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My daughter was in gymnastics for years, and there were stories about stuff like this. We always carefully monitered her time in the gym, and were careful about observing the details of what was going on. Even scarier than the screw thing, is the other kind of screwing that went on, I suspect more widely. Just during the 5 years that my daughter competed, there were three sexual abuse scandals in the Portland area alone. Kids in these situations are made vulnerable by their parents starry eyed dreams, and by the intimidation that is part of the culture of success at all costs.
It's also hard for me to imagine that a child could get poked in the butt to the point of bleeding and scarring and that a parent didn't notice for months. Wasn't the kid sitting funny? Wouldn't he walk funny? Wouldn't there be blood on his undershorts? Did the parents NEVER sit in the gym and watch practice? I think the parents are as much to blame as the coaches.
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