Coaches Tumble track drills

[catou]

Hi every one! We're going to start training in our new gym in january. For the first time, we'll have a tumble track. There will be a vault table at the end of it.

I coach gymnasts who are about level 4-5 in the US. I'm looking for drills to do on the tumble track, especially ones that can be done with the vault. There will be a foam pit at the end of the vault.

Thanks in advance for your ideas!

 

[Aussie_coach]

Ultimately you will get a lot more from the tumble track without having the vault table at the end.

Remember a tumble track is a trampoline, it isn't like the floor the bounce can be unpredictable, especially if kids are not used to it. There will be times when their bounce will be out of control, they will occasionally over rotate and under rotate, go to far and not far enough. If there is a hard piece of equipment at the end of the track at some point kids are going to crash into it.

As a coach I would not be allowing gymnasts to use it until it is safe.

 

[catou]

I'm not who took the decision to put it there, so I'll have to deal with it. So we'll start with easier stuff so they learn to use it safely.

Thanks for your advice

 

[Aussie_coach]

Even safety aside its not a great set up. The purpose of a tumble track is to be able to tumble, with the vault table in the way they can't do a lot of skills in the pit. It is an expensive piece of equipment that you are not going to be able to use for many important skills.

Learning to use it safely will not make it safe. Bounce is unpredictable, even if the kid has done the skill a thousand times they can still bounce in the wrong direction and every time you teach a new skill the risk will increase.

The kids are going to need to bounce into salto skills off the end, and it's not going t be able to happen.

Here in Australia we had a catastrophic injury with a tumble track a few years ago in one of our gyms. An adult Gymastics (aged 19) was doing a skill, and flew off the end there was no mat and she crashed head first into the ground (a hard thing at the end of the tumble track) she died instantly. The gym was charged and had to pay a lot. Yiu are responsible for the safety of your gymnasts.

 

[ayyyrial]

I agree that vaulting from the tumble track is not great, except to get kids used to the table when they are first starting to go over it instead of onto mats - and for handstand, snap down, BHS over the table for Yurchenko drills early on. The angle is almost always wrong.

What can be done is to bring a portable vault trainer thing at the end of the tumble track for these drills (assuming it can be secured so it doesn't wobble), which can then also be moved away for tumbling training.

 

[CoachTodd]

put the landing mat at the other end of the trak.
I tend to work standing skills and front skills on TumbleTrak. I'm not a big fan of connected backward skills unless it is followed by doing some basics on floor. I've seen roundoffs get messed up after just a few days playing on the TT.
Handstand flatbacks. They hurt the heels a bit if they're done wrong so it kind of forces the tight body. See who can bounce the tightest
Standing handsprings without the pre-hop
Power hurdle to front handsprings
any progressions for front tumbling

 

[catou]

Thanks coach Todd. I'm gonna make sure we do basics on the floor as we use the tumble tracks. We're getting good roundoff back handspring. I certainly don't want to start all over again.

I really like the idea of putting a mat at the other end. We have enough to do a large and safe reception area. And as for now, it's a unused space.

 

[Nicole19]

I found this video on Swing Big. Some great dance things to try!