The Paris Olympics stoked fervor for sports that aren’t always familiar. If you watched the games and thought you might want to try pommel horse, breaking, or synchronized swimming, here’s how you can get started.
Pommel horse
This difficult, men’s-only gymnastic skill involves rapid hip and leg circles and swings around a short, raised platform with handles. While there are classes for adults to learn gymnastics, pommel is one of those sports that people typically start when they’re quite young. If you know a kid who wants to become the next Pommel Horse Guy, get them to a gym like the USA Gymnastics-affiliated Youth Sports Training Center in Woodbridge. Its owner, Greg Patterson, told the Washington Post he hopes more boys will be inspired to start gymnastics after watching the games. Classes there start at $93 per month.
Water polo
If you prefer to stay extremely well hydrated while competing, water polo might be for you. It’s played in two teams of seven, and the US men’s team took bronze this year. DC has its own LGBTQ+ team, the Washington DSeahorses (formerly the Washington Wetskins), who practice in Takoma to compete nationally and internationally. Membership starts at $117/quarter. There are also a few youth teams, including Capital Water Polo in Springfield and DC Parks and Rec’s DC Panthers team, which is sponsored by USA Water Polo and meets at Deanwood Aquatic Center ($60 for DC residents).
Breaking
This was the first Olympics to feature breaking—and who can forget the unique stylings of Australia’s Raygun? The US’s Victor Montalvo took bronze in the men’s competition this year but, unfortunately, breaking won’t return to the 2028 Games in LA. Still, you can forge your own path by getting into breaking in your free time. All 10 Breaking, a dance school in DC and Vienna, offers classes for all ages. Kids’ classes start at $199 monthly for one class per week.
Synchronized swimming
Synchronized swimming, rebranded as artistic swimming for this year’s games, is a blend of swimming, gymnastics, and dance accompanied by music. As our reporter found in June, while some people lampoon the sport, it’s very difficult to do well. The US team won silver at the games with a Michael Jackson–inspired routine that featured an underwater moonwalk. If you want to see what synchro is all about, DC has an amateur adult team, the DC Synchromasters, which practices twice weekly at pools in the area (Largo, Fort Washington, and Arlington), competes in national championships, and performs at hotel pool openings and other events around town. The team also offers classes for beginners ages 20 and up ($125 for 5 classes or $30 for drop-in).
Table tennis
Table tennis is a classic Olympic skill that you can pick up more easily than, for example, pommel horse. At Washington DC Table Tennis in Takoma, you can learn to play with a private coach, starting at $80 per lesson for nonmembers (a membership is $75/month). You can also reserve a table to play with friends for $10/hour per person, or train with a robot opponent for $30/hour.
Flag football
The next Olympics in LA will, appropriately, feature American-style flag football. That means you’ve got four years to become a rising star for Team USA. The best way is to get involved in a league: Kids can play at Flag Star Football, which has leagues for boys and girls all around the DMV. Fees range from $185 (for kindergarten through first grade) to $205 (for parent-coached 2nd-12th grades) to $295 (for pro-coached). For adults, DC Parks and Rec runs fall and spring leagues for men’s, women’s, and co-ed teams, and DC Fray and Volo have social and athletic teams around town.