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Why Aren’t More Black People Interested In Gymnastics?
Is there a magical reason? Or is it something else?
“Black people do gymnastics? I thought only white people did that.”
This was a comment that I’ve gotten as a child. For a select population of males, this ignorant sentiment has also morphed into:
“Gymnastics is a girl’s sport. Only sissies and gays do that.”
These same people may also feel that way about boys doing all-star cheerleading, ballet or figure skating.I always found this sentiment hilarious because gymnastics is an extremely intense sport. The people who say that would immediately change their minds after one conditioning session and rethink what defines a “manly” sport.
Why Is Gymnastics Viewed As A “Girl’s” Sport?
The reason behind it isn’t crystal clear. Gymnastics is a sport that includes apparatuses that require strength, balance, agility, flexibility, endurance, and coordination. Things that can deeply benefit both males and females. The sport can be traced to the days of Ancient Greece and it was a training method to prepare the men for combat. When the modern Olympics began in 1896, only men did gymnastics. The women didn’t start gymnastics until the 1928 Games, so like most sports, gymnastics was intended for men.
