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Gymnastics has been in existence for more than 2,000 years. Its development as a competitive sport began just little more than 100 years ago. During the 1800's, mass and individual exhibitions were conducted by various athletic and school clubs, as well as ethnic organizations, like the Turnvereins and Sokols. While it was slow-growing in the club area, it was fast-growing sport in the Turnvereins and Sokols. In 1830s, the sport of gymnastics was introduced to United States and its school systems by such immigrants as Charles Beck, Charles Follen and Francis Lieber. Gymnastics as it is known today originated in large parts towards the end of the eighteen century. Gymnastics was introduced into the United States by a number a men and organizations. For some time the German system of gymnastics dominated the physical education programs in the colleges and high schools, particularly in those areas in which a large number of German immigrants had located. Later the Swedish system was introduced, and it soon gained its popularity. These two systems had many proponents but Americanized system of physical education, which combined some of the features of both, also gained a place in the programs of Physical education in the schools of America during the latter part of the nineteen century. During the early parts of the twentieth century the utilization of foreign systems of physical education was gradually eliminated and the type of physical education program currently in American schools and colleges gradually came into being. Charles Beck (1798-1866), introduced gymnastics as an educational program in Northampton, Massachusetts in 1825 at the Round Hill School. This marked the beginning of the German influence of gymnastics in this country. He left Round Hill in 1830 to go to another academy, and he eventually ended up at Harvard as a teacher of literature and he gave up physical education. The Round Hill School closed in 1834 for financial reasons. Charles Follen (1796-1840), founded the second American gymnasium and also introduced German gymnastics at Harvard University in 1826. He was originally hired to teach German at Harvard. He was noted for starting the first college gymnasium in America. Francis Leiber (1800-1872) took over Boston’s gymnastics in 1827 when Follen quit. Beck, Follen, and Leiber were among the many individuals who were instrumental in the physical education movement in the United States. In the early 1800’s, Beck, Follen, and Leiber, emigrated to the United States from Germany as political refugees and were instrumental in establishing programs of gymnastics at the Round Hill School in Northampton, Massachusetts; Boston and Amherst College, and Harvard University. Because these were among the first programs of physical education in the United States, the German system of gymnastics was introduced to the United States in its original form and it was given a head start as a system of physical education for the schools in the United States.
Approximate Word count = 1809
Approximate Pages = 7.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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