Grambling State News

Tickets still Available for Gymnastics Invitational and Exhibition on Sunday

GRAMBLING, La. – July 23, 2021 –  Young gymnasts of color from 23 states are at Grambling State University this weekend for the 5^th Annual Brown Girls Do Gymnastics (BGDG) Conference. Held at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center, the event is a collaboration between GSU, The Doug Williams Center and the Ruston Lincoln Convention and Visitor’s Bureau.

Dr. Trayvean Scott, vice president for Intercollegiate Athletics at GSU, said the university is honored to host the event, which runs July 23-July 25.  As more girls and women see themselves reflected in the faces of U.S. Olympics gymnasts such as Simone Biles, it’s time for a Historically Black College and University (HBCU) to begin offering the sport.

“There are no gymnastics programs at HBCUs but hopefully, with the right support, there will be one at Grambling [State University],” Scott said.

Jackie Fain, head gymnastics coach at Centenary College in Shreveport and a workshop participant, said Centenary gymnasts will be part of Sunday’s exhibition. She said giving young women of color a choice to attend a program at an HBCU and have that shared experience would be “amazing.” Currently, Black and brown women don’t have that opportunity.

Umme Salim-Beasley, head gymnastics coach at Rutgers University, said gymnastics has really evolved over the last 20 to 30 years. “There are gymnasts on the national stage that (young gymnasts of color) can identify with,” she said. “I think there will be another wave after the Olympics. Ten years from now, you’re going to be seeing them on the college level. It’s prime time for an HBCU to add gymnastics.”

The opening session of the conference featured a tribute to artistic gymnast Dianne Durham. In 1983, Durham won the all-around senior title at the women’s U.S. National Championships, becoming the first Black athlete to do so.  Creating a precedent for future Black gymnasts, Durham served as a role model for three decades before gymnast Gabby Douglas made her mark.

Terry Matthews, interim chair of the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences (DFC), presented the first research and class participation case study entitled “The Legacy of Dianne Durham” in collaboration with The Doug Williams Center. Matthews was joined by Dr. Danielle Williams, GSU assistant professor of curriculum and instruction, at the conference.

Matthews said the project began with faculty member Dr. Suzanne Mynette Mayor collaborating with the center on as a way to engage students in research.

“With many hours of Zoom calls, emails and research, it was decided that we would pilot this case study in our Methods of Research Course,” he said.

Durham’s husband, Tom Drahozal, appeared via Zoom and said he appreciated the time spent on the project. “I want to thank everybody here for the work you’ve done to remember and honor Dianne,” he said.

Don Emmons, who is writing a book about Durham, said he too appreciated the work that has been done to help preserve Durham’s legacy.

The first day of the conference also featured a special message from the Olympics in Japan with a videotaped message to attendees from Laurie Hernandez, a commentator this year at the Olympics, and Simone Biles, a competitor.

Biles encouraged participants to “enjoy the next few days and always remember to have fun.”

BGDG founder Derrin Moore said the girls were “super excited” to see Biles and Hernandez deliver the message specifically to the BGDG conference. She said the goal of the event is to increase exposure and access to gymnastics among girls and women of color, provide mentorship to young gymnasts, and offer resources and information for parents.

Self-described gymnastics moms Saleemah Fahmi, of DeSoto, Texas, and Tonya Savage of Dallas, Texas, said their 11-year-old daughters have been involved in gymnastics together since they were 2 years old.

Savage, a graduate of Louisiana Tech, follows BGDG on social media. When she saw that they would be holding a conference at GSU, she knew they had to attend.

“It is not only offering guidance and information for the girls but also for the families,” she said. “And we’re at an HBCU so it’s like home.”

Fahmi, a graduate of Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU), said when their daughters first started out in gymnastics there weren’t many brown girls.

“It’s been refreshing (to see the increase) over the last few years, not just because of the athletes but because of the coaches,” she said.

Headquartered in Atlanta, BGDG’s mission is to increase access and expand outreach in the sport of gymnastics. The conference events for Saturday are sold out. However, tickets are still available for the invitational and exhibition on Sunday. Please visit http://www.browngirlsdogymnastics.com for details and ticket information.

Teams from Metroplex Gymnastics in Texas and Powermoves Gymnastics in New York will be participating in the inaugural event on Sunday. It is a sanctioned, judged competition featuring the vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor exercises.

The exhibition will feature members and former and current collegiate gymnasts. Spectators at the events must wear masks and practice social distancing. Seating is limited and attendees are urged to get tickets online at http://www.browngirlsdogymnastics.com or join via pay-per-view at link.gram.edu/bgdg.

About Grambling State University
Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university founded in 1901. The University has been accredited by 13 accrediting associations and holds accreditations in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. The 590-acre campus offers 43 undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Grambling State University is a member of the University of Louisiana System. For more information, visit gram.edu.