WAG Trampoline parks

[Deleted member D3987]

 

[e'smum]

we go but not a lot. the ones we've been too are very strict. one even has a ninja warrior course which my gymmie loves, of course. one of her teammates fell on ice, just walking, and broke her foot. my gymmie sprained her ankle walking down the rod floor. she just rolled it. . i think that if you don't like them you don't need to be mean or condescending to those who don't mind if their kids go.

mine is begging for a trampoline (all 3 kids are). we have several friends who have them. not one has had an injury. <shrug> not sure we'll get one. i'd rather get a hot tub in the small space we have!

 

[CoachAlex]

As a coach I don't forbid it but I would really prefer they not go to them - as someone who has worked in the gymnastics industry for close to 20 years I do wonder what the insurance of those trampoline parks is like

 

[notthatmom]

As a coach I don't forbid it but I would really prefer they not go to them - as someone who has worked in the gymnastics industry for close to 20 years I do wonder what the insurance of those trampoline parks is like

I'm pretty sure it's nothing crazy...you sign a waiver saying anything that happens isn't their fault

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Regarding trampolines if used as intended they are fine. And tramps have had a lot of improvements over time. Covered springs. Safety nets, that are inside the springs. Things that regulate the bounce.

Used as intended. No flips, one jumper at a time, in the center. Proper supervision.

We have one. Kids aren't allowed on without husband or I watching. They don't follow the rules they are done.

As far as parks go. She has gone to a couple of birthday parties. Well supervised by the staff and parents. No flippy things. No situations with out of control jumpers able to crash into each other.

Not a fan of parks, but not forbidden.

Injuries to child thus far. Ankle and wrist at gymnastics. Hand injury sledding. And finger in car door. Road rash from a bike spill or 2

 

[Tumbellina82]

I really dislike them. Sure people can get injured all sorts of ways but the capacity for really serious injury on a trampoline is just too high for them to be used like toys. I recall hearing that in terms of really serious injury trampolining is the third most dangerous sport, behind skiing and horse riding. I don't know where that comes from but it sounds about right to me. I don't think people would think it was OK to do either of those activities without proper trampolining.

It is a hard conversation to have with parents because garden trampolines and trampoline parks are basically the enemy. They undermine the reputation of the sport and they screw up coaching insurance coverage, neither of which parents care about. You tend to get the impression that they feel you are taking the whole thing too seriously; trampolining, trampolines, and yourself as a trampolining coach. But I do take coaching seriously because it means being responsible for managing safety in a risky activity. It is hard to communicate your concerns effectively when your role as a coach is being undermined like that. You can't pass on all of your experience, knowledge and understanding to a parent to get them to understand, and you can't try to persuade them to defer to your expertise because they'll find it condescending and anyway, they don't actually believe you have any because they think trampolines are just a toy.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Trampolines have a far higher potential for risk than other types of gymnastics and when an injury does occur there is a far higher risk of it being catastrophic.

Obviously because the height involved is far greater, and often accompanied with a lot more flips and twists and the bounce is less predictable.

Here in Australia all gymnastics clubs are covered by the same insurance company through Gymnastics Australia. Interestingly if you end up having to pay a law suit when one of your students is injuries you pay an excess of $1000 and the rest is covered by the insurance company, unless the injured gymnast was doing trampolining, in which case you must pay a $20000 excess. Since trampolining has caused so many more very severe injuries in past years.

Parents often ask me about the right backyard trampoline and I advise they don't buy one. Sure most of our kids are sensible, but then there are times when friends are over the need to show off goes up just a little. The idea that kids can only use the trampoline with parental supervision is also not that helpful. Parents are not gymnastics coaches, sometimes we teach a kid a skill on the trampoline at the gym, a brand new skill. So they go home and do a thousand and co,e back and proudly tell us. But because they practices do that new skill a thousand times without the close supervision of a gymnastics coach, mistakes crept in and they practiced them more and more, they got really good at the mistakes. Now it would be easier and take a lot less time to teach them the skill from scratch rather than to uno the bad habits they have ingrained into the skill.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Parents often ask me about the right backyard trampoline and I advise they don't buy one. Sure most of our kids are sensible, but then there are times when friends are over the need to show off goes up just a little. The idea that kids can only use the trampoline with parental supervision is also not that helpful

I supervise that the trampoline is used as intended (which is not a toy). Which means jumping one at a time. And jumping only. There is no showing off. Enclosure zipped closed. I don't teach or supervise gymnastics in any form on our backyard trampoline (or parks for that matter). That is what I pay the coaches for.

The point of our supervision is to ensure gymnastic moves and flippy things do not happen.

Again used as intended.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I supervise that the trampoline is used as intended (which is not a toy). Which means jumping one at a time. And jumping only. There is no showing off. Enclosure zipped closed. I don't teach or supervise gymnastics in any form on our backyard trampoline (or parks for that matter). That is what I pay the coaches for.

The point of our supervision is to ensure gymnastic moves and flippy things do not happen.

Again used as intended.

