Sliding mats?

[elilla]

We are a fairly new gym and therefore all of our equipment is new. I am having a problem with the mats sliding. For example if I put a panel mat on top of another mat it always slides. I have tried a couple of kitchen type grippers to see if that works but they still slide. Any ideas?

[bogwoppit]

Add some chalk, some water, some gymnasts hair, a months worth of dirty feet, kid snot and sticky hands. You won't have a problem at all after that!!! I see some clubs spray honey water on their bars too.

Joking aside. I know it's a pain when things are all sliding over the place, but it will pass. You can buy stuff that goes under rugs on slippery floors, but it is pricey and I am not sure how safe it would be in a gym situation.

I know when we have had mats slip at the beam etc (for dismounts) we have bungy'ed them in place using the carry loops. Can be a safety issue when the mat shoots out from under the kids.

But as for panel mats, I guess having the other kids hold them in place is the only thing I can think of, until they get worn in.

[Aussie_coach]

Water, is the key. Spray water on the top of the mat before placing another mat over the top of it and the two mats should stay together with minimal sliding.

[awposey1]

Water.....

[JBS]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_coach Water, is the key. Spray water on the top of the mat before placing another mat over the top of it and the two mats should stay together with minimal sliding.

ditto...I agree.

[elilla]

Thanks! I'll try the water!

[lannamavity]

While the water is good in some situations, it creates a mess and can be dangerous, in that if the bottom of the mat isn't wet enough, the mat can still slide when it is assumed it won't move at all...or it won't move when it needs to.

You may want to look at how you are using the mats first. Water is not recommended by any equipment company for a reason...

Stacking larger mats on smaller ones, creating uneven surfaces, or training skills which are supposed to "drop"onto mats (flyaways, dismounts off beam) incorrectly can cause the mats to slide, when the mat itself isn't really the problem.

I have had kids whose mat "slides" on skills, and I let it slide and explain to them that they aren't supposed to hit the mat at a 45 degree angle upon landing.

When jumping onto a panel mat, the athlete should jump up onto the middle of the mat. Otherwise it should slide due to simple physics, and it's important for the kids to understand how the landing surface reacts.

I just don't believe that changing the environment to make the activity easier is always the answer.

[elilla]

The sliding mat is not a big deal. It is simply an unfolded small hill on top of an 8". It is used to help the kids reach a bar. The bar is a single bar but about 4.5 feet high. Sometimes the kids (preschoolers) are just too anxious to get up on the mats and so they slide. No one has been hurt or even really at risk. It is more just a nuisance than anything.