World Trampoline Championships 2023

In November of last year, I was lucky enough to be a volunteer at the World Trampoline Championships in Birmingham. As it had been over 10 years since the last World Championships was in the UK, I wanted to make the most of the chance to be involved in such a major event. My volunteering occurred in the qualification days of week 1 of the championships, however, we also had tickets to watch the finals day at the weekend. This was another great opportunity to see if there were any differences between viewing the competition from the competition floor and up in the stands.

My role as a volunteer was a ‘gymnast leader’. This role required me to walk gymnasts from the stage where they entered the arena, to their competition apparatus (pretty surreal!). Once I had done this however, I had a front row view of the gymnasts preparing and competing their routines. As an aspiring sport psychologist (and avid trampoline fan) this was the perfect opportunity to see some sport psychology in action, whilst getting to watch some very inspiring routines.

Watching the gymnasts before the competition, it was clear that there was a lot of preparation taking place, both mental and physical. The physical preparation was easy to see, lots of running and keeping warm, rolling out muscles, and of course the one warm-up go each participant had on the competition apparatus. However, mental preparation is not easy to spot if you’re not the one doing it, or a member of their team. Nevertheless, I certainly believe there was a lot taking place. On many occasions, I could see gymnasts visualising their routines and running through the motions on the floor. Picturing yourself performing a routine perfectly has been demonstrated to be effective in improving performance and building confidence.

There are multiple theories as to why imagery can be useful for improving performance. One of note is the psychoneuromuscular theory (e.g., Jacobson, 1932). This theory suggests that imagery programmes the muscles for action and strengthens the neural pathways that are required for each movement. This could be why gymnasts were running through the motions of the routine at the same time as imagining it; both mentally, physically, and neurologically preparing themselves for their routines. Another relevant theory is the psychological skills hypothesis (e.g., Weinberg, 2008), which suggests that imagery develops mental skills such as concentration and confidence, thereby reducing anxiety and improving performance.

I believe this preparation was highly necessary, as I could not imagine the amount of pressure the gymnasts were feeling in that arena. For some, the pressure of retaining titles would have been high, whilst others were competing at a major level for the first time. Much research has demonstrated the impact that pressure can have on performance. For example, self-focus theories of performance under pressure suggests that pressure leads performers to consciously focus on their movements, thereby disrupting automaticity and execution (Roberts et al., 2019). Too much focus on something easy, makes you forget how to do it! Other theories, classified as distraction theories, suggest that pressure causes athletes to move attentional resources away from the task, onto unimportant aspects such as worries about performance outcomes. Although these theories are conflicting and contradictory, and there is evidence to both support and disregard both, it would seem logical that focusing too much or too little, may cause performance to decrease, and this is more likely to happen in a pressurised environment. However, both theories strongly suggest that there are performance decrements under pressure, thereby highlighting how mental preparation is so important. Even the nature of the routines, being so difficult and potentially dangerous, can add an element of pressure.

For the Brits, they had the pressure of performing in front of a home crowd as well. However, this pressure of performing at home has also been shown to be an advantage. Evidence has demonstrated multiple factors that explain why performing at home may be beneficial (Nevill & Holder, 1999). First, there is the impact of the crowd, who are able to increase the performance of those performing at home, by giving them support and motivation. Secondly, being familiar with the environment and performance area has also shown to be beneficial to performance. Some athletes would have been from the city where the competition was held, with many having performed in that very arena from a young age. This sense of familiarity can leave performers feeling calmer, as there is less for them to learn and get used to. Finally, athletes performing at home have less travelling to do, thereby reducing fatigue and leaving them more ready to perform. Therefore, before the competition even starts, these athletes may be at an advantage.

Due to the potential pressures that could impact performance, I think it’s fair to assume that performers must have had strategies in place in order to deal with this. As discussed earlier, visualisation is one technique that may help, likely through allowing performers to have control of their movements and allowing them to ‘remember’ how to perform well. My previous blog post on the World Gymnastics Championships and performing under pressure, provides further information if you are interested.

During my time as a volunteer, I was very grateful to only witness a couple of injuries, which is impressive considering the dangerous nature of the sport and highlights how important prior preparation is, and how skilled these performers are. Furthermore, from a purely trampolining perspective, what wowed me so much was that gymnasts could perform a triple somersault, and then a single somersault afterwards, and the amount of control that must take. To need so much power for one move, and then very little for another, takes an extraordinary amount of skill.

Being up in the stands and watching the finals weekend was also one to remember! We saw Bryony Page (from Great Britain) crowned world champion! (A potentially a once in a lifetime opportunity). However, being up the stands was definitely a different experience to being on the competition floor. You obviously don’t get to see as much, or as closely, when you’re not on the floor, and you don’t get to see or feel the athletes’ emotions. You also can’t see the athlete’s preparation as easily, or as much ‘behind the scenes;’ you just get to see the routines as they are. The final thing that really struck me at my first time at a major competition, is how silent the arena goes as the athlete starts their routine, and then the applause that builds as they get to move 8, 9 and then 10 and finishing their routine. The silence is certainly a heart-racer, and was not something I had ever experienced before, but the applause afterwards makes it all worth it!

Being a volunteer, getting to see such amazing routines, being involved in the ‘behind the scenes,’ and seeing sport psychology in action, was something that I’ll never forget, and would love to be a part of again!

Thank you for reading about my experiences, I hope you found this interesting! If you would like to discuss this more, get in contact or leave a comment.

Thank you for reading :)

References for more information:

Jacobson, E., 1932. Electrophysiology of mental activities. The American Journal of Psychology, 44(4), pp.677-694.

Nevill, A.M. and Holder, R.L., 1999. Home advantage in sport: An overview of studies on the advantage of playing at home. Sports Medicine, 28, pp.221-236.

Roberts, L.J., Jackson, M.S. and Grundy, I.H., 2019. Choking under pressure: Illuminating the role of distraction and self-focus. International Review of Sport and Exercise Psychology, 12(1), pp.49-69.

Weinberg, R., 2008. Does imagery work? Effects on performance and mental skills. Journal of imagery research in sport and physical activity, 3(1).

(All photos are my own)