Jon Benet Ramsey, Mary Lou Retton.

Same abuse, different uniform.

Roman Gladiators(CHILDREN) eating each other for the gratification of a bloodthirsty audience.

Children will do what they are told to please adults.

Just because they aren't being married off at puberty

doesn't mean that Olympic Gymnastics is not child abuse.

Sey raises a lot of serious questions about the treatment of girls in the gymnastics world and, if true, I do hope someone somewhere launches an investigation of the whole sport. I've often thought while watching these girls compete that it seems like so much to ask of a child, which made it all the more impressive.

What makes me raise an eyebrow, however, is that in reading this interview, I couldn't help but feel like Sey was back-pedalling on some of the things she wrote in the book, particularly her coaches' treatment of the girls in their care and the charge against Don Peters. I also wonder if she could have just focused on her own personal experience because it does seem as though she has implicated everyone in the sport. Of course, I have not read the book and the interview is all I have to go on. I do hope I have just misread or misunderstood in my reading of the interview because, if there was indeed any embellishment of what actually happened, it will make it all that more difficult to know the real truth and identify real cases of abuse and mistreatment. Still, it wouldn't be the first time someone wrote an explosive (and exaggerated) expose with dollar signs dancing in their heads without considering what they were truly doing, only to figure out the true consequences (not only to themselves, but to others) and get cold feet too late, after the book was published.

anytime you have the careers of adults dictated by how well they motivate/coerce children into performing in high pressure sports or art forms you will have some of this result.

the follow up article is what happens in the world of ballet, which is very similar. children are 'indoctinated' at an equally vulnerable age.

I was also coached by those in the book and give Sey kudos for putting this out there. I think the sport will be a better place for all of the debate that is inevitably resulting (already!) from the book. All of our experiences in the sport are colored in one way or another... Jen may be focusing on the negative in her story, but I think a lot of girls (and parents!) only remember the good stuff, perhaps as a way to justify all we endured as elites. The reality for most of us is probably somewhere in the middle. What is most unique about this story is the "life after gymnastics" part. I think this is something a lot of "child stars" or athletes experience, and you rarely hear about it, people just hide away after the spotlight. I think it's incredibly courageous for Sey to put her personal story on paper like this for public consumption.

Despite their warped ways, I think all of the coaches and doctors, even those portrayed negatively in this particular story, did have all our best interests at heart. It's just so easy to get caught up in the whole culture of the sport that we forget to step back and look at the big picture.

Shame on the media... even this interviewer went right to the supposedly "rampant" sex scandals when this is barely present in the book. And even more shame on the people who are criticizing the author while flat-out admitting they haven't read the book yet! Publicly disagree if you want... but at least do your homework first.

Factoid: Traditionally it is the Editors that write the headlines.

Maybe one of them would like to step up and take credit for it. I'm not holding my breath.

It is pretty clear by reading her interview that she does back peddle quite a bit often contradicting herself. Take the time to read her blogs and other works out on the web...a lot of her writing seems to contradict what her book says. While the timelines and places and people are real in her book a lot of the stories seem to be padded with foggy memory and are simply not true! It is a shame that anyone can write a book these days and put out unsubstantiated stories about other people. She promoted this book to be about herself and her story. From what I have read this book seems to be anything but that. It is a sleazy expose that holds no merit. Don't be fooled...do your homework and be fair!!

Should have read:

"Why do men and women want to coach little girls"

Is that not true? Was Sey not coached by a team of a man and a woman?