Athlete Wellness
USA Gymnastics Athlete Wellness Program Update
January, 1997
In November, 1995, the Board of Directors of USA Gymnastics unanimously accepted the recommendations of the Task Force on USA Gymnastics Response to the Female Athlete Triad. With that action, the Board made a commitment to implement those recommendations by funding the USA Gymnastics Athlete Wellness Program. In creating this program, the governing body is taking a lead role in developing safeguards to balance some of the stresses elite athletes face.
Following is a brief summary of the first projects addressed and progress to date.
1. Athlete Wellness Coaches Course
The pilot Athlete Wellness Program Coaches Course was conducted prior to the annual USA Gymnastics Congress and Olympic Trials in Boston, June 27, 1996. The curriculum for this course was developed by Dr. Joan Duda (artistic national team sport psychologist), Dr. Gloria Balague (rhythmic national team sport psychologist), and Dr. Dan Benardot (national team nutritionist). Topics covered included "Nutrition and Gymnastics Success," "Healthy Gymnastics Environments," "Care and Prevention of Athletic Injuries," "Understanding Eating Disorders and the Athlete," "An Athlete's Perspective" and "What is the Female Athlete Triad?"
Over 75 Men's, Women's and Rhythmic National Board members, Regional and State Chairmen, and National Safety Certifiers participated in the course and subsequent evaluation process. Their feedback is critical to the development of the course which will eventually be offered to the general membership through national and regional congresses and regional symposiums.
Additionally, portions of the course were offered to coaches at the National TOP testing in Rochester, NY (October 4-6) and at the National TOP training camp in Tulsa, OK (December 5-8, 1996). A modified version will be presented at the two National Compulsory Workshops (May/June 1997) and a second full course will be conducted at the National Congress in Denver (August 1997).
2. Parent Education
Also in Boston the first ever session for parents was conducted entitled, "What My Parents Did Right: Tips for Parents Raising Competitive Athletes." This was open to parents in Boston for the Olympic Trials, participants in National Congress and those in the Boston community interested in this topic. Former Olympians shared their thoughts, followed by Claudia Miller, mother of World Champion Shannon Miller. The session finished off with a question and answer session with health care professionals. Efforts are now focused on compiling a packet of information to be given to 1997 National Team parents.
At the Rochester National TOP testing event, parents and athletes were required to attend the Nutrition and Sport Psychology session. Three-hundred athletes tested in Rochester and a significant number of parents were present to watch.
3. National Health Care Advisory Board and Professional Referral Network
A National Advisory Board comprised of at least one representative from the fields of nutrition, sport psychology, counseling, medicine, athletic training and exercise physiology is being formed to help develop a National Health Care Referral Network. Board members met for the first time in Boston and are currently defining the process for soliciting and selecting professionals desiring to be included in the Referral Network. The Referral Network will be comprised of national, regional, state and local experts willing to partner with local gymnastics programs to provide expert health care services for athletes.
The first list of Referral Network members will be published in Technique and USA Gymnastics Magazine in spring of 1997.
From this referral network, the National Team Medical Staff will be selected. Additionally, a speakers bureau will be formed to be available for local, state, regional and national clinics and congresses.
The National Health Care Advisory board has also taken on the responsibility to act as the Sport Science Committee in soliciting and conducting needed research in the area of athlete wellness. Five proposals were submitted to the USOC Grant Committee.
4. Athletes, Parents, Coaches and Judges Bill of Rights and Responsibilities
A committee comprised of representatives from the athletes, coaches, parents, medical and counseling community has been working to better define the rights and responsibilities of those involved in the sport. The first phase addressed was the athlete's rights and responsibilities. After reviewing and revising already published documents on this subject, the committee is now in the process of soliciting advice from outside sources, experts in child psychology and marketing to determine the best way to communicate the revised document.
5. Athlete Mentoring Program
Partnering with the USA Gymnastics Athlete's Advisory Council (AAC) former national team members are being paired with athletes who will be retiring after the Olympic Trials and/or Olympic Games. The goal is to establish a mentoring relationship that will help the retiring athlete make the transition out of competition. As this program develops the goals is to pair currently competing athletes who desire to have a "big sister" with a larger number of qualified retired national team members.
The Manager of the Athlete Wellness Program is Nancy Thies Marshall. Nancy is a 1972 Olympian, the Vice-Chair for Women for USA Gymnastics(1992-1996) and the Chair of the Task Force on USA Gymnastics Response to the Female Athlete Triad.
This article appears in the January 1997 issue of Technique, Vol. 17, No. 1.
[ Home ]
[ Publications ]
[ Technique Index ]
About USA Gymnastics Online.
Please report problems to our webmaster.
Copyright © 1997 USA Gymnastics. All rights reserved.URL: http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/publications/technique/1997/1/wellness.html
