Tramp and Tumble

The purpose of competing and the goal of competition

2011-01-01T15:40:00.001-06:00

Just a reminder as we get ready to kick off the "regular" season of JO trampoline and tumbling that the purpose of competing and the goals of competition are two very different things.

The purpose of competing is to measure yourself, usually against others but sometimes - especially in our sport - against yourself. The purpose of training is to learn, to grow; the purpose of competing is to find out if you are growing, to understand what you have learned, and to help guide future training.

The goal of competition, on the other hand, is to win. Not to win at all costs or any way you can, but to win because you are the best at that competition. Only by having the goal of winning can you really put all you've learned to the test. And only by striving to win by being the best - and not 'gaming' the system - can you really measure your accomplishments.

If your purpose in competing is simply to win, you've already lost.

This sentiment is not, of course, unique to trampoline and tumbling. For a more detailed discussion of this, I encourage you to visit the True Competition website.

Key concepts: Eligibility, qualifying, and mobilizing

2010-12-28T19:35:00.001-06:00

Three key terms that J.O. athletes and their parents learn about early on are Eligibility, Qualifying, and Mobilizing. You don't really have to worry about them this early in the competitive season, but they are all good things to be aware of as the season progresses.

ELIGIBILITY: Commonly used to refer to the "regular" season meets that lead up to the State and Regional Championships. An athlete must compete in at least two "eligibility meets" in order to be eligible to compete at State or Regional Championships to attempt to qualify (see below) to compete at the National Championships. An athlete can compete at State/Regional if he hasn't met the eligibility requirement, but would not be able to qualify for Nationals no matter what score he receives.

QUALIFYING: In order to qualify to compete at the Junior Olympic National Championships, an athlete must achieve a qualifying score appropriate to event and level in at least one of the two qualification meets - State or Regional Championships. Without a qualifying score at one of these meets an athlete can't compete at Nationals, no matter how good they may have done at meets earlier in the year. For some athletes this is even more important than the competition for the State or Regional titles (though those are nice, too!). We'll talk more about qualifying and qualifying scores in a couple of weeks when we discuss the competition levels in more detail.

MOBILIZING: Once an athlete has gone as far as she can at her current level, she will want to move on - or mobilize - to the next level. In order to mobilize, the athlete must achieve the mobilization score appropriate to the level and event. She must also be able to perform the appropriate "mobilization skills" for their level. We'll talk more about mobilizing and mobilizing scores in a couple of weeks when we discuss the competition levels in more detail.

What do you mean that skill didn't count? "Interruption" explained

2009-10-01T06:34:00.001-05:00

For an artistic gymnast, nothing is more painful - physically or emotionally - than falling off an apparatus. Imagine how you feel when you watch that happen to an athlete; that doesn't even come close to how they feel. And then, for them to have to get back up, on the beam or the parallel bars, and continue the routine. Wow. Of course, if you ask a T&T athlete what they think about that, you might get a response along the lines of, "At least they get to get back up and keep going."

If you are new to T&T, especially if you are coming over from an artistic program, you may be wondering what in the world I'm talking about. This is a good time to introduce the concept of the "interruption".

INTERRUPTION: If, during a pass in any T&T event, an athlete fails to perform a skill, fails to properly perform the skill, or performs a skill that is not part of the required routine, that pass will be "interrupted" at that point and judging will cease for that pass.

In other words, if you "fall" during a T&T event you don't get to get back on and keep going. This is very important to know and keep in mind, especially for new parents, because there will come a time when you see a very low score for your athlete - after what you thought was a great routine - and you will wonder, "What ???"

We'll talk more about what constitutes an interruption when we discuss judging and scoring in a couple of weeks.

Key Concepts: Eligibility, Qualifying, and Mobilizing

2009-09-30T17:53:00.006-05:00

Three key terms that J.O. athletes and their parents learn about early on are Eligibility, Qualifying, and Mobilizing. You don't really have to worry about them this early in the competitive season, but they are all good things to be aware of as you prepare for the upcoming competitive season.

ELIGIBILITY: Commonly used to refer to the "regular" season meets that lead up to the State and Regional Championships. An athlete must compete in at least two "eligibility meets" in order to be eligible to compete at State or Regional Championships to attempt to qualify (see below) to compete at the National Championships. An athlete can compete at State/Regional if he hasn't met the eligibility requirement, but would not be able to qualify for Nationals no matter what score he receives.

