That doctor at the beginning is talking garbage... I have ADD, and instead of taking medication, I do a competitive sport. It gives me an outlet, and something to work for. The pressure and desire to win actually helps me focus and makes it more fun.
I must say this, without any "paedo" intent, Nicole Harris had a beautiful body as a gymnast; perfect proportions, perfect for gymnastics. I am a gym coach, so I know what I am talking about ok?
@ralucagymnast Also what kind of coaches, when they could see that Nicole was OBVIOUSLY afraid of the whip into double pike would say "unbelievable" when she didnt do it????Positive reinforcement, where is it???And why the HELL wasnt she being spotted on it??Same with Sharky(later on in the programme) when she does her double layout; again, she was obviously not confident doing it, yet her coach said she didnt need to be spotted on it????Elena Mukhina anyone??:(
@ralucagymnast Elena's coach, mens acrobatic coach the late Mikhail Klimenko's work ethic was "its not that you cant do it, you dont WANT to do it":( And look what happened to her; he didnt understand that she was tired, sick, afraid, nothing mattered but doing the skill, whether you were afraid or not; the girls do the skills because its what the coach wants, and thats all that matters:(
I think the attention of this CNN Doc probably did way more harm then good. CNN probably looked at that for a minute but looked at the money and decided to hell with harming the kids lets go for the ratings and money.
@AlioH89 she made the 2004 Olympic trials, and even became the 2nd alternate for the 2004 American Olympic gymnastic team, but she injured her ankle and got replaced :( none of the girls shown here made the Olympics...
Parkettes is giving a false lie to the sport! Making it seems like it's something horrible when it isn't like that. And btw, look at Nicole Harris now, she is a nothing, never made to the bog shots because they burned her out! I have pitty for this gymnast b/c she oculd have really been something but became of nothing all because they belied in a false lie the gyms portrays just like every person who is there
@Zaria816 She didn't burnout... she actually was very very good in 2004 and was chosen as part of the team but brokeher ankle in practice and they put the second alternate in her spot. She then went on the collegic gymnastics which is still a very big accomplishment....Get your facts straight she never burned out!
You have to push athletes I guess it's hard to understand when you haven't dedicated your life to a sport, you want to push yourself and if a child feels they have to be winners or their nothing thats how their raised there are lots of kids who get scholarships and are happy with that. And their not bribing her but rewarding her, by all means you should encourage and reward your child if they put that much dedication into something. Ask an olympian were there times you felt like giving up but
at 3:22 around there,yepp thats my coach he is tough,he can be mean, but he loves us he wants ud to go far and we respect that cause coaches aren't here to be your buddies,their there to coach you and make your the best you can be, i love him he is the reason i am a level 7 and 8 regional camp(:
Maybe I am just being annoying, but I seem to notice how Shawn Johnson, the world champion, only trains 4 hours a day, yet parents and coaches constantly push gymnasts extremely hard for 8 hours a day, which is longer than other children are in school. Just doesn't make sense...
I feel bad for Nicoles little sister - that must suck. But heres what I honestly think: Parkettes has failed to realize that their coaching techniques are not the best. Sure, they've had some success with some gymnasts but most did not get as far as touted - Kristen Maloney got the farthest and her Olympics were bittersweet. Parketttes gymnasts were always overrated and I wish someone there would realize it! Also, I've competed there and their equipment isn't the best -.-
@TwisterFlipp95 Kristen was also rumored to have an eating disorder; that, to me, doesn't indicate success in any way, shape or form. If anything, that's a huge failure by way of the coaching. No sport is worth permanently damaging your health.
@tabruhs whatever you say, but you realize that this entire message thread is rumors right? Unless you were there during the taping of this documentary, its not fact, its rumor and he said/she said. I'll say what I want about the sport, its my opinion, rumor or not. Kindly kiss my ass, thanks.
when i was 12 i burned out. it was too much. but now i play basketball on my high school jv team and loving every minute out it. but gymnastics teaches u things no other sport can but too much is just too much
Is it her dream... Or their's??? EXACTLY!!!! I admire these talented girls BUT are they being pushed too hard by their parents? Sport should be fun and enjoyable, and when it becomes more then that, it's time to stop.
If a child is that competitive and driven I would worry about whether they are getting obsessive or compulsive. I don't think I would assume that it's a healthy thing for them. I suspect if they were working as hard as that I would probably pull them back from it somewhat... Some drive may be healthy, but I'm not convinced that the amount those kids have is healthy. I kind of doubt I'd let a child of mine get into a competitive sport at an elite level, even if they did want .
@tabruhs I might, yeah. But it depends on the person and the sport and what they did to get to the Olympics. And how old they were - if they were an adult I`d be much more inclined to accept their choices. And some sports seem to allow you to get to high levels with a more healthy degree and kind of training. But from what I see about gymnastics... I am not really convinced it`s possible to get to the Olympics in a healthy way.
I was on the Olympic squad 2000 but pulled out early 1999 due to several major injuries before competition.I was asked to coach the Parkette elite team for 2 months whilst a coach was on leave about a year before this documentary was made. I got the opportunity to work with Nicole who broke down once and told me that she was very stressed out. I formed a very good relationship with her causing her to confide in me. Other coaches make no attempt to become friendly and kind to their gymnasts. xx
Nicole's weak technique is evident during that second tumbling run. Her second whip is too high and I'm surprised the coach did not spot that one up. Weak technique.
The home schooling thing is disturbing too.. Are they getting much of an education?
They have little time for real school work, they have to get good enough to use it to get into college because they will not get good SATs..... they are learning to be obedient and not to think and question. The Romanians have school together and to a high standard, including English lessons.
