National Gymnastics Day
As a parent, you’re always looking to find the right sports lessons for your children to enjoy. Tumbling or gymnastics might be of interest to your young one. You can always enroll your child in tumbling classes at All Sports Kids in Tamarac, Florida. Now’s a great time to talk about gymnastics, too, since National Gymnastics Day is just around the corner!
About National Gymnastics Day
The stunning acrobatics and physical flexibility that is gymnastics date back to the days of Ancient Greece. In those days, gymnastics and physical fitness were necessary for preparing soldiers for battle. Today, athletes aren’t concerned with wartime preparation, although they are usually preparing a routine for competition. Today’s gymnasts and tumbling students range in age and discipline and span the globe. Every year, on the third Saturday of September, they celebrate National Gymnastics Day.
The day wasn’t official until the late 1990s when gymnastic athletes gathered to collectively observe the sport and inspire new generations of gymnasts to join. Since that first day of observation, gymnasts from around the country have joined in the celebration. There are clubs, festivals, friendly competitions, and mass-enrollment events to showcase the sport and its many health benefits.
This year, National Gymnastics Day is on September 16th. To celebrate, gyms all over the U.S. will come alive with celebrations, festivities, and exhibitions. It’s the official day for enthusiasts, athletes, and fans to recognize the health benefits of the sport and the legendary performers that dominate their gymnast specialties.
History of Gymnastics and Fun Facts
Modern gymnastics, as you know it, is said to have started in Germany. German instructor Friedrich Ludwig Jahn is often considered the founding father because of his advocacy for gymnastics and tumbling as a revolutionary series of healthy exercises.
Here is a brief timeline of the history of gymnastics, dating back to the 1800s.
- 1881: The Federation of International Gymnastics was founded in Belgium.
- 1896: Gymnastics competition was introduced into the Olympic Games.
- 1928: A group of female gymnasts were allowed to compete in the Olympics for the first time.
- 1999: National Gymnastics Day came to be when a group of Olympic champs toured the U.S. to promote it.
- 2012: In a gymnastic feat for the books, 44,000 participants turned themselves upside down simultaneously to celebrate the day
- 2017: Chobani gave away 400 cups of yogurt to the gym winners of their Chobani Creative Cup Award.
Today, there are eight various apparatus used during official gymnastics competitions. The men compete on six, while the women compete on four. Both men and women both compete on floor exercises and on the vault. Women also compete on the uneven bars and the balance beam. Men’s gymnastic competitors compete on the parallel bars, the high bar, the pommel horse, and the rings.
More than 4,500 gymnastics events and competitions are sanctioned every year in the U.S., with more than 164,000 Junior Olympics and elite program athletes alone. Some of these top performers will go on to compete for a spot on the official U.S. team.
Did You Know?
In celebrating, enjoy some fun facts and spread the word about this iconic sport. Maybe even impress your friends with a few little-known tidbits about gymnastics.
- Some of the first tumbling and gymnastics routines involved the rings and the parallel bars.
- Women weren’t allowed to participate in the Olympics gymnastics competitions until the late 1920s.
- Today, only women are allowed to compete in the uneven bars and the balance beam.
- Students as young as two can begin preparations for gymnastic competitions.
- The Guinness Book of World Records holder for the oldest gymnast is German tumbler Johanna Quaas, who still practices gymnastics today at the age of 92.
- Today, it’s estimated that some 4.67 million people participate in artistic gymnastics globally.
- The 1984 Men’s Gymnastics Team was the first American squad to win gold at the Olympics in 80 years.
- Simone Biles is considered the greatest gymnast of all time after making history with her 32 Olympic and World medals.
How Can Parents and Families Celebrate National Gymnastics Day?
If you’re looking to get your child into gymnastics, start by celebrating. Here are just a few family-fun ideas to consider inspiring excitement and enthusiasm around the sport.
- Attend a local event near you.
- Coordinate a fundraiser, like a cartwheels-for-kids activity, for a good cause.
- Watch some past gymnastics routines on YouTube that won gold.
- Visit a gym or class as an observer to inspire enrollment.
- Practice summersaults safely in the backyard.
Introduce your kids to gymnastics as the basis for learning coordination, flexibility, and strength needed for a more competitive tumbling edge in the future. Whatever sport they decide to pursue, gymnastics offers a host of physical fitness benefits to prepare them competitively.
Benefits of Gymnastics for Children
If you’re still on the fence (or balance beam) about enrolling your student in a tumbling or gymnastics class, consider the countless benefits. Gymnastics can be a fun way to get your kids excited about all these fun and healthy exercises and sporting advantages.
- Gymnastics class helps kids prioritize health and fitness in a fun way.
- National Gymnastics Day festivities often host “fun” competitions for everyone to show off their abilities.
- Classes are a great way to make new friends.
- Strength building and flexibility are great foundations for young athletes.
- Gymnastics encourages focus, coordination, and discipline.
- It builds confidence and self-esteem at every level and ability.
- Gymnastics is a sport that requires both the right and left sides of the brain.
- Encourages kids to set and achieve goals.
Celebrate National Gymnastics Day by Enrolling in Class!
Visit All Sports Kids online and start browsing all the fun and exciting after-school, summer, and sports-related activities available in Tamarac, Florida! Call 954-746-5437 to inquire and enroll your child in a tumbling class. Tap into all the positive social and physical benefits of gymnastics.