The Rutgers gymnastics program, once a promising ground for athletic talent to flourish, has become the center of a storm over troubling allegations of mistreatment by the head coach. Former gymnasts have come forward with stories of a toxic environment where their mental and physical well-being was consistently disregarded. Several talented gymnasts have decided to discontinue their training in such an environment. 

The wave of departure of the gymnasts is led by the culture of neglect and abuse, which forced athletes to leave the program to avoid the hardships they have been facing. One of the senior gymnasts, now retired, has opened up and shared a harrowing experience that further digs into the alleged environment of indifference at Rutgers. 

According to NJ.com, during a preseason practice last fall, the retired gymnast suffered a severe anxiety attack. However, rather than helping her to overcome the issue, she was only told to work through it. Her subsequent attempt to seek mental health support was met with harsh disciplinary actions rather than compassion. Then, when she resorted to requesting to allow her to sit out of a road meet due to her deteriorating mental health, the head coach not only dismissed her plea but suspended her, stating that the coaching staff had had it with her mental health issues. 

The gymnast was suspended for a week and was also told that the coaching staff had provided her “too many accommodations, there’s nothing else for them to give and that they have had it with my mental health.” What’s even more concerning is that this incident isn’t isolated. Several other athletes have echoed similar sentiments, revealing a pattern of behavior by the coaching staff and the head coach at Rutgers. Are they prioritizing the program’s success over the well-being of its athletes?

The gymnasts have also accused the then-athletic director of often defending the head coach. They revealed that when they asked for help from Rutgers’ director (who is currently retired), he was reportedly dismissive of their concerns and did not investigate their claims. Unfortunately, these incidents reflect a recurring issue where athletes are subjected to a toxic and unsupportive environment.

Athletes speak out against toxic coaching cultures, unveiling the dark side of college gymnastics 

Last year, former Utah gymnast Kara Eaker made an abrupt decision to discontinue her rising journey as a gymnast with the University of Utah. But more than the retirement announcement, what shocked the gymnastics community even more was her confession regarding the toxic environment she experienced in the program. She stated how she has been “training in an unhealthy, unsafe, and toxic environment”. Eaker also stated how she often had to face sudden loud and harsh outbursts from her coach and was always fearful of her coach’s reaction.

Following her confession, several gymnasts from the program came forward to express their fear and concerns. Kim Tessan, a former senior gymnast from Utah, also shared her unfiltered emotions on social media. Besides sharing her emotions, she also added that she chose to open up only because her college career was already over. She added that although all sorts of amenities were provided, “it was not worth the abusive and toxic environment” she had to endure for “4 whole years.”  But that’s not all!

Another 20-year-old LSU gymnast, Bailey Ferrer, unveiled the toxic culture she had to thrive in, where every bit of their behavior and action was scrutinized. Ferrer was also reminded multiple times that gaining weight is completely unacceptable. The recurrence of such incidents paints pictures of programs that have always been trusted but are now pushing athletes into crisis. Is the pursuit of excellence now available only at such an unacceptably high cost to the athletes themselves? What are your thoughts on the incident? Share in the comments below!

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