@emmyjo720 did you know the Romanians also live in their training center and can only see their families a couple times a year? You are unbelievable!! The homeschooling IS real school work. Parkette gymnasts are known to get scholarships to excellent schools like UCLA, Stanford, Utah, U of Georgia, etc. Get your facts straight if you wanna talk shit!!!
@comanecisalto1 The Parkettes coaches make B & B look cuddly and kind,
I do know how the Romanian system works, they are now limited because people are less keen to sent their children there, They also have classroom education at Deva, they study together it is not an afterthought. . Most of the top US gymnasts went to normal high school, the burden was not on parents already financially stretched paying huge fees to Parkettes, who will have less money coming in due to homeschooling.
@emmyjo720 i know her parents background, they were pushed by their coaches, her mom was injured when it was"her" Olympic year. But not just me but my family, can never say bad about them. We know a lot of people in this gymnastics world and they are some of the nicest kindhearted people you will ever meet.
Pushy parents are the bane of every sport... In tennis Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, Andrea Jaeger, Mary Pierce and Steffi Graf were all vicitms of mad parents.
Gymnasts that make it and are happy don't need bribing or bullying so much...Nastia Luikin could have been pushed but she was loved too, not pushed until she was injured and peaked at the right time. Parkette's is money making corparation, the best gymnasts do better in their local gyms.
@VintagexGlam07 I said could of been pushed but I never thought she was forced. Her parents never forgot that they loved her and her welfare is the most important thing. Valeri Liukin seems to be an exemplery coach, he and his wife were brought up in the harsh Soviet Union, he clearly wants better for his daughter and Rebecca Bross too. Shawn Johnson's coach is terrific too, I can't see Shawn Johnson tolerating being talked to like that.
@emmyjo720 she hasn't been pushed either. I have meet them many time before the 2008 and way before she had an ankle injury and everyone started to count her out and said she wouldn't come back.We use to go to the gym a couple of time a year, for meets they wanted my brother at their gym but at the time it was way to much for us to move down there, and their would have been big changes not just for my brother but the rest for the family, meet Rebecca is a sweetheart one of the nicest people.
i was an elite gymnast 1998-99, and my mother was the same way! i was pushed to my limit and back on a daily basis. it didnt matter how good i did at a meet, it was always, you could have stuck that , or your legs were bent, or that as ugly! it was never , you did a good job. my last meet, i had planned to throw a full- in in a tucked position, but my mom said, i dont care what your coach says, pike-it. i did, and i under rotated and shattered my right ankle . that was it for me.
The real problem with Parkettes is their coaching methods. The "she pushes them as hard as she thinks she can push them" is the type of coaching that was done in the 70's/80's before the gymnastics studies came out about depression, eating disorders, post-stress etc. For instance, why would a coach repeatedly watch a gymnast fail at a skill? Nicole was clearly afraid to go for the double pike why didn't she spot her? No wonder Parkettes has so many broken, injured, burned out gymnasts.
@gymnasticsloverxoxo Agreed. The Parkettes have had success here and there - Maloney and Spivey, for instance, but overall they are known for burned-out, injured gymnasts with extremely poor form and technique. These coaches just don't get it.
@BoraBoraGirl2001 Maloney was rumored to be anorexic, but of course they deny the crap out of that, and when she was well, she still looked burned out and exhausted.
I think they should had told Nicole how to relax since she seemed to had lost any sense of that. I should say also that sometimes teen agers like like her really like to bring attention specially from their coaches.
Well, I trained for Swimming and went very far, I wish my parents would have bribed me because I had stellar J.O times and everyone who saw me said i could have been something but I was so upset I didn't get to be with my friends I quit... so, I burned out but to this day I think about what could have been! So, maybe a bribe or a hey it's just a phase you'll regret this one day would have been great!
Nicole's second whip is too high causing lost of momentum for her double pike. I wonder why her coach chose better to spot her double pike instead of helping her out with that second whip.
i quit a few days before i turned 12 because i tore both my achilles tendons... hardest decision i have ever made and i still miss it to this day (I'm now 22)
thats terrible. Bribbing her to keep going!? Thats terrible, if the little girl has to be bribed to compete and continue then she ovbiously doesnt like it.
In the section about Nicole, her family moved and changed eveything to pursue her Olympic dream - it's undertandable she tried so hard and was so emotional in the gym! That's a lot of pressure!
I think this is a bit sick...I think Americans baby their kids too much and coddle them or tell them to quit when the going gets tough. Real athletes do the sport because of desire - not everyone has what it takes, but it those who quit because it isn't fun anymore never had the desire to become something great or real dedication
What's Sharky's rea name? I live in Colorado and have gone to some of DU's gymnastics meets. I would just like to know what her real name is so I can see if I have seen her compete before or not
It's weird. I am just like Nicole. Like exactly. I'm a level 9 gymnast in OK and I have barely any belief in myself, Most of the time I'm being told to just relax and believe in myself. It's hard. Gymnastics is a hard sport.
Gymnastics is so hard. There are days where I just want to cry because I can't do my vaults or I can't do a certain trick that I know I can do other days. I stay in gymnastics though because I love this sport. Its my lidfe practically.
she made it to the 2004 olympic trials, but broke her ankle. She didnt quit though she managed to get a full gymnastics college scholarship. So she is doing college gymnastics now but she is not a profeshional anymore
I was an elite gymnast I had to quit due to a stress fracture in my spine, but always did it because I love it not because my parents wanted me to. I never got bribed to do it. And I dont think that the gym makes you a good gymnast its your talent and coach its a pair you have to make.
@randomness132 gymnasts want to do it. The bribes are simply in aid. If I had trouble learning a new skill, learning that I would get a prize for it only made me work harder for it so that I could gain more pride in myself. Its seen across sports, like how many parents got their kids something for a goal in soccer?
