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Former World Anti Doping Agency head David Howman led the independent review, alongside former Silver Fern Lesley Nichol and former gymnast Rachel Vickery. It has been overseen by former World Anti-Doping Agency head David Howman, who brought on former Silver Fern Lesley Nicol and former gymnast Rachel Vickery in September following the gymnastics community’s discomfort in not having women or child safety specialists on the review panel. Girls and women make up the vast majority of participants in the sport, with Gymnastics NZ reporting 88 per cent of all gymnasts are aged 12 or under, and 78 per cent are female.
The allegations are similar to many made around the world of gymnastics.
Everything has a beginning, a middle and an end. It is no different in sport. But for those who dedicate their childhoods to just one sport, amateur athletes suffer the grief of loss of identity just badly as professional and elite level counterparts. But there is a big difference – professional sports are far more likely to recognise their former athletes need help in their time of transition, compared to the financially strapped lower profile amateur sports. Gymnasts, for example, as young as nine are being put onto elite pathways, dedicating at times upwards of 30 hours a week training. Some athletes have to choose between sport and education.
Sport / Other Sports
Gymnastics clubs have a year to meet new child protection safeguards, but is that too long a wait?
Stuff Sports
Gymnastics New Zealand has introduced a new child protection policy. Picture: STUFF SPORTS.
Gymnastics clubs have 12 months to “meet the expectations” of a new child protection policy released by the sport’s governing body, but that time frame is too long, according to a leading child protection expert.
The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy was sent to clubs and members by Gymnastics New Zealand chief executive Tony Compier, along with a memo outlining the expectations on the community on Monday.
The allegations are similar to many made around the world of gymnastics.
Gymnastics clubs have 12 months to “meet the expectations” of a new child protection policy released by the sport’s governing body, but that time frame is too long, according to a leading child protection expert. The Safeguarding and Child Protection Policy was sent to clubs and members by Gymnastics New Zealand chief executive Tony Compier, along with a memo outlining the expectations on the community on Monday. The memo outlines that clubs must have an up-to-date protection policy in place, and all coaches and those holding “other key club roles” must undergo a “basic level” of child protection training.