I don’t think regular camps is a bad idea but they shouldn’t be secluded.
I do understand why camps are considered essential and productive to many fans, but I believe they are entirely unnecessary to the point of being a futile, pointless exercise. Here are a few (tip of the iceberg) reasons why:
An athlete, a gymnast, in this case, can receive and be provided with all the necessary feedback they require from within their own gyms and training centers. USAG has the means to monitor and provide such feedback, suggestions, etc., without gathering everyone together for some big kumbaya session. Athletes will listen politely and respectfully to the recommendations and suggestions, consider them, and then advance them if viable. A handful will do what they want to do in the end, anyway, and there is nothing wrong with that. Let them and their coaching team be the judges as to what works best for them and what doesn’t. What gymnasts did not and do not need now or at any time over the many years past was some abusive, dictatorial figurehead telling them how it was going to be, no exceptions, and what they were going to do every minute of their day –
or else. This was about picking and choosing “Dream Teams” but at a very costly price.
As far as team bonding is concerned, these gymnasts see and interact with each other during the season all the time, at meets, etc. where they develop and enjoy meaningful bonds, friendships, and associations. So, to say they must be gathered together and shuttered away (or not, i.e., not secluded) for a couple to several weeks a year for the ‘good of the team’ is total BS!
Also, whenever the door remains tightly closed, and very limited contact is allowed, bells, whistles, sirens should be blaring and blaring VERY LOUDLY.
In the meantime, what also permeated the environment were the despicable tactics employed by the Karolyis’, wherein the gymnasts were cherry-picked for teams, harangued, harassed, criticized, ignored, pitted against each other, told how to dress, how to do their hair, makeup, and left hungry enough leaving them to resort to eating toothpaste, etc., etc.
In addition, consider that whenever coaches stoop to politicking and smearing their gymnast’s rivals to placate and amuse a domineering, misguided “leader” or “director” aka national team coordinator to position (favorably) their gymnast, the program is dysfunctional.
That is not a sport, that is a sickness, and should never be part of the equation again.
It speaks volumes that USAG continues to trip over their own unacceptable incompetence by the hiring and subsequent firing of Mary Lynn Tracy and resignation of Kerry Perry. What fools they are to think for one second that they could keep in a position of leadership and direction those that had close ties and associations with Larry Nassar. Who does that? What kind of convoluted thinking or reasoning went into these decisions?
To be fair, one could say it is unfair to punish innocent bystanders (and they were bystanders) with guilt by association swipes. However, some of these people were way too close, via personal friendships, etc. to the offender to ever be realistically and responsibly considered to run the program without compromise. With that in mind, the organization should have never considered for a moment elevating or promoting these people. It may sound harsh, but, imo, it is the morally correct move.
A gymnast should never have to worry or fret again about those they have entrusted to do right by them, represent them, protect them, which means a clean slate, USAG, not carryovers with ties to the very problem.
