Alumna Recalls Tumbling and Gymnastics at Grambling State University in the 1960s
Hopes history can help fuel plans for a gymnastics program in the future
GRAMBLING, La. – August 12, 2021 – Grambling State University (GSU) alumna Youlia Delafosse Rabon recently sat transfixed in her seat at the Fredrick C. Hobdy Assembly Center. She watched as young gymnasts took to the floor, vault, uneven bars, and beam – flipping, twirling, and more during the Brown Girls Do Gymnastics exhibition.
“Lord, I haven’t heard of tumbling and gymnastics at Grambling since the 1960s,” she said.
But that may change if Grambling State gets the support and partnerships to launch a gymnastics program. It would be the first HBCU (Historically Black Colleges and Universities) to do so.
Rabon is a fan of the idea, recalling the pleasure she and other GSU students got out of performing their acrobatic artistry in the 1960s.
“We were not competitive,” she explained. “We would perform at basketball games. We had the Grambling Lab School on campus and we would perform for the kids. We were very active.”
The thought of having a competitive gymnastics program at her alma mater is exciting, she said.
“It would give girls something else to do,” Rabon said. “I wouldn’t have known I had that talent if someone hadn’t seen that in me.”
As a student, the Oakdale, Louisiana native took tumbling and gymnastics as part of the curriculum at GSU. The physical education major, who graduated in 1966, said Dr. William M. Sanders was the gymnastics coordinator at the time.
“He kept a pommel horse outside his classroom door,” she said, referring to a piece of gymnastics equipment traditionally used by male gymnasts to perform various routines. “He would take students’ agility and flexibility and further develop them.”
According to Rabon, she and a group of about 12 male and female students would perform together at men’s and women’s basketball games. Using a trampoline and a springboard, they would do acrobatics to help draw spectators to the games. There were many different groups that performed over the years.
Rabon, who taught physical education to grades 9-12 for 33 years, said she would like to see GSU students get the same enjoyment out of gymnastics that she did more than five decades ago.
“I looked forward to performing,” she said.
About Grambling State University
Grambling State University, located in Grambling, Louisiana, is a historically black university that was founded in 1901. The institution has been accredited by SACSCOC, 13 associations, and in all programs required by the Louisiana Board of Regents. A member of the University of Louisiana System, Grambling State University has the academic strengths of a major university with the benefits of a small college. Offering 43 undergraduate and graduate academic programs, the 590-acre campus is home to world class athletics, internationally renowned marching band, and vibrant student life that enable our scholars to grow and learn in a positive environment. For more information, visit gram.edu.