EmilySalzman

Sports and extracurricular activities are not unique for a girl attending Marian High School to participate in, whether it be playing for a school team such as cross country or soccer, or participating in sports outside of Marian such as figure skating or, in the case of freshman Hailey Eriksen, being part of a trampoline team at Premier Gymnastics in Omaha.

Trampolining is the art of tumbling and performing practiced routines on a trampoline and can be seen at both the recreational and the Olympics levels. Eriksen began her journey towards becoming a level 10 trampolinist, the level she is today, at just 3 years old when she joined the gymnastics program at Premier. 

Two years after the start of her time as a gymnast, the coach of the trampoline and tumbling teams at Premier approached Eriksen and her mom in order to discuss the possibility of her joining the tumbling and trampoline teams in addition to her regular gymnastics. “I was excited to jump on a trampoline as I’m sure most 5-year-olds would be,” Eriksen said. 

She continued her involvement on both the gymnastics and the trampoline and tumbling teams until 2019 when Eriksen decided to end her gymnastics and tumbling careers in order to put all of her focus into her career in competitive trampoline.

For the past 10 years, Eriksen has spent four days a week, year-round devoted to practicing and perfecting her routines on the trampoline. 

Trampolining is an integral part of Eriksen’s life and the countless hours which she has put into her sport will ensure that she can do her best once the competition season rolls around.

Eriksen has gotten the opportunity to compete in various trampoline competitions which have taken her to Iowa, Missouri, Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas and North Carolina. 

“Our competitive season runs from January through July,” she said. 

However, back in March, Eriksen had her season cut short due to COVID-19. “As of now, our first competition will be in Dallas, Texas in January,” Eriksen said.

Although trampoline is not a sport which exists at the collegiate level, she hopes to continue working towards her ultimate goal of reaching the elite level. 

While it will take lots of hard work and commitment, Marian sports fans can hope to see Hailey Eriksen competing on the trampoline at the Olympics in the somewhat near future.