There are many things that you might do to enjoy yourself when you’re a child. In most cases, however, it involves some types of physical activity. I know what you’re probably thinking, times have changed and most kids today are more interested in playing electronic devices then they are about getting out in the sun. Although that may be the case, if you were to put a trampoline in front of any child, they would probably put down the tablet and hop on right away.
If you were fortunate enough to have a trampoline as a child, you probably spent hours jumping away. You may have even tried to make up some type of routine on the trampoline that could’ve included various flips, seat drops and anything else you can think of. We did it for fun but you may not have realized that trampoline gymnastics was actually a real thing. In fact, it may just be the most awesome thing you have ever seen.
When it comes to sports, most of us may think about football, baseball or something similar. Synchronized trampolining should also be included in the mix. It is a relatively new sport and was in the Olympics for the first time in 2000. It is relatively simple. To gymnasts stand on two different trampolines and perform a routine in sync with each other. Similar to synchronized swimming, but you are doing it in the air.
When you watch this competitive sport, you might get caught up in all the flipping and bouncing without really thinking about the precision and technique that is necessary. In the Olympics, each routine is scored by 9 different judges in three categories, difficulty, execution and time-of-flight. They may look at a variety of things, such as landing off-center or perhaps keeping the body straight.
The trampolines are regulation size, 7 x 14 feet. And have large brains and small holes in the netting so the athletes are able to jump as much as 30 feet into the air. Part of the scoring is actually how long the athlete is able to stay in the air.
When an athlete is preparing for trampolining, they typically do so from a young age. The United States won all of the gold medals in both men’s and women’s synchronized trampolining in 2018 at the Junior Pan American Trampoline Championships. In 2018, the women’s team also qualified for the Youth Olympic games.
Steven Gluckstein, who is one of the team members said that it is harder than it looks. It requires a considerable amount of effort to remain in the right place and to maintain your form throughout the routine. He also says that it may look as if they are having so much fun that they might even forget how hard it is.
Look at the video below from the 2011 synchronized trampoline world championship. You’re going to love it: