Team Tampa Bay's Take with Joey Johnston: A Gymnastics Epicenter

By Joey Johnston

It’s a chance to be dazzled, amazed and star-struck by some of the nation’s most talented gymnasts. It’s a sneak preview of the athletes who are certain to become household names at the 2024 Paris Olympics. Who knows? You might even bump into retired legends such as Shannon Miller and Bart Conner at a downtown Tampa restaurant.

The sport’s crown jewel — the U.S. Gymnastics Championships — is coming to Amalie Arena on Aug. 18-21. The event will be broadcast nationally by NBC-TV, but the 20,000 or so fans who score tickets will have the best seats in the house.

Not only that, but Tampa will serve as the American gymnastics epicenter for the entire weekend. The Tampa Convention Center will host the annual gymnastics congress, held in accord with the Championships, where the sport’s officials, coaches, parents and athletes will participate in educational presentations and live demonstrations.

More than 2,000 congress attendees will learn about coaching, judging, business and marketing, sports science, fitness and athlete safety, while interacting with vendors who provide gymnastics goods and services. 

“It’s a completely amazing weekend and I am beyond thrilled that it’s coming to Tampa,’’ said Heather Wolf-Erickson, athletic manager for the City of Tampa’s Parks and Recreation Department, who oversees two gymnastics centers. “If you’re involved in gymnastics in any way, Tampa will be the place to be.

“Seeing the national championships is incredible in its own right, but it’s such a valuable learning experience each day with the classes and instruction offered to everyone. So many former Olympians now have their own clubs. You might have one of them sitting right beside you in one of the classes. It’s just a perfect showcase for the sport and I think we deserve it here in Tampa.’’

For the first time since Nashville in 2004, the event will be held in the USA Gymnastics’ Region 8 (Southeast). It’s the event’s second appearance in Florida (Jacksonville, 1985).

“Our community has a rich tradition in gymnastics and several of our local youth gyms have been in business for decades,’’ Tampa Bay Sports Commission executive director Rob Higgins said. “Whether you have a lifetime of work in gymnastics or you’re a new fan, this will be something great to experience.

“This event has been on our radar for quite a while and we’re thrilled to be hosting. We’re hoping it’s the start of a long-term relationship with USA Gymnastics. We are jumping in with as big of a gymnastics event as we possibly could host — the sport’s national championship. Not only is it about paying homage to decades worth of history in the sport, it will also help to solidify and promote the sport for the next generation.’’

The next generation looks solid.

When Wolf-Erickson arrived in Tampa some 35 years ago, there were about 50 kids involved in the city’s gymnastics recreation program.

Now there are more than 3,000.

“It’s an understatement to say we have a strong gymnastics community in Tampa Bay,’’ Wolf-Erickson said. “This sport can touch kids in preschool and some spend their entire youth participating in it. Once you love gymnastics, you never un-love it.

“To be a fan of gymnastics, I don’t think you need to be a former gymnast. It’s such a beautiful sport to watch, especially in person. It has just about everything — accomplishment, hard work, grace, athleticism, drama. It’s such great theatre.’’

Whether it’s the vault, the balance beam, the uneven bars, the parallel bars, the horizontal bar, the pommel horse, the rings or the floor exercise, it promises to be a high-flying show that will crown the nation’s best in each apparatus, along with the individual all-around titles for the women and men.

Amid the backdrop of Champa Bay — a community accustomed to hosting the Super Bowl, the Stanley Cup Finals, the Frozen Four, the Women’s Final Four, the NCAA Volleyball Championships, the NHL All-Star Game, conference basketball events and football bowl games — the U.S. Gymnastics Championships seems like a natural.

“The people in Tampa really get it and know how to put on an event,’’ USA Gymnastics President and CEO Li Li Leung said. “I know the right energy will be created and they will get fans in the stands. It’s a community that is so welcoming and so willing to be collaborative. We’re so excited to be coming to Tampa.’’

Likewise, Tampa’s civic officials are predicting an exceptional experience for fans and the gymnastics community.

“Not only will this event provide fans with the chance to see some of their favorite athletes from the 2020 Olympic Games, but it will showcase this truly incredible sport,’’ Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said. “We know that gymnastics builds strength and confidence. We can’t wait to see these athletes perform!’’

“This region of the country has not hosted the U.S. Gymnastics Championships in 18 years, so this is a really big deal for us to have the opportunity to work with USA Gymnastics to roll out the red carpet for their crown jewel event,’’ Hillsborough County Commissioner Ken Hagan said. “We always love having the opportunity to host some of the best athletes in the world. Hillsborough County is no stranger to hosting big events.’’

Higgins said the U.S. Gymnastics event is especially appealing because it’s a new venture for Tampa.

“It has been quite some time since we’ve hosted elite level gymnastics, so there’s a lot of pent-up demand for it,’’ Higgins said. “One of the great benefits of hosting major events is the opportunity to showcase your hometown for a whole new audience. Some people have been here and can see how our community has grown. But we’ll have some who might be making their first visit to Tampa.’’

According to Wolf-Erickson, gymnastics fans can expect a treat.

“Those of us in Florida gymnastics are used to traveling for this event, so it’s great to have it in our backyard,’’ Wolf-Erickson said. “There will be a ton of people excited about traveling down to Tampa. Not only will they see great gymnastics competitions, but they’ll get to experience everything our community has to offer. I’m super excited about it.’’

Santiago Corrada, president and CEO of Visit Tampa Bay, is excited as well. He’s accustomed to utilizing sporting events, conventions, meetings and trade shows to boost the area’s tourism. He sees the U.S. Gymnastics Championships as another prime-time showcase.

“It’s not just the excitement of watching these athletes and having another large-scale sporting event in our backyard,’’ Corrada said. “It’s the exposure Tampa will get during the broadcast. It’s all these visitors getting to experience our Riverwalk, our downtown, Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium, our beaches, our restaurants, our people.

“We are great hosts and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission is the best sports commission in the country. I can’t tell you how many times I hear, ‘I came to Tampa for an event and it’s my favorite destination. I want to keep coming back.’ Those experiences can lead to relocations of businesses and relocations of people. We live in an extremely desirable destination. Being able to host the U.S. Gymnastics Championships is another feather in our cap and we can’t wait until it comes to town.’’