Flippin' out; Holland trampolinist sets sights on Olympics.

Byline: Amy Brenner-Fricke

HOLLAND - Sean M. Kennedy is a bouncy sort of guy. You might even say he has his head in the clouds.

Good thing he participates in a sport where such things are encouraged - and actually rewarded.

Sean, 19, is a rising star in an international sport that might be unknown to many people, but one that carries a definite "wow" factor: competitive trampoline. In just four years, he has become a top Senior Elite competitor who has his eye firmly fixed on the 2012 Olympics.

Trampolines can be found in many American backyards, used as playthings for young children. Competitive trampolining, however, is a far cry from the backyard sport.

On a modern competitive trampoline, an athlete can bounce to a height of up to 30 feet, allowing him or her to perform an array of double, triple and twisting acrobatics. Routines can include simple jumps in the pike, tuck or straddle position to more complex combinations of forward or backward somersaults and twists.

Sean began participating in the sport four years ago, when he was 15 and a student at Tantasqua Regional High School in Sturbridge. A school field trip to the Trampoline Place, an all-trampoline gym in Plainfield, Conn., piqued his interest and launched him on his road to the Olympics.

"It was a lot of fun," he said. "Bill Young, the owner of the gym, invited me back and said I could be on the team. I went back, and just kept going."

According to his father, Michael Kennedy, such a brief description of the precipitating event is typical of Sean's modesty.

"After Sean went that first time, Bill told us he was extremely talented and had tremendous potential," he said, adding that, despite the words of praise for his son's abilities, at first the idea of competitive trampolining "sounded weird."

"Our neighbor had a round backyard trampoline, so it didn't seem like much of a sport. Then my wife, Laurie, and I went down to the gym and saw what a real trampoline was," said Mr. Kennedy. "One of the guys there had been at it for years and was a Junior Elite athlete. He really impressed us, and Bill showed us tapes. We realized then that this was a tremendous sport. We knew this was a real niche - Sean's `thing' that he could excel at."

"We see a lot of kids through here, but Sean stood out from the crowd in terms of his aerial awareness," said Mr. Young. "He knows where his body is going through the air."

Competitive trampolining is a judged sport, like gymnastics or diving. According to the USA Gymnastics organization (the national governing body for the sport of gymnastics in the United States), each competitor performs two routines each of 10 moves, with one mark awarded for each move performed perfectly. Deductions are made according to performance imperfections in each move. When up in the air, it's possible for the trampolinist to perform a number of different moves, twists and somersaults, all of which are judged based on difficulty, form and completion. One routine includes compulsory moves, and the other is a free-style performance.

"The judges look for things such as straight legs, whether your head is in and your toes pointed, that sort of thing," said Sean. "You have to go one trick right into another, all 10 tricks or skills in a row with no extra bounces. Any extra bounces are penalized. And if you lose your height, they deduct for that, too."

Sean said the most difficult skill he performs in competitions is the "rudy-out triffis," a twisting triple somersault that includes three flips with a 1-1/2 twist on the last flip.

"It's the first skill in my routine, so if I mess up on that it's hard to catch back up," he said. "If I do a good triffis, the rest of the routine goes OK."

"He does a triff so easily that he and the staff believe he will be able to do a quadriffis - four flips and a half twist - within a year," Mr. Kennedy said. "We have only heard of one guy who has done a quad in the U.S. - he did it once a few years ago and has not done one since. It is an extremely difficult and dangerous trick."

When watching the twisting acrobatic moves of the competitive trampolinist, it's difficult not to imagine the injuries that might result from a bad fall. According to Mr. Kennedy, the initial response to Sean's sport was one of worry. However, the family has grown more comfortable with the hazards of the sport over the years, he said.

"Broken, bones, paralysis, death - all are risks. The height these guys go up - 25 feet - they would easily snap their neck if they landed head first," he said. "The first thing they do is teach you how to crash."

"I've had a couple of minor injuries," said Sean, who broke his ankle in 2005 when he landed incorrectly. "But if you're paying attention to what you're doing and being sensible at it, you shouldn't get hurt. The times I was hurt was when I had a `go for it' attitude that I shouldn't have had."

Mr. Kennedy said Sean's skills and abilities also serve to reassure his family.

