Turners Gymnastics
The history of the American Turner is intimately woven with that of the history of American Gymnastics. The gymnastics program started in Springfield, MA in 1845 and relocated to Agawam in 1968. The literal interpretation of the term "turnverein" is, in fact, "gymnastics club", and in the early 19th century German Nationalist Friedrich Ludwig Jahn (1778-1852), also known as "Turnvater Jahn" (German for "father of Gymnastics"), spearheaded a movement of organized, scientific physical exercise embodied by the motto "A Sound Mind in a Sound Body" as well as "Frisch, Fromm, Fröhlich, Frei" ("Hardy, Pious, Cheerful, Free"); this philosophy is still in practice today.
Additional info pertaining to Jahn and the Turners can be found within the following wikipedia article and the links contained therein (fascinating stuff).
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