By: Celina Cai

British Gymnastics has been treating children very badly. About 75 percent of children who participate in British Gymnastics programs are aged 12 and under. Many have been made to train when they were hurt or injured, been sat on by their coaches if not fully on the ground during the splits, been shouted and sworn at, been punished if they needed to use the bathroom, made to sit in cupboards if they cried or refused to perform a skill, and been forced to stand on a beam for an hour. Why would British gymnastics do this? The organization claims that it has created lots of recommendations and key findings to solve the issue. But why do it harshly? Children are still children, and they need to be treated safely. They are still young and might not understand things. They might not be that flexible or have that much strength. They need to learn, not to handle pressure. They are not as strong as adults, not as mighty. They still need to grow. Think about it.

Gymnastics has had a long and complicated history. Modern gymnastics were invented in Germany by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn to improve the health and fitness of its soldiers. Jahn is responsible for the creation of the rings, pommel horse, parallel bars, and horizontal bars.

Let’s think about children for a second. They are young and delicate. These wonderful pieces of art must be kept safe. Imagine them as a little sprout that just came out of the ground. It still has a long way to go and is very delicate. It can not handle as much as a full-grown plant. Children are still delicate and have a long way to go until they are an adult. They cannot handle so much pressure. They are not strong enough, brave enough.

So why punish children if they can not perform a skill? They probably are not strong enough yet, not old enough yet. They need to be taught and have plenty of practice. Then they may grow to be perfect. As Bruce Lee said, “Practice makes perfect. After a long time of practicing, our work will become natural, skillful, swift, and steady.”

Children should be safe! Stop this culture at British gymnastics and turn it into a safe and punishment-free one. Fire the bad coaches and replace them with good ones. Make sure they never change again!