Jumping for joy: What it's like to be a trampoline coach

After falling in love with trampolining when she was 10, Tricia has been a coach affiliated to British Gymnastics for more than 40 years.

Since 1998, she has dedicated her life to helping people with disabilities to reap the benefits of therapeutic trampolining.

“When I was 10, I wanted to learn to play badminton but at the other end of the sports hall was a trampoline and I thought, I want to do that as well,” explains Tricia. “I did both for years and years but once you start trampolining, you get hooked so I decided to become a coach.”

Tricia, who is a UKCC Level 4 Trampoline Coach, spent many years teaching students at all levels and, keen to ensure the sport was as accessible as possible, she also qualified as a disability coach.

“It was important to me that if someone with a disability wanted to learn they could because I was qualified to teach them,” explains Tricia.

In 1998, she retired from mainstream coaching to specialise in teaching adults and children with disabilities. She founded Recoil Trampoline Club in Brentwood, in Essex, where she was based at the time, and led a 12-year fundraising regime to raise the £360,000 funds needed to develop a fully accessible centre for all ages and abilities.

“It was the first of its kind and has nine full-sized trampolines which are sunken to floor level. This makes it more accessible and enables people to get on and off the trampolines as independently as possible without having to rely on a hoist. It’s nice that people can get on and off under their own steam and in their own time,” explains Tricia.

In 2016, Tricia and her husband moved to Shropshire to retire but she continued to fundraise for the centre. This included travelling from Land’s End to John O’Groats in a tuk-tuk in 2019 to raise awareness.

When Tricia discovered there were no facilities for disability trampolining in Shropshire, she came out of retirement to set up a new specialist service.

It was launched in March this year and Tricia now holds sessions at Shrewsbury Sports Village for young and older disabled adults, from seven different day centres and care homes, and for children with profound and multiple learning disabilities at Severndale Academy.

Trampolining can offer many benefits to people with disabilities as well as giving them the chance to enjoy the bounce and the freedom of movement.

“It may be lying on the trampoline and being able to roll, it may be something more active,” says Tricia. “Trampolining makes you smile, it makes you happy and it’s fun. It’s good for strengthening muscles, developing balance and endurance, improving posture, coordination and flexibility. It also helps to improve mental health by improving self-confidence and self-esteem. These are just some of the benefits, there are so many more.”

Tricia’s dream is to open a purpose-built trampoline centre in Shrewsbury, specialising in disability and therapeutic trampolining.

“A dedicated facility will enable many more disabled people who attend day centres, or are residents of care homes as well as those who live with parents or in Supported Living, more opportunities to access trampolining in a safe and welcoming environment. It would also enable access for disabled children to participate in afterschool sessions in the community, outside of their school environment and alongside non-disabled children.

Last month, Shropshire’s Lord-Lieutenant Anna Turner visited Shrewsbury Sports Village to find out more about the sessions and meet some of the people who had helped to set up and support the service.

“She has been very supportive and could see the benefits of what we are doing. She even had a go on one of the trampolines,” explains Tricia.

Her next goal is to train more specialist coaches so she can increase the number of sessions.

“The response I’ve had since I started the service has been amazing. All of my sessions are full and there is now a waiting list. I cannot meet the demand without more coaches so I would love to see people come forward and once qualified they can work with me to provide this service for people in Shropshire,” she tells Weekend.

In 2021, Tricia received the British Empire Medal for services to British Gymnastics and last year she was chosen to be a batonbearer for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Shrewsbury. “It means a lot because I don’t do it for recognition, I do it because I get so much joy out of it and I see what a difference it makes,” she says.

Earlier this year, she was shocked to receive an invitation to the coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla. “There were 450 BEM recipients invited and I was one of them. I had a perfect view. I enjoyed every minute of it and it’s something that I will never forget,” Tricia explains.

“I love being a coach because I spend the whole time with a huge grin on my face. Working with children, young adults and older adults with disabilities is very rewarding and I’m constantly amazed at what they can achieve. Every single carer says how much they love it and how it’s the best thing they do all week. I just hope I give back to them as much as they give to me,” she tells Weekend.

Anyone who is interested in becoming a coach or supporting the plans for a dedicated trampolining centre in Shrewsbury can email Tricia on tricia@disabilitytrampolining.co.uk