In Sync
In Sync
Synchronized Verb. To occur or recur at the same time or in unison.
Maddie O’Halloran 1st November 2016 Broken fibular (right ankle) Tucked back somersault, landed on trampoline frame during synchro practice
Anja Jackson 4th August 2017 Broken fibular (right knee) Triple front somersault, landed on one leg in airbag while working at trampoline park
Trampoline gymnastics is primarily an individual sport - at competitions, gymnasts compete two routines, each consisting of 10 skills, in front of a panel of five judges. Scores are calculated based on horizontal displacement, form, time-of-flight and difficulty tarrif. When choosing to also compete in synchro, partners perform matching routines side-by-side and are also awarded a score for synchronicity, as well as being judged individually. Maddie has been my synchro partner for two years and we compete together at regional and national University competitions. Having both bounced from a young age and since faced injury, stress and other difficulties, her dedication to the sport matches mine. When we compete together we aim to be perfectly in time with each other, and in this book I will show how her experience of the sport often mirrors my own, and in a sense how she is a reflection of myself.
Maddie
The University of Gloucestershire Trampolining Team trains twice a week, on a Tuesday and a Thursday. A mixture of advanced trampolinists and complete beginners, all members are encouraged to get involved in setting up trampolines, social events, fundraisers and competitions.
Trampolining routines consist of 10 skills, made up of combinations of forwards/backwards rotations (somersaults), shape jumps and twists. Much like being left or right handed, gymnasts tend to always twist in the same direction, though synchro partners do not need to twist the same way. Maddie twists to her left, and I to my right, mirroring each other.
As well as training twice a week at University, Maddie often returns home at weekends to train in Farnborough, where she also helps to coach other members of the club. Through them she has gained her Level 1 coaching qualification and is currently working towards the Level 2.
Preparing for competitions not only involves training and practicing routines, it also requires mental preparation and tough decisions. When creating a routine, trampolinists must decide whether to include harder skills in order to get more points for a higher degree of difficulty, or to perform simpler skills to increase the likelihood of completing the routine with better form and less horizontal displacement.
Maddie O’Halloran 23rd May 2005 1st Place, Southern Region Trampoline Competition
Anja Jackson 22nd May 2005 1st Place, Bridport Leisure Centre In-House Trampoline Competition
University of Gloucestershire Trampolining Team 11th November 2017 Southern Universities Trampoline League 2017/18, Event 1 - Bristol
In the week leading up to the competition, Maddie had been experiencing pain in her side, both while bouncing and not. It is possible this was an injury that developed due to so much training. During her warm-up this worsened and she was unfortunately not able to compete.
Maddie is taking some time off to relax and let the pain in her rib go down. She will then continue to train, and will have time to experiment with learning new skills and coaching methods, something that is often forgotten in the runup to competitions, when the same routines are drilled over and over again. We are considering creating a new, more ambitious routine to compete together for the BUCS National Championships next year, but for now we are enjoying a brief period of less pressure
With thanks to: University of Gloucestershire Trampolining Team Farnborough Flyers Trampoline Club Southern Universities Trampoline League