GYMN-L Digest - 11 May 1995 to 12 May 1995

There are 17 messages totalling 422 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Intro
  2. Recruits (2)
  3. New Gymn Book (3)
  4. Re[2]: New guy
  5. thursday morning AM
  6. Many things (2)
  7. Kerri Strug's latest injury
  8. J.O. National Results?
  9. Schools
 10. Re[4]: New guy (2)
 11. Jr. Nationals - Women's
 12. job op in H.S gymnastics

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Date:    Thu, 11 May 1995 20:44:23 -0800
From:    ***@POWERGRID.ELECTRICITI.COM
Subject: Intro

        Hi! I have been on gymn for quite awhile now. My name is Kim
and I am 13 years old. I train 4 days a week and I am a Level 8. I
live in San Diego California. I found out about this list from some of my
friends. Some of my favorite gymnasts are...... Kim Zmeskal,Jennie Thomson,
Kerri Strug,Amanda Borden..and many many more!
        I am really glad that there is a gymnastics list, cause I really
like to hear about events, competition results, and people's thoughts about
gymnastics in general.
   Kim

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Date:    Thu, 11 May 1995 23:58:23 -0500
From:    ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Recruits

Date sent:  11-MAY-1995 23:56:58
Mara, someone posted regarding the NCAA recruits. It was an
incomplete list. Could you please repost it?

And, he said keri Strug ios goign to UCLA, but he did not mention
that she deferred./ Does this mean Strug has no intention of trying
for the Olyumpics, or what?

HELP! I leave tommorrow...err...today!

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 02:03:32 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: New Gymn Book

A recent issue of a trade magazine for the publishing industry previewed a
book due out in June. The book is called "Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The
Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters."

By the look of the review, I will not kid you--gymnastics, along with figure
skating, is in for a serious bashing.

The book was written by a Ms. Joan Ryan, a sports columnist for the _San
Francisco Chronicle_ (a daily rag commonly referred to by journalists as
"Pravda by the Bay" for its often knee-jerk hemmoraging-heart editorial
line).

Among the issues brought up in the preview (Publisher's Weekly, May 1, 1995,
pg. 49):

-- The comtemporary ideal in gymnastics is portrayed as a girl with a boy's
body: without breasts or hips.

-- Athletes commonly overtrain during their period of greatest skeletal
developmnt, thereby suffering injuries to backs, arms, and legs. [Please note
that this is a contention for which there is hardly a conclusive body of
scientific evidence one way or another, as has been often discussed on this
forum--DW]

-- At the same time, gymnasts are being told that they must lose weight. The
result is anorexia and bulimia.

-- The book takes the blame off of the athletes themselves, even though most
gymnasts are portrayed as focused to the extreme, if not "monomaniacal."

-- The book shreds parents, coaches and judges, and singles out the USGF/USAG
as the major culprit.

-- Ms. Ryan draws the conclusion that females aged 13 to 18 are not only
exploited but abused, and makes a powerful plea for reform.

The book is being published by Doubleday, will list at $22.95, has 224 pages.
ISBN number is 0-385-47790-2.

I will post later with the addresses and phone numbers for Doubleday and the
Chronicle, in case some of you may feel inclined to take issue with Ms. Ryan.


David

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Date:    Thu, 11 May 1995 23:09:15 -0700
From:    ***@NETCOM.COM
Subject: Re: Re[2]: New guy

>
> >Lance !
> >Pat Tower (poser@leland.stanford.edu) is your counterpart on the west coast.
> >Youll find another kindred spirit in Ronald down in FL.
> >(ronald something @AOL.COM)  He a girls gymn fanatic/writer too.
> >
> >So...ummmm...... when you gonna give guys gymn a chance ? Hmmmm?
> >Everybody is into girls gymn.  Nobody takes guys gymn seriously.
> >We cant do too well till some of you sportzwriters give us a little
> >attention.  So like how bout it ?  (Cue: wistful gargoyle impression )
> >
> Well, we don't have a men's team for one thing. Secondly, I don't know
> that much about men's to write about it. I realize some of the things
> are the same, but not enough, without a little background training
> ony my part.
> But, I will probably be moving to the Palm Springs area this fall, so
> hopefully I can schmooze around with the UCLA teams. :)

So does that mean that if we educate you then you will help lead the charge
to make mens gymnastics more visible as a mans sport rather than the wimp
rep me presently are stuck with ?

