Just yesterday I found out my old gymnastics coach was arrested for downloading Child Pornography on his computer. It has been plasted all over the news and Internet. Jeremy was the best and is the best gymnastics coach out there. It is so sad to see people jumping all over him and making him out to be a monster.
I remember when we fist started going to see Jeremy at OGA my junior year of high school. After taking numerous private lessons (spending thousands of dollars and hours in the gym) from coaches in the area I still couldn't tumble, I had ability but my mind wouldn't let me throw my body upside down. OGA was almost an hour away from Clackamas but Kristin had found this great tumbling coach and wanted us to go there. He yelled at us he made us cry, but guess what I finally was tumbling on my own. He was confident in me so I was too. Parents fought Kristin on the drive for years and I believe they didn't go after she quit (maybe that's why they got last in state that year...) but when I joined the coaching staff I stood by her and insisted we go there. I got my mini bus training and drove the girls myself to take the burden off parents. I even insisted on having my girls train directly with Jeremy because it wasn't worth the drive if he wasn't the coach. Jeremy teaches a different technique that makes total since. Last year my youth kiddos went to a local gym and they tried to teach them back tucks before really perfecting their round offs (really...). We finally towards the end of the year had a new coach who focused more on the things they needed to work on but it honestly felt like a waste.
When I think about children being abused and addiction and all those bad things out there I always wish there was more prevention before hand instead of fixing it afterwards. So in this case I understand why they have taken Jeremy out of the picture and don't want him with children. I believe porn can change the way you think and maybe Jeremy would have never done anything to anyone, but porn and addiction itself can lead to scary things.
He is selling his Top Notch Gymnastics Gym (if anyone is interested) and they will hopefully reopen next week and be able to continue to train. He has taught all of his coaches his techniques but it just wont be the same without the hat flying across the room because you won't throw your tumbling.
I saw Jeremy a few weekends ago at a competition. He still remembers me from when I was in high school (he mixes me up with Lara sometimes because we are now both coaches and both have red hair). He went to nationals with us and helped us train in Disney Land, he was there when I got in a car accident after a tumbling practice, he is just an all around amazing person. He was doing so great their cheer program has never been that awesome and this year they really looked good and were fun to watch. He told me he highered some new coaches and things were going great for him.
Last night I helped out at the Junior High practice and afterwards some of the parents were asking if we would be attending tumbling in the off season. Although all of that is still up in the air it really makes me sad that the parents don't even want their kids at the gym (they had a different coach than Jeremy). People are so quick to judge and I really hope the story continues and things turn out well for him and he gets the help he needs.
Jeremy is someone people look up to and admire he's a god in the cheer world. I still absolutely love him and thank him for finally getting me over my fears and giving me the ability to tumble.
Oh ya it's state this weekend and no one can train for tumbling at least all the top teams train with him so it will be even playing ground:) It should be an interesting line up OC killed it at our comp, Westview and Wilson have been battling it out, and Clackamas has a state title to defend! Go Cavs!
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