Shannon Miller: My Child, My Hero by Claudia Miller

[rlayt]

USAG just seems so useless sometimes.

 

[Aeris]

"we weren't told anything about the code of points or whatever" is such an iconic quote.

 

[eanda]

USAG makes it bloody impossible for an American to take the brevet exam. At this point, if you weren't a national team member, there's almost no path to being a FIG judge.

I don't know what prompted that change, as it was not the case in the past.

It’s frustrating. I judged JO for a while, and while not having the option to be a FIG judge is the reason I quit, i don’t know that I would have quit when I did if it had been a possibility down the road.

Speaking of coaching education -or lack of - in the U.S., even as JO judges we were required to have a certain number of continuing education hours each year (maybe just to test the next level? But i think each year). Have coaches ever had any such requirements, or just the tests RedBirfie mentioned.

To make this all somewhat on topic, I had completely forgotten until writing this that I was once an aux judge at NCAA regionals when Nunno was at Oklahoma. Details escape me now, other than nothing happened, but I didn’t want to be the one that brought on one of his fits!

 

[RichardL]

I took a job as a rec coach at a gym with an elite gymnast in 2000, and I was a gym nerd who knew the upcoming COP and saw what utterly worthless things she was training, so I drew up a plan that they followed without question. I was literally sixteen years old and only knew about these things because of the old versions of this message board. This was a top contender who became a major NCAA gymnast and they were listening to a closeted gay kid for their whole training regime.

 

[Matilda23]

Avoiding anti-inflammatories sounds like unnecessary pain or discomfort

 

[RedBirdie]

It’s frustrating. I judged JO for a while, and while not having the option to be a FIG judge is the reason I quit, i don’t know that I would have quit when I did if it had been a possibility down the road.

Speaking of coaching education -or lack of - in the U.S., even as JO judges we were required to have a certain number of continuing education hours each year (maybe just to test the next level? But i think each year). Have coaches ever had any such requirements, or just the tests RedBirfie mentioned.

To make this all somewhat on topic, I had completely forgotten until writing this that I was once an aux judge at NCAA regionals when Nunno was at Oklahoma. Details escape me now, other than nothing happened, but I didn’t want to be the one that brought on one of his fits!

To coach competitive gymnasts, USAG requires coach do the following:

• Pass US Center for SafeSport Core Course annually
• Pass Safety & Risk Management every 4 years
• Pass Tough Coaching or Emotional Abuse: Knowing When The Line Has Been Crossed (not sure how frequently you have to take this)
• Pass Fundamentals of Gymnastics Instruction (again, not sure how frequently this must be taken)
• Plus background check and concussion safety protocol

Those are all online. Not a single hands-on course is required to be a coach in the US. No continuing education is required, just passing the same online courses as required.

Back in the very late 1990s when I started coaching, all we had to do was pass Safety & Risk Management once every 4 years. Although back then we at least had to find a live course and pretend to pay attention. No idea when that was implemented, but I imagine back in the day, one just paid the USGF coach member fee and was credentialed to be on the competition floor, with no other barriers to entry.

Background checks weren't mandated until 2018, iirc. That's also when USAG required all staff at member gyms to be background checked and pass the Safe Sport course. Previously, rec coaches didn't have to be USAG members, no background check, no education at all.

 

[QuietColours]

