Trampolines: A no-no

When we drive by a house with a trampoline in the yard, my first thought is "There's an accident waiting to happen." I know of at least two trampoline accidents, neither one of which was serious, thank goodness, that actually happened on the same trampoline. Now, the American Academy of Pediatrics has come out to formally warn that trampoline devices are too dangerous for children.

I got to wondering how trampolines were invented. The first known trampoline devices were probably used by the Inuits, who used to throw each other through the air to land on a walrus skin! Probably the first practical use of a trampoline-like device, invented in 1887, was the life-nets you see in old movies used to save people in high buildings from fire. Folklore suggests that we get the name "trampoline" from the circus performer du Trampolin who first started using the device in his show, although there is no real evidence to support this. On the contrary, it probably comes from the Spanish word "trampolín," meaning "diving board."

In 1936, trampolines began being produced for athletic gymnastic tumblers, but soon trampolining became popular on its own. Several sports and games were created using the trampoline. Then during World War 2, a more serious application was found for the trampoline: the United States Navy Flight School started using them to train pilots and navigators; it was thought the trampoline would help develop better spatial orientation. As the years went by, several competitive sports were created for the trampoline, and since 2000, trampoline sports have been included in the Olympics. 

The urge to have trampolines at home created a market sometime in the 70's. Visions of nurturing a budding Olympian's talents, giving the kids a physical activity they could enjoy at home were certainly well-meaning incentives to getting one. However, these benefits don't begin to outweigh the problems caused by the injuries the trampolines create. First of all, the home trampolines are not as sturdy as the professional ones built for competition. The safety nets do little to prevent injuries; they may prevent a child from falling out of a trampoline, but the net does nothing to prevent someone for falling incorrectly, or crashing into another trampoliner. Most people jumping on a trampoline have no prior gymnastics training; knowing how to fall, having core strength and balance are extremely important. Would you just jump on a balance beam and expect to be able to walk across it with no problem? Remember, the trampoline was originally designed for athletes!

Some of the injuries associated with trampolines include concussions, fractures of the spine and legs, strains, sprains, and dislocations. Younger children are the most susceptible, especially when there are multiple people on the trampoline at once. 

Please think twice before you buy a trampoline, or allow your child to bounce on a friends' trampoline. If you decide to go ahead, please be sure there is always adult supervision no matter how old the children. Don't allow more than one kid on at a time. Verify that your home owners insurance covers trampoline injuries (there have been cases where a home owner has had their insurance cancelled because they had a trampoline!)