If my brother or my sister wanted to be in the olympics and did a sport as demanding as gymnastics i wouldn't be jealous at all i'd want them to win all the time and i wouldn't be saying my dad gives him everything on national tv.
I don't think it was that shocking it seemed kinda normal . Yes shes proud of her sister but her parents probably pay the most attention to Nicole without paying attention to her sister and thats probably whats making her jealous .And i thin that happens quite often to children .
ya i believe tht gymnastics and figure skating r the most beutiful, demanding, and hardest sports u can do. they r the only sports where u practice 36 hours a week. i always tell ppl tht and they nvr quite understand. they say tht volleyball or football is a lot harder! YA RITE!
i do gymnastics and whenever i said i dont want to do something, they were totally supportive. whenevr we are told about a competition, they ask me if i want to still do it first.
If the parents have to bribe their kids to stay in gymnastics then it's a dead end road. The kids will never be the best unless they actually love the sport, even the tough training and conditioning.
this how my friend is she goes to parketts shes on level 9 and her names meredith but she goes like 6 hours a day and shes home schooled now but shes a really good gymnast
im guessing they are pretty much clueless when it comes to gymnastics and they have no idea that the fact that they keep giving her stereotypical things may be the only reason why the kid is doing gymnastics
haha i love how when the moms like "one day she goes into the gym and has an excellent practice", the girl grins, and then the mom goes "the next day its, ya know, crying" and the girl drops her grin like THAT.
i started when i was 2, but had to stop because we moved to italy. i continued for a few years there, but it wasn't the same. a girl i trained with before we moved went on to train for the olympics but quit because of the pressure. even tho i dont do gymnastics training anymore i'm still really flexible and i think it keeps you in shape for life.
the coaches have different styles of coaching so how hard they work is different for everyone. Shawn Johnson only practices about 4 hours a day and as you can tell she has worked really hard to get where she is
Why do you need to work so hard? The most important thing is to have fun! Even if you love it so much that you just can't leave the gym, you still can't work that hard because overworking can probably cause injuries. Look at Shawn Johnson, Sam Peszek and Briget Sloan. IIRC, they all go to public schools and have rather normal life.
whoah! 1and 1/2. i started wen i was 9 at commerce city but i am level 9 now. the coaches said i had a lot of natural talent 4 the sport.i have permanent ankle problems in both feet. it is the best sport int eh world though.
This comment has received too many negative votesshow
you silly pysciatrist(on the vid) the girls do not develop add or whatevs coz of elite gymnastics...it gives us so much structure, work ethic and responsibility and add is caused by too much time and being bored and retarded...we are NOT retarded!
im an elite gymnast and I do school and let me tell you im in the gym for most of the morning and then school then gym then homework then sleep I get up do it again and its hard im not a straight A student its hard
okay i read some of the comments and they honestly made me frustrated. if you're not a gymnast you don't understand. you can't assume things like "oh they have no life" or "stupid parents" etc, gymnastics IS our life. yeah, maybe we miss out on other stuff but not very many get the experience we do. its hard. its not always fun. but its what we do. and you won't understand, you can't understand unless you are a gymnast.
ya well.... im not a gymnast but i'm a nationally ranked tennis player and spend 5-6 hours on the court a day and am homeschooled. and i completely feel the same way as you do. tennis is my life. and when people tell me that i have no life, its like "yeah, but i'm lucky to have the opportunity to be so committed to a sport" it's what i do, and in the long run, i may miss out on a normal childhood, but it was worth it
hey I was a gymnast, a pretty good one at that. I may not have gone to far, only provincials (I'm from canada), but I made
1st in provincials. I'll agree that standing on that podium, taking that trophy, everyone cheering for me, I've never felt so good. Years later I still remember that feeling. But some of these coaches and parents in gymnastics, they push you too far. Like how many people have competed with broken bones? My knees and ankles now are so messed up, I have a hard time standing.
I do feel that if you want to compete and travel to the olympics, if thats your dream, don't let anyone try to stop you, but don't sacrifice your health. I never understood what I was doing to my body, and I'm paying for it now, and will the rest of my life. I'm 23 now, and like I said, I have a hard time standing up sometimes because of the intensity of my training. I love the sport and still watch it when I can, but if I were to do it again, I would train differently.
im like nicole. i get sooo frustrated with myself sometimes
redrock54100 1 month ago
That doctor at the beginning is talking garbage... I have ADD, and instead of taking medication, I do a competitive sport. It gives me an outlet, and something to work for. The pressure and desire to win actually helps me focus and makes it more fun.
xxJodelleFerlandxx 1 month ago 2
i feel like nicoles parents favored nicole
tatulover2120 3 months ago
7:17 "emotional bull...baloney." he was gonna say bull shit!
tatulover2120 3 months ago
I must say this, without any "paedo" intent, Nicole Harris had a beautiful body as a gymnast; perfect proportions, perfect for gymnastics. I am a gym coach, so I know what I am talking about ok?
ralucagymnast 5 months ago
@ralucagymnast Also what kind of coaches, when they could see that Nicole was OBVIOUSLY afraid of the whip into double pike would say "unbelievable" when she didnt do it????Positive reinforcement, where is it???And why the HELL wasnt she being spotted on it??Same with Sharky(later on in the programme) when she does her double layout; again, she was obviously not confident doing it, yet her coach said she didnt need to be spotted on it????Elena Mukhina anyone??:(
ralucagymnast 5 months ago
@ralucagymnast Elena's coach, mens acrobatic coach the late Mikhail Klimenko's work ethic was "its not that you cant do it, you dont WANT to do it":( And look what happened to her; he didnt understand that she was tired, sick, afraid, nothing mattered but doing the skill, whether you were afraid or not; the girls do the skills because its what the coach wants, and thats all that matters:(
ralucagymnast 5 months ago
@ralucagymnast what gym teacher would talk like that..... OK??
