PoleVaultPower.com

So...
I'm a vaulter in eastern NC and I found 2 vault camps that I want to go to [and are in my time constraints]:

"Vaulthouse"
http://www.vaulthouse.com/

And

"LoJo Vault Assault Summer Camp"
http://www.lojovaultassault.com/va_camps.html

I am vaulting about 6'6" regularly, 7' is my PR, [straightpoling a 110lb 11', from 5 lefts. I'm 95lb-ish]. I've vaulted for 2 years/4 seasons.
Ummm...anyone have any suggestions about which to go to? I don't know which would be better for me.

Each full day of activities includes 3 full training sessions

Pole vaulters must bring their own poles.

These are my only concerns with Johnsons camp. It is 5 days long and it is a lot of training. Probably more than anyone should be doing durring the off season.
I was dead after both Alan and Morell's camps.

Also vaulters are required to bring their own poles and with you being a relatively beginner vaulter you need to learn how to get on bigger poles when you have the chance, and since im guessing your school does not have hundreds of poles you can not do that quite as easy there.

Both camps have very good coaches that have done a lot of good things with athletes. Lojo has several high vaulters at South Carolina, I also think has been running the camp for a while. And Morell has produced countless state champions, all Americans, and a few national champions.

When it comes down to it you are going to learn a lot at both camps.

Heres pros and cons i see.

Vaulthouse - In State, less than half the price of Assault, They have hudreds of poles, two experienced coaches, camps been running 13 years, limited space so it is really hands on (max 20 have been as little as 5 depending on week). They have high bar, swings, and swimming pool for drills.

Vault Assalut- Well know coach and olympic athlete, collegic facilities


Obviously I am a little bias but IMO id say vaulthouse would be your best bet at improving the most. You can learn all the technique in the world right now on your small poles and improve by six inches or so. Or you can go to a camp where you work on using the right technique and implementing your drills into your vault so you can progress through as many poles as possiable and even start bending. I have a lot of experience with Vault House and know that I went from 8'6 to 10'6 after one sunday session with them, then 11'6 after 2 sessons and 13' after a month. I also watched a girl at one of the summer seassons who was in the 6th grade (about 4'8 80lb) that had never pole vaulted in her life almost jumping 8 foot on the last day of the camp.

I have been to one of the vaulthouse camps.
However, I didn't improve a bit...I started bending the pole, but it was with a 90lb, which I couldn't use in competition.
I mean, I think I got over 6'9", but after that camp, I couldn't do it.
:S
You are right about the "not having hundreds of poles" thing...most of our team borrows from Morell or another school in the area.

*sigh* I have no clue.
They're both good, I just don't know what's best for me ATM.

Dude, last year at Vaulthouse, I TOTALLY couldn't grip the highbars and such...my hands are TEENY...about 6.25 in from base of palm to tip of middle finger.

i live in sc but i think id rather go to vaulthouse simply because my school goes from a 12 140 to a 14'6 170 and i wouldn't have a pole to take with me. i might have to look into vaulthouse. I just finished my first season with a pr of 10' i jumped with coach shealy before the season started though and that really helped. if only my school had a pole i could use.... haha

If I go to the LoJo VA camp (probably will), I'll probably be bringing a 13'7" 160...

xjoeyx wrote:i live in sc but i think id rather go to vaulthouse simply because my school goes from a 12 140 to a 14'6 170 and i wouldn't have a pole to take with me. i might have to look into vaulthouse. I just finished my first season with a pr of 10' i jumped with coach shealy before the season started though and that really helped. if only my school had a pole i could use.... haha

Who's Coach Shealy?
I HAVE a pole, but it's a 110 11'...I'm 95-ish lb. [DEFINITELY under 100 though]
Hmmm....ugh, IDK.

I do have to agree with VaultPurple about the Pros and Cons though.
:S

Given the chance, I'd go to both, but I don't think my parents would be too happy!
Just a LITTLE bit expensive! [Esp. considering that I'm going to another expensive camp...about the cost of going to BOTH of the camps.]

Hmmm...Can other people weigh in?

haha coach shealy used to be the pv coach at usc. he really helped me go from having no idea how to pole vault just wanting to try it to being pretty decent for my first year in a matter of 2 maybe 3 months of once a week clincs

powerplant42 wrote:If I go to the LoJo VA camp (probably will), I'll probably be bringing a 13'7" 160...

mmm i pr'ed on a pole like that by over a foot in my last meet

If you have the money and have the poles to take, the LoJo camp would be my recommendation. Both Alan and Roman are scheduled to be there, and this is most likely Alan's last year doing clinics in the US. Between those two and Lawrence you'll be coached by three of the top coaches in the sport. Not to discount Morrell's camp, but opportunities like this don't come around often. Do a little research on their backgrounds and you'll see what I mean.

I know...the biggest issue is probably the amount of poles available if I blow through...I only have one. GRANTED, I'm 95lb and the pole is an 11' 110...and I hold at about 9'-ish, right now, bc I haven't learned to bend it, though it does occasionally bend a TEENSY bit now. TEENSY bit.

I know they're great coaches...I just don't know what would happen if I DID blow through my pole, though I don't think I will, and I didn't have another pole and they didn't have one. [I just sent an email to the place that it said to email to ask about poles, because it said they may have a few poles.]

The other big issue is the cost of actually GETTING THERE. I live like, 6-ish hours...more/less...away. My mom said that'd be an issue bc it'd cost a bit AND it'd be a two day trip...there and back...both times...unless she stayed in a hotel or something...idk.

i cant speak on behalf of vaulthouse at all

but i have had many conversations with LoJo and if you want to learn real things about pole vaulting, a great set of drills, progressions, excercises. etc etc... lojo is a damn genious. very very very pole vault intelligent. Coached by Roman B, aka agapit, who works strictly by petrovs teachings so i dont think its possible to go wrong with lojos camp. Not trying to take anything away from vaulthouse but... my vote would go to lojo any day of the week

VaultPurple wrote:And Morell has produced countless state champions, all Americans, and a few national champions.

What is the definition of "Produced" or "Coached"?
Trying to compare Morell with Lawrence Johnson, Roman Botcharnikov and Alan Launder is ridiculous.

My advice to you birdie_gurlie is choose the best possible camp and go to it. I know every one of the people mentioned above and the choice looks blindingly easy to me. To make things easier for you I will recommend two other camps. Alan and possibly Roman be at Appalachian State as well July 26-29. And Alan and myself will be at Duke July 29-Aug.1. So it looks to me you have 3 camps (LoJo,Duke,ASU) relatively close to you featuring some the best coaches in the world (exclude me).

Check out this video as a preview of Alan.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JqS-GGiCHUE