Why We’re Partnering with Movember

Gymnastics demands strength, focus, and discipline, but behind every stuck landing, there’s a person navigating life’s ups and downs. The reality is that too many male athletes struggle in silence once their competitive journey ends, unsure of how to rebuild identity and support systems beyond the sport. That’s why TURN has joined forces with Movember, the global leader in men’s health advocacy. Together, we’re raising awareness and funds for mental health, suicide prevention, and physical wellness for men and boys around the world and we’re inviting the entire gymnastics community to join us.

Introducing: The Stick-a-thon

This November, we’re flipping the script on fundraising with something only the gymnastics world could pull off — a Stick–a-thon... 

Think of it as a walk-a-thon with a gymnastics spin. 

Every stick (whether it’s a dismount landing, a skill landing, or a plyometric landing) counts as one rep toward your fundraising goal. Gymnasts can collect pledges from family, friends, teammates, or even local businesses, thereby turning training days into opportunities to make an impact.

And because this is Movember, we’re bringing a little extra flair to the floor. Every participant is encouraged to ‘Stick It With A ’Stache’. Grow one, fake one, draw one – it’s all about raising awareness, celebrating men’s health, and furthering your cause with style. 

Share your gym’s spirited Movember moments by tagging @turngymnastics and using our unique hashtag #StickItWithAStache 

How to Join the Movement

Whether you’re a club program, collegiate team, pro athlete, or just a gymnast with heart, everyone can join the cause!

TURN has done the heavy-lifting to provide everything you need to bring the Stick-a-thon to life at your gym – follow the steps to get  involved below:

→ Decide on a format that you feel is easy for you and your team to achieve. Do you want to run one full stick day, a festive stick weekend, or a stick challenge on a specific event or training circuit for a full stick week?

→ Introduce your stick challenge plan to your participating team members (and their parents if juniors) and give them a few days to reach out to their inner circles for pledges (pledge example: $5 per every 25 sticks).

→ Choose from our easy to implement ideas for ‘Stick It With A ‘Stache’ challenge days at the gym and set the date(s) and time(s) for participation. Make it easy to track athletes, their stick tally, and their pledge totals.

→ Use the link to teamTURN’s fundraising page and follow the instructions on how to get your raised funds to the Movember foundation with ease!

All fundraising goes directly to Movember, an organization dedicated to supporting men’s mental health, suicide prevention, and cancer research initiatives worldwide. Every stuck landing, every ’stache, and every dollar raised brings us closer to changing the face of men’s health together. 

TURN will proudly match (up to $1,000) the single most highest raised funds by any USA club team, NCAA team, GymAct team, or individual athlete.

To get signed up for Movember, head over to the sign-up page here.

Upload a photo : help people easily find and identify what team they're donating towards

Set your fundraising target : take some time to calculate how many sticks you or your team plan on accomplishing and multiply by the pledges you hope to get 

Customize your motivation : share why men's health is important to you and any inspirational challenges that you’ve experienced as a competitive gymnast, coach, or retired athlete

Create a team : if you're a coach (or an ambitious athlete) and would like to get your community involved, creating a team can help maximize your impact —if you already know what team you'd like to join, just click "Join a Team" and search for the team's name

Choose the challenge, choose the format, and choose the timing that works best for your gymnastics program.

1️⃣ Stick It Survivor

How it works: All gymnasts line up to perform the same skill. If they stick — they survive. If they step, hop, or move — they’re out! The last gymnast left standing (sticking) is the ‘Stick Champion’.

Why it’s fun: It turns sticking into a competition with pressure and energy — great for meet simulation.

Perfect for: Vault basics / vault practice, floor basics, and dismount work on pommel horse.

Pro tip: Award the stick champion a mustache-themed trophy or mustache-shaped medal.

2️⃣ Stick It Relay

How it works: Divide the team into 2 (or more) groups. Each gymnast must stick a skill before the next teammate can go. The first team to complete all their sticks wins.

Why it’s fun: It builds teamwork, accountability, and a we’re-in-this-together vibe — perfect for motivating young athletes.

Perfect for: Individual tumbling passes, high bar / parallel bar / rings dismounts, or tumble track work.

Pro tip: Each team picks a mascot name or “mustache style” for Movember flair.

3️⃣ Stick It Tower

How it works: Every time someone sticks a landing, they add one foam block to a tower. The goal: see how tall the tower gets by the end of practice! If someone falls, steps or hops — no block added.

Why it’s fun: It turns sticking into a team effort and offers a fun visual to represent the consistency.

Perfect for: All the younger, less experienced athletes and generally more recreational teams (like Xcel).

Pro tip: Award a gold, silver, and bronze mustache to whomever contributes the most, second most, and third most to the stick tower.

4️⃣ Sticks and Surprises

How it works: Set up a challenge course — for a longer warm-up or for plyometric conditioning. Gymnasts rotate through stations and must stick each skill to earn a spin on a prize wheel -or- a draw from a prize jar with fun rewards and even some whacky dares.

Why it’s fun: Gamifies practice, keeps energy up, and creates a bit of friendly chaos.

Perfect for: All levels - especially pre-competitive groups. 

Pro tip: Include Movember-themed prizes like photo prop mustaches.

5️⃣ The Solid 10 Challenge

How it works: Each gymnast picks one pass or dismount and aims to stick it 10 times in a row. Coaches or teammates can count aloud to build intensity. Miss one? Start the count over!

Why it’s fun: Simple, high-pressure, and builds mental toughness.

Perfect for: Highly competitive athletes who are chasing perfection under fatigue or duress. 

Pro tip: Tie it into the fundraiser (every 10 sticks = $10 raised for Movember)