12:30pm | Nearly 2,000 trampoline and tumbling gymnasts will converge on Long Beach next summer for the 2012 Junior Olympic National Championships slated for July 5-11 at the Long Beach Arena, according to TeamUSA.org. 

Michelle Gerlach of World Elite will serve as head director of the local organizing committee. 

The Junior Olympic National Championships feature competition for both men and women at Levels 5-10 in trampoline, double mini-trampoline, synchronized trampoline and tumbling.

To qualify for the Junior Olympic National Championships, athletes must meet the qualifying criteria and score requirements, which vary by category and event. Gymnasts in Levels 5-10 are ranked by their level of expertise, with 10 being the highest and just below elite.
 
Trampoline events involve athletes using trampolines that can propel them up to 30 feet in the air, during which they can perform single, double and twisted somersaults. Tumbling utilizes elevated spring runways that enable athletes to jump at heights above 10 feet and execute a variety of acrobatic maneuvers. Double-mini competition involves the athlete making a short run and leaping onto a small two-level trampoline. The athlete then performs an aerial maneuver and dismount onto a landing mat.

In 2011, the Long Beach Arena hosted the Junior Olympic National Championships for both men’s and women’s gymnastics.