jukodebu 5 months ago
at 7:17 he the coach was gunna say bull shit but instead he said bologny LOL.
gymnasticsxoxogirl10 6 months ago
@ AlioH89 she qualified in 2004 but broke her ankle so she didn't go
aquaholic1004 7 months ago
Lol Dave "emotional bull-uh, baloney" XD
aquaholic1004 7 months ago
I think the attention of this CNN Doc probably did way more harm then good. CNN probably looked at that for a minute but looked at the money and decided to hell with harming the kids lets go for the ratings and money.
ccjohncc1 8 months ago
Does anyone know what happened to Nicole? She never made it to the Olympics did she?
AlioH89 8 months ago
@AlioH89 she made the 2004 Olympic trials, and even became the 2nd alternate for the 2004 American Olympic gymnastic team, but she injured her ankle and got replaced :( none of the girls shown here made the Olympics...
xoxogossiplauren 6 months ago
Parkettes is giving a false lie to the sport! Making it seems like it's something horrible when it isn't like that. And btw, look at Nicole Harris now, she is a nothing, never made to the bog shots because they burned her out! I have pitty for this gymnast b/c she oculd have really been something but became of nothing all because they belied in a false lie the gyms portrays just like every person who is there
Zaria816 8 months ago
@Zaria816 She didn't burnout... she actually was very very good in 2004 and was chosen as part of the team but brokeher ankle in practice and they put the second alternate in her spot. She then went on the collegic gymnastics which is still a very big accomplishment....Get your facts straight she never burned out!
Gymprincess2400 7 months ago
Talk is cheap? Is that what her coach said? Gah! It's coaches with that kind of attitude that's ruining the sport.
frogge12 8 months ago
uhhh..... 3:15 your a little bit too close there buddy back off !!!
orangelavalamp77 8 months ago
@orangelavalamp77 it's called stretching them. get your head out of the toilet.
Puppylovr81 8 months ago
@Puppylovr81 ahh hello i'm a gymnast too
really? get your head out of the toilet. really? that was a horrible comeback
orangelavalamp77 8 months ago
@orangelavalamp77 wasn't meant to be a comeback dumb a**
Puppylovr81 8 months ago
my brother is 7 years old and hes going 2 have his first gymnastics competition this saturday, so cute!!!
catlover5342 9 months ago
but they don't or they wouldn't be olympians
tabruhs 9 months ago
You have to push athletes I guess it's hard to understand when you haven't dedicated your life to a sport, you want to push yourself and if a child feels they have to be winners or their nothing thats how their raised there are lots of kids who get scholarships and are happy with that. And their not bribing her but rewarding her, by all means you should encourage and reward your child if they put that much dedication into something. Ask an olympian were there times you felt like giving up but
tabruhs 9 months ago
at 3:22 around there,yepp thats my coach he is tough,he can be mean, but he loves us he wants ud to go far and we respect that cause coaches aren't here to be your buddies,their there to coach you and make your the best you can be, i love him he is the reason i am a level 7 and 8 regional camp(:
twistter12 10 months ago
champ*
twistter12 10 months ago
Maybe I am just being annoying, but I seem to notice how Shawn Johnson, the world champion, only trains 4 hours a day, yet parents and coaches constantly push gymnasts extremely hard for 8 hours a day, which is longer than other children are in school. Just doesn't make sense...
purplelover9194 10 months ago
@purplelover9194 Shawn is maintaining at this point she is very skilled gymnast these girls are building their skills still
tabruhs 9 months ago
@purplelover9194 she trains very differently though. Once she's in the gym she doesn't stop except for maybe a 5 minute break for a snack.
LMA629 9 months ago
I feel bad for Nicoles little sister - that must suck. But heres what I honestly think: Parkettes has failed to realize that their coaching techniques are not the best. Sure, they've had some success with some gymnasts but most did not get as far as touted - Kristen Maloney got the farthest and her Olympics were bittersweet. Parketttes gymnasts were always overrated and I wish someone there would realize it! Also, I've competed there and their equipment isn't the best -.-
TwisterFlipp95 11 months ago
@TwisterFlipp95 Kristen was also rumored to have an eating disorder; that, to me, doesn't indicate success in any way, shape or form. If anything, that's a huge failure by way of the coaching. No sport is worth permanently damaging your health.
tmwalkerm 10 months ago 13
@tmwalkerm rumors are rumors don't spread them unless you have facts please
tabruhs 9 months ago
@tabruhs whatever you say, but you realize that this entire message thread is rumors right? Unless you were there during the taping of this documentary, its not fact, its rumor and he said/she said. I'll say what I want about the sport, its my opinion, rumor or not. Kindly kiss my ass, thanks.
tmwalkerm 9 months ago
I had coaches like this, thats why I quit. It was horrible i was beyond miserable
peaceluvcheer97 11 months ago
when i was 12 i burned out. it was too much. but now i play basketball on my high school jv team and loving every minute out it. but gymnastics teaches u things no other sport can but too much is just too much
athleticchik2 1 year ago
Is it her dream... Or their's??? EXACTLY!!!! I admire these talented girls BUT are they being pushed too hard by their parents? Sport should be fun and enjoyable, and when it becomes more then that, it's time to stop.
petalovespongy 1 year ago
i like the way she says mad at 3:59
jessicacarmon 1 year ago
@jessicacarmon me too!!!
xoxogossiplauren 1 year ago
i go to that parkettes and ive sprained my elbow on the tramp at 2:55 three times!!! i sprained an ankle tripping over it! THAT THING IS CURSED!!!!!
killMe4muffins 1 year ago
YOU CANT BRIBE SOMEONE TO DO SOMETHING AS MENTALLY CHANGELLING AS GYMNASTICS. IT HAS TO COME FROM THE HEART!!!
