We have a trampoline at home and have had one for years, since the year my dd started competing. She is almost 16 now and (as of last summer) still uses it a lot. It's usually just my two girls and occassionally a gymnast friend or my nephew. I had a trampoline growing up, and admit because I'm used to it, I just don't worry too much. The rules have always been clear: don't do anything you can't do safely, and one person doing "tricks" at a time, and last but not least use your head. Kids aren't always great at that, but how do you learn without a little risk? Really, anything can be dangerous and accidents happen...riding bikes, swimming, skiing, horseback riding, driving, using an electric scooter, rock climbing, and gymnastics of course! We've done all of these, and not always under supervision of a coach or professional. We all learn to use caution in many things in our lives. Safety is good, but at a point, you can't live in bubble wrap. My girls have spent an untold number of hours out there. So many good times. Over the years, I have come to trust that she, and her sister (even though she's not a gymnast), know what they can and can't do. Yes, they could get hurt. It's a hazard of being alive.
We didn't originally get the trampoline "for gymnastics"; we got it for fun and fitness. But she's a level 10 now, and she tells me that it has actually helped her a lot with her air awareness. She is one of the few girls at her gym who knows how to control herself on the gym tramp when trying new skills. She says that practicing trampoline moves is way different than floor or beam tumbling, because the bounce and timing are very different, but it doesn't affect her gym skills negatively, because it's a different activity in her mind.
Just sharing our experience. It might not be right for your kid or your family, but there pluses and minuses to everything!
We didn't originally get the trampoline "for gymnastics"; we got it for fun and fitness. But she's a level 10 now, and she tells me that it has actually helped her a lot with her air awareness. She is one of the few girls at her gym who knows how to control herself on the gym tramp when trying new skills. She says that practicing trampoline moves is way different than floor or beam tumbling, because the bounce and timing are very different, but it doesn't affect her gym skills negatively, because it's a different activity in her mind.
Just sharing our experience. It might not be right for your kid or your family, but there pluses and minuses to everything!
And I do not feel that it helps her actual gymnastics at all nor do I think it has hurt it. It's just something they do for fun when she is out playing with the neighbors.
