Time Management
Coaches need to prepare for every class. Planning leads to becoming highly productive. Encourage your coaching staff to arrive early and prepare the gym for their classes. Making this a habit will eliminate wasted time during the classes.
It is suggested to change drill stations every week and maintain fun energy for athlete training. Athletes learn and perform at higher levels with age and ability-level appropriate drills and stations.
When purchasing equipment you need to know what you are buy it for. Is if for drills training or competition Training? Both of these products have similar uses but both have their own unique value as well. The Spring board is excellent for vault training from pre-school age athletes using the Little Thumper Board up through the competition and FIG approved spring boards for Men and Women.
By comparison the Inflatable incline is a fraction of the cost and a portable option for tumbling drills and skills.
Spring Floor Maintenance
Spring floors are the most used apparatus in every gym. Unfortunately, they get the least amount of attention. It is recommended that gym owners take the carpet and foam off to inspect the floorboards and springs at least every two years. This is an important part of long term spring floor maintenance and injury prevention.
The biggest advantage of two-layer floor systems is there are no H-channels or straps to move or get loose. However, these floors are made of boards that will eventually break. The most common boards to break are the top boards. Cracks and breaks usually occur in the high traffic areas, the punching and landing zones. Additionally, bottom boards can break, but not as often as top boards. Be sure to inspect both layers of wood during your inspection.
Plastic floors are incredibly durable, but they require regular maintenance. Over time, springs can fall off, the H-channels will shift, and straps can loosen. As a result, gaps will form between the boards. Temporarily, Duct-Tape may be used to hold the H-channels in place, but eventually, the Duct-Tape will break and the channels will move. It is very important to inspect this floor every two years to ensure the channels are where they should be and there are no broken boards. Additionally, inspect the straps to make sure they are tight and that gaps have not formed between the boards.
Single layer wood floors will have the same maintenance requirements as the plastic floors. However, with the single layer wood floor, the wooden boards will break and/or get cracks in them. Inspect the wood floor yearly, especially at the high traffic, punching and landing areas of the floor. The floor boards are most prone to breaking and cracking.
Contact us for spring floor repair or upgrade to a new spring floor
Spring Cleaning
Thoroughly cleaning the gym is important to the health and safety of student athletes. A thorough cleaning requires moving mats and cleaning areas that don't regularly get cleaned. Take time to disinfect and wash chalk off mats while inspecting for tears. Clean and inspect all floor areas and equipment.
Make it a work day for the whole staff to help keep equipment clean and properly maintained.
When is it time to replace a mat?
Mats are an important part of every gymnastics, tumbling, and cheerleading program. Mats must be in perfect shape to protect athletes. Therefore, gym owners must inspected all mats monthly, or at least quarterly, for tears in covers and the break down of the interior foam. Over time mats will break down from everyday use in a gym environment. When worn corners and tears are observed in vinyl covers, a replacement cover only can be ordered. When the interior foam deteriorates but your vinyl cover is still intact, replacement foam inserts can be ordered. Purchasing new gym mats can be a large expense for the gym owner. Therefore, repairing vinyl covers or foam inserts, will prolong the life of the mats at a lower cost.
Top three mats you need in your gym.
1. Inclines - This mat can be used to teach an athlete a front roll to standing fulls. Inclines allow the athlete to gain confidence and they are an advantage when practicing skills.
View drills Here: https://www.instagram.com/p/BteghBpFGBZ/?igshid=1uk9xjk9m6bek
2. Panel Mats - The uses of a panel mat vary for every situation. Use panel mats for conducting drills and working in stations. Use one for handstands and have another panel mat for cartwheels and/or round-offs. Use panel mats for stretching drills or as a barrier for athletes that reach across their body when tumbling. The uses for this mat are endless. Definitely a must have for any gym.
3.Landing Mats - A good landing mat can go a long way, whether using it for a dismounting surface, on an apparatus, or learning skills for the first time on the floor. When partnered with a good throw mat, this combo allows for a softer landing when developing skills.
Conducting routine trampoline maintenance is important. Follow these steps to ensure the trampoline in your gym is safe for all athletes.
1. Inspect the entire frame and make sure all bolts are tight. If any bolts have loosened, tighten them up.
2.Inspect the bed for tears or fraying fabric. A trampoline with tears or fraying fabric is quite dangerous. The bed of the trampoline can be replaced if the frame is in working condition.
3. Inspect the edging and springs. Inspect each spring to ensure none are over-stretched and all springs are properly attached. Replacement springs can be replaced if the frame is in working condition.
Regular inspection of your trampolines will keep all athletes safe.
Trampoline Repair parts can be found here
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Cut a 4 ft piece of velcro for each corner.
Velcro one side down.
Run the velcro under the corner between the springs.
Pull around to the front and velcro down.
Doing this will hold your corners true and keep your carpet bonded foam from shifting around.