Freakazoidz1 1 year ago
If a child is that competitive and driven I would worry about whether they are getting obsessive or compulsive. I don't think I would assume that it's a healthy thing for them. I suspect if they were working as hard as that I would probably pull them back from it somewhat... Some drive may be healthy, but I'm not convinced that the amount those kids have is healthy. I kind of doubt I'd let a child of mine get into a competitive sport at an elite level, even if they did want .
junbh2 1 year ago
@junbh2 so is that what you'd tell an olympian? you are not healthy because you put too many hours into this sport? just wondering
tabruhs 9 months ago
@tabruhs I might, yeah. But it depends on the person and the sport and what they did to get to the Olympics. And how old they were - if they were an adult I`d be much more inclined to accept their choices. And some sports seem to allow you to get to high levels with a more healthy degree and kind of training. But from what I see about gymnastics... I am not really convinced it`s possible to get to the Olympics in a healthy way.
junbh2 9 months ago
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junbh2 1 year ago
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junbh2 1 year ago
I was on the Olympic squad 2000 but pulled out early 1999 due to several major injuries before competition.I was asked to coach the Parkette elite team for 2 months whilst a coach was on leave about a year before this documentary was made. I got the opportunity to work with Nicole who broke down once and told me that she was very stressed out. I formed a very good relationship with her causing her to confide in me. Other coaches make no attempt to become friendly and kind to their gymnasts. xx
littlemisstapdance 1 year ago 3
Nicole's weak technique is evident during that second tumbling run. Her second whip is too high and I'm surprised the coach did not spot that one up. Weak technique.
espinaca79 1 year ago
The home schooling thing is disturbing too.. Are they getting much of an education?
They have little time for real school work, they have to get good enough to use it to get into college because they will not get good SATs..... they are learning to be obedient and not to think and question. The Romanians have school together and to a high standard, including English lessons.
emmyjo720 1 year ago
@emmyjo720 did you know the Romanians also live in their training center and can only see their families a couple times a year? You are unbelievable!! The homeschooling IS real school work. Parkette gymnasts are known to get scholarships to excellent schools like UCLA, Stanford, Utah, U of Georgia, etc. Get your facts straight if you wanna talk shit!!!
comanecisalto1 1 year ago
@comanecisalto1 The Parkettes coaches make B & B look cuddly and kind,
I do know how the Romanian system works, they are now limited because people are less keen to sent their children there, They also have classroom education at Deva, they study together it is not an afterthought. . Most of the top US gymnasts went to normal high school, the burden was not on parents already financially stretched paying huge fees to Parkettes, who will have less money coming in due to homeschooling.
emmyjo720 1 year ago
@emmyjo720 i know her parents background, they were pushed by their coaches, her mom was injured when it was"her" Olympic year. But not just me but my family, can never say bad about them. We know a lot of people in this gymnastics world and they are some of the nicest kindhearted people you will ever meet.
VintagexGlam07 1 year ago
Pushy parents are the bane of every sport... In tennis Andre Agassi, Martina Hingis, Andrea Jaeger, Mary Pierce and Steffi Graf were all vicitms of mad parents.
Gymnasts that make it and are happy don't need bribing or bullying so much...Nastia Luikin could have been pushed but she was loved too, not pushed until she was injured and peaked at the right time. Parkette's is money making corparation, the best gymnasts do better in their local gyms.
emmyjo720 1 year ago 3
@emmyjo720 Nastia wasn't pushed into the sport/ to continue in gymnastics. they were gymnast and didn't want her to do it.
VintagexGlam07 1 year ago
@VintagexGlam07 I said could of been pushed but I never thought she was forced. Her parents never forgot that they loved her and her welfare is the most important thing. Valeri Liukin seems to be an exemplery coach, he and his wife were brought up in the harsh Soviet Union, he clearly wants better for his daughter and Rebecca Bross too. Shawn Johnson's coach is terrific too, I can't see Shawn Johnson tolerating being talked to like that.
emmyjo720 1 year ago
@emmyjo720 she hasn't been pushed either. I have meet them many time before the 2008 and way before she had an ankle injury and everyone started to count her out and said she wouldn't come back.We use to go to the gym a couple of time a year, for meets they wanted my brother at their gym but at the time it was way to much for us to move down there, and their would have been big changes not just for my brother but the rest for the family, meet Rebecca is a sweetheart one of the nicest people.
VintagexGlam07 1 year ago
I beg my mother to take me to the gym. I live for after school everyday, where I can go do gymnastics. It should never be anything other than that.
free2write26 1 year ago
man fucking coach your killing her
miracutie11 1 year ago
Doesnt Nicole have a gym in her old town??
