Interview with Jack Leonard (USA),Trampoline, Tumbling, Acrobatic Gymnastic & Acrobaty

I first met Jack Leonard on a trip he took to Toledo, Ohio in the early 1970s to visit Gymworld, the team I competed for. The hype was high in our gym because the buzz was that this guy was going to show us a double-back somersault, not on the trampoline or double mini-trampoline, but on the feeble and non-springy Nissen panel tumbling mats that we worked out on. "No way he can do a double on the floor," I scoffed at people in the gym. "No one can get high enough off these mats to do a double-back," I continued with my point, as I had never seen it done in gymnastics on television. There were a lot of double twisting backs competed, but never a double-back. "This guy is the National Champ," Neil Godbey would remind me, "and, yes, I have seen him do the double-back!"

Soon Jack walked into the local high-school gym we were practicing in that day, and my first impression was, "Well maybe this guy can do this trick!" He was short and stocky and looked

to be a regular all-around gymnast. I watched intently as he played on the mats. He moved swiftly and seemed to have more power than any tumbler I had ever seen. Finally, it came time for him to do the "Double-back." I couldn't watch. What if he messed up? Or got lost? Or didn't get enough height and landed on his head? Through finger cracks I hesitantly watched as Jack took off into a round-off, back handspring, and before I could close my fingers, he popped two somersaults backward and landed with ease. Screams filled the gym, followed by a bunch of "do-it-agains." I was impressed, but not as impressed as I was going to be when Jack did his next tumbling run. He lined up and took off running down the mat. He flew into a round-off, back handspring, back somersault with two twists and punched the floor right into a front flip. We all stood there with our mouths wide open until someone who was brave shouted out, "How did you do that?" I shouted out, "What was that!" And even though we were mostly speechless, I knew in everyone's mind what they were thinking, "I have got to learn one of those!"

I would later learn that Jack Leonard wouldn't be the first person ever to compete a double-back, but he would be the first person I ever saw complete one. It wasn't one of those doublebacks that someone just barely made around and kind of thudded on the floor as they finished their rotation, but it was clean and he had plenty of room. But was he the inventor of reverse tumbling? Was he the first to do a "punch front?" I was lucky enough to contact the 1972 Senior National Tumbling Champion and ask him some questions about his life as a gymnast, acrobat, and tumbler; what tumbling was like in the early 70s; and also about his successful career as a coach in the world of gymnastics.

Acrobaticsports.com: When were you first introduced to acrobatic sports and how?

Jack Leonard: I started gymnastics in 7th grade even though I had some experiences in Physical Education in elementary school. We mostly did tumbling for basics and the apparatus was available too. I loved the tumbling the most. There was no competition?but we did have a show once a year. In the school system I was in, junior high was grades 7, 8, and 9 and high school was 10, 11, and 12. It has now changed to elementary, middle

school (6, 7, and 8) and high school is the traditional 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Acrobaticsports.com: How did you first learn about the sport of trampoline and tumbling, and how did you get involved in competing in it?

Jack Leonard: We are going back in time?.but I believe Bil Copp was at the Big Ten gymnastics championships at Illinois, in the late winter of '72, and approached me about a tumbling and trampoline competition he was organizing. Incidentally, the 1972 season was

my last year of eligibility at Ohio State. I graduated in the spring of 1973.

Acrobaticsports.com: Who were your coaches when you were involved in tumbling? Jack Leonard with his Ohio State college gymnatics team.

Jack Leonard: I did not have just one coach but several who influenced me throughout the years. In junior high school it was Mr. Eddie Green who just happened to know that a long flip-flop was a good one. Another influence was the coach of another high school who ran a recreational program once a week. His name was Mr. Bernie Michaels. The most knowledgeable coach I had in my tumbling training was Mr. Tom Hanvey, the coach at David Lipscomb College. I attended David Lipscomb in Tennessee my first year of college and from there I transferred to Ohio State University. Coach Hanvey was a circus performer as a young man and had a creative way of communicating his tumbling knowledge to me. I trusted him immensely and learned the bulk of all my tumbling skills from him. The next coach was Mr. James Sweeney, the Ohio State gymnastics coach. Finally, I got some help after college back in Maryland from Mr. Gary Anderson, who was the current coach at the United States Navel Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. I stopped competing at 32 years of age in 1982.

