User:BlackStallion2419

In today's time, tumbling is just an activity that some people take and use to purposes such as cheerleading and diving, while others involve themselves for the sheer fun of it. However, what a lot of people don't know is that, like basketball and soccer, tumbling is actually a nationally recognized sport.The sport was set up in rotations, much like the sport of gymnastics. Before that happened, the individual rotations were separate competitive sports. The first rotation, trampoline, was recognized as a sport in its on right in the United states in 1967. The second rotation, double-mini trampoline, developed into a sport in itself in 1974. The third rotation, power tumbling, has been its own sport since 1886, having had national competitions dating back to that time.

History

Tumbling may very well be the world's oldest physical activity, being known to ancient Greece, Rome, China, Egypt, and Persia. During medieval time, court jesters used wooden planks to perform acrobatic skills such as the barani – a front somersault with a half turn. The wooden planks were the “trampolines” of that time. According to Gymcan, a Canadian acrobatics association, “Stage Wreckers was the name given to the early rebound apparatus during this century. The name was developed because the tension on the cables oftentimes pulled up the stage floorboards” (Gymcan 1).

According to the USA Gymnastics Association, that aspect of the sport changed in 1936, when the trampoline was invented as a portable unit by an American named George Nissen. Not long after that, trampoline became a competitive event, having its first World Championships in 1964, then becoming its own sport later on in 1967 (USA 1).

Double-mini trampoline, also developed by George Nissen, started as two separate mini trampolines with a matted table between them. A man named Bob Bollinger later took it and turned it one unit. Bollinger’s development of the double-mini trampoline is now used as the sport’s official equipment for that event, and was added to the sport in 1978 (USA 1).

When power tumbling first started in 1886, it was competed on stadium grass. Since then, there have been several different surfaces used for this even, including panel mats, ski floors, and spring floors (now used in gymnastics). An engineer named Randy Mulkey developed the fiber-glass rod floors that are now used as the sport’s official equipment (USA 1).

In 1999, all three sections came together to form one sport, and the sport was incorporated into USA Gymnastics.

Rotations

The first rotation takes place at the rod floor. This event, power tumbling, requires a running start followed by a series of connected skills (whips, fulls, half-twists, etc.) and a dismount onto the landing mat located at the end of the rod floor runway.

The second rotation takes place at the double-mini trampoline. This particular type of trampoline was designed mainly for dismounts, meaning that the skills are performed in the process of coming off of it. It is competed by taking a running start, jumping onto the double-mini while avoiding the area marked in red, performing a skill and immediately performing a dismount onto the landing mat located at the other end.

The third and finally rotation takes place at the trampoline. A typical trampoline routine consists of a combination of 10 skills, one skill per contact with the trampoline. Aerial skills consist of a variety of twists, somersaults, and flight positions. Also included in this rotation is synchronized routine, during which two athletes on two separate trampolines must perform the same routine at the same time.

Learning & Practice

One of the advantages of this sport is that at participant can go in it with no experience. The skills can be taught to anyone, preferably starting with the basics and working their way up. The safest and easiest way to learn is by way of professional instructional instruction. Quality instruction can carry an athlete pretty far – all the way to the Olympics if they want it badly enough – but it comes out of their pockets.

A lot of great tumblers have learned everything they know be teaching themselves. This method of training virtually eliminates the cost; however, it is a lot more risky and a potential danger if care is not taken.

Just as with anything else, practice is crucial to the learning process. Many gyms across the country host a two-hour supervised session called open gym, where a person can go in and do pretty much anything on any piece of equipment whether they have experience or not. This is the best place to practice.

Best-known Tumbling Team

The best-known tumbling team in the country are the Jesse White Tumblers. This team was assembled be the Illinois Secretary of State, Jesse white, and has been performing in shows and at events since 1959 (Jesse 1). This team does not follow the traditional tumbling structure that the sport does. Their routines generally involve becoming airborne and tumbling over each other’s heads, sometimes using a mini trampoline. Their tumbling is done on basic, two-inch thick mats.