On April 15, Calvin announced the discontinuation of the acrobatics and tumbling program, causing frustration among the athletes and concerns of a Title IX violation.

The acrobatics and tumbling program was initially announced in October 2022, but did not compete until the spring 2025 season. First-year head coach Tiffani Lincoln led the team through their second year of competition this past season.

The team most recently competed at the National Acrobatics & Tumbling Association (NCATA) Division III Tournament, hosted by East Texas Baptist University, in Marshall, TX. It was there that they earned their first win of the season.

Speaking to Chimes on the reasons for the cut, Director of Athletics James Timmer said, “The decision was based on a combination of factors, including roster size and the long-term sustainability of the program. While acrobatics and tumbling showed promise, it did not reach the participation levels needed to support ongoing competition in a sustainable way. As with all of our programs, we regularly evaluate how our athletics offerings align with student interest, competitive opportunities and available resources.”

Thanking those who participated in the program, Timmer said, “We are deeply grateful for the student athletes, coaches and staff who have invested so much into building this program since its launch in 2023. Their commitment, perseverance and passion have been evident from the beginning.”

Members of the team lamented the discontinuation of their sport. Freshman Addi Metten said, “[Acro] is where I found my community this year, so now it feels like I’m starting over.” Erin Ledkins, a sophomore who has been in cheer since she was a child, added, “After being an athlete for fifteen-ish years now, I don’t think it’s really set in that I’m not on a team anymore.”

Sophomore Yvette Tompkins said of the sense of community among the team: “It’s a way to get away from the busy life … to me, it was like a second family.” Freshman Adi Winsemius echoed this sentiment. “Acro and tumbling gave me my roommate, gave me my best friend, gave me these girls that supported me through the school year,” she said.

Multiple athletes said this announcement came out of the blue and that they had seen no signs that the end of their program was approaching. Winsemius said they were unsuspecting after coming back from their win at nationals. Winsemius also said Calvin offered to help any athletes who wished to transfer and continue their careers do so.

Following the termination of the acrobatics and tumbling program, there were conversations between athletes and leadership about a potential violation of Title IX, the federal civil rights law prohibiting sex-based discrimination in sports and educational activities. Calvin now has 10 women’s sports teams and 11 men’s sports teams (not including the two men’s hockey teams, which are club teams and therefore not relevant to Title IX).

A common misconception about Title IX is that it requires a university to have the same number of men’s and women’s teams. The actual law judges “preferential or disparate treatment” over one sex or another based on the percentage of each gender participating in athletics among the student body, says Sec. 1681(b) of Title IX.

“Regarding Title IX,” said Timmer, “Calvin University is committed to full compliance and regularly reviews its athletics program to ensure equitable opportunities for student athletes.” He continued, “Calvin believes it is operating consistent with its Title IX obligations. This assessment is based on a comprehensive review of participation opportunities, historical program development and ongoing evaluation of student interest and athletic offerings. A single sport decision does not determine Title IX compliance. Instead, compliance is evaluated across the entire athletics program and over time.”

According to Timmer, one of the areas in which compliance with Title IX is generally evaluated is a three-prong test, where an institution must either have “proportionality between male/female participation and enrollment,” “a history and continuing practice of expanding opportunities for the underrepresented sex” or “full accommodation of student interest and ability.” 

Timmer emphasizes Calvin’s decades-long history and ongoing commitment to investing in women’s sports. As for proportionality, the ratio of men to women in athletics at Calvin would likely not be significantly impacted, as the acrobatics and tumbling roster consisted of only fifteen women.

When asked whether Calvin plans on adding another women’s sport, Timmer said, “Yes. Calvin is actively evaluating future opportunities to expand women’s athletic participation. This includes reviewing student interest, participation trends and the long-term sustainability of potential sport offerings. The university is committed to ensuring meaningful opportunities for women student-athletes and continues to explore viable options.”

Amidst this disappointment, team members maintained a sense of gratefulness and a positive attitude. “It gave me an opportunity to meet a lot of new people that I probably would not have met,” said Ledkins. “It is really sad that Acro and Tumbling is leaving,” said Winsemius, “but at the same time … it was such an amazing opportunity being at a Christian school, because we were able to show our faith to other schools and other people, and we hope that made an impact on their lives.”