The basics of tumbling
Our Personal Trainer Rebecca is qualified in cheerleading and offers tailored 1-2-1 tumbling sessions! See below some information from Rebecca herself:
"Since starting cheerleading 11 years ago, I have learnt an awful lot! Alongside the physical development, I have also learnt many life skills. Some examples include:
- Confidence
- Listening to others
- Working as a team
- Dealing with feelings of upset or frustration
However, let's not forget the fun stuff: stunting and tumbling!
What is tumbling?
Tumbling in basic terms is flipping your body upside down (handstands, cartwheels, back somersaults, and more). The nature of tumbling is incredibly physically demanding: your hands must be able to take your bodyweight to hold a handstand or your legs must be able to exert enough power to flip your body around to land safely back on your feet. On the flip side (no pun intended) it is a mental game when it comes to tumbling, your mind can have such an impact on whether you are going to commit to a tumble. For example, try standing up and just think about taking off for a standing back somersault. Immediately, you start thinking about the risks and the what ifs!
During my time teaching, I have seen many young people learn and develop their skills. Whether they start with the basic skills, or they are a little bit more advanced, it’s the most rewarding feeling to help them evolve! My client Belle has been having regular personal training sessions with me here at Avenue Tennis, where we have worked on her tumbling skills. Her main goal was to learn how to do a front walkover, which has the following steps:
- Starting on her feet and reaching forward
- Moving into a handstand whilst keeping her legs in a split
- Arching her back until the leading leg touches the floor
- Pushing off her hands to land safely back on her feet
It sounds confusing but every tumbling skill is performed of lots of little motions added together. With my help, we broke down the skills into drills and we practised until perfect. Belle can now do this on her own! It is so rewarding watching athletes gain new skills that they have been working so hard on. Tumbling can be an extremely scary feeling, but with support and encouragement, you can do it!
Overcoming mental blocks
Mental blocks are exactly what they sound like! Your brain feels as if it is taking over and they can form at any time for any reason. You could have just performed the skill, go to try it again and completely freeze up. This can be incredibly frustrating and I have dealt with a mental block before, from slightly landing wrong (I didn't even hurt myself). I personally like to take a week or so away from the skill, and go back into basic drills to regain trust in myself.
Injuries can occur in anything we do, tumbling is a dangerous sport but with the correct training and equipment, injuries can be prevented. A lot of parents get their children into tumbling because they’re at home trying to cartwheel, handstand or forward roll around the house. Often, they don't really know how to do it properly so they end up hurting themselves or breaking something in the house!
As part of my personal training packages, I offer 1-2-1 tumbling sessions to help develop your skills and build your confidence. If you would like to get into tumbling or learn a new skill, then please contact myself at rebecca.fielding@avenuetennis.co.uk or one of our reception team on info@avenuetennis.co.uk. I can't wait to start our journey together!"