QUALIFYING: In order to qualify to compete at the Junior Olympic National Championships, an athlete must achieve a qualifying score appropriate to event and level in at least one of the two qualification meets - State or Regional Championships. Without a qualifying score at one of these meets an athlete can't compete at Nationals, no matter how good they may have done at meets earlier in the year. For some athletes this is even more important than the competition for the State or Regional titles (though those are nice, too!). We'll talk more about qualifying and qualifying scores in a couple of weeks when we discuss the competition levels in more detail.

MOBILIZING: Once an athlete has gone as far as she can at her current level, she will want to move on - or mobilize - to the next level. In order to mobilize, the athlete must achieve the mobilization score appropriate to the level and event. She must also be able to perform the appropriate "mobilization skills" for their level. We'll talk more about mobilizing and mobilizing scores in a couple of weeks when we discuss the competition levels in more detail.

Show your support for the US WAGC team with this t-shirt

2009-09-30T06:38:00.001-05:00

T&T mom Heather has created this t-shirt to help us all show our pride in and support for all of the athletes representing the US at the upcoming World Championships and World Age Group Competition.

Visit Heather's blog on the T&T Network for information on how you can get a shirt or two.

Who is this "Rudi" guy, and what in the world is a "fliffis"?

2009-09-27T13:57:00.004-05:00

Just like any sport - or any other new activity, for that matter - trampoline and tumbling has its own unique vocabulary and concepts. This week at the Tramp and Tumble Blog we will be talking about some of the basic concepts and terms that you will come across in a trampoline and tumbling program (such as the "rudi" and "fliffis" in the title of this post).

We have a pretty good sized list of terms and concepts that we're looking at discussing, but we want to make sure we answer the questions that you have. So, if there is a term or concept that you've come across that you don't understand and that you'd like us to discuss here, please drop us a quick note in the comments and ask away.

Things to know about the move from Artistic to Tramp and Tumble

2009-09-18T14:26:00.004-05:00

"New" athletes to a Trampoline and Tumbling program often come to the sport after several years in a men's or women's Artistic program. Inevitably, these athletes and their parents are surprised at how different - radically different - a J.O. trampoline and tumbling program is from an Artistic program. If you remember when I mentioned a couple of days ago that T&T only came to USAG 10 years ago, it may not be so surprising; but it is no less of a "shock".

I considered trying to put together a summary of all of the big differences to post here, but realized that a simple list probably wouldn't be overly useful. Instead, as the Parent's Guide series of articles continues I will try to highlight some of the key differences where you are most likely to notice them. If you read an article and have some insight into where there is a difference, please post a comment and share with us.

If you are anxious to find out more right now, head on over to the Tramp and Tumble Network and jump into the discuss "New here, trying to learn more", started by a parent making the jump. There are quite a few responses there that should answer some of your questions. It is also a great place to ask any specific questions that you may have.

Just one week until the 2009 "Final Selection Event"

2009-09-17T22:50:00.005-05:00

In just few days, USAG athletes will start heading out to Las Vegas for the USA Gymnastics Trampoline and Tumbling 2009 Final Selection Event on September 24-27. If you are in the know, you know what the "selection" is for. If you have no idea what I'm talking about, or are curious because you only know a little, keep on reading.

The selection event has two purposes, only the second of which is of interest to Jr. Olympians:

The last of three events where athletes may earn points toward the World Championships team.
The selection event for the World Age-Group team.

The World Age Group (WAG) Championships are, in fact, the highest level competition in which Jr. Olympians (Level 10 only) can compete. This year, the WAGC is in St. Petersburg, RU.

In order to qualify for the opportunity to compete at the selection event, this year's competitors had to place in the top 2 in their age group at either the Winter Classic or Elite Challenge, or in the top 4 at the J.O. National Championships. In order to guarantee a spot on the WAG team, athletes must place in the top 2 at the selection event.

Please join me in congratulating all of the J.O. qualifiers for this year's selection event and in wishing them all the best of luck in Vegas next weekend.

- - -- --- -----
If you are interested, the following information is available on the USAG website:

An introduction to USAG Power Tumbling

2009-09-17T16:30:00.000-05:00

If you've seen an Artistic Gymnastics floor routine, then you are already familiar with the basics of Power Tumbling. Athletes perform skills on an elevated spring runway that gives them the ability to bounce high, sometimes higher than a basketball goal, as they demonstrate speed, strength and skill while executing a series of acrobatic maneuvers.

