Continue with gymnastics or change to trampolining for dd? Advice please.

[trickydickie]

My daughter is 11 and has been in a gymnastic's squad for past 18 to 24 months. I had a very heated argument with her coach nearly 2 weeks ago. My daughter has still been attending gym since the argument mainly because she had her grades a few days ago. Anyhow she passed it and is now a grade 11.

At times we have had to talk dd into attending her training sessions. Especially when she feels the coach shouts at her etc. We have talked her into going as she has a talent for gymnastics and loves the actual sport itself. She has had friendship issues, academic issues and we felt gymnastics was her one thing, something she excelled at and where she had her lovely wee group of friends (other gymnasts). She's never going to be an Olympian but she is good at it.

Anyhow, she has always fancied trampolining. WE took her along to a competition trampolining group, the coach advised us she would go on a waiting list if she showed any aptitude. Anyhow, after observing her on a trampoline the trampolining coach said she showed excellent potential and alot of talent and she would love for her to start as soon as.

So after reading all this. Does anyone know if artistic gymnastics and trampolining are compatible? Her existing gymnastics coach says it isn't. We are thinking of trying to keep her at her existing gym squad (if we can get over argument with coach) whilst also allowing her to go to the trampolining squad? Would this be silly as the are the discipliines too different to be compatible?

Thank you.

[redcaryellowcar]

I don't know enough about both sports to comment on compatibility. But i think there will be some positive transfer of her skills, it doesn't sound like the gymnastics coach is much fun, maybe trampolining would be a good way of her using gymnastics skills but in a New and more positive environment!

[Dinosaursareextinct]

Won't you be overloading her, if do both? I know that if you take gymnastics seriously it is extremely time-consuming. Maybe better to concentrate on one or the other?

[Nocomet]

Watching with interest as DD2(13) would love to do both (she's only a recreational gymnast (too old when she started) and trampolining courses carry on into adulthood in a way fun gymnastics doesn't).

[TheFoosa]

I was told by a trampolining coach that the skills aren't compatible with gymnastics but I can't remember why now

[trickydickie]

You are all right. Dh said the trampolining coach told him that both sports are not compatible because off the way the gymnasts hold their arms etc.

Her current coach is not much fun, or encouraging so you would think I would be delighted this trampolining club are willing to take my daughter on.

My concern and dh feels the same is that there is alot of waiting about in trampolining.Whereas her 9 hours a week at gymnastics is constant exercise.

Dh also pointed out that if dd sticks at gymnastics there is a possiblility that she could in years to come become a coach herself. I am not writing her of academically at 11, I feel that coaching could be another string to her bow.

I hadn't considered that she would still do trampolining as an adult. Ill look into that. Thanks.

[uggmum]

My dd was a tumbler and she also did trampoline. Both of these sports are compatible. However, acro may not be.

Would your dd fancy gymnastic tumbling instead and combine it with trampoline.

My ds is also a tumbler and practices his moves on a trampoline in training.

I would say that being shouted at by your coach tends to be par for the course at squad/competition level.

[Catper33]

Hi I am a Trampolining coach (and gymnastics, although too busy now with Tramp sessions) teaching children and adults. Some of the skills are performed in slightly different ways in the two sports, however this shouldn't be a reason not to give it a go. I find that artistic Gymnastics coaches are protective over their squad youngsters and don't want to lose them to a different sport so can sometimes be more dismissive of other gymsport training than necessary. Gymnasts do use Trampolines to train on but are performing gymnastic style skills using the equipment rather than technically correct Trampolining skills.(eg.Arm and body positions, timing in somersaults, twist initiation)
If your daughter is interested why not let her try it out for a term and then be better placed to make decisions about her future pathways. You can be a Trampoline and gymnastics coach!!!
Check out how the Trampolining sessions are organised as in some instances their can be quite a bit of waiting around, however this is certainly not always the case. Asking about the ratio's of coach to participant and participant to trampoline can help establish this.

