Jack Kelly - Over & Above: Trampoline Gymnastics

Jack Kelly

Over & Above

Trampoline Gymnastics Towards World Class Performance

Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd.

2014 by Meyer & Meyer Sport (UK) Ltd.

Auckland, Beirut, Budapest, Cairo, Cape Town, Dubai, Hgendorf, Indianapolis, Maidenhead, Singapore, Sydney, Teheran, Wien

Member of the World Sport Publishers Association (WSPA)

978-1-78255-364-9

www.m-m-sports.com

ISBN 978-1-78255-364-9

The use of the word landing as opposed to drop is meaningful when encouraging beginners to jump up before making bed contact on the seat, the back or the front rather than dropping straight down to the body contact.

Mitch Fenner

Jan de Koning Fotografie

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Jack Kelly personal archive

Jack Kelly personal archive

Jack Kelly personal archive

Nissen Trampoline Company

Harlow Gazette

Herts and Essex Newspapers

Aubrey E. Smith

Mitch Fenner

British Amateur Gymnastics Association

Harlow Gazette

Nissen Trampoline Company

Harlow Gazette

Harlow Gazette

Jack Kelly personal archive

Jack Kelly personal archive

Harlow Gazette

Harlow Gazette

BTF News

Jack Kelly personal archive

Scottish Amateur Swimming Association

David Lewis

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Nissen Trampoline Company

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Graham Parker

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Fdration Internationale de Gymnastique

Bo Tureby

Dave Ross personal archive

Jack Kelly personal archive

R.C. Walker

Gymaid Ltd.

In passing on the fruits of a lifetime career in his sport, Jack Kelly has made a gift of his gift the ability to translate astute clinical observation into clear practical messages. His is a rare quality indeed; the capacity to elevate the science of coaching into an art form by blending technical knowledge with effective and compassionate delivery. Jack is a true exponent of the Craft of Coaching, and his credentials are impeccable.

When I first met Jack, his love affair with trampolining had hardly begun. He cut an imposing figure amongst a motley array of enthusiastic kids and aspiring coaches, all looking to him for guidance and inspiration and all unaware, as far as I know, that he was only a pace or two in front of them in terms of exact technical knowledge. Jacks honesty regarding this is disarming and typical of him. However, given his own impressive sporting pedigree and determination to find something more reliable than the chuck it and see mentality that prevailed in some quarters, it was obvious to anyone who encountered him in those days that here was a potential innovator, a pioneer who would leave an indelible mark on his chosen sport. It would just be a matter of time. Jack set about the task of learning his trade, visiting the established citadels of the sport and objectively sifting through the advice and information gleaned some rejected, some retained, but all of it weighed. What set him apart even in the early days and I suspect it is so even now was a willingness to listen and learn. During those formative years, I watched as he built a system that laid foundations for inevitable success, based upon sound fundamentals and a tireless attention to preparation and detail.

Our technical collaboration came from a joint appreciation of the importance of physical conditioning and the acquisition of transferrable gymnastic skills areas that broke new ground in the discipline of trampolining. This was the Apex-Harlow period, which helped us develop an approach to coaching that would last a lifetime. The methodology was grounded in profound trust in biomechanical truths and the value of physical readiness, alongside the analysis of sequential movement, and the isolation and perfection of the essential components of a particular skill.

Nearly fifty years later, Jacks energy has not waned in the slightest. He is as keen as ever to pass on his knowledge and experience to todays and tomorrows coaches. I am certain those who read the pages that follow will have their appetites whetted to join the ranks of his many followers. Jack Kelly could without a doubt have made his mark as a coach in any number of sports, and it is to our lasting benefit that he chose trampolining.

I am immensely honored to have been afforded this opportunity to preface Jacks long awaited literary legacy, a work that not only addresses technical and methodological issues but reveals more than a hint of his remarkable insight. A man who has produced world champions and who has earned the respect of the worlds most successful coaches someone I am proud to call a friend.

Mitch Fenner British
Gymnastics Honorary National Coach & Master Coach
Head Coach and Director of Elite Coaching KNGU (Netherlands) Male Artistic Gymnastics
Gymnastics Commentator for BBC and FIG.

The author working with development coaches in the Netherlands.

In order to obtain the full benefits from this book, it is best to progress logically through the chapters as I have written them. I have, however, set out the information in such a way as to enable the reader to dip in and find useful advice and practice drills relating to the many underlying technical requirements of trampoline gymnastics. It should be borne in mind, however, that some of the advice and recommendations within this volume will be dependent upon the logically argued cases in previous chapters.

The examples of drills, practices and worksheets are just that examples, and my aim has been to stimulate coaches imaginations and creativity to develop their own personal variations.

The illustrative drawings are deliberately gender neutral, simplistic and diagrammatic to support the principles outlined in the text. They do not attempt to express the wide range of individual variations. Each individual frame in an illustrated sequence should be seen as part of process rather than a fixed position. Where possible, illustrations are in a vertical format with ascending and descending arrows rather than the often-misleading horizontal style that fails to represent the true directional nature of trampoline gymnastics.

The action photographs of World Class trampoline gymnasts are intended to be inspirational rather than instructional. I have, however, taken the opportunity to associate each one with a key technical principle which is fully described in the text.

JACK KELLY: "World Class coaching is not about coaching high difficulty skills, it is about coaching basic technique and applying it to high level performance." Foto: