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Malinda Just's avatar

I found your link through the article #79 on Play Makes Us Human. I'm so sorry you went through this! Before resigning after this season, I coached track and field for 12 years...and my goal was to give kids a positive experience no matter their skill level. What you experienced was terrible/abusive and I hate it...and I know you aren't alone in having bad (and worse!) experiences. It makes me angry and so sad.

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Selene's avatar

Thank you Malinda for reading my experience and for your words. I would love to meet a coach who prefers positive sport experience over the results. Hopefully I manage to find one for my child once she shows interest in some sport.

For me the issue is not only the trauma from my experience but also the relationship with sport activity in general. After many years I stopped excercising completely and I have a feeling it heals me, despite the fact that no one would ever give me such advice.

Thanks for stopping by, Malinda.

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Malinda Just's avatar

I hope that for your child too.

Unfortunately with trauma, I can see how you'd feel that way about sport activity in general…I'm so sorry 😞

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Lisa Tea's avatar

God, I'm so sorry, Selene. The humiliation and abuse sounds terrifying. Have you spoken to your parents about this horrific experience? If you mentioned that in the article, I missed it. 🫂

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Selene's avatar

Thank you Lisa for your reaction. From the standpoint I share in this article, no, I haven’t talk to them. But I am working on processing the huge resentment towards them. If someone is well aware of their child daily suffering and consider it good idea, they probably won’t open their eyes after so many years. As they are the responsible ones in this case, right?

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Punk Rock Pixie's avatar

What must be broken in a human to treat children this way? I'm sorry you suffered at the hands of this monster.

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Selene's avatar

There are many questions about adults in this long term situation that I am asking. I will probably write about different aspects of it someday. Thank you for your sympathy, Jan.

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Kelli Femrite's avatar

Thank you for sharing this. My daughter has dreams to do gymnastics in the Olympics. We just recently discovered she has a nervous system disability which makes it very difficult to follow any kind of strict rules/ demands (pda) so I was wracking my brain on how to approach gymnastics moving forward… until I found a special recreation association that accepts girls with disabilities for their special gymnastics team. I’m

So sorry you had to go

Through this horrific experience- and by sharing it I truly feel you’re helping yourself to heal even if you don’t see that. I run an indie publishing house and my

Mantra is “healing through storytelling.” Yours would make a very powerful story to share.

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Bri Hosack's avatar

Honoring your share 🙏🏼😢.

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Selene's avatar

Thank you, Bri. Sharing it was not easy but still easier than going through this useless hell.

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Bri Hosack's avatar

And hopefully sheds some insight that prevents another little girl from going through it!

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Laura Elizabeth's avatar

Wow. Lots in here that sound similar to my experiences being in dance, specifically ballet, as a child at a rigorous dance studio. I've thought recently about writing about my own experiences regarding that but doubt I could the story justice the way you did so beaufully here with your own.

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Selene's avatar

Thank you, Laura, for your compliment. I feel the connection among survivors of such abusive activities. Sending you a lot of strenght. I believe it is important to share such stories so people wake up and stop letting their children to be trapped and tormented like that.

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