The Foundation for Global Sports Development delivers and supports initiatives that promote fair play, education, and the benefits of abuse-free sport for youth.
White Law PLLC was founded to provide more personalized representation to clients facing legal dilemmas. Whether you have an issue that is complex or relatively straightforward, any legal matter can have a significant impact on your life. Our team of experienced lawyers based in Okemos, Michigan, strive to deliver outstanding legal services that exceed your expectations. We utilize our extensive legal knowledge and the latest in technology to bring you effective and proven solutions to your legal issues.
‘ATHLETE A’ REVEALS A TOXIC CULTURE IN USA GYMNASTICS FAR BEYOND LARRY NASSAR
‘ATHLETE A’ REVEALS A TOXIC CULTURE IN USA GYMNASTICS FAR BEYOND LARRY NASSARMany elements of the sobering documentary Athlete A are upsetting, but the one I’ve had the hardest time shaking was the idea that, within the world of USA Gymnastics, Larry Nassar was considered the nice guy. A global powerhouse that frequently dominated the Olympics and elsewhere, USA Gymnastics (or USAG) was fiercely competitive, pushing its adolescent athletes to their breaking point. Pain meant nothing. Exhaustion and hunger were merely signs of weakness. Winning was all that mattered. In such an oppressive environment, the young female gymnasts were desperate for one sympathetic soul. That seemed to be Nassar, the organization’s longtime team physician who would sneak them candy or a kind word amidst the yelling they received from their taskmaster coaches. The girls thought they could trust him.
Anyone who’s been following the Nassar scandal over the last few years knows the truth. In September 2016, The Indianapolis Star published a devastating report in which two former gymnasts accused Nassar of sexual abuse. Soon after, approximately 150 more women came forward, leading to his arrest and conviction. (He’ll spend the rest of his life behind bars.) It’s a horrible story with no end to its ugliness, but Athlete A does a fine job focusing your anger and disgust, which is impressive considering that there’s plenty to go around in this tragedy. But while filmmakers Bonni Cohen and Jon Shenk eviscerate Nassar’s predatory behavior, the documentary zooms out to make sure we understand the poisonous atmosphere within USAG as a whole. Many young women were abused by Nassar, but Athlete A compellingly argues that other kinds of abuse by other people in power were even more rampant — and just as ignored.
Tim Grierson
Download View in BrowserThe Foundation for Global Sports Development delivers and supports initiatives that promote fair play, education, and the benefits of abuse-free sport for youth.
White Law PLLC was founded to provide more personalized representation to clients facing legal dilemmas. Whether you have an issue that is complex or relatively straightforward, any legal matter can have a significant impact on your life. Our team of experienced lawyers based in Okemos, Michigan, strive to deliver outstanding legal services that exceed your expectations. We utilize our extensive legal knowledge and the latest in technology to bring you effective and proven solutions to your legal issues.