Pascal Tremblay from GYMNOVA Canada responded to my request for advice on best pits:
From our perspective, choosing the right type of pit will take a complete analysis considering every factor involved with this purchase (primarily the security of the users of course!).
1-Your actual gymnasium’s realities and impositions. For example, it is quite possible that to create a sunken pit in a gym situated on the 2nd floor is simply impossible.
2-The desired dimensions as well as all of the equipment you would like to into the pit.
3-The available budget (whichever type of pit you end up choosing, this project will be expensive.)
4-Your preference base on your experience. From a gymnast and coach point of view, a pit with foam cubes is psychologically more inviting to attempt difficult and complicated movements. From an administrator point of view, the pit with foam cubes seem less hygienic (even if the foam cubes are protected with covers…. covered or not, if a child vomits in the pit, it is a pain!).
From my personal point of view, I would opt for a suspended sunken pit for it’s easiness regarding maintenance and especially for the possibility to adjust the elasticity of the net and re-tension the pit (it is also cheaper in term of $$). I also believe that mixing a suspended pit and a pit with foam cubes could be a great compromise! Attractive proposition because it offers a sense of security for the users with the net preventing athletes to reach the ground between cubes, maintenance is easier and cheaper (less cubes).
Whichever pit you choose, you should always use it with a foam safety mat to prevent tearing up the pit’s foam. …
Pascal sent some additional pit diagrams:
If you have additional questions, Pascal invites you to contact him:
GYMNOVA Canada / GymRep et Cheer-Rep
450-662-9901 poste 2 (bureau)
514-894-3872 (cell.)
ptremblay a gymrep.com
It’s PIT DAY on Gymnastics Coaching. I’ve been researching best, cheapest and most durable designs — both in ground and above ground.
Gymnova invented the “suspended” pit, so far as I know. The knock against the “suspended pit” design is that the foam top can be easily split by bigger athletes. I’ve heard that there is a more expensive kind of foam fill that is unsplitable, but it’s about twice the cost.
My gut feeling is that their built-in pit is more durable.
In ground or raised, it’s still nice to have loose foam for NEW skills.
Loose foam is messy. But cubes can be ordered with fire retardant covers.
One or both bladders can be inflated to the desired firmness simply by pushing a button on the wall. Wow. From resi-pit to landing “table” in minutes, without moving a thing.
… As a simpler alternative, what about stacking Air Pits like these available from Tumbl Trak or Eurogym?
On Facebook I see that their Tumbl Trak is now set-up. CONGRATULATIONS.
This is the club currently researching the best designs for an above ground pit. Leave a comment if you have seen designs posted online.
Kids in the Philippines have great potential. All that nation needs is more entrepreneurs, more gyms. And enough revenue to pay coaches.
As you can imagine, getting expensive equipment to Philippines is not easy. Leave a comment too if you have suggestions on donated equipment. We might be able to get free shipping through a corporate sponsor.
It’s now been over 2yrs since the death of adult recreational gymnast Michelle Maitland who hit her head on concrete at Townsville Gymnastics. Nothing can bring her back. But this report — released the day before what would have been Michelle’s birthday — might help prevent future catastrophic injury.
My friend Mike Outramsurvived after hitting his head on concrete.
Surely the very first thing coaches must do in any facility is make sure it’s impossible to hit concrete or steel. Long term, we need modify all foam pits to suspended systems, the best being the Jim Walker design.
Here are the 9 recommendations:
1. Gymnastics Australia should review the level of training, assistance and monitoring provided to clubs to implement the Club 10 program. This review should include the methods of monitoring compliance with, and implementation of, the program.
2. Workplace Health and Safety Queensland, Sport and Recreation Services and Gymnastics Queensland should research how to link improved safety outcomes in the sport of gymnastics with the funding and non-financial support provided by SRS.
3. Gymnastics Australia should review their GA lesson plan template, in consultation with its members, with the view to developing a lesson plan template that includes coach positioning and key safety controls. Consideration should be given to sample lesson plans for each apparatus and level.
4. Gymnastics Australia should conduct a training needs analysis and ensure that access to coach accreditation and professional development courses is available.
5. Gymnastics Australia should research and develop methods to assist gymnastics clubs to conduct risk assessments, specifically in the use of gymnastics apparatus.
6. Gymnastics Australia should review the Club 10 equipment maintenance policies and procedures with a view to achieving greater compliance with Club 10 documenting processes.
7. Gymnastics Australia should research and develop methods to assist gymnastics clubs in managing the risk of manual task injuries in gymnastics coaches.
8. Gymnastics Australia should review coach knowledge on spotting and provide additional guidance and training where required.
9. Gymnastics Australia should research the viability of a simple method to document skill progression of gymnasts, including any injuries suffered. This may vary for high level, competitive gymnasts and low level or recreational gymnasts.
This report needs be circulated to sports governing bodies worldwide. Leave a comment if you have ideas on how to make that happen. I’ll send it to some FIG committee members and Gymnastics Canada.
Update: As commenters have pointed out, an improvement to this report would be to better specify exactly what parts of the gym need be “padded”. In the past I’ve narrowed it down to pits and trampoline devices. But it should be broader than that.
They were originally marketed for Team Gymnastics, a sport that often sets-up and takes-down every day. But the very best use I’d say is for Vault training. They lift up as high as 2m 20cm.
We thought Mike Outram was paralyzed for life. But Mike’s made amazing progress partly due to his stubbornness, partly due to training in a glorified “jolly jumper“. This video is from March.
Michael Outram, is a Windsor gymnastics coach who had a spinal cord injury due to a trampoline (multiple forward somersault into pit) accident. This is Mike after his 5th session at Aim2Walk using the Lokomat taking his first steps on the treadmill without the assistance of the robotic legs. The repetitive, task specific motion of the Lokomat helps the brain and body recall a normalized walking pattern. To learn to walk, you have to walk!
The Lokomat is the most advanced piece of robotic equipment available for gait training and neurological re-patterning. …
Friend Michael Outram on Facebook if you want to send congratulations.
