DO NOT DO…
Don’t land headfirst in the hole
Don’t bury yourself under the blocks in the pit.
Don’t try skills you can’t safely do yourself
Don’t fall on your knees in the hole
Do not dig holes in the pit blocks.
Don’t throw foam down the well
Do not separate the blocks from the foam pit.
Don’t throw foam blocks at anyone’s face.
MAKE SURE…
Make sure you land in the pit!
Make sure you take turns entering the hole.
Make sure only one gymnast at a time is in the pit
Make sure no one is in the hole before use
Make sure you land in a pike position if you fall from the rope.
Make sure the foam pit is fluffed regularly
*Make sure to clean the foam well from time to time
*It is very important to take the time and clean the gym pit several times a year. Over time and with a lot of wear, the blocks begin to flake. This results in a lot of dust and small pieces of foam in the hole which often get into the gymnast’s eyes. When she cleans the suds pits, she may never know what she may find at the bottom. Some of the common things are hair clips, headbands, ponytail holders, earrings, jewelry, socks (although they are not supposed to wear them), band-aids, etc. And you can even find some crazy things; We’ve found glasses, retainers, pot holders and a dead mouse.
Cleaning a foam hole can be a very dirty job. Be sure to wear masks and even safety glasses to prevent dust and flakes from getting into your mouth, nose, and eyes!
One of our gymnasts always got bits of foam in her eyes, so one day she came to class wearing swim goggles! She wore the goggles the whole time she did somersaults… Needless to say, she didn’t get foam in her eyes!