EleanorsGymnastics 1 year ago
@EleanorsGymnastics Kristal Uzelac has her own gym. But i don't think Nicole Harris does
VintagexGlam07 1 year ago
um Kayla Stark was competing level 9 in 2003 when this was filmed; thats not on the brink of becoming an elite....
comanecisalto1 1 year ago
gymnastics is fun but sometimes their pushed too hard and it gets tough but all in all gymnastics is fun
webkinzluver67 1 year ago
i was an elite gymnast 1998-99, and my mother was the same way! i was pushed to my limit and back on a daily basis. it didnt matter how good i did at a meet, it was always, you could have stuck that , or your legs were bent, or that as ugly! it was never , you did a good job. my last meet, i had planned to throw a full- in in a tucked position, but my mom said, i dont care what your coach says, pike-it. i did, and i under rotated and shattered my right ankle . that was it for me.
justin1gibson 1 year ago
There is a difference between encouragement and bribery. This makes me sick to watch these parents.
mistressmandy4589 1 year ago
The real problem with Parkettes is their coaching methods. The "she pushes them as hard as she thinks she can push them" is the type of coaching that was done in the 70's/80's before the gymnastics studies came out about depression, eating disorders, post-stress etc. For instance, why would a coach repeatedly watch a gymnast fail at a skill? Nicole was clearly afraid to go for the double pike why didn't she spot her? No wonder Parkettes has so many broken, injured, burned out gymnasts.
gymnasticsloverxoxo 1 year ago 65
@gymnasticsloverxoxo Agreed. The Parkettes have had success here and there - Maloney and Spivey, for instance, but overall they are known for burned-out, injured gymnasts with extremely poor form and technique. These coaches just don't get it.
BoraBoraGirl2001 5 months ago 2
@BoraBoraGirl2001 and what exactly should they get?
jukodebu 5 months ago
@BoraBoraGirl2001 Maloney was rumored to be anorexic, but of course they deny the crap out of that, and when she was well, she still looked burned out and exhausted.
tmwalkerm 5 months ago
@gymnasticsloverxoxo who was a broken gymnast?
tatulover2120 3 months ago
you shouldnt have to bribe a gymnast to keep doing it. They should WANT to do it
smileyfan16 1 year ago
was this in 2002?
swimmerhaha34 1 year ago
@swimmerhaha34 2003
jackie4529 1 year ago
@swimmerhaha34 i think so because nicoles dad said when she wins the gold in 2004
blokflip13 1 year ago
I think they should had told Nicole how to relax since she seemed to had lost any sense of that. I should say also that sometimes teen agers like like her really like to bring attention specially from their coaches.
espinaca79 1 year ago 3
Well, I trained for Swimming and went very far, I wish my parents would have bribed me because I had stellar J.O times and everyone who saw me said i could have been something but I was so upset I didn't get to be with my friends I quit... so, I burned out but to this day I think about what could have been! So, maybe a bribe or a hey it's just a phase you'll regret this one day would have been great!
ruhstorferfamily 1 year ago
nicols sister is very wierd and she probally gets stuff all the time but nicholes never home
TheSoccerstar45ify 1 year ago
i do gymnastics at level 8 and my parents never have to bribe me-i love it! but if iwanted to stop my mom and dad would supported my decision.
sophpez1996 1 year ago
Nicole's second whip is too high causing lost of momentum for her double pike. I wonder why her coach chose better to spot her double pike instead of helping her out with that second whip.
espinaca79 1 year ago
Nicole is a teenager she is still young.
HelloWsup 1 year ago
What's with the eyeliner-wearing dad?
spershall 1 year ago 29
@spershall He also wears an earing. Perhaps he is a darkie...
espinaca79 1 year ago
why are these parents so driven ! if they wanted this, they shoudl do it themselves and not force or bribe their daughters to do this !
NerdyLuverz 1 year ago
i agree with the good doctor ! structure is good but damnn let the child play in the backyard
joliedanza 1 year ago
i quit a few days before i turned 12 because i tore both my achilles tendons... hardest decision i have ever made and i still miss it to this day (I'm now 22)
KatherinefortheWIN 1 year ago
thats terrible. Bribbing her to keep going!? Thats terrible, if the little girl has to be bribed to compete and continue then she ovbiously doesnt like it.
glamour8dx 1 year ago
Bad parenting...
MichaelKanJohnson 1 year ago 4
i hate parents like that!! they r basically forcing their children to do it when they dont want to!! IM SO GLAD MINE ARENT LIKE THAT!!
MightyMouse1997 1 year ago
I am amazed we have a gym here! I never knew!
7anne95 1 year ago
Did the coach say "five different moods of nicole harris"?
gymnasticsloverxoxo 1 year ago
Kristina Coccia is on the gymnastics team at D.U
Puppylovr81 1 year ago
In the section about Nicole, her family moved and changed eveything to pursue her Olympic dream - it's undertandable she tried so hard and was so emotional in the gym! That's a lot of pressure!
spartyutube 1 year ago
I had Brenda as coach when I was in gym. She is fantastic!
OMG2991 1 year ago
I think this is a bit sick...I think Americans baby their kids too much and coddle them or tell them to quit when the going gets tough. Real athletes do the sport because of desire - not everyone has what it takes, but it those who quit because it isn't fun anymore never had the desire to become something great or real dedication
apluskel 1 year ago
To bad Nicole didn't go to the olympics... I feel so sad for her!! :(
gymlovr828 2 years ago 4
Ironically, Mrs. Uzelac's daughter, who also trained at Parkettes but wasn't in the documentary, burned out.
adventuregirl76 2 years ago 4
what istht a 1:07-1:08??
tasticpanda 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
This is my opinion ..but Nichole got big like full hips everything ... it's weird an sad ...
gymgirly1 2 years ago
@gymgirly1 haha nooo she sooo does not! BUT it might seem like it cuz she has such A TINY waist.
figureskater2004 1 year ago
saw nicole on tha tele at like some chapionships like only 3 months ago x
beth2chorleydrummer 2 years ago
What's Sharky's rea name? I live in Colorado and have gone to some of DU's gymnastics meets. I would just like to know what her real name is so I can see if I have seen her compete before or not
gymnasticslover23 2 years ago
im not sure but i think she switched to competitive diving instead u can c videos of her on youtube .: )
IzzyandSolly 2 years ago
I think you're talking about Annie Fogerty...not Kristina(Sharky)
PinkDancer96 2 years ago
Kristina Coccia...