Acrobaticsports.com: Did you ever compete in trampoline, or were you strictly a tumbler?

Jack Leonard: I did compete in trampoline?but I looked like a tumbler on the tramp. I learned and trained on the tramp a lot but did not have the tramp technique. I could add some skills together. I learned a lot of technique from watching upcoming trampolinists and world Jack performing a double twisting back.

champions on the tramp since we would compete tramp and tumbling in the same meets.

Jack Leonard performing a double back tuck

Acrobaticsports.com: Who were some of the people who were influential in your career as a gymnast and a tumbler?

Jack Leonard: I must say many people influenced me since I would study Modern Gymnast magazine?then Gymnast magazine then International Gymnast magazine. I would look at the champions and read very closely the unique tumbling skills that the champs and others were doing. It really motivated me. I would then go back to the gym and create. I loved being unpredictable. If I had to pick some gymnastics names, they would be Dave Jacobs, Toby Towson, Stormy Eaton, Rusty Mitchell, and Wayne Miller. The coach who influenced me the most, without a doubt, is Mr. Tom Hanvey.

Acrobaticsports.com: In 1972, after what seemed like years of no tumbling competitions, the AAU Jack Leonard recieving the 1973 Griswold-Nissen Cup for outstanding support as a competitor and coach in the sport of Trampoline & Tumbling.

Jack Leonard recieving the 1973 Griswold-Nissen Cup for outstanding support as a competitor and coach in the sport of Trampoline & Tumbling.

competed tumbling with trampoline, and the USTA was formed and also competed tumbling in the sport. You were the first National Champion to emerge; what were the rules like and what type of passes did you compete at the meet?

Jack Leonard: The championship was at a large high school in northern Ohio as I recall. The rules were basically like diving. You had so many passes and your difficulty was added to your form. You could also get bonus which we all tried to go for. The competitions were all close and we thought we could make or break the outcome by bonus. I remember three passes as a requirement. One predominantly front skills, one back, and one mixed. I hope I can remember these passes?.I did change a little from pre-lims to finals?like change a tuck to a pike position for more tenths. My first pass was round-off, flip-flop, double-back tuck. My second pass was a front through to double full punch front, and my third pass was front handspring, front, round-off, flip-flop, full punch front. I believe in finals I did a double full punch front on the last pass. I also remember early on doing a 1 and 3/4 front ?stepping out to a round-off, flip-flop. double full punch front. Soon after I did that pass, it was not allowed and

all tumbling skills had to be hands and feet.

Acrobaticsports.com:I remember back then that at every meet people were looking at you and Stormy Eaton competing against each other. What was your relationship with Stormy and what can you tell us about him?

Jack Leonard: Stormy and I were good friends and roomed from time to time at the meets. He was a funny guy and talented on the floor exercise, and a skilled tumbler and trampolinist. I was lucky to work out with him at the US Naval Academy when he was coaching the men's team there. I remember the first nationals when, after the pre-lims, he asked me what my final?s routine would be. I told him, and then I ask for his. After finals and a handshake, he says, "You lied about your routine." And I said, "You did too." We both smiled. His passing was a great loss to the gymnastics world.

Acrobaticsports.com: Who were some of the other women and men back then who were competing in the sport, and can you tell us anything about them?

Jack Leonard: I believe a lot of the tumblers were floor- exercise performers, like me who loved the Jack Leonard at the 1973 World Age-Group Championships hanging out in London with a young Ed Goodman, 1973 & 75 World Age-Group Tumbling Champion and 1976 Senior Mens Tumbling silver medalist. Jack was a judge at the competition and also recieved a service award for outstanding personal services to our Sport & Youth.

Jack Leonard at the 1973 World Age-Group Championships hanging out in London with a young Ed Goodman, 1973 & 75 World Age-Group Tumbling Champion and 1976 Senior Mens Tumbling silver medalist. Jack was a judge at the competition and also recieved a service award for outstanding personal services to our Sport & Youth.

sport of tumbling. Ward Black was one of those. I always loved his floor exercise connections and his smooth tumbling style. Another top competitor and friend was Kurt Austin. A few years younger than me, but he had all the skills. Next was Ed Goodman. Also younger than me, but what a talent. We had a lot of fun together and did some promotional tours together. I especially remember the one in London and doing back flips on the feather beds. Ah, to be young again.