Start asking questions, we'll do our best to answer them.
Course we might razz you a bit but after the clowning, we'll prolly tell you the
truth.

Now the first this me must teach you, is that if mens gymnastics were a true
wimp sport, it would be called football.

How bout some more questions for us to answer ?

-texx

PS:

Is it just a mens tradition or do women hold "freshman tapings" too ?

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Date:    Thu, 11 May 1995 23:45:07 -0700
From:    ***@NETCOM.COM
Subject: thursday morning AM

I tried sending this morning.
Didnt bounce but never made it to the list either so Im trying again.
Sorry if it dupes !

This morning I was rearanging the power service to my parents house (AGAIN!)
Nothing like working on live 220v @ 6:30 AM balancing on the new roof trusses...
And this is the guy who "doesnt DO mornings!"
( I like to get up AFTER 8AM !)
I ended up having breakfast earlier than usual.

Anybody ever heard of Top Flyte in Fremont CA ?
KTVU (FOX chan 2 Oakland, CA)
had Steve Mac Partlin over at the Parc Oakland Hotel this morning.
Parc Oakland is hosting JO Nationals this year.
Thank CTHULU Steve was serious for once in his life.
Usually he is so busy clowning you cant tell what hes talking about.
Anyway they had demos of FX PB HB VT.
Steve even talked to the coach as well.
Saw some nice stuff, sad that not ONE of those kids could stick...
(Maybe I oughtta send the gym a case of glue ?)
Even more surprising is that the West County Times of Contra Costa County
even gave a 2 inch tall column telling us that the US JO trials were
happening in Oakland.  I was SHOCKED !  Men gymn coverage in the press !
What a concept !

-texx

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 08:19:10 -0500
From:    ***@VAXA.CIS.UWOSH.EDU
Subject: Many things

Date sent:  12-MAY-1995 08:16:59
Just thought I'd address a few things:

1)Is International Gymnast generally respected as a magazine?

2)men's Gymn coverage does exist...you just need to look.

3)Yes, I am leaving. I'll unsubscribe tommorrow. Wanna keep the
list open inc case someone has some answers from my previous posts.

4)And, yes, I am a babylon 5 fan. And also of "Captain Power and the
Soldiers of the Future"

have a nice summer everyone. See ya in the fall.

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 10:40:43 EDT
From:    ***@BBN.COM
Subject: Re: Kerri Strug's latest injury

International Gymnast reports that the most recent injury that's
kept Kerri Strug out of competition has been a ruptured eardrum.
Does anyone know how that happened and how she's doing?  I want
to see her on the 1996 Olympic team!

>>Kathy

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 12:08:13 -0400
From:    ***@NEWS1.MNSINC.COM
Subject: J.O. National Results?

Appreciate if someone would post the J.O. Men's Nationals results which
starts today in Oakland.  We've very anxious to hear how several local boys
are doing.  Hopefully, I'll be attending J.O. Men's Nationals next year and
can return the favor.  Thanks!    Stan

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 12:42:55 -0400
From:    ***@POSTOFFICE4.MAIL.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: Many things

> Date sent:  12-MAY-1995 08:16:59
> Just thought I'd address a few things:
>
> 1)Is International Gymnast generally respected as a magazine?
>

Well, it does appear in the Cornell library and in my hometown local
library.  I'd say it's got some value, and after all, there are only a
handful of magazines out there with full-time gymn coverage.
--

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 13:19:39 CDT
From:    ***@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU
Subject: Re: Schools

>My sister is a sophmore in high high school and is starting
>to look at schools for collage.  She is level 10 and is looking for
>a school with good science and engineering departments and a
>low key division I gymnastics team.
>Any recomendations.
>
>Chris Ellefson
You might look into Mizzou (University of Missouri).