PinkDancer96 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Sharkys real name is Kristina Coccia x
sharkytheponymadshar 2 years ago 2
It's weird. I am just like Nicole. Like exactly. I'm a level 9 gymnast in OK and I have barely any belief in myself, Most of the time I'm being told to just relax and believe in myself. It's hard. Gymnastics is a hard sport.
TheMitchellDavisLove 2 years ago
@TheMitchellDavisLove hell ya wen i did gymnastics i never thot i wuz really good
greyskies34 2 years ago
Gymnastics is so hard. There are days where I just want to cry because I can't do my vaults or I can't do a certain trick that I know I can do other days. I stay in gymnastics though because I love this sport. Its my lidfe practically.
gymnasticslover23 2 years ago
y would u bribe ur kid to do smthing thy dont want to do
olympiagymnastics23 2 years ago
she made it to the 2004 olympic trials, but broke her ankle. She didnt quit though she managed to get a full gymnastics college scholarship. So she is doing college gymnastics now but she is not a profeshional anymore
RabbitsRmyLife 2 years ago
i want to know whatever happened to nicole i wonder if she quit
16Deathwish 2 years ago
nicole harris competed for Arizona State University. She has since graduated and is coaching in california
AzHeatBabay 1 year ago
Comment removed
shelleydodt 2 years ago
they should fire that bullshit coach
bamagym 2 years ago
7:17 "you gotta fight through this emotional bull....baloney!" haha he was gunna say bull shit
tatulover2120 2 years ago 8
I was an elite gymnast I had to quit due to a stress fracture in my spine, but always did it because I love it not because my parents wanted me to. I never got bribed to do it. And I dont think that the gym makes you a good gymnast its your talent and coach its a pair you have to make.
sexcchicky666 2 years ago 4
you shouldnt have to bribe a gymnasts to keep doing it
they should WANT to do it
randomness132 2 years ago 90
@randomness132 so true
DaShizz911 1 year ago
@randomness132 ya thats so true but i think she does want to and her parents are just giving her encouragement
webkinzluver67 1 year ago
@randomness132 well her parents want her to have the best.
TheRealBrittany24 1 year ago
@randomness132 gymnasts want to do it. The bribes are simply in aid. If I had trouble learning a new skill, learning that I would get a prize for it only made me work harder for it so that I could gain more pride in myself. Its seen across sports, like how many parents got their kids something for a goal in soccer?
alyahs 8 months ago
ya thats exactly what my life is like! hahhahaha
gymcrazy33 2 years ago
is there a parkettes hous now too ?? doo they still train there??
Latinadancedoll 2 years ago
yeah.......y wouldnt they...
tatulover2120 2 years ago
How old is Nicole in this documentary?
kayessgee5 2 years ago
14 I believe
GawkyBallerina 2 years ago 2
she's ten in this documentary
cheerhotti86179 2 years ago
No...she's 14. How could she hope to compete in 2004 if she was 10 in 2002?
auswriteratheart 2 years ago
o okk sorry i got confused..... thanks
cheerhotti86179 2 years ago
Meh, sok. We all get confused sometimes. :-)
auswriteratheart 2 years ago 2
Ncole's sister's jealousy kinda shocked me :O
If my brother or my sister wanted to be in the olympics and did a sport as demanding as gymnastics i wouldn't be jealous at all i'd want them to win all the time and i wouldn't be saying my dad gives him everything on national tv.
frankika1 2 years ago
I don't think it was that shocking it seemed kinda normal . Yes shes proud of her sister but her parents probably pay the most attention to Nicole without paying attention to her sister and thats probably whats making her jealous .And i thin that happens quite often to children .
gawjussbabee 2 years ago 6
"You know what your problem is? You care too much..." WOW do I hear this a lot at the rink! "RELAX!" Lol!
jessiekay16 2 years ago
This reminds me of figure skating. :) Love it! But some parents can get extreme.
jessiekay16 2 years ago
ya i believe tht gymnastics and figure skating r the most beutiful, demanding, and hardest sports u can do. they r the only sports where u practice 36 hours a week. i always tell ppl tht and they nvr quite understand. they say tht volleyball or football is a lot harder! YA RITE!
luvsmileycyrus 2 years ago 2
too bad Nicole never made it to the 2004 olympics
m203508009 2 years ago 3
i do gymnastics and whenever i said i dont want to do something, they were totally supportive. whenevr we are told about a competition, they ask me if i want to still do it first.
baybayv12 2 years ago
If the parents have to bribe their kids to stay in gymnastics then it's a dead end road. The kids will never be the best unless they actually love the sport, even the tough training and conditioning.
MySportsFanatic 2 years ago 2
exactly...it's pathetic...if they're bribing her they may as well pull her out...or she'll regret it down the track
anime2192 2 years ago
Those parents bribed their kid with bedroom furniture?!?
``If you don`t get first in this competition you`ll be sleeping on the floor tonight.``
That`s the WORST way to get kids to do something.
