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Dear Chancellor Birgeneau,

My son is a five year old gymnast. While it will be awhile until he is old enough to attend Cal, I'm sure the years will go by quickly! But right now, he loves gymnastics. Right now, he's learning teamwork, strength, agility, and flexibility. Although he is young, he's been in the sport for three years. He adores other sports, too, but when given the choice between other activities or training in gymnastics, he's chosen gymnastics every time.

My son's sixth birthday is a week away. The two things that he is most excited about are:

1) He will officially be old enough to compete in USA Gymnastics sanctioned events. He just started training with his gym's Level 4 team.

2) He has begged for - and will receive as a birthday gift - a pommel training mushroom to use at home. He already has parallettes and mats which he uses to practice at home.

It is come to my attention that the strong tradition of Cal Men's Gymnastics is in jeopardy of coming to a close. This news comes as quite a shock, and of course I am saddened because as the mother of a youth athlete, I wish to look forward to his future in the sport, should he choose to pursue it long term.

At my son's gym, the boys' gymnastics program is quickly growing. My son's team is twice as large as it was just eighteen months ago. I've seen boys' gymnastics programs at other gyms are also thriving. These boys will grow up, and will seek out a college environment that will support their athletic endeavors. Cal is at the forefront of sports achievement: "Athletics done right!" It would certainly be a shame if Cal could not participate in the rebound of interest in men's gymnastics given that the Cal Men's Gymnastics team has such a rich tradition.

As I'm sure you are aware, student athletes boast high graduation rates and great success in "the real world" thanks to their training in teamwork, focus, and healthful respect for their bodies. Gymnastics in particular requires strength and control, speed and power, grace and attention to detail.

I respectfully ask that you continuing funding Men's Gymnastics at Cal. The year 2012 is an Olympic year, which will naturally increase interest in the sport. Local gyms will gain even more membership than what they have currently. Men's gymnastics continues to grow, and it would be terrible if Cal were left behind. On a more personal note for Cal, 2012 is also the 100th anniversary of Cal Men's Gymnastics. From a marketing and fundraising perspective, this anniversary could be a real benefit to Cal; however, if the team is no longer funded, this anniversary will be bittersweet and largely uncelebrated in an official capacity. Please don't throw away the past, for it will greatly diminish the future.

Cal is an athletic leader. Should the Cal Men's Gymnastics team cease to exist, it is likely to cause a ripple throughout gymnastics programs nation-wide. Should other schools follow suit by closing their programs, opportunities will shrink down to the local gym level. On the flip side, continuing the commitment to gymnastics at Cal will support and strengthen other teams' abilities to secure funding and membership in their gyms.

I hope that my son has choices as he gets older. If he maintains his interest in gymnastics, I hope he is able to find a program to support his growth and development. It would be wonderful if such a program still existed at Cal, especially because I believe that without Cal Men's Gymnastics, the opportunities elsewhere will be slim.

Thank you for your understanding and thoughtful consideration of my remarks.

Sincerely yours,
Karianna