Alabama-based HBCU Talladega College is shutting down its gymnastics program after offering the sport for only one year. The college announced its decision in a press release, saying the school doesn’t have enough resources to keep the program going.

“While the decision to discontinue the gymnastics program was undoubtedly difficult, we remain incredibly proud of our gymnasts, coaches, and their remarkable achievements. Their dedication and resilience have set a high standard, and their legacy will continue to inspire, Talladega College Interim President Dr. Walter M. Kimbrough stated according to HBCU Gameday.

Talladega College started offering gymnastics in 2023, making it the second HBCU school to have the sport. A year earlier, Fisk University was the first HBCU school to have a gymnastics program.

Talladega freshman Kyrstin Johnson, who won the USGA national title in vault earlier this year, talked about why the program is important for her.

“I feel like now that I’m at Talladega, I can actually be free to be myself,” Johnson told HBCU Gameday. “I felt like in J-O (junior olympics), I always had to pull my hair up or put it in a braids. I would see the other girls braiding each other’s hair, doing this, and I would be in the back struggling, trying to take off my bonnet, trying to lay down my edges, and try to make sure the part was straight in the back of my head. But now I can just do a wash and go. Let my hair out and flow and just do my thing out on the floor.”

 

According to WVTM 13, the school said it will offer assistance to students who want to transfer to another school and continue with gymnastics.

“I truly enjoyed the Talladega College gymnastics team this past year. Our gymnasts’ and coaches’ dedication, skill, and spirit have been nothing short of inspiring. I’ve learned so much from them about the intricacies and beauty of gymnastics,” Loretta Martin, vice president and athletic director, said according to WVTM 13. “While the decision to discontinue the program was incredibly tough, it’s clear that the strides we’ve made will ultimately strengthen Talladega College as a whole. Our gymnasts have set a high bar, and their legacy will continue to motivate us as we move forward.”

The gymnastics program at Talladega College will be officially closed on July 31.

UPDATE (7/15): Johnson and her teammates have shared a crowdfunding campaign to save the program. At the time of publishing on July 15, it had reached nearly $12,000 of is $500,000 goal.

The campaign description reads:

The Talladega Gymnastics Team – The 2nd HBCU Gymnastics team in the country. The 1st in the state of Alabama. The HBCU with the most National Qualifiers in a year. The 1st HBCU to win a sanctioned NCAA competition. The 1st HBCU with a USAG National Event Title.

With one hour to prepare, the Talladega team was told that the announcement would go public that their team would be no more. Tears in their eyes and sadness in their hearts, they congratulated each other on their accomplishments given the short time that they had. 24 hours later, they decided they weren’t taking no for an answer!

This fundraiser was created to show the world that Dega Gym is here to stay and the community is behind them 100%. We know that our goal is daunting, but without it we will be forced to put our education and athletic careers on hold. It is too late for our team to find homes. More than the aforementioned, we wouldn’t want to if we could. We set forth on a journey to make history and we are not done yet!

We have until July 30, 2024 to show that the community wants to keep this program alive! Let’s unite to keep the dreams of these young women alive. Together, we can make a difference.

 

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