Instead of a square floor with multiple "tumbling passes" (and a sprinkling of "dance" moves for the women), though, Power Tumblers execute a single pass at a time on long, narrow floor ranging from 60' long for the lower levels to 85' for Level 10 (and Elite).

In general, the tumbling floors consist of a number of sections with fiberglass rods, such as the one pictured to the right, and covered with the floor material. These are commonly referred to as "rod floors" (for what I hope are obvious reasons).

For the exact details of trampoline specifications, check out this equipment spec sheet from the USAG website. For a history of how tumbling floors have evolved, check out Through The Years: How the Competitive Tumbling Floor Evolved by by Jim Bertz, the 1976 and 1978 Tumbling World Champion.

The number of skills, as well as the difficulty, that an athlete performs varies based on the level of the athlete, with the lower levels performing fewer, less difficult skills and the higher level athletes performing more skills and combination with a higher difficulty. A tumbling competition consists of two passes for athletes Levels 1-9, and three passes for Level 10. The athlete's final score is the total of all three passes.

As with trampoline and DMT, the athlete is judged on the quality of execution of each skill, and at the higher levels also receives points for difficulty of the routine. We'll cover the details of judging and scoring in later articles.

The following video gives you an idea of what a Level 10 tumbling pass looks like. This was the second pass in a Gold Medal winning performance at the 2009 J.O. National Championships:

Find more videos like this on The Tramp and Tumble Network

An introduction to USAG Double Mini Trampoline

2009-09-16T17:30:00.002-05:00

If you've never been involved with an organized trampoline program, chances are you've never seen a double-mini trampoline. Double mini, or "DMT" for short, is a relatively new sport that combines the horizontal run of tumbling with the vertical rebound of trampoline. (For those of you coming to T&T from diving, DMT is similar in concept to springboard diving, except you use a mat instead of water and try to land feet first instead of head first!)

The picture to the right shows a typical competition DMT; the inset shows the landing pad. For the exact details of trampoline specifications, check out this equipment spec sheet from the USAG website.

After a short run, the athlete jumps onto the inclined portion of the DMT (left side in the photo) to perform a rebounding trick onto the second part, immediately followed by a dismount element onto a landing mat. A DMT competition consists of each athlete performing 2 "passes", with the final score being the total of the score from each pass.

As with trampoline, the athlete is judged on the quality of execution of each skill, and at the higher levels also receives points for difficulty of the routine. We'll cover the details of judging and scoring in later articles.

The following video gives you an idea of what a mid-level Jr. Olympic DMT routine looks like. This was the second pass in a Silver Medal winning Level 7 performance at the 2009 J.O. National Championships:

An introduction to USAG Trampoline

2009-09-15T17:09:00.001-05:00

Even if you've never been involved with an organized trampoline program, chances are you've seen - and maybe even bounced on - trampolines of the backyard variety. These are usually round, about 12-14 feet in diameter, and will likely have some sort of protective enclosure around them. Don't worry, these are not the trampolines that your athletes will be using as they train and compete with USAG.

Trampolines used for competition are 6' x 12' rectangles with substantial safety padding on the "end decks" and around the springs. Set up instruction also call for pads along the sides, and spotters are always used when athletes are training or performing skills.

The picture to the right shows a typical competition trampoline. For the exact details of trampoline specifications, check out this equipment spec sheet from the USAG website.

The trampoline event in competition is very straightforward: after a number of "warm-up" bounces, each athlete will perform a set of 10 consecutive skills and/or combinations, with no "extra" bounces in between skills/combinations, followed by a final bounce and a "landing". The athlete is judged on the quality of execution of each skill, and at the higher levels also receives points for difficulty of the routine. We'll cover the details of judging and scoring in later articles.

To get an idea of what a trampoline routine looks like, take a look at the video below. This is the Gold Medal winning, Level 8 Boys (age 13-14) routine at the 2007 National Championships. [Feel free to skip the award ceremony at the end :-]

At Level 10, the highest Jr. Olympic level, athletes can also choose to "team up" and compete in Synchronized Trampoline. These athletes will perform the same Level 10 routines they perform as individuals, but in addition to the execution and difficulty scores they will also receive a "synchronization" score. Again, we'll cover the details of the judging and scoring later.