It is definitely a sport/activity you can continue as an adult or start as an adult. I have a very popular ladies/mums session with most participants starting the sport for the first time!!!!

[Somersaults]

I am a trampoline coach and I have found that whilst there are differences between the skills generally gymnasts find it easy to transfer their skills onto a trampoline. We have come across the same situations where gym coaches don't want to lose their talented children to another discipline and so will put their foot down about a child trying both. However I really don't think that it is up to any coach to dictate what other extra curricular activities a child can participate in!

We've had both recreational and international level gymnasts transfer to our club who have gone on to reach national and international level in trampolining. Generally it is easier on your body and so you can stay in the support much longer. National and international medallists are adults not girls.

From my experience in the UK trampolining competitions are generally more laid back than gymnastics. I don't mean that they don't take it seriously, I mean that the atmosphere between the athletes and between different competition teams is more relaxed. Our ex-gymnasts ALWAYS comment on this and find themselves under less pressure at competitions.

In terms of waiting around it does depend on how the trampoline club sessions are organised. Look for a club that also includes double mini tramp. Gymnastics skills transfer here very well as it is like a cross between trampolining and vault but very fun! The double mini tramp group tend to work at a slightly faster pace than on the trampolines so that may help. Our club organise their athletes into small groups so there are only ever a few on each trampoline to make sure turns come round fairly quickly. We often also have a group conditioning. We keep our competitors active throughout the session. I know when I was training I came home feeling like I'd had a workout after every session. Ask how sessions are organised.

I don't know your daughter or what skills she already has but I see no reason why she couldn't excel at trampolining as she does at gymnastics. Looking to the future there will be coaching and judging opportunities within trampolining in the same way and trampolining is a very popular competitive sport at universities across the UK with many universities now offering high level coaching. Obviously I am coming at all of this from a trampolining background rather than a gymnastics background but in my honest experience it is a nicer sport for teenage girls than gymnastics.

What does your daughter want to do?

[trickydickie]

Thanks uggmum - I don;t mind her coach shouting at her for bending her legs etc. She has been shouting at her for entering the gym herself, as I allow her to. For being late, after I text her apologising and she replied to the text so knew my daughter was late because of me. I just feel it was excessive and has happened on a few occassions. Maybe I am just sensitive and a bit pfb (although my daughter is one of four). Think I just don't like the coach, she has a terrible manner.Maybe a personality clash between both of us.

Catper and Somer, thanks so much for your replies. So good to hear from tramp coaches. Food for thought and some great questions to ask the tramp coaches.

As everyone has said. This is down to my daughter. She started at the trampolining last week and is doing it this week too. We can't let her do it any longer as now realise the tramp and gymnastics are on the same nights. So she will have to pick one or the other. WE will see how she feels at the end of this week.

Though I think she will decide to just stay at gymnastics. Then in a few weeks she will start complaining again that the coach is shouting at her etc and want to leave. I will update you all once she decides.

Thanks so much.

[Somersaults]

PM me if you want and let me know what area you're in. There may be other trampoline clubs in the area that train on different nights. I know there are a few near me and in some parts of the country they're everywhere! From my experience my gut feeling tells me she could excel at trampolining and will probably last in the sport much longer and quite possibly compete to a much higher level than she could in gymnastics. It depends totally on where her heart is. You might find that you hit this point again in a few years when she might be more likely to move into trampolining. In trampolining that's fine! It's not like gymnastics where you have to start as a tot to go far. I competed nationally and at small internationals and I didn't begin trampolining until I was eighteen. And I never trained gymnastics.

[OscarWinningActress]

I live in Canada, so not sure if this will help you but does the UK have tumbling as a sport? DD is a competitive level tumbler at our gymnastics club. She started off in Acro but realized that trampoline and tumbling was her passion (we have a trampoline at home and she spent hours a day on it). They are not similar disciplines but she tried out and made it and now does it 10 hours/week and loves it. It's a little bit like the floor portion of artistic gymnastics but done on a long track (and not to music). They do lots of their training on the trampoline so it's the best of both worlds for DD. There is lots of coach shouting at the competitive level...it's a very different experience from recreational programs. DD does get a bit down about it sometimes but she realizes that the coaches do have to be tough at the provincial level and that it's a privilege to be on the team and that she has a duty to her teammates etc. Very normal.

