Parents Trampoline vault vs spring vault

[momto8in10]

What is the advantage of using a trampoline vault pad over the spring type? Or disadvantage?
Watching an Excel meet and trying to figure out why the coaches choose one over the other.

 

[lovemygymnast]

At our gym, they use the trampoline for lower levels. I know my DD used it through L3, but L4 is spring board. They were concerned she wouldn't be able to get over with it because she's so little, but it hasn't slowed her down. So, from that, I'm guessing it's something about smaller girls with lower weight helping them spring better? I'm not sure what the rules are with xcel but I know usag 4 requires spring board over the table.

 

[momto8in10]

This was the question...we were timing at the meet, but the girls in question are Excel Gold, that trained L4 all year, and just moved to Excel (the whole team opted to do Excel instead of L4) over the summer. They had been using the spring, and are all used to the spring board (that is what our gym uses in practice), but in the last couple of weeks switched to the tramp vault. They don't like it as well, and it is the parents' understanding that the start value is 9.5, instead of 10.0, when using the tramp...so, why use it?
I know one of the parents in question should ask the coaches, but I thought I would check here...

 

[lovemygymnast]

I'm not sure of the start value, but maybe the coach was worried about safety? I can't think of any reason if the girls are used to the spring board in the gym to switch back to the trampoline other than that. Honestly though, I'm not sure if that makes sense either since HC told me they could take most of the springs out of the springboard at meets if my DD had any trouble but she hasn't, so it hasn't been an issue (for anyone of the team). I'm interested to see what other experienced folks say about this.

 

[LucysMom]

DD is XS and uses tramp. she us small and cannot get enough spring on the board yet. Our XG requires the board.

 

[2G1B]

Is there a reason why the coaches *wouldn't* take springs out of the board? My DD has been struggling (along with half of her team) on the level 4 vault this year. Last meet DD complained to me that the coach wouldn't take springs out of the board, that it had 2 more springs in it than what she usually uses; but that they were in a rotation with another gym and that gym had bigger girls. DD's coach said that it would be too much trouble to change the springs back and forth between what DD's group was used to and what this other gym used, so she was leaving it where the other gym wanted it and the girls would just have to make it work.

Now, this is from DD, so who knows if it is really how it played out. But it did make me wonder if possibly it is a major PITA to change the springs or something, thus the coach not doing it.

 

[momto8in10]

These girls aren't particularly young, either...mostly 9ish years old. They used spring vault in old L3 and new L3, were using spring when training L4...and suddenly have switched to the trampoline. I just don't get it, and neither do the parents.

 

[skschlag]

2G1B-- I don't think it is a huge deal to change the springs out, especially at meets! D has always needed fewer, and now, in practice, is the only one training on whatever it is he uses. Sometimes he is lazy and just uses what the bigger boys are using, but I think it takes like 2 minutes to change them. The boys themselves do it at our gym for practice, coaches for meets. At meets, they will change the order so that all the boys using the same number of springs go, then they change it. Seems to work.

 

[lovemygymnast]

These girls aren't particularly young, either...mostly 9ish years old. They used spring vault in old L3 and new L3, were using spring when training L4...and suddenly have switched to the trampoline. I just don't get it, and neither do the parents.

I don't get it either. If they have competed with the springboard before, that makes no sense to me. Especially being bigger girls...wonder if the table didn't go down as low or something? I just can't imagine a reason.

 

[AmandaLynn]

It takes like 10 seconds to remove or add springs. Coach was being lazy.

 

[JMACAZ]

Here XB and XS can use tramp. XG or higher spring.

 

[raenndrops]

I'm not sure of the start value, but maybe the coach was worried about safety? I can't think of any reason if the girls are used to the spring board in the gym to switch back to the trampoline other than that. Honestly though, I'm not sure if that makes sense either since HC told me they could take most of the springs out of the springboard at meets if my DD had any trouble but she hasn't, so it hasn't been an issue (for anyone of the team). I'm interested to see what other experienced folks say about this.

It looks like at Bronze and Silver, they can use an "alternative" springboard without penalty... but at Gold, it means a 9.5 Start Value. This may have changed for Bronze and Silver though (I haven't checked the latest update).

 

[Ginger]

My L4 daughters would definitely prefer the trampoline over the springboard if given a choice. But they use it during their practices quite often, so they are used to it, and from what I saw I am sure they would score better with the trampoline even with a 9.5 start value (but of course it is not an option at L4).
Maybe your coach thinks the same and wants to give it a try.