Utah Coach Tom Farden Under Review

[GymnasticsLion]

This is quite disturbing to me. I have had interactions with Tom, and I in no way got a win at all costs vibe from him. He comes across as very methodical and measured if a bit odd. During recruiting visits he would come in with notebook and timers and measuring tape and time gymnasts runs down vault, measure settings on equipment, all the while keeping meticulous notes. He was very pleasant and the girls thought he was quite funny. But I guess we need to see the results of the inverstigation.

I just am curious how sometimes he seems so friendly and so many articles praised him, and then now this suddenly happens.
Another thing, is so many gymnasts who were in his care praised him and defended him, while others criticized him.
This makes me curious if one side is lying.

 

[GymnasticsLion]

Terminated on the spot.

Sounds like he is a childish baby who will do anything it takes to win.

As much as I love multiple gymnasts on the team, it is hard to root for them now.

What do you think about it now that Farden is gone?

 

[RedBirdie]

I just am curious how sometimes he seems so friendly and so many articles praised him, and then now this suddenly happens.
Another thing, is so many gymnasts who were in his care praised him and defended him, while others criticized him.
This makes me curious if one side is lying.

I mean, this is fairly typical. Abusers are often master manipulators. How many times have we heard "But they were so nice to me!" when abuse comes to light? People were defending Larry Nassar (and John Geddert and Martin Sharp and Maggie Haney and parish priests and the local boy scout troop leader), often times loudly, right up until the weight of evidence was so overwhelming they couldn't be defended any more.

Commonly, people being abused or adjacent to the abuse simply cannot see the abuse. They normalize it, because to them it is normal. When you don't have another frame of reference, it is astoundingly difficult to recognize abuse. To this day, Kim Zmeskal defends the Karolyis.

It took me years of therapy to recognize the abuse that is normalized is higher-level gymnastics, and even more work to actively change how I coach. I'm a better coach for it, but it's been a very long and at times painful road to get here.

 

[irichluck21]

What do you think about it now that Farden is gone?

Better, but some of the quotes from the 5th years are suspect. As is their #weoverme that they use in social media.
Dockendorf being named head coach so quickly after being first named interim is also alarming. She might not have actively participated in the abuse, but she was complicit at the very least. So if the culture is to shift and change, it won't be happening with the current coaching staff.
Still hard to cheer them on, despite really enjoying several of their athletes.