"We know he is properly trained. The other thing is instinct. You cannot teach balance - you can work a little bit at it, but people are gifted with a certain amount of balance," he said. "We always knew Sean had remarkable balance - he was riding a two-wheeled bicycle at 3 years old."

Sean said he typically trains at least three days each week - a training schedule that increases to five days a week in the months leading up to a competition or tournament. In the past few years, he has been steadily making his move up the competition ladder.

"The first year I did this I went to nationals in the Level 10 division, and won third place," he said, adding that he moved up to the Junior Elite division the following year. This year, he qualified to compete in the Senior Elite division. To compete as a Senior Elite athlete, a trampolinist must be at least 17 years old and have attained certain qualifying scores at various tournaments.

In May, Sean took second place at the USA Gymnastics regional competition, held in Maryland. Later that month at the Elite Challenge, held in Colorado Springs, Colo., he placed 10th overall against athletes from all over the United States.

Recently, he competed in the 2007 Trampoline & Tumbling National Championships, held June 20-28 in Memphis, Tenn.

"I did pretty well at nationals - I finished eighth place overall," he said, adding that he was "happy" with the results. "This was my second time going to nationals, and my first time going as Senior Elite, so to make finals was more than I expected from myself."

According to Mr. Kennedy, Sean's performance at the nationals served to notify the gymnastics world that he is a competitor to be watched.

"He wasn't supposed to qualify for Senior Elite. He wasn't supposed to make finals in nationals," he said. "Sean is not under a lot of outside pressure right now. That will not be the case a year from now. He has expectations - from himself, his peers, his coach."

Mr. Kennedy said Sean's goal of competing in the 2012 Olympics, while realistic, will require sacrifices.

"Sean will need international competitive experience over the next four years, which is a financial and time burden," he said. "Sean's coach is also encouraging him to get trained by one of the best in North America - Tatiana Kovaleva, the 1996 World Champion from Russia. Her gym is located in New Jersey, which means Sean would have to move."

Whatever the sacrifices, however, the Kennedy family - which also consists of sons Christopher, 21, T.J., 16, and Eric, 13 - is prepared to do what needs to be done to help Sean achieve his goals.

"I will never encourage him to give up his dream. He'll have the rest of his life to work," Mr. Kennedy said. "He has mine and Laurie's support on whatever decision he makes."

In fact, Sean's enthusiasm for the sport has had a direct impact on his father, who left a career as a CPA to start his own business. Called "Flippenout Productions," it is a professional trampoline show and cirque company that performs at sporting events, fairs and festivals all over the world. When he isn't away at a competition, Sean performs for the show company, which also includes other gymnasts. Mr. Kennedy serves as emcee, manager, travel scheduler, marketing coordinator - "typical of any small business," he said.

"This is one of the coolest jobs in the universe, and it was a direct result of Sean's training," he said.

While he continues to train for upcoming competitions, Sean said the specter of the 2012 Olympics is never far from his mind. To earn a spot on the team that will head to London, he must qualify with a good showing at the 2011 World Championships. Each competition brings him closer to that goal.

"Sean has a good work ethic and the right attitude for this sport," Mr. Young said. "He sees it mentally, and he's physically gifted. He has all the proper pieces to bring it together. I think Sean will find a way to get there."

"We've had a female from the U.S. in the Olympics in 2000 and 2004, but no U.S. males have gone to the Olympics yet for trampoline," Sean said. "I'm kind of new to the sport - but in 2012, I'm hoping it will be me."

ART: PHOTOS

CUTLINE: (1) Sean performs with skis at the "Different Walks of Life" fundraiser, held last month in Sturbridge. (2) From left, Michael Kennedy, Sean's father and owner of Flippenout Productions; World Champion trampolinist Tatiana Kovaleva; Sean; and T.J. Kennedy, Sean's brother, at the fundraiser in Sturbridge. (3) Sean flies high during an exhibition show, held before the NHL playoffs in Nashville, Tenn., in April. (4) Sean Kennedy of Holland performs a "neckbreaker fall" on the trampoline at an exhibition show in Nashville, Tenn.

PHOTOG: (1) CHRISTOPHER ALLEN (2, 3, 4) COURTESY PHOTOS