Chapter Fourteen: Mountains to Climb

• Goodwill Games
  • Steve had all four members of the team because most of the other coaches didn't want to compete overseas just a few weeks before Championships. Team was Shannon, Soni Meduna (Sr), Jennie Thompson (Jr), and Mariana Webster (Jr), with Mina Kim as the alternate
  • Steve knew he was taking a chance on wearing the girls out before the meet that would determine their rankings for the year–and thus their training funds and meet invitations–but he thought it would help their international reputations
  • Shannon found St Petersburg in 1994 very different from her trip to Moscow in the mid-80s. It wasn't the safe, clean place she remembered. Frequently saw what seemed to be gangs; litter on the beach; had been told to beware water contamination. They brought drinking water, but found showering without taking in any water difficult and shaving their legs was even riskier. Wary of fruits and vegetables washed in local water, so they mostly at canned goods they brought with them
  • Midsummer temperatures were very high and there was no AC. Buses scheduled to pick them up were late or didn't come at all. The vault runway wasn't regulation length. Problems in scoring resulted in long delays
  • Crowds were enthusiastic
  • All the girls had issues in the team competition. Shannon didn't fall, but her performances on bars and beam weren't up to her standard and the team finished in 4th
  • Knew the AA would be tough after watching Kotchetkova and Chorkina (book spelling). Began with a good score on vault, bars was better than the team competition, beam was terrific, floor was good with only a step on one pass
  • Kotchetkova, the floor gold medalist from 1994, was having excellent routines and took the AA gold.
  • Press quickly proclaimed the demise of Shannon's career. Shannon was surprised because no other gymnast had stayed on top so long at an international level (???). When commentators asked how it felt to lose, she said she did not see winning second place as losing
  • In EF, she got silver on vault and gold on bars, beam, and floor, outscoring Kotchetkova and Chorkina and setting a new record for Americans at the Goodwill Games
  • The mixed team–Shannon, Jennie Thompson, Chainey Umphrey, and Scott Keswick–ended up in 4th
  • Shannon felt she'd had a successful competition, but writers and commentators continued to predict her decline. Her parents agonized, feeling she was being treated unfairly
  • Shannon was relieved to be back in the US with "real" food and good water and didn't hesitate to say so, acknowledging the benefits of living in the US in an interview
• Competition took its tool on the girls–Jennie's ankle was hurting and Mariana's knee. Hadn't had crash mats while in Russia. Shannon now had severe shin splints and found walking painful and landing excruciating. Steve cut back on her vaulting and floor tumbling, but could only do so much with Championships coming up. Shannon was used to working through pain
• Championships
  • Shannon's compulsories continued to improve, but so did everyone else's. Dominique Dawes was her big competition
  • Shannon briefly put her hands down on her beam dismount, a full fall deduction. She attributed the error to doing fewer dismounts to protect her legs
  • Steve, however, saw someone in the stands–a man who had first approached Shannon on her tour following the 1992 Olympics
    • He had followed her to her hotel room in Las Vegas. Shannon hadn't paid attention to him until he was right on top of her reaching into his jacket–that terrified her, but he just gave her a fox plushie with the comment that she was a foxy lady.
    • The incident made Shannon realize she needed to be more cautious and the feeling stayed with her for a long time.
    • He sent her many long letters, often criticizing the Christian Science faith and frequently sent other stuffed foxes. Shannon always acknowledge the letters/gifts politely. After a while his letter became more aggressive
    • Just before Nationals she had come out of the athlete's restroom and found him standing near the door. He had also recently showed up to one of her workouts at the gym and at a private autograph session in Oklahoma City
    • Steve's concern made Shannon more jittery
    • Now he was sitting in one of the front rows by beam. Steve confronted him, and he moved back
    • Later, the man called Steve and asked to attend event finals; Steve told him to stay away. They don't know if he listened
    • Shannon didn't blame her performance on this; she later wrote the man to express her regrets over the incident. She didn't publicly reveal her concerns until 1995 when the issue of security came up at a coaches meeting
  • Shannon hit a great floor, Dominique was also hitting great routines and took the lead. Shannon did great on vault, but Dominique held on to the lead.
  • Some commentators talked about Shannon's loss, but after beam she felt holding on to silver was a win, even if she wasn't pleased about not winning
  • In EF, Shannon had great routines but finished second to Dawes on all events. Commentators had predicted Shannon had the better beam and floor routines, but Dawes outscored her on both
  • Media reports raved about Dawes' historic achievement and were harsh on Shannon. Shannon didn't talk about being tired from Goodwill Games–she didn't make excuses, and she felt winning five silvers was also very good
  • Told her parents, "Dominique can have this meet. I intend to have it next year."
• Family vacationed in Colorado Springs for four days after. Tessa couldn't come. Claudia, Shannon, and Troy decided to hike Pike's Peak
  • Scenery was beautiful
  • Shannon's legs were bothering her more than anticipated, but she was enthusiastic
  • After a while, realized they weren't getting the halfway mark on schedule. Finally got there and rested for half an hour (my note: I really wonder about the timing, because it's highly recommended you hit certain milestones by certain times because of the weather risks when you get above the treeline)
  • Claudia struggled with the hike. Troy started having a hard time at the two mile point (from the top). Shannon was impatient. They gave her permission to go ahead
  • Realized they'd spent more time trying to climb the last two miles than the first six. Ron came down from the summit, took their backpacks, and encouraged them the rest of the way
  • Shannon had already had a snack, done her shopping, and been out numerous times looking for them with her binoculars
  • Ron drove them down the mountain. Shannon and Troy watched a movie in the room with dinner that night; Claudia slept
  • Soon Claudia and Troy were discussing how they'd climb Pike's Peak differently next time

 

[irichluck21]

In EF, she got silver on vault and gold on bars, beam, and floor, outscoring Kotchetkova and Chorkina and setting a new record for Americans at the Goodwill Games

Sometimes athletes mix up their medals/finishes.
Miller didn't win bars, Khorkina did. Miller was silver.