Maybe even more important than the quality of the equipment that athletes train on is the fact that they will always be supervised while bouncing by safety certified coaching staff. This is an important thing to know up front, since many parents I've talked to about Ian's participation inevitably ask the question, "Isn't that dangerous?"

Unfortunately, backyard trampolines have given the sport of trampoline a bad name. Fortunately, USAG coaches are here to give it back its good name.

USAG Jr. Olympic Program (and a brief history of T&T)

2009-09-14T17:45:00.002-05:00

The USAG National Junior Olympic (J.O.) Program is regulated by the Trampoline & Tumbling J. O. Program Committee (TJOPC). It is administered through the Regional and State Chairs. It consists of Levels 1 through 10. This is an integrated program designed to give a structured plan for training a gymnast from the day he/she enters the gym through Level 10 competition.[1]

Though the sports of trampoline and tumbling have been around for quite a while, the Trampoline and Tumbling program is a relative newcomer to USA Gymnastics, added in 1999. Keep this in mind as you learn more about the sport and the program, especially if you are coming to T&T from a different gymnastics discipline.

A Brief History of Trampoline & Tumbling [2]

Trampoline and tumbling can be traced to archeological drawings in ancient China, Egypt and Persia. Over the years a number of methods have been devised to allow man to gain time in the air and perform a variety of skills. The trampoline is one of these methods.

Trampoline was not actually a competitive event until after its invention by an American, George Nissen, as a portable unit in 1936. From 1947-69, trampoline was included as an event in gymnastics competitions by both the AAU and NCAA. {The AAU still includes a T&T program, while the NCAA does not.} The first Trampoline World Championships was in 1964, and trampoline was first recognized as a sport in its own right in the United States in 1967. Trampoline made its debut as an Olympic sport at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia.

Power tumbling, first performed on simple mats, has had U.S. National Championships dating back to 1886. A number of different surfaces have been used for power tumbling, including mats, ski floors, spring floors and today’s fiber-glass rod floors, invented by Randy Mulkey.

Double mini-trampoline competition was added in 1978. The first double mini-trampoline began as two individual mini-tramps, separated by a small table covered by a mat. Later, a one-piece unit was developed by Bob Bollinger and is used today as the official equipment for that event.

- - -- --- -----
[1] Junior Olympics >> Program Overview
http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/tt/pages/overview_jo.php

[2] Gymnastics 101 >> History
http://www.usa-gymnastics.org/tt/history/history.php

A parent's guide to USAG Jr. Olympic Tramp and Tumble

2009-09-13T21:22:00.012-05:00

Giving some thought to the new direction we've established for Tramp and Tumble, we realized that what we really have in mind is basically a guide - unofficial, of course - to the USAG J.O. T&T program. And for the most part this guide would be of most use for parents, both those new to the sport and those that have been around for awhile.

The mind map below gives an idea of some of the questions that you may have during your first year (or so) in the sport. We'll be using this as a guide over the coming weeks (months) to create your unofficial parent's guide to the USAG Jr. Olympic Trampoline and Tumbling Program. (Click on the image below to get a full size version.)

If you have a question about something that isn't included above, just let us know and we'll add it to the list. Or, pop on over to the Tramp and Tumble Network and ask your question to the great group we have over there.

UPDATE: I corrected the link to the mind map to point to the full size, high resolution image suitable for better viewing, printing, etc.

A new direction for the Tramp and Tumble Blog

2009-08-31T18:56:00.007-05:00

Starting today (a completely arbitrary date, though we have been considering it for a while), the focus of the Tramp and Tumble Blog will be on the USA Gymnastics Junior ~~Elite~~ Olympic Trampoline and Tumbling program. We will use our new Twitter account to continue to share information about the rest of the USAG T&T program and other goings-on in the world of international competitions, and continue to grow the Tramp and Tumble Network as a social media tool to connect T&T folks from around the world.

When we started the Tramp and Tumble Blog back in March 2007 our original plan was to be a "clearinghouse" of sorts for all things T&T. Over time we discovered that most people that come to the blog are people (parents, athletes, even coaches) who are new to the sport and are looking for information about the USA Gymnastics Junior ~~Elite~~ Olympics program. Long time readers know that much of what we present is in that vein, but we have dabbled a bit in Elite and International news and info. Starting today, information about the Junior Olympic program will be the sole focus of the posts here.

