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Athletic Games: Various forms of exercises and apparatus events were conducted in schools, colleges, and societies throughout the United States during the early part of the 20th century. In 1936 the National Collegiate Athletic Association started annual contests, and in the 1960's almost every state high school athletic association adopted the sport for boys and girls.
The international governing body for the sport is the Federation Internationale de Gym-nastique (FIG), of which the AAU is an affiliate. The FIG's code of rules governs participants in the Olympic Games, World Games, and other competitions on an international level.
Athletic fields appeared on the premises of many factories and contests were organized between factories, similar to athletic games or meets between colleges or schools. The greatest development, however, was under the auspices of local governments with cities, counties, and even states creating their recreation commissions or departments.
The games included chariot and horse races in a hippodrome, foot races in a stadium, athletic contests in a gymnasium, musical, dramatic, and literary competitions in a theater; works of painting and sculpture also were exhibited. Prizes of laurel wreaths and palm branches generally were awarded to the victors, who also were allowed to have their statues erected in the plain. Though prohibited by legislation in 394 A.D., the games appear to have survived as late as 424 A.D. (our last certain reference). Almost 30 minor Pythian Games were celebrated in other parts of the Greek world.
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