HARRISBURG, Pa. — A passion for the Pyne family began by trying to solve something every parent deals with daily.
"We started with a way to get them off their tablets. Just being active and getting into a sports discipline and really quickly turned into a competitive landscape where they soaked it all in and they jumped right on it," recalled John Pyne. "We're big proponents of the sport. We got involved here with the gym at Urban Playground and the rest is history."
While it may be history, Pyne is thinking about USA Ninja's and obstacle sports' future, as an executive officer and treasurer for USA Ninja.
It's a very bright future, in an Olympic event that hasn't changed disciplines since 1912.
"All these international federations made pitches and they settled on obstacle and the obstacle discipline. That was exciting in the ninja community because these obstacle sports are what we live and breathe," added Pyne.
Obstacle racing will replace equestrian as one of the five disciplines in the modern pentathlon when the summer games head to Los Angeles in 2028. From now until the torch is lit, the people behind the scenes and those most dedicated to the sport will work each day to make sure it's ready.
"We are there to help support and collaborate and there's so much I think that needs to be done for any sport that has its introduction into the Olympic setting from the international framework, dealing with all the international federations, all the way down to the rules and technical officials how you're scoring it, and how it displays on a television set, or in person," stated Pyne.
From voicing his support to being a voice for the sport as a color commentator, at the recent National Championships, there was a different feeling knowing that there's a whole new level on the horizon.
"This is the first year USA Ninja was able to put on a National Championship since the announcement was made for Modern Pentathlon including obstacle racing," said Pyne. "So it definitely felt like a different vibe, a different level of excitement for us being able to name a national team, a national team in all these different age groups and what that could mean for future national teams."
Of course, if you don't feel like waiting four years to see what USA Ninja and obstacle sports are all about, there are plenty of opportunities waiting for you in south-central Pennsylvania.
"This sport is so accessible that it really just takes getting out there," claimed Pyne. "Getting to an open gym and signing up for a class. At Urban Playground there are opportunities to do that with open gyms all throughout the week. It's a real thriving sport. It is not just an entertainment piece on television. They are athletes who are competing, now with the hopes of getting on an international stage in the future."