5
5-6-7-8
This is something I've been thinking about
I've watches gymnastics meets where gymnasts have requested that the apparatus be checked before they competed
I've seen athletes question balls. I've seen athletes question the time on clocks. I've she's basketball players point out wet spots on the floor and the game is stopped to mop it....Etc
My concern is, what does it say if these children got on the mat and noticed the wetness and didn't feel as though they could speak up. Felt as though they couldn't say "hey, it's wet. I probably shouldn't be throwing my double full on this or holding Suzy's wet shoe 6+ feet in air". Those girls in the SE video are clearly sliding and wiping their feet and I'm sorry but it's simply baffling that they felt they had to "make do", that they had accept a wet mat....because the all of the people running this event didn't feel the need to be accountable, to monitor conditions, or simply look at the the wet border and infer that that could indicate a larger problem.
I have no doubt that those kids felt they "had" to perform. That they themselves could not stop the routine due to the conditions because....I mean what established protocol is there that they are aware of? Stopping a routine for anything short of a injury is the end of the world as far as they're probably concerned.
That's sad.
And if a girl on KC or whomever truly did tell her coach that the mat was wet and if the coach truly relay the concern.....why were they ignored?
Like it's literally like their mindset was "we paid our invoices to be here tonight and 9k paid to watch this....so whatev kids....electric and Cha-cha slide your way through 2 mins and 30 seconds. Godspeed"
It's also sad that in order to discuss this it feels like F5's win is being discredited. And it shouldn't be the case.
And is anyone from USASF going to release a statement or address this? Or are they somewhere riding the tea cups
Excellent points!
I am not at all surprised the athletes didn't feel they could say anything / refuse to perform, especially the way this industry (not sport) handles injuries. How many times have we discussed in the past when is the right time to stop a routine due to an injury. Didn't two athletes collide head on and they still finished the routine? If there was debate over that incident, I can certainly see how "excuse me USASF, the floor is wet" would fall on deaf ear$.