A little over a year ago, we started the Tramp and Tumble Network on the Ning platform. The intent for that network was, and continues to be, a way to connect everyone and anyone involved in the sports of trampoline (including double-mini) and tumbling from around the world. At last check we have just under 200 members from several countries in North America, Europe, and Asia. If you've been around the sport for a while and want to connect with others, or even if you are new to the sport and just want to meet some others in the sport, stop by and check us out.

And if there is something you want us to write about here, just let us know.

Tramp and Tumble Blog now on Twitter

2009-08-28T06:42:00.001-05:00

After posting the story last night about USAG Going Social, I realized that I should probably "socialize" this blog just a little bit, too. So you can now find The Tramp and Tumble Blog on Twitter at username @tntblog.

If you are already on Twitter, please give me a follow and let me know your involvement with the T&T, what team you're from, etc. If you happen to tweet about tramp and tumble, use the hashtag #usagtt to make it easier for everyone to find your stuff about T&T. If you're not familiar with Twitter, and have no idea what this paragraph means, just click on over and check it out.

I will be using Twitter to talk about things that don't quite merit a full blog post, as well as help you find other online resources about Trampoline and Tumbling. Once I get around to it, I'll also be adding a Twitter widget to the sidebar here so you can see what's being said on Twitter without having to leave the blog.

USAG Goes Social

2009-08-27T19:12:00.004-05:00

If you are looking for USAG on your favorite Social Media site, check out this USAG page for info about their efforts to "go social". They've apparently had these in place for some time, but it was only with their most recent web site redesign that they put links from the home page to the page that has links to the social media sites.

For quick reference, they have a presence on YouTube, Twitter, and facebook. There are links on the sidebar to this blog for future reference.

Now if they would create pages / ids specifically for the Trampoline and Tumbling program, we could keep up with our favorite program without having to sort through the chaff of the rest of it (mostly artistic).

On becoming a USAG T&T Judge

2009-04-12T20:50:00.003-05:00

About a month or so ago, Ian and I went through the certification process to become Category III T&T judges. Since then, Ian has had the chance to judge at two meets, and I was at one of those. We are both planning to judge at the upcoming MO State championships. We can't make it to Regional, and I have the feeling we won't make it out to J.O. Nationals since it is in San Jose. But you never know.

Judging has been an interesting experience and has given me much better insight into the difference between a good routine and a great routine, some things I wish I had known when Ian was still competing. I think that every parent of a competitive T&T athlete should have the opportunity to sit through the training.

At the very least, every parent should take the time to read through the Code of Points to understand exactly how the various events are scored. (Check with your team coach for their copy of the Code of Points.)

That isn't to say that every parent should actually become certified and perform as a judge, though. Each team should have a couple of people certified as judges, because judges are always needed at meets, but it isn't an easy - or cheap - thing for anyone to do. The basic requirements for becoming a judge are:

Become a USAG Pro (or Jr. Pro if 16-17 years old) member: $83 ($55) per year
Complete USAG Safety Certification: $65 every four years
Complete USAG background check: $25+ every two years

Just to get started will cost you over $170, and this is before you even take the judges certification courses. The courses are $45 for each event, or $135 for all three. Add to that the cost of a judge's "uniform" (Navy suit for men, Navy skirt/jacket for women) if you don't already have it, and you've got a sizable initial investment.

Of course, you get paid for working as a judge, but as a Category III judge it is doubtful if you will even cover your travel, etc expenses for a given event, much less the upfront investment. Becoming a judge really only makes sense if you know you have to travel someplace anyway to watch your son/daughter compete.

Or if, like us, you simply want to be involved in the sport in a different - noncompetitive - way.

Updates to Mobility tracking

2009-02-22T13:18:00.003-06:00

In my Feb 10 post about mobilization, I mentioned that the rules posted to the USAG website weren't yet in synch with the new rules beginning in the 2009 season. That issue has been corrected with the Feb 20 update to Section VI (Junior Olympic Program) of the Rules and Policies and the posting of updated mobility tracking and request forms in Section XI.

Here are changes I saw in the Mobility Section.

