex abuse and power imbalances interviews everyone who had interactions with Nassar.
5. Everyone at USAG who had an inkling is gone. The Karolyis are done. No more being involved. No more being on TV smiling and happy and pretending they had no idea. Bela doesn’t get to be a comic character on TV anymore. For one thing, there are decades of stories of him being an abuser as well, and we are DONE giving men the benefit of the doubt.
6. There is a system for athletes to report anonymously.
7. Every single coach — especially elite coaches, but ALL coaches — are given comprehensive and required training that not only covers what I assume their current training covers (dont abuse kids!) but also explores in detail how to recognize warning signs, including grooming behaviors.
8. We decide to value the safety of the athletes above all else, even winning. We decide they, too, deserve lives. We believe them.