Karolyi Ranch

Karolyi Ranch

The USA Gymnastics National Team Training Center at Karolyi Ranch, often just called Karolyi Ranch, was a special place for gymnastics in Walker County, Texas, not far from the town of Huntsville. It was in the Sam Houston National Forest, about 70 miles north of the big city Houston.

From 2001 until 2018, it was the main training home for the United States women's national gymnastics team.

At Karolyi Ranch, gymnasts could practice and improve at three kinds of gymnastics: women's artistic, trampoline, and rhythmic gymnastics. The place was run by USA Gymnastics, the group that helps organize and support gymnastics in the United States. Many talented gymnasts worked hard there, getting ready for big competitions and chasing their dreams.

History

In 1983, after moving to the U.S., Béla Károlyi bought 40 acres of the Sam Houston National Forest. The next year, buildings for gymnastics and cabins were built, and the ranch opened for summer camp.

After Mary Lou Retton won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics, many more students joined the ranch. By 1989, the property grew to 2,000 acres. It had modern gyms for gymnastics, along with rooms for athletes, coaches, dining, and meetings.

In 2001, the ranch became the main training center for the U.S. women's national gymnastics team. In 2011, it was recognized as an official Olympic training site by the United States Olympic Committee.

In January 2018, USA Gymnastics stopped using the ranch during a court case. The ranch closed permanently shortly after. In 2021, a local lumber company bought the property.

National Team camps

National Team camps for the women's artistic program were held once a month at the ranch. These camps were for members of the women's national team and selected elite gymnasts. Before this, other training models had been tried but did not work well.

After the United States Olympic Team did not do well at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, the way athletes were chosen for competitions changed. Instead of picking the six gymnasts with the top scores at the Olympic Trials, the team was chosen by Márta Károlyi after a five-day training camp at the ranch. Some coaches, like Kelli Hill, who trained Olympians Dominique Dawes and Elise Ray, wanted to keep the old ranking system.