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Bengal Chat: Joe Silvers
Kasie Scott

Issue date: 2/21/08 Section: Sports
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Joe Silvers is an ISU pole vaulter who suffered an unfortunate injury when the pole he was using snapped during warm ups. A piece of the pole hit Silvers in the head, splitting his skull. Emergency teams took him to the hospital where he recovered after receiving multiple staples in his head. This athlete has faced his fears and is competing again for the love of the sport.



Bengal: Tell me about your accident last year.

Silvers: I don't have any memory of it actually happening. I remember warming up for the vault and then I woke up in the hospital and was wondering what was going on. I had a skull fracture and brain hemorrhaging. I ended up with 12 staples and I was in the hospital for three days.

Bengal: What has been the hardest thing for you to come back and vault again?

Silvers: The hardest thing is a confidence issue. I've had my days when things don't seem that they are going right. I think to myself I almost died once before so what am I doing?

Bengal: How have your coaches helped you regain your confidence?

Silvers: They have all been really supportive. My coach just told me to take baby steps and get my confidence back. It's always in the back of my head that this pole could break but with help I've been able to go back to a full approach.

Bengal: How did you get into pole vaulting?

Silvers: Initially, it was my high school track coach. She knew that I did gymnastics and that helps with the vault. Another vaulter on the team did gymnastics as well. Bengal: How long have you ran track and pole vaulted?

Silvers: I've run track for 10 years and I've vaulted for eight.

Bengal: What is the men's team overall goal for the indoor season?

Silvers: It would be great to place in the top three this year. The big dream would be to capture the Big Sky championship this year.

Bengal: How do you mentally prepare for each track meet?

Silvers: I watch pole vault videos and once I get to the track meet I shut everyone out and try to stay calm so I can focus on vault.

Bengal: Where did you grow up?

Silvers: I grew up in Murtaugh, Idaho.

Bengal: What are you going to school for?

Silvers: I am going to get bachelors in sports management with a minor in coaching. I'll graduate next spring and then go on to a masters.

Bengal: What do you plan on doing after you graduate?

Silvers: I plan on hopefully coaching at ISU for a couple of years to get experience. Then I'll apply to another university or college and just see where I end up. I would like to get out of Idaho for a while and see the rest of the United States.

Bengal: How do you balance school, track, and a job?

Silvers: That's a good question. I have everything written down in my daily planner and I communicate with my coach and my manager at Red Lobster. That way I can work around my track schedule to get everything done.

Bengal: Where do you currently work?

Silvers: I currently work at Red Lobster as a server. Usually I work only 10 hours a week.

Bengal: What was your first job?

Silvers: I worked at a telemarketer's place where they call and ask people to take a survey.

Bengal: Do you have any heroes?

Silvers: First and foremost, it is my family. Stacey Dragilla is someone as well. I've watched her throughout my pole vaulting career.

Bengal: Do you have any hobbies?

Silvers: I taught myself how to play piano.

Bengal: Are you a morning person?

Silvers: No I like to sleep in. But if I have to get up, then once I have to shower and get breakfast I'm usually alright.

Bengal: Do you have any favorite foods?

Silvers: I like spaghetti and also homemade macaroni and cheese

Bengal: What is your dream vacation?

Silvers: I would love to go up to Alaska and go camping for a week. I'd go salmon fishing and go hiking and see all the wildlife and outdoors.

It has been a long road. Indoors has not been going the way that I had hoped. I just started doing some sport psychology exercises and some relaxation techniques that I will continue throughout the year. I hope to have everything sorted out for a great comeback for outdoors.

How does it feel to read articles about yourself on here?

I was actually kind of shocked when I noticed it on here. I didn’t think that it would go any further than the ISU Bengal.

I'm curious. How did you get hit by a piece of the pole? Usually there is so much energy stored in the bent pole that everything flies away from the vaulter really fast; and it's everyone else that has to worry about being hit.

I'm curious. How did you get hit by a piece of the pole? Usually there is so much energy stored in the bent pole that everything flies away from the vaulter really fast; and it's everyone else that has to worry about being hit.

Well the pole broke in two places. It broke down in the box and just below my bottom hand. The only thing that we can figure is that the piece that came from the box hit me in the head. We still don’t know what happen to that piece of pole. It shot out and hit the ceiling of our facility and nobody has ever found it.

That's really crazy. What a rare injury. I am glad you came out of it OK!

The same thing happened to me jumping at Mount SAC a few years ago. The pole broke right underneath my bottom hand, and the top of the pole sling shot into my head. Blood was pouring down my head, so I took my shirt off and and applied pressure. I went to the ER and they put 9 staples in head.

The same thing happened to me jumping at Mount SAC a few years ago. The pole broke right underneath my bottom hand, and the top of the pole sling shot into my head. Blood was pouring down my head, so I took my shirt off and and applied pressure. I went to the ER and they put 9 staples in head.

WOW that is crazy! My coachs Paul Litchfield and Dave Nielsen were talking to people at the Reno Pole Vault Summit the year that it happened and no one had ever heard of it happening. I thought that I was the only one. That is crazy that it happened to someone else. Not a fun time thats for sure. Glad you are ok.