To ensure proper progression from one level to another, athletes must achieve a designated mobility score at USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling sanctioned competition.
Coaches must track mobility from Level 5 to Level 6, Level 6 to Level 7 ~~and Level 7 to Level 8~~ using forms provided by the National Office.
Beginning at Level 8 7, the State Chair, or a person designated by the State Board, will track mobility for each athlete.
Coaches must submit a Mobility Request Form to the State Chair in order to move an athlete from Level 8 7 to Level 9 8, Level 8 to Level 9 and Level 9 to Level 10, ~~Level 10 to Junior Elite and Junior Elite to Senior Elite~~. The State Chair must approve mobility before the athlete is eligible to compete at the higher level. Mobility from Level 10 to Junior Elite and Junior Elite to Senior Elite must be approved by the Elite Program Committee Chair.
Athletes may NOT skip levels.
Mobility at Levels 1-4 is at the discretion of the coach; however, coaches are encouraged to use the compulsories to insure proper progression through the levels.
The highest level at which an athlete may enter the mobility system is Level 8 7.
Upon the recommendation of the State Chair, the J.O. Program Committee may waive mobility requirements up to Level 10 for athletes from a strong gymnastics and/or trampoline and tumbling background, who demonstrate that they are capable of beginning competition at a higher level and file a petition with the request form.

Share your thoughts on the "new" T&T

2009-02-16T00:18:00.003-06:00

Now that we've had a month or so of competition with the new rules and routines, what do you think of them? Join the discussion on the Tramp and Tumble Network and let us know what you think.

Some questions that come to mind:

What do you think of the new routines?
How about the new rules, like no-interruption for levels 1-4 and the new DMT landing zone?
Are the judges pretty much up to speed, or are we still working out all the kinks?
How have the new routines - especially the Lvl 8 tramp and Lvl 10 tumbling - affected scheduling at meets? Are you noticing a big difference, or not really?

By all means, add anything else that you'd like to discuss or share with everyone.

Mobilizing to the next level and qualifying for nationals

2009-02-10T22:19:00.005-06:00

Every year about this time I post information about two big questions that parents and athletes, especially those new to T&T have: How does an athlete qualify for Nationals? and How does an athlete mobilize to the next level? The updated scores required for mobilizing and qualifying are available on the USAG website.
= = == === =====
Qualifying:

You can find this information, and more, in Section VI - Junior Olympic Program of the USAG Rules and Policies.

The National Championships is the final event of the J.O. season. In order to be able to compete at Nationals, you must first qualify.

There are two opportunities for athletes to qualify for Nationals: the State and Regional championships.

To qualify, an athlete must achieve the minimum qualifying scores
The athlete must compete in the State Championships or Regional Championships for the state/region in which the athlete's club is a member. It is not permissible to qualify in any state or regional competition, other than the athlete's own.
Entries to the National Championships must be at the same level at which the athlete qualified at the last competition he/she attended. For example, if an athlete qualified at Level 8 in the first competition, but competed at Level 9 in the next competition and did not reach the qualifying score, then the athlete cannot enter the National Championships.

This is important: if you qualify at State, don't compete at the next higher level at Regionals unless you are VERY confident that you can meet the qualifying scores.

In order to compete at the State or Regional Championships, the athlete must obtain eligibility.

An eligibility competition is any USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling sanctioned competition an athlete attends prior to the State or Regional Championships.
Athletes must compete in at least two (2) USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling sanctioned competitions during the current competition season, prior to qualifying for the National Championships.
The State and/or Regional Championships may not be used as an eligibility competition.

Athletes may participate in State and Regional Championships without meeting eligibility requirements, but cannot qualify to National Championships.
A State Chair may waive eligibility requirements for athletes who are unable to compete in the two required competitions prior to State and Regional Championships. Proof of injury, illness or family emergency is required. The State Chair is under no obligation to waive eligibility requirements if he/she feels it is not in the best interest of the athlete.
The competitive season begins August 1 of each year.
The athlete must compete in at least one (1) event at eligibility competitions. He/She does not have to compete in every event that may eventually be entered at the National Championships.

Mobilizing:

Here's the relevant info concerning mobility from the USAG Rules and Policies, Section VI. (Word of caution, the rules posted on the USAG website are from 2007 and don't reflect all of the changes made for the 2009 season.)

