Moral Dilemma

[rwelch]

I have a lot of new vaulters this year, so that is good. What I am faced with is budget issues. Our track program is given a shoestring to operate on, and that is being generous. I have several vaulters who i do not have appropriate poles for (I think). I could have them jump on a stick that is rated for their weight but hold way down (like a 14' 150), but i dont feel like they will be able to progress properly vaulting this way. Am I wrong? Can i make a long pole work for a newer vaulter?

Please let me know what you think. I will be calling around our district to see if there are poles I can borrow. Short of that... I'm all ears

[ladyvolspvcoach]

If you have a lot of new vaulters one of the best things they can do is learn to straight pole vault. Matching up poles to vaulters skills should happen after they are proficient on the straight poles....and Lots of drills and pole runs with any pole will be beneficial

[Tim McMichael]

If you have a lot of new vaulters one of the best things they can do is learn to straight pole vault. Matching up poles to vaulters skills should happen after they are proficient on the straight poles....and Lots of drills and pole runs with any pole will be beneficial

I absolutely agree. They may not like it, but time spent stiff poling will pay of big later on. They may even beat some of the beginners they compete against who are bending their poles. And if the kids that are bending their poles are doing it the wrong way, your kids will absolutely thrash them a couple of seasons down the road. If you cannot stiff pole, you don't know how to vault.

[achtungpv]

At the PV Summit years ago, Yuri Volkov (probably 1st great Soviet PV coach) said that he did not allow beginners to bend a pole until they could stiff pole 3.70m (12'1"). It was mainly because getting poles into the USSR was very difficult so they focused on getting larger poles for advanced vaulters. Once he did get some small poles, he said that he wasn't satisfied with the progress the kids that bent a pole made compared to those that stiff poled.

[rwelch]

awesome, thx for the input and info. Guess I got big eyes seeing some of the other programs we compete with and all of their shiny new poles, lol. Come to think of it, i dont believe i ever vaulted on a "brand new" pole. HA!