The history of gymnastics presented in this topic is a short summary of the development of the sport as it relates to the Olympic Games, but that is what spurs the evolution of club gymnastics.  New skills, workouts, equipment, and judging standards, are born of the drive to equal cutting edge routines introduced in World and Olympic competitions.   Competitors at this level are rare – “many are called, but few are chosen”.

We present this history to place our club and our gymnastics in perspective.  This is how we got to be a very large and popular sport, but very serious competition is only for those who choose and seek it.  It’s not for everyone, and we don’t try to make everyone do it.

The origins of gymnastics cannot be determined with certainty; however, most historical accounts begin with the era of the Greeks.  Some 3,000 years ago the Greeks, and a little later the Romans, were actively training for sport, health, and warfare.  As with most activities involving sports, the Greeks held major competitions called the Olympian Games which were held in honor of the Greek God Zeus. To Zeus, the display of the beauty, strength, agility, and skill of the human body was held to be especially pleasing.

The span of four years between the games was called an Olympiad, and the first Olympiad was the period following B.C. 776 (the names of the victors were published in Greek public records).  The Olympiads continued for about 1,200 years(wow!) and were finally banned by the Christian Emperor of Rome, Theodosius who considered the games a “pagan cult”.  The enduring nature of the Olympiads is probably linked to the Greeks belief that unity of mind and body could only be achieved through physical exercise.  They took this stuff seriously!

The ancient games were comprised of many sports activities including gymnastics.  Famous Greeks attended the games and some even participated in the ancient Olympic Games: the philosopher Socrates, Pythagoras, Plato, Aristotle and even the father of medicine, Hippocrates.  Plato (big time Greek Philosopher) was a double winner of the Pankration, which was an early form of martial arts, which combined wrestling and boxing.

The sport of Gymnastics was “reborn” in Germany (Artistic Gymnastics) in the early 1800’s by Friedrich Ludwig Jahn and is know as the “father of gymnastics”, as was the precursor to Rhythmic Gymnastics in Sweden around the same time. 

The modern era of the Olympic Games began in 1896 in Athens, Greece and 5 countries competed with Germany who dominated gymnastics.  The games have evolved during the ensuing years, and gymnastics today at the Olympic level is a sport which the Ancient Greeks would doubtless drop their teeth in disbelief at the skill and strength displayed.  Consider that today's average competitive level team girls are doing skills more difficult than the Olympians of the 1960s!  A scant 40 years has changed the sport immensely.