Focus turns to keeping athletes safe after Nassar sex abuse scandal
NEW YORK -- There are nearly 5.5 million gymnasts in the U.S., and most are young and female. The sickening stories of abuse by former Team USA and Michigan State University doctor Larry Nassar have resonated with gymnasts, parents and coaches.
At the Gymnastics Training Center of Rochester, owner Sarah Jane Clifford keeps a close eye on her athletes.
"The motto here is, 'Safety first, last and always,'" she said.
Clifford says the Nassar scandal has turned her beloved sport upside down.
"We are always teaching the kids, don't lie, don't steal, don't cheat, tell the truth. If it doesn't feel right, it probably isn't right," Clifford said.
There's also a heightened concern among parents like Lynnette Ciurca.
"Know your surroundings, know who is working with your children and talk. Most importantly, talk to your kids," Ciurca said.
The Nassar scandal has even affected Olympic gold medalist Shawn Johnson East, who is taking a stand against gymnastics.
"If I had a daughter right now, I wouldn't put her in it and that makes me really sad," the Olympian said in a Youtube video. She also blamed USA Gymnastics and the team of adults who failed to protect children.
"You need to change the system completely," she said.
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Across the country, gymnastics training facilities are stepping up efforts to ensure the safety of its athletes. At Branch Gymnastics in Battle Creek, Michigan, owner Cindy Scharns spent $20,000 to add additional surveillance cameras.
"As we looked at everything we said, 'OK, do we have enough surveillance cameras in place to make that everything is being filmed?'" Scharns said.
Olympic gold medalist Shannon Miller says USA Gymnastics needs to make major changes in order for the sport to move on from Nassar.
"I do not think that we should let this one man, this horrible man, determine where the sport goes," Miller said. "It is not gymnastics that's the problem. It's the people. It's the process. It's the procedures that failed these women."
The owner of the training facility in Rochester says she talks to her athletes about sexual abuse. She tells the younger kids, "If something hurts, speak up and if it doesn't feel right, tell an adult."
