Field Day/Tumbling Class 1929-1930 (Group C)

Tumbling Class Competition (circa 1929-30)

Scrapbook Page 54

Tumbling Class (circa 1929-30)

Scrapbook Page 53

Florida State College for Women Tumbling Classes

The female students at F.S.W.C. were pictured in a Tumbling Class in 1929-1930 as part of some of their field day activities that were planned. The ladies were seen in gymnastic poses like flips, jumps, somersaults, tucks, handstands and handsprings usually accompanied to some music and arranged into their performances. On page 54 of the scrapbook they ladies are seen being paired up with one another and competing to see which team could perform the best moves. On page 53 in one of the images(middle) one of the females is posing as if she was on the front of the Titanic which later became an iconic scene in the award winning movie. The students all were having some friendly competition with one another in the name of fun and celebrations.

Tumbling Beginnings and Future

Tumbling and other similar acrobatics have been around since the turn of the 20th century, but more equal participation was not prevalent for women especially in gymnastics and cheerleading until the 1970's with the enforcement and passing of Title IX regulations. Cheerleading started off in the 1920's and involves many of the tumbling exercises which are seen being performed by the female students in the above scrapbook pages. Tumbling and similar acrobatics as seen in the photographs are still sports that are in existence, but the ones chosen are low which end many young females dreams leading them into the more well known sport of cheerleading. Many of the activities performed during these Tumbling Classes became increasingly popular during surges in the 1920's and later 1960's and 1970's. In the earlier part women were becoming increasingly independent with a will for seperate female sports and leagues starting up in the earlier portion of the 20th century. With added funding later in Title IX many struggling sports became more easily accessible to women regardless of racial or socioeconomic statuses.

Now more than ever female sports participation is up some more than others, but there are still very scarce openings for women looking to be on professional teams of gymnastics or tumbling, while cheerleading is the more widely available sport in many academic institutions around the United States. Many female gymnasts look at cheerleading as a slightly less aggressive gymnastics they can resort to if the high intensity training required for gymnasts as well as prime physique are some aspects which are needed to perform more explosive moves. Hopefully a continued equal opportunity funding continues for such female sports as well as others so as to ensure the prosperity and traditions that have been started by some iconic female athletes throughout the golden years as well as more reformative years in the latter part of the 20th century. More attention should be kept on wider availability to potential female athletes wanting to compete in lower leagues but as well as college and professional sport leagues. Wider range of availability means programs can appeal to a larger than before anticipated crowd of female athletes wanting to compete against one another or as a team.