Springfield College Men's Gymnastics Team in Mexico City, 1925

A photograph of the men's gymnastics team at Springfield College performing during exhibition in Mexico City in 1925. They have created a pyramid, with the top man standing with his arms spread wide. Spectators view the performance from the balcony.The gymnasts traveled nearly 11,000 miles through the United States and Mexico, visiting 27 states, and giving 40 exhibitions. Head Coach Leslie Judd and team Manager MacCullough worked especially hard to make this trip possible for the 1925 gymnastics team. The history of Gymnastics at Springfield College goes all the way back till nearly the founding of Springfield College in 1885, when Dr. James Naismith, the creator of Basketball, was an early SC Gymnast. Beginning in 1904, the SC Gymnastics team would travel to cities to perform their Gymnastics routines. At the end of their travels, they would perform a “Home Show” at Springfield College, a show they continue to perform to this day. It was during the reign of head coach Leslie Judd, widely considered a father of modern Gymnastics, that the Gymnastics exhibition team really gained a claim to fame. Under the leadership of Professor Leslie J. Judd, the purpose of the Springfield College Exhibition team was to promote and maintain an interest in gymnastics, dance, and the artistic phases of physical education in schools, colleges, YMCAs, and recreational centers. The Exhibition Team has appeared before thousands of spectators in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.Another copy of this photograph located in Springfield College Gymnastics Papers Box 04 in folder titled "1925 Photographs". The photograph is item 002 in the folder and has a diagonal tear through the photograph