Gymnastics is a form of sport currently practiced for different reasons. People engage in this sport in order to compete in local and international competitions and to take part in special military operations. Some individuals engage in it as a hobby during their leisure time while others endeavor to achieve body fitness and maintain physical, mental, and psychological health. Gymnastics in Delaware is highly developed because gymnasts are trained by qualified coaches. This makes them among the best in the world.

The origin of the term gymnastics is the Greek language. When translated in English the word means to exercise naked. In the old Greece culture, exercises that were practiced in gymnasiums went by this term. Gymnasiums were the places of practice where men practiced with no clothes on. Exercises in gymnasiums were later included in Olympic Games. Most of the exercises fall in different fields today.

As a competitive sport, coordination, agility, physical strength, flexibility, body balance, and power are the aspects tested. Gymnastics is governed by an international body. The body has affiliations with all local bodies that govern the sport in various countries worldwide. The commonest and most popular category of the sport is artistic gymnastics.

There are different levels of training in the sport and each requires expertise of different levels. Level 5 is the lowest sanctioned competitive level in the United States. Besides level 4, participants do not compete at the lower levels because they are considered non-competitive. Some gyms hold competitions among members of level 4 because participants are required to excel in it before they can proceed to the competitive levels. The level 4 and the competitions it entails are meant to familiarize kids with competitions.

Both feminine and masculine events are included in artistic events. Feminine events include balance beams, floor exercise, uneven bars, and vault. On the contrary, masculine events comprise of high bar, vault, still rings, parallel bar, floor exercises, and pommel horse. The events may require individual participants or a team to accomplish. Others require both individual and team effort. The events are improvements of exercises done in Ancient Greece.

Gymnastic is comprised of many disciplines in which participants may participate. Trampolining, tumbling, team gym, and aerobatic, rhythmic, and acrobatic gymnastics are among the major disciplines available. The sport allows participants from different age groups with some being as young as 2 years. Difficulty increases with individual ability and age. The routines are physically exhausting although they take a short period of time. Participants are tested for endurance, strength, awareness of limits, and flexibility.

Some disciplines in this sport are strictly meant for women. For example, men cannot participate in rhythmic events at a competitive level. Participants are generally given a lot of freedom in the sport. Most of the individual and team exercises are selected by the participants although a few are compulsory. During performances, individuals can execute any move they find comfortable to.

Previously, scores awarded to athletes were limited to 10 points. However, with the introduction of a new scoring scheme, one can earn points without being limited by anything. Factors that influence points earned include difficulty, accuracy, and completeness of exercised performed.