Coaches Alternate vault boards

[GymRays]

For Xcel silver and gold vault, alternate vault boards can be used. What are the alternate types? When would it be appropriate to use them? Are different types of boards available at state meet venues or do you need to bring your own if not using a standard board?

 

[gymdog]

A trampoline board. If it's a meet with an equipment company providing the equipment, the equipment company usually brings these. But per the R&P I'm pretty sure it says teams have to bring their own to be assured one (I.e. It's not required for a meet host to provide it). Now, if you're hosting a meet, and don't have one, it would be reasonable to state that in your meet information. It would also be reasonable to arrange for a gym you are friendly with that has one to bring it for general use. Pew have brought ours to meets before and of course we leave it by the vault and allow other teams to use it if they wish...some meets we don't bring one because another gym says they will bring it.

Also for Gold, the alternate apparatus is allowed but you take a SV hit. It's only allowed without SV penalty at silver and bronze. So keep that in mind, of course, if a Gold can't make it over the table safely without, my opinion is of course use it and take the lower SV, same as I feel kids shouldn't flip to their face in level 8.

 

[GymRays]

I am aware of the SV hit for gold. My main concern is for my Silvers. Currently we do the first vault option, stretch jump to table, kick to handstand, fall to back. Because of this, they have a SV of 9.5. They are very small and have a hard time with punching the board enough to go straight to a handstand on the table. So my thought is, use an alternative board with them and have them do the other vault option so they can start at 10.0. This is also our first year doing xcel and the first chance I get to take girls to states (super pumped about this). If I go in this direction I want to make sure such a board would be available at states.

 

[gymdog]

You're also allowed to put the table on 95 for Xcel Silver.

If you want to make sure you'll have to call the meet host and ask. If your gym doesn't own one and can't purchase one, then you should call other bigger gyms that are attending the state meet, and ask them. I'm sure they will let you use it. But if you don't practice with it, that could be another issue.

 

[GymRays]

You're also allowed to put the table on 95 for Xcel Silver.

If you want to make sure you'll have to call the meet host and ask. If your gym doesn't own one and can't purchase one, then you should call other bigger gyms that are attending the state meet, and ask them. I'm sure they will let you use it. But if you don't practice with it, that could be another issue.

Yes, I have the table all the way down for them. We do have a tramp board at our gym, usually the rec kids are using it during our practice time so I'll have to make arrangements to snag it for bit. Thanks for your help.

 

[coachmolly]

Our Xcel kids use a tramp board, they made the switch before their first season of Silver last year. It seemed to help with their vaults, though the tiny ones still struggled. My current group of kids training for Silver say they prefer the regular board.
Most meets we have been too have had a tramp board available, though HC usually checks with meet director to make sure.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

it's this and it is manufactured by AAI:

this is the one that is allowed.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

this one is allowed also. i saw it used this week end:

 

[gymdog]

Any manufactured one designed like that is allowed.

 

[gymdog]

"

1. Bronze, Silver, and Gold athletes may use alternative springboard apparatus, provided they are
   
   manufactured by a gymnastics equipment company. The apparatus should resemble the shape of a vault board, with a maximum of 15 inches at the high end and a maximum of 4 inches at the low end. The surface producing the “spring” may be other than the traditional coil springs, such as an air bladder or small trampoline bed. "