should i say something to the special olympics coach?

[p0ink]

ok, the gym i train at also hosts those training for the special olympics as some kind of charity or some shit. (who knows).

anyhow, the lady they have training the retarded kids in in her 60's, almost blind, and very overweight. as if that wasnt enough, it gets worse. she has these kids using the worst form humanly possible, and she is their fucking coach.

when her retarded kids are deadlifting, their backs look like upside down U's, they dont use their legs AT ALL (not even a slight bend), etc.

i dont want those kids to get hurt, but i also dont want to be a prick and tell some lady, who is doing a nice service, that she and her kids are totally fucked.

should i just mind my business?

oh yeah, there is no way in hell she could be a certified personal trainer. i dont know how the fuck she got put in charge of it...maybe because her son is retarded as well.

 

[Raina]

I think that if you're going to suggest that she does things differently, you should try not to attack her or anything. Just share observations. Is she the only coach?? Usually there are families of the kids present at practices etc-- perhaps you could express your concerns to them. The last thing they want is their kid getting hurt.

My little sister is a special olympics track coach and I cannot fathom tackling such an overwhelming a challenge. I think it's a wonderful program. I just hope that none of those athletes gets injured as a result of mis-informed coaches.

 

[bwood]

no win situation man...

you could volunteer to help some...

i do that some...and no i havent changed my
views on altruism...

i do it for purely selfish reasons in that it makes me feel
good and it also looks good on a resume...

 

[flexygrl]

Hey,

It is so sweet of you to be concerned!! My sister is disabled. She was born dead and suffered brain damage. If anyone were training her this way I'd be really pissed. The same thing almost happened to me. I work out in the gym at the college I work for. In the summers they have camps. One of the camps was a gymnanstic camp. Well these kids come down and start working out. They weren't any older than 13. This girl gets on the hack squat machine. There were two 45's on either side. Well she gets herself situated and releases the levers and bam, down like a sack of cement. She got up and tried again. I was on the elliptical right next to her. I told her that I have been working out for years and that's even a little too heavy for me at times and I'm twice your size. WEll she gets all pissy and walks away in a huff. I got the guy alone that was suppose to be watching them and told him that there parents are paying for them to come her and get something beneficial out of the program. By him letting them come in here and just work out with no supervision is extrememly wrong!! Some of these kids were really good. Imagine if they got hurt using bad form on one of these machines and there goes their career. Some of these girls didn't even have any shoes on. Well, they stopped working out in the gym. Turns out they were not suppose to be in there anyway. I got my gym back. All nice and quiet with just me, and nothing to worry about. Just like I like it.

So I say, please say something. But do it nicely.

Kiss, kiss sweety!! I'm glad you are looking out for people like my sister!!

 

[jackangel]

Rough one, that definitely pulls at the conscience.

If I were to say something, I would make sure to affect a softness in my voice to match that in my heart. They're good people (one assumes/hopes) and you've got nothing but the best intentions for both students and teacher.

However, if it were me, I'd almost certainly not do anything, because of the responsibility it places on my shoulders. If you decide to act, you might just have to follow through all the way, to make the most of it. Perhaps you're willing and able to do that?

courage,
rp:AUM

 

[p0ink]

I think that if you're going to suggest that she does things differently, you should try not to attack her or anything. Just share observations. Is she the only coach?? Usually there are families of the kids present at practices etc-- perhaps you could express your concerns to them. The last thing they want is their kid getting hurt.

My little sister is a special olympics track coach and I cannot fathom tackling such an overwhelming a challenge. I think it's a wonderful program. I just hope that none of those athletes gets injured as a result of mis-informed coaches.

what is the age limit for the special olympics? because some of them look a bit too old to be competing.

but seriously, not only is she risking hurting these people, she is also contributing to them developing bad habbits.

oh well.

 

[p0ink]

see, i dont know if it is solely her bad instruction, or if it is a mix of her being a shitty trainer and the fact that the kids are retarded.

that's why im a bit a hesistant to say something. i dont want to say something to her, and have her give me some answer like, 'they dont understand blah blah blah',, because that would totally make me look bad.

 

[flexygrl]

Poink,

They understand as much as you do! Trust me!! You should offer to help!! If you show them the right way, the will learn.

My sister for instance can do everything for herself. She can cook, clean, she can babysit, she can learn new things. She's just a little slow. She's kinda like a 15 year old trapped in the body of an adult. I have met many of her friends who are way worse than her, and they can learn too.

 

[Raina]

what is the age limit for the special olympics? because some of them look a bit too old to be competing.

but seriously, not only is she risking hurting these people, she is also contributing to them developing bad habbits.

oh well.

I'm not sure what the age limit is. She was 18 when she started coaching and had athletes that were 7 and athletes that were older than her.

 

[flexygrl]

Age Requirements
There is no maximum age limitation for participation in Special Olympics. The minimum age requirement for participation in Special Olympics competition is 8 years of age. An Accredited Program may permit children who are at least 6 years old to participate in age-appropriate Special Olympics training programs offered by that Accredited Program, or in specific (and age-appropriate) cultural or social activities offered during the course of a Special Olympics event. However, no child may participate in a Special Olympics competition (or be awarded medals or ribbons associated with competition) before his or her 8th birthday.

Above from the SO website.