To ensure proper progression from one level to another, athletes must achieve a designated mobility score at USA Gymnastics Trampoline & Tumbling sanctioned competition.
Coaches must track mobility from Level 5 to Level 6, Level 6 to Level 7 and Level 7 to Level 8 using forms provided by the National Office.
Beginning at Level 8, the State Chair, or a person designated by the State Board, will track mobility for each athlete.
Coaches must submit a Mobility Request Form to the State Chair in order to move an athlete from Level 8 to Level 9, Level 9 to Level 10, Level 10 to Junior Elite and Junior Elite to Senior Elite. The State Chair must approve mobility before the athlete is eligible to compete at the higher level.
Athletes may NOT skip levels.
Mobility at Levels 1-4 is at the discretion of the coach; however, coaches are encouraged to use the compulsories to insure proper progressions.
The highest level at which an athlete may enter the mobility system is Level 8 7 (in accordance with 2009 rules).
The J.O. Program Committee may waive mobility requirements up to Level 10 for athletes from a strong gymnastics and/or trampoline and tumbling background, who demonstrate that they are capable of beginning competition at a higher level and file a petition with the request.
[NEW]In addition to achieving the mobility score in trampoline, athletes must be able to successfully perform the 10 mobility skills listed for the current level prior to applying to the state director for mobility to the next level.

It's important to remember that there is much more to mobilizing than just having the right scores, and you shouldn't think about mobilizing until you and your coach think you are ready. Only your coach can help you make a plan for how you will progress, but it is important for each athlete (and their parents!) to understand the process so they can participate in that process. For more info, talk to your coach.
===== === == = =

If you have any questions about mobilizing or qualifying, or have updated info to provide, stop by the discussion forum on the Tramp and Tumble Network and let us all know.

Winter Classic '09 - Don't forget to register

2009-02-08T20:36:00.004-06:00

Just a reminder that this Wednesday, February 11, is the registration deadline for the Winter Classic, to be held March 6-8 in Birmingham, AL. The purpose of this annual meet is three-fold:

The Winter Classic gives elite and Level 10 athletes an opportunity to compete in a national event.
The Winter Classic is the first of two required qualifying competitions to National Championships for Jr. & Sr. Elites. [The second is the Elite Challenge, to be held May 8-10 in Fort Smith, AR]
Jr./Sr. Elite athletes may earn points toward the Jr. or Sr. National Team.

Since this is a World Age Group* year, the Winter Classic may also serve as one of the qualifying meets for athletes interested in that. Held every other year in conjunction with the World Championships, this year the competition will be in St. Petersburg, Russia in mid-November.

* For more about World Age Group competition check out the related discussion on the Tramp and Tumble Network, where I've asked for the community to share what they know. I would have posted more here, but I don't really know anything about it.

J.O. Nationals tentative schedule released

2009-01-30T06:46:00.001-06:00

A (very) tentative schedule (.pdf) for the USAG Junior Olympic National Championships was recently announced by USAG. Training and competition in San Jose will begin on Wednesday June 24 and go through Monday June 29. As usual, the higher levels will go on the early dates, with the lower levels finishing out the schedule. The Grand March and Regional All-Stars Competition will be Saturday night, June 27.

Also, remember that the Elite National Championships will be held as part of the Visa Championships in Dallas, TX in mid-August.

Guidelines on posting meet results on websites

2009-01-30T01:16:00.004-06:00

A couple of weeks ago USAG released new guidance on what information related to meet results can and can't be posted to USAG affiliated web sites.

As of this notice, it is no longer permissible to list any athlete’s date of birth, age or personal contact information on public access pages for online meet results. The Age Group of the competitors may be part of the results. We also request the meet director lists only the club’s name and state and does not publish the address of the club. Meet Directors must state on their entry form that the results of the competition will be posted online on their club site or state/regional site. Club owners/directors /coach must state to the parents that meet results will be posted on line at club/state/regional/national websites

The Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (15 U.S.C. §§ 6501-6506) allows parents to control what information is collected about their child (younger than 13 years old) online. Operators of websites that either target children or knowingly collect personal information from children are required to post privacy policies, obtain parental consent before collecting information from children, allow parents to determine how such information is used, and provide the option to parents to opt-out of future collection from their child.

Although the meet director is not getting the information directly from the child, it is in the best interest of our members to respect their privacy in the areas of specific information such as birthdates, addresses, social security number and phone numbers.

I took a quick look back at the results we posted at last year's Meet Me in St. Louis, and as far as I can tell we meet the guidelines for what information should and should not be posted. (Most of it is just good common sense.) The issues we are looking at for this year's meet follows from the text I highlighted in bold above, specifically:

what exactly should the privacy policy say
how do we get parental consent (and do we need to get it every time we post info or can we use a blanket "release" form)
how do we handle the situation when we don't have parental permission (do we just list a club name instead of the athlete's name in the results)
etc etc.

