(Talladega, AL) Talladega College recently partnered with Brown Girls Do Gymnastics to launch the nation’s second HBCU women’s gymnastics team. The college has now made history by hiring Aja Sims-Fletcher as its inaugural gymnastics coach, making her the second HBCU gymnastics coach ever. She joins Fisk University’s Corrinne Tarver, who became the first in 2022. Coach Aja and Talladega College will host their first Gymnastics News Conference on February 13, 2023, at 11 am CST, in the Dr. Billy C. Hawkins Student Activity Center.
Coach Aja brings a wealth of experience to Talladega College. The former Southeastern Conference (SEC) champion has coached at various levels, including collegiate, club, and high school. She holds a Bachelor of Science and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Alabama (Tuscaloosa), where she excelled in academics as well as sports. She is a four-time Scholastic All American (2014, 2015, 2016, 2017) and a three-time All-American (2014, 2016, 2017).
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Aja to Talladega College,” said Talladega College Vice President and Athletic Director Michael Grant. “Her experience and passion for the sport will be invaluable as we launch our gymnastics program and compete in the 2024 NCAA season.”
Talladega College President Gregory J. Vincent added, “Developing our first-ever women’s gymnastics team will promote student and alumni engagement and pride; enhance the college’s brand; and help create a pipeline of diverse gymnasts.”
While there are over eighty intercollegiate women’s gymnastics teams in the nation and many gymnastics clubs, Talladega College's team will be one of only two HBCU gymnastics teams. Brown Girls Do Gymnastics (BGDG), a nonprofit organization that supports HBCUs as they expand their athletic programming to include the sport of gymnastics, will continue to be an invaluable resource for Talladega College as the gymnastics program develops.
“It’s surreal that our dream of HBCU gymnastics is now becoming a reality one institution at a time,” said Derrin Moore, founder of Brown Girls Do Gymnastics. “We are honored to provide holistic program support to Talladega College as they launch their gymnastics program. Coach Aja will lead the team to success and inspire more HBCUs to offer gymnastics options for prospective students.”
Founded in 1867, Talladega College is Alabama’s first private historically black liberal arts college. The institution was recognized as #13 in the nation for social mobility by U.S. News and World Report in 2022 and named one of Princeton Review’s 2023 Best Colleges Region by Region.