[Somersaults]

We do have tumbling but it is trained very unlike I understand it is in Canada. When we've seen Canadians at Worlds they are very often cross bouncing across trampoline, double mini tramp and tumbling with some competitors competing at a Worlds level in all three. My understanding is that the three disciplines are often trained within the same facility or the same club. There are tumbling clubs in the UK but they are very separate to trampoline clubs and to be honest quite few and far between. Shame, I do think the three disciplines transfer quite well.

[Dancingdreamer]

I have experience of a number of gymnastics disciplines. In my experience lots of people transfer from artistic gymnastics to trampolining. Tramp really does have a more laid back atmosphere amongst competitors even at the top levels. It is also easier to get to get to a relatively high level without having to do the hours and hours of training needed for artistic.

Other option is rhythmic gymnastics depending on where you live and how flexible your DD is. Lots of girls transfer to rhythmic from artistic (usually when they get too tall for latter!)

[nonicknameseemsavailable]

artistic gym does tend to be much stricter in many ways, trampolining or tumbling would probably suit her better in the long term as has been said already. Acro could be more fun if she is recreational rather than competitive.

She can coach any of them when she is older even if she hasn't trained in them. trampolinists or gymnasts can change to diving too so if she is looking for something else but isn't entirely sure trampolining is 'it' then she could try that perhaps.

[Nocomet]

DD has a DF who does her recreational gym class, but dives several other days of the week.

[trickydickie]

Thank you all very much for the replies an for the length of time some of you must have taken over your replies. I very much appreciate it.

Dd is still doing both trampolining and artistic. She prefers trampolining at the moment but she will continue doing both for another month or so and then she can decide. She is only missing one artistic session a week an one trampolining session a week to do it.

Thank you all very much.

[Somersaults]

Great that she can do both for a while and therefore be confident in her decision :)

[trickydickie]

Thanks everyone for all your help on this thread. I went through a very stressful time whilst conversing on this thread (due to argument with DD's artistic coach). All your advice helped me so much during that rocky time. Time has passed and things have calmed down.

Dd is still attending tramp and artistic gymnastics. . Still not willing to give up either. She has a tramp competition this Saturday and I am hoping she drops it then. She says deep down her heart is in artistic gymnastics. She prefers it because the trampolining isn't as active.

I am happy with this as the trampolining was taking 2 hours out of our night 3 times a week to get her there and back. Gymnastics is 15 mins away in the car. We have 4 children and it is all becoming too much. Another tramp club has contacted us which is much closer so we may take her along there for a trial and see where we go.She is quite happpy to do this.

Thanks again everyone.

[monopoly123]

How is your daughter getting on?
My 9yr old wants to try trampoline after 2years of artistic gymnastics, she's a lovely little gymnast but the nitpicking was getting to her! Is trampolining more laid back?

[phyllippa1977]

Hiya , just one thing to think about. My daughter is a gymnast currently training towards her National level 1. ( unless they changed it again) ????
She does trampolining in school and they have taught her well. She is working towards level 10 at school and one day during a teacher training course she was asked to do a move which is in both funfair and trampolining but different. She was unsure but was pushed to do it and over rotated and snapped her growth plate in her ankle. We spent time in hospital on gas & air and morphine before an operation to manipulate it back together.
Not only had sheet lost a year with off training she needs physio etc to try to fix it.
I'm not saying trampolining is bad for you. My son is really interested in it too but doing both you could get mistaken with the slight differences and end up injured add my daughter did.
She loves doing both but her coach won't allow her to get back on the trampoline for that reason. She is passionate about gym though.
Your daughter will figure it out what she likes the most no doubt x