About Sokol Detroit

Sokol Detroit

SOKOL is Czech for “falcon.” SOKOL is English for a great group of people bonded by a common ethnicity, heritage or interest. SOKOL has been in the United States since 1865 and has spread from coast to coast and from the northern border to the southern.


Dr. Miroslav TyrsFounded in 1862 in the Czech lands which later became Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovak Republic), the SOKOL organization continues today in the United States as a vital, thriving entity. Based on founder Dr. Miroslav Tyrs’ credo of “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body” the member units of the American Sokol offer physical training in gymnastics and other athletics, as well as providing cultural awareness and family oriented activities. Sokol’s first unit in America was started in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1865.


If you are looking for a safe place for children to learn personal discipline, physical fitness and gymnastic skills, song and dance, SOKOL is ready and waiting for them. SOKOL units offer gym classes and social activities for teenagers, too! Still feeling competitivie in your 20’s, 40’s or 60’s? SOKOL has a place for you, too!

Our Story

Sokol is the oldest non-profit organization still in existence in the greater metropolitan area. The vision that
started out in the Czech Republic in 1862 and traveled to the United States with new immigrants of one ethnicity, has become a diverse multicultural organization.


Our main focus is physical fitness for the family and the education of our members and the public to the history
and culture of the Czech and Slovak people. In this way, we bring a diverse population together working toward
the goal of an educated mind in a healthy body building a strong cohesive community. SOKOL is Czech for “falcon.” SOKOL is English for a great group of people bonded by a common ethnicity, heritage or interest. SOKOL has been in the United States since 1865 and has spread from coast to coast and from the northern border to the southern.

Our History

Founded in 1862 in the Czech lands which later became Czechoslovakia (now Czech Republic and Slovak Republic), the SOKOL organization continues today in the United States as a vital, thriving entity. Based on founder Dr. Miroslav Tyrs’ credo of “A Sound Mind in a Sound Body” the member units of the American Sokol offer physical training in gymnastics and other athletics, as well as providing cultural awareness and family oriented activities. Sokol’s first unit in America was started in St. Louis, Missouri, in 1865.