Name: Tate Outman
School/grade: Rising junior, Lowell High School
Passion: Gymnastics
Lowell — Tate Outman gets asked the same question over and over by his peers at school: Will you do a backflip?
Sometimes he humors them and does one, and sometimes he doesn’t. He’s not one to talk much about the fact that he is a Level 10 gymnast who recently earned bronze in men’s vault at the 2025 USA Gymnastics Men’s and Women’s Development Program National Championships.
“I try to be humble about it,” said Tate, who will begin his junior year this fall.
After school each day, Tate heads to Empowered Athletics in Wyoming where he trains, coached by Joe Swineheart and Emily Bell. He spends the next four hours working on skills like the hand front layout half vault that earned him bronze and other high-level gymnastics skills. He competes in all six events.
After nationals, Tate had a two-week break. SNN caught up with him to chat about his passion for the sport.
How old were you when gymnastics became something you wanted to pursue, and what’s the story there? “I started when I was 2. We did a a ‘mommy and me’ class at a little cheerleading gym.
As he grew from toddler to young child, he kept tumbling and started competing locally at age 6.
“It gave me something to do, and I have a lot of energy, so it really helps me get my energy out.”
Notable accomplishments: Tate has been to nationals five times since sixth grade. Most recently, he earned fifth all-around at the state competition and 12th all-around at regionals to qualify for nationals, where he got his bronze medal.
Tate said there’s a lot of thrill in competing, though he tends to be low key about it.
“It’s definitely exciting and encouraging for you and the whole team, because your team wants you to do well, too. A lot of people flex and scream when they stick it or do it well. When I do something well, I don’t really do much. I kind of shrug it off and move on to the next thing.”
It’s Tate’s second year competing at a Level 10.
“It feels like I have kind of a big role, and I’m also a big role model for all the younger kids in the gym because I’m the highest level.”
Do you plan to pursue this professionally? Envision yourself 10/20 years from now.
“The next step is to hopefully go to college, and then international meets and possibly the Olympics.”
He said he hopes to compete in college at University of Michigan or University of Oklahoma.
International competition would involve competing in Europe and South America and at the World Championship.
“As for a career, I have thought about coaching and starting my own gym. I’m starting coaching at (Empowered Athletics) over the summer.”
What are some of your favorite skills? “One of my coolest would be the triple back off the high bar. (Another is) the tippelt on parallel balls.”
Do you ever feel scared? “I do get scared when I have to do a big skill or new skills. That’s one of the things that I’m working through now: Doing it even if I am scared.”
Other hobbies/interests/little-known talents: “I go fishing a lot outside of school. I stay active. I play some basketball in the gym and at home.”
The biggest lesson you have learned from your involvement in gymnastics is “to push through it. How when you don’t want to do something and you’re having a bad day already you’ve got to push through it, because you know it’s going to produce something that you want. Also, to push through it when you’re scared.”
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