Trampolining injuries can occur even when athletes have substantial training, padded equipment and trained spotters. The majority of injuries are due to poor landing and rebounding, but injuries also occur when athletes fall off the trampoline, most frequently from the ends of the trampoline.
Trampolining injuries can happen to any part of the body, but most often affect the neck, arms, legs, face and head. Head and neck injuries are the most serious injuries associated with trampolines. Spotting is the use of suitably trained participants positioned around the trampoline to assist the trampolinist while they are performing or practicing moves.
A trampoline must have one or two spotters on each side of the trampoline plus one at each end, unless thick weight-absorbing mattresses are provided, in which case spotters will only be needed on the unprotected sides of the trampoline.
Spotters closely watch the trampolinist perform. If the performance goes wrong or the trampolinist gets too close to the ends or sides of the trampoline, the spotter will prevent the trampolinist from falling off by pushing them back onto the trampoline. For this reason it is essential that a spotter is suitably mature, physically strong and properly trained.
This safety measure can reduce or outright prevent injuries for the performer. Spotters must pay attention to the trampolinist at all times when spotting. This is essential for both their own safety and the well-being of the trampolinist. Spotters should move out of the way of a falling trampolinist if they feel unsure or unable to assist, particularly if the trampolinist is falling toward them with great momentum. An experienced trampolinist is often best able to make adjustments to minimize the impact of a fall without needlessly placing the spotter at risk.
When assisting a falling performer, a spotter should reach as high as possible and contact the trampolinist's chest or shoulders. However, in competitions a gymnast's safety is still literally in the hands of the spotter. Former Utah assistant coach Aki Hummel made one potentially life-saving spot at the NCAA Championships when gymnast Traci Sommer hit her head on the top bar and was falling the floor head first. He reached out and snatched her out of the air.
For some, having a spotter gives them a necessary comfort level to try a big skill. Junior Nicolle Ford won't vault unless Marsden is standing next to the vault. I have to trust the person and get comfortable with them. It takes me awhile. With a good spot, a gymnast can avoid a serious injury. But the spotter is at a risk, too. One year, Marsden tore a tendon in his biceps giving former Utah gymnast Angie Leonard a spot, an injury that required surgery.
Because of the physical demands, few spotters are women. Utah associate head coach Megan Marsden, a 5-foot former gymnast, doesn't spot for two reasons: She's not comfortable doing so with her small stature, and she simply isn't interested in learning the skill. The Utes' spotting duties fall mainly on Greg Marsden and assistant Jeff Graba, a former gymnast who replaced Hummel this year after Hummel left the program to pursue a business opportunity.
He met with all of the girls, and they seemed comfortable with him, that was important. The intricacies of spotting require familiarity between the gymnast and a spotter. No stranger, not even one with world-class coaching credentials, is going to walk into a gym and automatically be trusted to give a spot on a difficult skill.
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