9.03.2016

Gym Class #10: 4 Trampoline Development Centers

Photo by Krenda
Want to get their hearts pumping?  Go to a trampoline facility and let them soar.

According to CNN, trampoline is one of the 10 strangest Olympic Sports, along with 1) solo synchronized swimming, 2) club swimming, 3) tug-o-war, 4) live pigeon shooting, 5) swimming obstacle course, 6) roller skating, 7) la canne (canes, similar to fencing), 8) rope climbing, and 9) race walking.  The vast majority have not been included in recent Olympic games.  However, trampoline is fairly recent.

London England held the first Trampoline World Championships (1964).  Sydney, Australia hosted the first Olympics to feature trampoline (2000).  Did you know the inventor learned from a kangaroo and actually jumped with a kangaroo on his trampoline?  Your little joey can have so much fun too. 


Trampoline offers much more challenge than who can jump highest.  Try a half turn, tuck jump, straddle jump, and seat drop.  For the gymnasts, they may jump as high as 33 feet and show off other tricks: 
1) Barani - front somersault with a half-twist
2) Cody - backward somersault from the front
3) Quadriffis- any quadruple somersault from the front.

USA Gymnastics chooses a limited number of clubs as Trampoline Development Centers, encouraging competitive trampoline sport.  In 2016, USA Gymnastics chose the following four clubs:
1.  De Veau's School of Gymnastics in Indianapolis, IN
2.  Mini Hops Gymnastics in Plymouth, MN
3.  Legacy Training Center in San Luis Obispo, CA
4.  International Gymnastics Centre Inc. in West Sacramento, CA


We've used trampoline facilities in Fort Wayne, IN and Buffalo Grove, IL (near Chicago).  Both offered more than jumping.  Both offered a foam pit and dodge ball games.  No need to bring a team.  Just join the fun.  Safety first.  The facilities provide safety videos and signs.  Always good to reinforce the message yourself with your kids.

Tips:
1) Bring comfortable clothes, but not too much stuff - you'll likely want to rent a small locker.  Facilities often require socks with grips and sell them at a reasonable price.  2) Set a realistic time.  You can purchase 2 hours, but you may not need it.  One hour or even 30 minutes may suffice.  Especially if you use competition rules - routine terminates if you touch the side panel or stop (-:

When you go on vacation, sometimes the weather just doesn't cooperate.  Pack your grip socks.  If you are vacationing in the Smoky Mountains, check out Top Jump Trampoline Park in Pigeon Forge (between light #8 and 10).  If you need to rent a luxury cabin, check out our rental nearby named Indigo Moon Lodge www.indigomoonlodge.blogspot.com.

Gym Class #9: Horses, Cowboys, & 7 Rodeos


 
Photo by Krenda
Rodeo, a challenging sport, grew from the cattle industry and had influence from the Spanish ranchers.  Some claim Spanish rode focuses on style while American rodeo values speed.  Bull wrestling had conducted in Europe including Spain many years before America.  However, Bill Pickett of the United States has fame as the inventor of bulldogging.  William F. Cody (Buffalo Bill) created the first major rodeo and the first Wild West show.  
 
Today the PRCA states that a sanctioned rodeo must include five events:  

1) calf roping:  top professional calf ropers with rope and tie a calf in seven seconds.  Time stops when the cowboy throws up his or her hand.  After putting slack in his rope, the timer waits for six seconds during which the calf must stay tied prior to recording.
2) barrelback riding:  cowboys hold on with only hand and judged upon control during the eight second ride
3) saddle bronc riding:  judging considers how hard the horse bucks, cowboys disqualify if either foot slips out of a stirrup
4) bull riding:  cowboys must remain seated, cowboys disqualify for touching the animal, himself, or his equipment with his free hand
5) steer wrestling:  steer wrestler on horseback starts behind a barrier and if he leaves too soon i.e. "breaking the barrier", the judges give a ten second penalty 
At a rodeo, you may also see team roping (two cowboys work together to rope back feet and if rope only one herd foot then judges give five second penalty) and barrel racing (cowboys ride a cloverleaf pattern around three barrels and incur a five second penalty for each barrel overturned).  

At junior events, you may see mutton busting in which young children attempt to ride sheep for six seconds.
We attended the Jacob Hamblin Days festival in Kanab Utah, a celebration of pioneer and western heritage, which included a rodeo.  I really enjoyed watching the rodeo outdoors, surrounded by beautiful scenery and watching the sunset.  During junior events, the fathers did a lot of helping.  The encouragement was visible.  The announcer would get excited and the whole crowd would cheer whether or not the child held onto the sheep for six seconds.


Attending the National Finals Rodeo by PRCA ProRodeo in Las Vegas, NV may give you a challenge considering tickets have sold out for past 26 years.  You can get on a waitlist for a balcony seat.  Here's x rodeo event with available tickets:

1) Cheyenne Frontier Days (Cheyenne, WY, July):  began in 1897 and now attracts nearly 200,000 fans, besides rodeo events, it includes the USAF Thunderbirds air show, chuckwagon cookoff, and serving of nearly 100,000 free pancakes; concerts such as Toby Keith ($47-71), rodeo ($7-30 each), championship bullriding ($31-41), carnival armband ($30); consider the Frontier four pack ($99) which includes rodeo tickets for four and hot dog dinner.

2) Pendleton Round Up (Pendleton, OR):  began in 1910 and now one of the top ten largest rodeos in the world with crowd of approximately 50,000, visit the tipi village, Happy Canyon pageant, Indian Pow-Wow, dress-up parade, wild cow milking, and relay racing, rodeo ($20-30 each)

3) The Reno Rodeo (Reno, NV, June);  nearly 100 years old and claims 140K fans over 10 days, giving over $2million in prize money, the slogan is "wildest, richest rodeo in the west", steer decorating, cattle drive, cowboy church, X-treme bull ($19-26), rodeo ($21-23)

3) Ellensburg Rodeo (Ellensburg, WA, Labor Day weekend):  Over 600 contestants and four nights of rodeo ($17-37 each), Xtreme Bulls ($15-43), pancake breakfast ($6), Hall of Fame banquet (limited $40 tickets), dance in dirt, and cowboy church

4) World's Oldest Rodeo Prescott (Prescott, AZ, June/July):  began in 1888 as "cowboy tournament" with cash prizes, now eight performances ($16-20), Kiwanis kiddie parade, arts & crafts show, and cowboy church

5) Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo (Fort Worth, TX, Jan./Feb.);  world's original indoor rodeo, adult ($10), child age 6-16 ($5) includes livestock events and educational programs, Moo-seum experience, over 400,000 people attend

6) National Western Stock Show & Rodeo (Denver, CO, Jan.):  admission ($10-20) or family 4-pack ($89 includes hot dog dinner), Colorado vs. champions of the world rodeo, Mexican Rodeo Extravaganza includes trick roping, PBR bull riding, draft horse show and pull, petting farm, pony rides for children

7) Weekley Brothers Davie Pro Rodeo (Davie, FL):  rodeo ($22 adult, $10 child age 3-12), championship buckle presentation, pancake breakfast

All pricing subject to change.  Please visit their websites.