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Places to vault get scarce over the summer. Our pit gets left out but we can only use it with a certified coach supervising. Where we gonna find a coach in the summer? Last year we used the pit in the next town over when nobody was around. This year they put their pit in storage.
It looks like others have the same problem. Why don't we make a list of places in the South where vaulters can practice for free and not get into trouble with any school officials?

Due to liability, you are going to have a hard time finding a "free" place to jump. Pole vault equipment is too expensive for schools to risk leaving them out over the summer and clubs have to charge something just to pay the overhead cost and keep the goofballs that aren't serious about it from taking up valuable runway time.

I know this doesn't sound very optimistic, but pole vaulting can be an expensive event. I spend a ton of money each year chasing around the vaulters that I coach from meet to meet and they're not even MY kids. Heck, if my family wants to go on vacation they have to travel with me and my vaulters to various meets during the summer.

The closest club to us is in New Orleans, 80 miles away. By the time I add in club dues, coaching fees and gas at $3.00 a gallon, it would cost us about $45 per workout!
We have several meets scheduled this summer. I hate to take my son to a meet without having any practice and say jump as high as you can. I worry that this will set up a unsafe situation.

$45 total cost per session is about average when you factor everything in. My facility is in the middle of nowhere, infact you can barely get here from anywhere. I only charge $10 per session, but the travel can be costly.

Most of my kids travel 2-4 hours one-way to jump once a week most of the year and twice a week during the summer. As I said in my earlier post, it's an expensive sport. It just depends on what your goals are and on how motivated you are to achieve them.

Some of my kids pay their own way by mowing lawns, sacking groceries, washing golf carts, waiting tables, etc.

[quote="AVC Coach"]$45 total cost per session is about average when you factor everything in. My facility is in the middle of nowhere, infact you can barely get here from anywhere. I only charge $10 per session, but the travel can be costly.

Most of my kids travel 2-4 hours one-way to jump once a week most of the year and twice a week during the summer. As I said in my earlier post, it's an expensive sport. It just depends on what your goals are and on how motivated you are to achieve them.

Some of my kids pay their own way by mowing lawns, sacking groceries, washing golf carts, waiting tables, etc.[/quote

If I lived near your facility, I would like to jump there with your coaching expertise.

I travel 89 miles to Morry's and im one of the closer ones. Its supposed to take 1 hour 45 min, but ive cut it to 1h 20m before, and its well worth it. You get to see beautiful southwest AR as well as a beautiful olympic pole vaulting mat every sunday in the middle of nowhere .

I realize that this is an expensive sport. I have a hard time just keeping him in poles. I have had to buy 5 poles in the 15 months that he has been vaulting. However, he has gone from a 9' vaulter 15 months ago to a 14' vaulter today.

Its very tough, and unfortunate when you cant find the right poles/ facilities/ coaches for this sport. You might not have the BEST of all those things, but it sounds like you are very serious about it and are able to find a way to make do when you cant jump in season. If it comes down to it, you can just do off-season training until pits open back up. Good luck with whatever path you choose.