Stuff gonna 'splode

Inspired by special agent Infrafrenata.

I don't mean to rock the boat, girls, but...

After yesterday's wibbly-wobbly rant (that I started sometime after lunch, left, re-thought and then finished at nearly 10pm last night), I came to the conclusion that: Enough's enough. I'd really like to write an open letter to Gymnastics Australia. I, and others whose comments I've read in online communiqué, would very much like to ask GA in no uncertain terms to treat the fans and athletes with more dignity, and establish useful incentives [or at least, some damn good reasons] for following the sport by considering any or all of the following strategies:

* Updating their online news page. It's two weeks into the new year, people. Get it together. Your office has been in operation since last week.

* Providing more in the Media Releases than just news we've already heard a week prior about competition results. See next point.


* Allowing the gymnasts to speak for themselves. Don't get me wrong, Jane Allen makes for a credible and good-natured interview subject from what I've read, but she and national coach Liddick are the only ones we ever hear from. It's dull. Let us hear it from the horse's mouth. I'd rather know what the athlete him/herself thinks about their performance.


* Doing something to liven up competitions (and I don't mean just bringing out a cheerleading team. I think more people snickered at them than clapped along at Nationals). I was quite shocked at being ushered away the minute the Australia v China competition ended last year. Nobody got to hang around to catch a glimpse of the athletes. The only people encouraged to cheer there during the event were the little pockets of gym club members who'd come from interstate training centres. See, people like NCAA gymnastics competitions because they embrace the fan. They encourage enthusiasm. Their gymnasts are out for autograph sessions and meet-and-greets and photoshoots after the meet. It's a real team atmosphere and breaks down the barrier between fan and hero. Even during the actual senior national championships (the shamelessly-titled VISA Championships which are televised). Fans sport posters and t-shirts and have a grand old time of it. It's quite touching for the athletes, too, because they know there are people out there who are gunning for them. My non-gymfan friend Michelle came with me to Nationals last year. She thought that the people who yelled and cheered were distracting and frustrating. No no, I corrected her. If anything we need MORE of those people around. It only sounded odd to her because it doesn't get heard often (if at all). Meets in the US always seem so much louder because the crowds there are encouraged to encourage the athletes! I really loved the vibrant Chinese fans at the AvC meet, with "jiaoyou!" echoing in the corners of Vodafone Arena. There were less of them than Aussie fans but with the noise they were making you'd have thought it was the other way around.

* Treating international guests with more respect. Nationals last year saw the visiting Chinese team wandering around during the competition, unguided, not knowing where to march to when the rotations ended or where to stand when stepping off the medal podium. And please, no patronising photo shoots with furry marsupials.


* Treating the national athletes with more respect. Celebrating them and, I suppose, showing how proud you are to be associated with them (rather than just highlighting how answerable to you they are). On the WAG squad page at the GA website, Tain Molendijk's profile page is blank, Kerby Purcell's picture is missing and the ones that are already on there (save for the WAIS girls) look terrible. Several of them are passport photos and it shows. It would look better if the girls all had AIS trackies on and got a photo day together. They deserve to look their best when they're on show to the public. They deserve, to be honest, to LOOK LIKE A TEAM.

"ZOMG WE'RE BFF!" Come on GA, more of this please.

* As Infy puts it: Not treating us like mushrooms(!) as we pay good money to see the athletes perform at Nationals/duel meets (and the like), and if someone is absent or under-performing, we have a right to know why. It's unfair that our star athletes are kept at such a distance from us (AIS location notwithstanding) because it leaves us in the dark and lets all manner of unsubstantiated, mixed-message rumours fly around which are no doubt detrimental to the athletes when they eventually catch word of them.

* Hopefully not considering glitter velour tracksuits. Ever. That would spell the death of Australian gymnastics for me personally. Heck, this ain't USAG.

* Just because they haven't won major Olympic medals (yet), doesn't mean we can't make the team feel like they have already... or deserve to.


In the apt words of comedian (and delightfully gangly stud-muffin) Frank Woodley: Get a bit of brainage!