Little Girls in Pretty Boxes: The Making and Breaking of Elite Gymnasts and Figure Skaters

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Summary: Shocking and engrossing.
Review: I think most of the people who gave this book negative reviews are in denial. You can't deny how competitive women's gymnastics and skating are, and how much emphasis is placed on appearance and on winning (look at how Kerri Strug was basically forced to do a vault with a severely injured ankle in the 1996 Olympics--"shake it off," indeed). Even those of us who are merely spectators can see what a high-pressure situation it is, and you can't deny the truth of the stories of Julissa Gomez, Christy Heinrich, and the others. The author is not calling for the abolishment of these sports, just for some changes that might actually make competing a positive, enjoyable experience for the athletes. I hope coaches and parents of the athletes read this book and take it seriously, but most of them will probably deny that it applies to them. Highly recommended.

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Summary: There are a lot of pros and cons in gymnastics.
Review: I was a competitive gymnast for many years, and now I coach the sport. There are a lot of mentally abusive coaches out there, but on the other hand, there are a lot of good caring coaches. I teach preschool gymnastics, rec. gymnastics, and I coach competitive teams, and I strongly believe in self-esteem. It killed me to read all of the horrible things about gymnastics, but i've witnessed some nasty coaches, and I know this book has a lot of truth to it. I've been involved in the sport for 16 years now. Some gymnasts feel trapped in the sport, because their parents have poured so much of their time and MONEY, into the sport.

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Summary: TERRIBLE!!! ( I rated one star b/c it wouldnt let me put 0)
Review: I think this book is DISCUSTING!!! It bashes the famous Gymnastics coach (not to mention the best on there is), Bela Karolyi on nearly EVRY PAGE!! This book mekes me SICK!! I bought it and threw it out the very same day! Joan Ryan must have NO LIFE! Writing a book talking about how terribly HORRIBLE elite gymnastics and figure skating is! This poor woman must be sick! What IS this book??

Rating:
Summary: BOO!
Review: I think that this is a horrible book!! When I read it, I was on a gymnastics team, and had no idea that it was a book bout how bad gymnastics and figure skating are. Thanks a lot Ryan.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting in a terrifying way
Review: Being in gymnastics for a greater part of my life, I grew up having many of the girls discussed as my idols: Brandy Johnson, Betty Okino, Dominique Dawes, etc. I agree with the author in that we all want to have someone to idealize but when they aren't perfect anymore we don't want to know what happens to them. The stories of some of the gymnasts and what happened to them as a result of their gymnastics training is really scary. Especially the details on the deaths of Julissa Gomez and Christy Henrich. I couldn't even put the book down. It made me see the sport I spent most of my life in in a different light. Never will I look at a gymnast and not feel sorrow, not necessarily for them but for gymnasts in general, and what so many of them went through.

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Summary: government arts funding behind it
Review: This book is about government control of a good private industry-gymnastic dance schools, because government funded ballet schools are drying up and lost students to gymnastics. It is a tabloid trash rendition of rumors and unproved gossip, amid a few sad accidents which happen everywhere, ballet, football, skateboards etc. Beware of the government losers who want ballet funding to go forever, even when gymnastic and ice dance are far better looking and POPULAR! This book is so lame, none of the ideas about government can happen because it would just be more tax dollars wasted to monitor private education, which by the way is unconstitutional!

Rating:
Summary: Excellent but harrowing - essential reading
Review: In the UK, gymnastics and ice-kating do not get as much coverage as I imagine they do in the USA, but I have long been a keen follower of both, and I found this book fascinating. It is the kind of book that you do not know if you want to read - I wasn't sure at first whether I wanted to read it and find out the truth behind what we see of gymnastics on TV. I am so glad I did, however, because it had more impact on me than any other book has, and for this reason I have returned to it several times since I first read it three years ago. I am appalled at the lax regulations which especially govern the coaching of gymnastics. Going through the teenage years is difficult enough, but the effect being constantly belittled is very harmful, as is especially evident in the case of Kristie Philips. This book is very important in alerting people to what is happening behind the fairytale. Excellently handled.

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Summary: A not-so-pretty look at the world of gymnastics and skating
Review: Although one-sided in her approach, Ryan has written a book which forces readers to think about the young gymnasts and skaters that we celebrate. There is a demand for the more spectacular "stunts" because we, as the audience, crave it. Coaches are getting their students to do more and bigger in pursuit of the ultimate glory, and we are partially to blame. We have let this happen. We, as adults, need to take steps to protect the children of "elite" sports. This book outlines the bad that exists in the world of gymnasts and figure skating. Some critics of the book have commented that the gymnasts were able to make up their own mind and weren't "forced" to train, and that Ryan's book was unfair to the coaches. I think that those criticisms are unjust. We are not talking about grown women who are making the choices to train in the sport or not. We are talking about young girls, who feel an obligation to continue the sport because their parents have spent so much money on their training, travel and the rest, their "love" of the coach, and their dreams which can bring them to make poor choices, such as continuing to train against doctors' orders, not eating well and the other "training methods" outlined in the book. This is a disturbing book to read, but, one which I found difficult to put down. I would recommend this book. And after you have finished, I dare you to look at "women's?" gymnastics and figure skating the same way.

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Summary: This disturbing book is a wake up call.
Review: Although gymnastics is my favorite sport ( or should i say WAS) i always had a feeling that there was something "fishy" going on behind the scenes. i read the book hoping to educate myself a little more about the sport, instead i was shocked by some of the horror stories i encountered. More than anything i would just like to know if there are any drastic changes being made in the sport that can improve the negative reputaion it is all too deserving of. Such as a change in the code of points, more age & weight requirements ( higher to encourage healthier gymnast) and most importantly a change in coaching techniques. if there is anything we as a public can do such as begin petitions, or write letters to affiliations that have authority such as USA Gymnastics, Please let me know. I can be reached at the e mail address above. Thank You.

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Summary: Itz soo real it is almost scary!
Review: This is the best figure skating book i have ever read ! no one realized how much presure there is for sk8ers and gymnasts to be soo thin they could just break and ugh itz terrible !! READ THIS BOOK ITZ AWESOME!