Gr33nkiwi 2 years ago 7
this how my friend is she goes to parketts shes on level 9 and her names meredith but she goes like 6 hours a day and shes home schooled now but shes a really good gymnast
GlitterGirls10100 2 years ago
they shuoldnt brib her to keep going
gymgirly009 2 years ago 25
im guessing they are pretty much clueless when it comes to gymnastics and they have no idea that the fact that they keep giving her stereotypical things may be the only reason why the kid is doing gymnastics
MikkyJ12 2 years ago
yeah that is probably it
gymgirly009 2 years ago
haha i love how when the moms like "one day she goes into the gym and has an excellent practice", the girl grins, and then the mom goes "the next day its, ya know, crying" and the girl drops her grin like THAT.
gymnast768 2 years ago
estan relocos estos yanquis, tanto trabajo para tan poco tiempo , pero vale la pena por un moneto de gloria?
raoc2001 2 years ago
i started when i was 2, but had to stop because we moved to italy. i continued for a few years there, but it wasn't the same. a girl i trained with before we moved went on to train for the olympics but quit because of the pressure. even tho i dont do gymnastics training anymore i'm still really flexible and i think it keeps you in shape for life.
july7nyc 2 years ago 3
the coaches have different styles of coaching so how hard they work is different for everyone. Shawn Johnson only practices about 4 hours a day and as you can tell she has worked really hard to get where she is
beccak121 2 years ago 3
Why do you need to work so hard? The most important thing is to have fun! Even if you love it so much that you just can't leave the gym, you still can't work that hard because overworking can probably cause injuries. Look at Shawn Johnson, Sam Peszek and Briget Sloan. IIRC, they all go to public schools and have rather normal life.
sqekcx 2 years ago 4
haha the coaches compair me to nicole!!
but its ok..shes my favorite haha = )
randompacsun 2 years ago 2
oh, do u go to Parkettes too?
purpleblob34 2 years ago
i did
randompacsun 2 years ago
Poparatiz, i am also 12. my bff in gymnastics has been doing the sport since 2 and we r both level 9s but i am 12 like u and she is 15.
puppylovr8 2 years ago
Kayla parents were very honest about the dilema parents of gymnasts face.
wwfah0 2 years ago 3
whoah! 1and 1/2. i started wen i was 9 at commerce city but i am level 9 now. the coaches said i had a lot of natural talent 4 the sport.i have permanent ankle problems in both feet. it is the best sport int eh world though.
puppylovr8 2 years ago
I didnt start till I was 9 and I'm 12 now I' a level 5 and there are girls in my class that ahve been level 5 for longer than I have been a gymnast
Poparatiz 2 years ago
do this or we'll take away your bedroom furniture and your hamsters
pattypaleface 2 years ago
When was this but on the air. in 2008 nicole was 17 and in this video she is 14. ( i think) so mabey in like 2005??
ymanoc 2 years ago
7:16 hehe!! "You gotta fight through this emotional bull...baloney" hehe someone was about to say shit lol!!!
tatulover2120 2 years ago 7
This comment has received too many negative votes show
you silly pysciatrist(on the vid) the girls do not develop add or whatevs coz of elite gymnastics...it gives us so much structure, work ethic and responsibility and add is caused by too much time and being bored and retarded...we are NOT retarded!
xoxogossiplauren 2 years ago
i want her Leo at 6:29 great vid 100/5
R34lH0pe 2 years ago 3
Thats what happened to my best friend she was a prospect for he olympic team but she got pushed to hard and gave up because she could not haddle it
barnbums123 2 years ago
This is sad.
iloveyourstory 2 years ago
No, it's really not.
I know for sure that your not a gymnast.
because if you were, then this would be old news to you.
prettyawesomegymnast 2 years ago
the parents want their child 2 go 2 the olympics not the gymnasts themselves
lil6ave 2 years ago
amen
iloveyourstory 2 years ago
omggg i feel exactly the same bt im not a gymnast im a fulltime swimmer
cooltastikmadi 2 years ago
did anyone see the documentary on tv?
tatulover2120 2 years ago
in like 2006 i remember i came back from gym and i saw like the last 15 minutes of it haha
corgilover7 2 years ago
im an elite gymnast and I do school and let me tell you im in the gym for most of the morning and then school then gym then homework then sleep I get up do it again and its hard im not a straight A student its hard
Nankoutchak 2 years ago 6
okay i read some of the comments and they honestly made me frustrated. if you're not a gymnast you don't understand. you can't assume things like "oh they have no life" or "stupid parents" etc, gymnastics IS our life. yeah, maybe we miss out on other stuff but not very many get the experience we do. its hard. its not always fun. but its what we do. and you won't understand, you can't understand unless you are a gymnast.
littlemissunshine99 2 years ago 9
THANK YOU!
finallyyyy someone actually agrees with me! people have told me like, 'oh you have no life. just quit' it's not that easyyyy
gymnastt41 2 years ago 2
ya well.... im not a gymnast but i'm a nationally ranked tennis player and spend 5-6 hours on the court a day and am homeschooled. and i completely feel the same way as you do. tennis is my life. and when people tell me that i have no life, its like "yeah, but i'm lucky to have the opportunity to be so committed to a sport" it's what i do, and in the long run, i may miss out on a normal childhood, but it was worth it
buttonsandclouds 2 years ago
thank you for that truthfull statement
tatulover2120 2 years ago
yeah...this is totally worth it! people don't understand what an awesome opportunity we get:)
littlemissunshine99 2 years ago
hey I was a gymnast, a pretty good one at that. I may not have gone to far, only provincials (I'm from canada), but I made
1st in provincials. I'll agree that standing on that podium, taking that trophy, everyone cheering for me, I've never felt so good. Years later I still remember that feeling. But some of these coaches and parents in gymnastics, they push you too far. Like how many people have competed with broken bones? My knees and ankles now are so messed up, I have a hard time standing.
sk8erskid420 2 years ago
I do feel that if you want to compete and travel to the olympics, if thats your dream, don't let anyone try to stop you, but don't sacrifice your health. I never understood what I was doing to my body, and I'm paying for it now, and will the rest of my life. I'm 23 now, and like I said, I have a hard time standing up sometimes because of the intensity of my training. I love the sport and still watch it when I can, but if I were to do it again, I would train differently.
sk8erskid420 2 years ago
I already competed on a broken ankle but taking the trophy in the end is the feeling that takes away all the pain!
toniatonne 2 years ago