Don't Let Go of the Ropes!

During the 2008 FINA Grand Prix International Diving Meet at the Hall of Fame Aquatic Center, some coaches were "testing out" of overhead spotting proficiency on both trampoline and dryboard. Our proficiency test took place under the watchful eyes of legendary spotters Dick Kimball (University of Michigan -- retired) and Julian Krug (Univ. of Pittsburgh). My group included Ted Hautau (NC State University) and Kevin Sage (Sagebrush Diving -- CO).

While I was waiting my turn to "test" my skills, I recalled what my mentor Charlie Casuto told me when he taught me how to "spot" trampoline more than 20 years ago -- these words still hold true today:

1. NEVER, EVER let go of the spotting ropes when you have an athlete in the belt -- even when you are not actively "spotting" them.
2. Make sure the athlete in the spotting belt understands what skill you want them to do.
3. Never take your eyes off the person in the spotting belt when you are actively spotting them.
4. Make sure the athlete you are spotting knows and understands that they are NOT to "go" until you are looking at them AND you have given them the "go" command.
5. Avoid anything that could distract you or cause you to lose your focus when you are actively spotting an athlete.
6. Practice, Practice, Practice!

WORD OF CAUTION: All coaches should first learn how to spot over a trampoline. After getting proficient at trampoline spotting, then you can move on to spotting dryboard and finally, you can learn "over-the-water" spotting. The reason this is important is when spotting over the water, you must "let go" of the ropes after spotting the skill so the diver can drop into the pool. Without exception, you NEVER LET GO of the ropes when spotting above a trampoline or dryboard so you must learn this VERY IMPORTANT lesson first.

Trampoline Spring Information

There are several trampoline springs on the market today, but you need to know the differences in order to make the correct decision when purchasing them. Most non-competitive or backyard trampolines utilize 9 in. springs and nearly all competitive trampolines utilize 10" or even 10 1/4 in. springs.

All trampolines springs have what is called a "Resting Stretch" and an "Active Stretch." The Resting Stretch is defined as the amount of stretch on the spring when it is attached to the trampoline frame and bed and nobody is jumping on it -- it is "at rest." The Active Stretch is defined as the length to which the spring could stretch when an average size person is "actively" jumping. See the chart below:

• 9 Inch Spring -- Resting Stretch of 11 - 12 in. -- Active Stretch of 14 - 15 in.
• 10 Inch Aussie "Jumbo" Spring -- Resting Stretch of 14 - 15 in. -- Active Stretch of 18 - 20 in.
• 10 1/4 Inch Aussie High Performance Spring -- Resting Stretch of 15 - 16 in. -- Active Stretch of 19 - 21 in.

As you can see, there is quite a difference. You will also note that depending on what spring size you choose has an impact on the actual size of the trampoline bed needed to correctly fit your trampoline frame. HAPPY JUMPING!!