To help us all figure this out, and share what we know, I've started a discussion on this topic the Tramp and Tumble Network asking these very questions. If you have any thoughts or insights on this, please stop by and share.

Congratulations to the 2009 Jump Start National Team

2009-01-30T00:32:00.003-06:00

If you haven't already heard, the 2009 Jump Start National Team has been selected. Congratulations to all, with a very special congrats to St. Louis Elite athlete Clayton Janvrin, team member on both Trampoline and Tumbling. Jump Start is USAG's program to identify future elite athletes at a young age and educate their coaches on proper fitness and skill development.

The National Team Camp is scheduled for 19-22 February at The Matrix in Huntsville. I've set up a Jump Start National Team group on the Tramp and Tumble Network for athletes, coaches, and parents (and friends!) to use to connect with each other, share ideas and stories, and to help plan any activities.

The full press release is available on the USAG web site, but here are the team lists for your reference:

Boy's Trampoline
Autry	Scott	Artsports
Ballas	Landon	Queen City T&T
Bucci	Riker	Preston Gymnastics Academy
Busam	Zachary	Queen City T&T
Hall	Connor	Gymnastics Etc.
Janvrin	Clayton	Kid's World Gymnastics
Kight	Ryan	Artsports
Lyell	Patrick	Elmwood
Maiolatesi	Tony	Lanier's
McCarron	Dominic	Artsports
Ross	Quinn	Legacy T&T

Boy's Tumbling
Autry	Scott	Artsports
Bucci	Riker	Preston Gymnastics Academy
Hall	Connor	Gymnastics Etc.
Janvrin	Clayton	Kid's World Gymnastics
Kight	Ryan	Artsports
Lyell	Patrick	Elmwood
Maiolatesi	Tony	Lanier's
McCarron	Dominic	Artsports
Ross	Quinn	Legacy T&T
Wagner	Carson	Legacy T&T

Girl's Trampoline
Bogle	Sabrina	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Boyd	Cassie	World Elite Gymnastics
Bynum	Bailey	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Delmarsh	Ila	Santa Barbara
Duke	Hayley	World Elite Gymnastics
Frome	Ryan	Eagle's Wings Athletics
Hockaday	Drew	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Jenkins	Hannah	Acrospirits
Kelley	Cheyenne	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Mellenthin	Kierra	Tumbling Express
Neilson	Fancee	Team Revolution
Oh	Alyssa	American Powerhouse
Roby	Kylee	World Elite Gymnastics
Schultz	Kaitlin	Waller's GymJam Academy
Silhan	Shea	Acrospirits
Stevens	Jessica	ArtSports
Teegarden	Olivia	World Elite Gymnastics
Turner	Lily	World Elite Gymnastics
Webb	Jordan	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Wendt	Sydney	Eagle's Wings Athletics
Zafman	Zoe	Waller's GymJam Academy

Girl's Tumbling
Bogle	Sabrina	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Boyd	Cassie	World Elite Gymnastics
Cline	Annika	Eagle's Wings Athletics
Delmarsh	Ila	Santa Barbara
Duke	Hayley	World Elite Gymnastics
Hockaday	Drew	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Jenkins	Hannah	Acrospirits
Kelley	Cheyenne	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Marcotte	Samantha	Wabash Valley T&G
Mercado	Alyssa	West Coast Elite
Oh	Alyssa	American Powerhouse
Randle	Jamie	Central Illinois
Rosencutter	Aubrey	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Silhan	Shea	Acrospirits
Teegarden	Olivia	World Elite Gymnastics
Thevenot	Rachel	Elmwood
Turner	Lily	World Elite Gymnastics
Vu	Vina	West Coast Elite
Webb	Jordan	T3 Tulsa's T&T
Wong	Lauren	West Coast Elite
Yu	Elizabeth	West Coast Elite

This week's featured discussions

2008-11-24T06:26:00.001-06:00

Now that the Tramp and Tumble Network has reached the 100 member milestone, I've been tooling around with some different features provided by the Ning platform. One is the ability to "feature" discussions, events, members, etc. Since the Forum now has seen quite a bit of activity, I thought I'd start there.

This weeks featured discussions are:

Proposed new DM landing zones, started by MP
How do you get people to be judges?, started by Brett
New rule about highest entry level?, started by KarenJ
Training tips, started by Brooke

So if you've got some thoughts on these topics, please stop by and let us know. If you have questions of your own, this is the place to ask them.