 

[QuietColours]

Sometimes athletes mix up their medals/finishes.
Miller didn't win bars, Khorkina did. Miller was silver.

Honestly, between the sheer number of competitions relayed and the fact it was written when looking up old score sheets wasn't as easy, I'm surprised there aren't more errors

 

[CameliasFingerpaint]

To coach competitive gymnasts, USAG requires coach do the following:

• Pass US Center for SafeSport Core Course annually
• Pass Safety & Risk Management every 4 years
• Pass Tough Coaching or Emotional Abuse: Knowing When The Line Has Been Crossed (not sure how frequently you have to take this)
• Pass Fundamentals of Gymnastics Instruction (again, not sure how frequently this must be taken)
• Plus background check and concussion safety protocol

This is full on insane to me. USA Track and Field requires more than this just to be a developmental coach, which you can’t really do anything with. There are 3 levels after that, with an insane amount of work and live trainings for each level.

 

[eanda]

To coach competitive gymnasts, USAG requires coach do the following:

• Pass US Center for SafeSport Core Course annually
• Pass Safety & Risk Management every 4 years
• Pass Tough Coaching or Emotional Abuse: Knowing When The Line Has Been Crossed (not sure how frequently you have to take this)
• Pass Fundamentals of Gymnastics Instruction (again, not sure how frequently this must be taken)
• Plus background check and concussion safety protocol

Those are all online. Not a single hands-on course is required to be a coach in the US. No continuing education is required, just passing the same online courses as required.

Back in the very late 1990s when I started coaching, all we had to do was pass Safety & Risk Management once every 4 years. Although back then we at least had to find a live course and pretend to pay attention. No idea when that was implemented, but I imagine back in the day, one just paid the USGF coach member fee and was credentialed to be on the competition floor, with no other barriers to entry.

Background checks weren't mandated until 2018, iirc. That's also when USAG required all staff at member gyms to be background checked and pass the Safe Sport course. Previously, rec coaches didn't have to be USAG members, no background check, no education at all.

I started judging about the same time. For USAG we also had the safety course and a background check. Continuing Ed was a NAWGJ requirement.

It's crazy that so little is required for coaches and most of what is is about risk management (not that it's not needed) and very little in actual coaching. I looked up the Fundamentals of Gymnastics Instruction course, and it's an expected four to five hour course, covering all disciplines.

 

[KristyJ]

I started judging about the same time. For USAG we also had the safety course and a background check. Continuing Ed was a NAWGJ requirement.

It's crazy that so little is required for coaches and most of what is is about risk management (not that it's not needed) and very little in actual coaching. I looked up the Fundamentals of Gymnastics Instruction course, and it's an expected four to five hour course, covering all disciplines.

I had the same to start

 

[RedBirdie]

This is full on insane to me. USA Track and Field requires more than this just to be a developmental coach, which you can’t really do anything with. There are 3 levels after that, with an insane amount of work and live trainings for each level.

It's absolutely insane. Anyone can coach if they "pass" the required online courses, and I put pass in quotes because it basically impossible to fail.

 

[Sasha]

I don't even understand why courses or certifications would even be required. Elite coaches are highly motivated to win, are they not? Why would you put so much work into developing an athlete and then neglect to figure out how to maximise their score? It's ludicrous!

 

[makam]

I don't even understand why courses or certifications would even be required. Elite coaches are highly motivated to win, are they not? Why would you put so much work into developing an athlete and then neglect to figure out how to maximise their score? It's ludicrous!

I get that you sometimes have to make allowances for what the individual athlete might want, especially as they get older (like the ones who just will not give up the split rings or the split halfs on beam), but knowing that a move is not worth the doing (and relaying that) should be a major portion of the job.