Teaching local pupils how to twist and tuck
Students at the University's Trampoline Club are giving local primary school children an opportunity to try out the sport.
Club member Eilidh Grant, who is studying to be a Gaelic-medium primary school teacher, ran trampolining classes for around 60 pupils at the schools where she was on placement – Victoria Primary School and Bun-sgoil Taobh na Pàirce. It was a great success and the children were very excited about trying something new. The parents were also grateful that their children were being offered this opportunity.
Equipment and coaching
The Club trains at the University’s Centre for Sports and Exercise which hosts six trampolines, one of which is an Olympic Standard Ultimate Trampoline. The sessions run for the pupils have all the safety requirements in place and the children are supervised by qualified coaches.
If they wish, Club members can train to be coaches, which also helps them develop skills including planning and organisation, communication and leadership, and builds their confidence. The student coaches try to pass these skills on to the pupils they’re coaching.
Most of us had never been on a trampoline before we came to Edinburgh, but we thought it sounded fun, and it really is. We want to reach out to young people so they can share our enjoyment of trampolining and of sport in general. Trampoline parks are often out of town and expensive, which puts them beyond the reach of many families, so if we can share our facilities and our skills, that’s great.
Encouraging boys’ participation
The Club is conscious that a lot of young people feel that trampolining is a girls’ sport, so they deliberately try to ensure that male coaches are present at coaching sessions in order to encourage young boys to see a positive role model and to try out the sport themselves.
This year, the Club is working with the University’s Educated Pass Initiative at Sighthill Primary School, to encourage boys to take part in trampolining. After delivering some PE lessons, Club members have invited the P6 pupils to come to the sports centre to have a go on the big trampolines.
Coaching and judging
In their spare time, Club members volunteer to help with judging at local competitions. Working with local clubs, such as the Lothian Spryngers Trampoline Club, students pass on tips but also learn a lot from the young competitors.
‘I was really inspired by a young child competing in an event I was judging. He had seven double somersaults in his routine which made me think that I need to practise a lot more!
Further information
If you’d like to get in touch with the University Trampoline Club, email: trampoline@ed.ac.uk
https://www.eusu.ed.ac.uk/organisation/Trampoline/