LQ

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 14:00:05 CDT
From:    ***@SEMOVM.SEMO.EDU
Subject: Re[4]: New guy

>So does that mean that if we educate you then you will help lead the charge
>to make mens gymnastics more visible as a mans sport rather than the wimp
>rep me presently are stuck with ?
>
>Start asking questions, we'll do our best to answer them.
>Course we might razz you a bit but after the clowning, we'll prolly tell you th
>truth.
>
>Now the first this me must teach you, is that if mens gymnastics were a true
>wimp sport, it would be called football.
>
>How bout some more questions for us to answer ?
>
>-texx
>
>PS:
>
>Is it just a mens tradition or do women hold "freshman tapings" too ?
Hey, I don't think men's gymnastics is wimpy. Far from it.
Physically, male gymnasts are probably in better shape than anyone.
And, IMHO, anyone that can do an Iron Cross, is pretty alright to me!


LQ

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 15:21:43 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Jr. Nationals - Women's

Hi.  Is anyone out there at the Jr. Nationals in Florida?  If so, e-mail me
as I am interested in a couple of girls.
Thanks!
Debbie

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 15:34:18 -0400
From:    ***@CAPACCESS.ORG
Subject: job op in H.S gymnastics

I was wondering if anyone would be interested in coaching my
high school team next year.  The school is outside Washington,
D.C. in Bethesda Maryland.  It's only a spring season, so
maybe someone in the area would be intereste d in it as a
second job.  My team and I really need your help because if
our team and another team in the county don't find coaches the
county will have to drop all gymnastics.
Any one interested a can call me at 301-***-3536 or the
athletic director at whitman (Gary Clarke) at 301-***-6595,
or email me at ***@capaccess.org
Thanks
Megan

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 16:45:42 -0400
From:    ***@EMERALD.TUFTS.EDU
Subject: Re: New Gymn Book

an excerpt from this book is in this month's Redbook magazine. The
article portrays a girl named Julissa Gomez who died from injuries
sustained on a Tsukahara vault . The article bashes everyone in
sight-primarily Bela who is said to have called his gymnasts fat cows. I
would suggest reading this article. I don't know what exactly is truth or
not but if this excerpt is indicative of the whole book, I think a lot of
people will be outraged!

Melissa

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 18:20:28 -0400
From:    ***@AOL.COM
Subject: Re: Recruits

Is Kerri Strug actualy going to UCLA. If so before or after'96?

(: Emily

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 15:46:16 -0700
From:    ***@NETCOM.COM
Subject: Re: Re[4]: New guy

But we are stuck with that bad rep because all you thportz writers only want
to write about girls gymn and the guys get totally ignored !

(Yes I DO notice that this is a good way for guys to see how girls sports
usually get ignored but Im talking about gymnastics here not regular sports but
this time its MY cow getting gored !)

Now I dont want to scare you off Lance, Im just unloading on you because
you are available and you are a sports writer.  This is supposed to be a
friendly little ice cube down you neck, OK ?
(Waddya MEAN the freezer is empty !)

-texx
:wq

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Date:    Fri, 12 May 1995 19:28:19 -0400
From:    ***@EMERALD.TUFTS.EDU
Subject: Re: New Gymn Book

> an excerpt from this book is in this month's Redbook magazine. The
> article portrays a girl named Julissa Gomez who died from injuries
> sustained on a Tsukahara vault . The article bashes everyone in
> sight-primarily Bela who is said to have called his gymnasts fat cows. I
> would suggest reading this article. I don't know what exactly is truth or
> not but if this excerpt is indicative of the whole book, I think a lot of
> people will be outraged!
>
> Melissa
>
Correction: I meant a Yurchenko vault, not a Tsuk! Sorry!

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End of GYMN-L Digest - 11 May 1995 to 12 May 1995
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