Gymnastic Bodies and Organizations

When someone thinks of the sport of gymnastics and they’re not thoroughly involved in the sport, then it’s highly unlikely for them to think of there being governing bodies and organizations. In the United States, most fans of sports don’t really understand what goes on behind the scenes unless it’s a major televised sport. And there are only a few sports that fit into that category, which are football, baseball, and to a lesser degree, basketball and hockey. Since gymnastics is only really televised during the Olympics, that’s the only time that Americans care about it. And that’s really a shame, because they’re missing out on some amazing athletic ability and beautiful performances.

Despite not having the recognition like other sports, people who love gymnastics take their sport very seriously. The best part is that once you’re a part of the team, you’re in for life. As long as you respect the sport and the people in it, everyone will accept you. When it comes to gymnastics, everything is done in a professional manner. That is why several organizations have been created.

The sport of gymnastic came into existence in ancient Greece. It wasn’t until 1881 that the sport created an international committee. The Federation International of Gymnastics, otherwise known as FIG, was created to be an international competition committee. With the help of gymnastics being such a popular Olympic event and the right people at its backbone, The Federation International of Gymnastics has been running strong ever since 1881.

When it comes to solely the United States, USA Gymnastics is at the top. They are the sole governing body for gymnastics in the United States. USA Gymnastics was designated by both the US Olympic Committee and The Federation International of Gymnastics.

USA Gymnastics is in charge of all rules and policies put into place. They also select and train US teams that will be going to the Olympics or any other highly competitive and respected events. They’re responsible for promoting the sport, maintaining their resource center, and anything else having to do with gymnastics in the United States.

USA Gymnastics has over 110,000 members, including over 10,000 that are registered in competitive programs and 20,000 that are professional coaches and/or trainers. USA Gymnastics began with a staff of three and now has over forty people working for it. It is based in Indianapolis, Indiana.

A sport like gymnastics needs judges. Otherwise, the sport wouldn’t be very competitive. That wouldn’t be such a bad thing, since the ultimate goal is to keep yourself in great shape and to beat yourself and not others. However, we live in a competitive society where the winners are rewarded and the losers end up disappointed. That being the case, the National Gymnastics Judges Association was formed. It supervises gymnastic events in the United States, but only for men. The president is Dan Bachman. To keep judges at their best, the National Judges Association created a competition for their judges, basically to see who is the best at their job. In 2009, several judges were recognized for being National Judge of the Year, based on their region. Dan Wood won the west. Jim McKinney won the Midwest. Ron Hil won the Mideast. Len Lucarello won the east.

There are many other governing bodies, organizations, and committees for gymnastics. Some of which include the College Gymnastic Association (men’s only), the National High School Gym Association, the Special Olympics, the YMCA, and dozens more. There is even an organization for the coaches, which is the US Men’s Gymnastics Coaches Association.

If you ever have an interest in joining one of these organizations, there is often somewhat of a formal procedure. You will have to fill out an application, go on an interview, and then be evaluated by a board or committee. If you don’t get accepted, don’t get discouraged. There are many other options available. If you do get accepted, you will have an opportunity to add something to the gymnastics community.