I wish all parent were like this, we have parents trying to teach and soot their kids on skills. How do they know how to spot? They watch YouTube!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Thought of this thread today. We were at a mall. They had a tramp, bungee contraption that would allow flips. So I asked the kid if she wanted to practice double backs (mind you she is nowhere near double backs).

So we watched and she was like, Yeah, no, that wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Yeah I could just see me trying to explain that to the coaches..... That wouldn' t go well.

Yep honey excellent answer.

 

[RTT2]

Argh, dd was just invited to a tramp park birthday party by a close friend. Nope.

 

[raenndrops]

Thought of this thread today. We were at a mall. They had a tramp, bungee contraption that would allow flips. So I asked the kid if she wanted to practice double backs (mind you she is nowhere near double backs).

So we watched and she was like, Yeah, no, that wouldn't be a smart thing to do. Yeah I could just see me trying to explain that to the coaches..... That wouldn' t go well.

Yep honey excellent answer.

At our county fair, they have these nice individual tramps (round and about 8 feet diameter) and you are harnessed into a bungee system. The girls liked them. They started with just jumps. Once they understood how the whole thing worked, OG was willing to do front and back tucks. So was YG. Then YG decided to do a double back. It was cute. She knows she couldnt do this without the harness / bungee system in place, but it was still fun - and it got people talking

I still dont like trampoline parks or backyard trampolines though.

 

[duyetanh]

We know two people who were inured at tramp parks. Both were jumped on. One is paralyzed. We knew both people before and after the incidents. Lets say that while they are very fun places? For us, they arent on our to do list.

 

[e'smum]

We know two people who were inured at tramp parks. Both were jumped on. One is paralyzed. We knew both people before and after the incidents. Lets say that while they are very fun places? For us, they arent on our to do list.

that's horrible! you have to keep an eye on those around you at those places b/c ppl do not pay attention.

but, FTR, open gym times aren't any safer. if anything, i feel they are LESS safe. at our gym the parents are supposed to be watching their kids. they aren't. the pit is the freaking scariest thing during open gyms. ppl can get into it from several diff angles and you have kids there just for fun. the trampoline parks we've been too have been very strict about who jumps where and how many kids can be out on the trampolines. i feel they've been better policed than our open gyms b/c a lot of the parents could care less.

 

[duyetanh]

that's horrible! you have to keep an eye on those around you at those places b/c ppl do not pay attention.

but, FTR, open gym times aren't any safer. if anything, i feel they are LESS safe. at our gym the parents are supposed to be watching their kids. they aren't. the pit is the freaking scariest thing during open gyms. ppl can get into it from several diff angles and you have kids there just for fun. the trampoline parks we've been too have been very strict about who jumps where and how many kids can be out on the trampolines. i feel they've been better policed than our open gyms b/c a lot of the parents could care less.

I agree. We dont do open gyms either. We are Cautious Claudes over here, lol....doesnt mean she doesnt ski, dance, run, golf. But no need to go to open gym for crying out loud, she is there enough!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

At our county fair, they have these nice individual tramps (round and about 8 feet diameter) and you are harnessed into a bungee system. The girls liked them. They started with just jumps. Once they understood how the whole thing worked, OG was willing to do front and back tucks. So was YG. Then YG decided to do a double back. It was cute. She knows she couldnt do this without the harness / bungee system in place, but it was still fun - and it got people talking

I still dont like trampoline parks or backyard trampolines though.

those with the bungee harness are good and they're safe.

 

[raenndrops]

those with the bungee harness are good and they're safe.

Thanks. That was what I thought. Lol, I had observed the operation for about an hour before deciding to let the girls jump. Saw people of various sizes. I wanted to make sure the harnesses looked secure and landings looked controlled.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Agree on the open gyms. They are literally unheard of here in gymnastics gyms, although I have seen one or two offered at Cheer gyms, I have never seen one at a gymnastics gym. They sound like a nightmare for safety and liability.

They also sound like a nightmare for coaches, for kids to just come and do whatever skills they feel like, ignoring the coaches progression plan for them.

 

[profmom]

We have open gym, but it's only for team and the team coaches supervise. It's a nice opportunity for younger kids to do a little more gym just for fun or to work on skills they'd like to improve. When my DD was little, she spent a lot of time on bars working on her kip with the same coach who was coaching her on bars during the week.

 

[raenndrops]

Agree on the open gyms. They are literally unheard of here in gymnastics gyms, although I have seen one or two offered at Cheer gyms, I have never seen one at a gymnastics gym. They sound like a nightmare for safety and liability.

They also sound like a nightmare for coaches, for kids to just come and do whatever skills they feel like, ignoring the coaches progression plan for them.

The open gym we go to is at a gymnastics AND cheer gym.
If you don't go to their gym, you have to sign a waiver. Those from that gym already have one on file.
They have 2 of their gymnastics tumbling coaches supervise.
For those from that gym, they do what they are permitted by their coaches - stuff they train in practice. I have often seen girls working on Level 2 and 3 bar routines - straight legs, pointed toes... Like competition quality routines.
For people from other gyms or those just there for fun, if the coaches see anything unsafe, they step in.
My gymmies know what they can and can't do at open gym. AND we only go occasionally.