U.S.A.Pole Vaulting

[mjb]

Don't get me wrong. The talent in the U.S is awesome. You two guy are no doubt great jumpers. I wanted to focus more on the system. If maybe a system where the best trained under one coach, if it would make a difference?

[baggettpv]

Also to this discussion.
Look at all the Indoor/Outdoor private pole vault facilities that have been created in the last 10 years. Chula Vista isn't the only place people have to go to train! Here in Oregon City all the necessary equipment is up and running, a Doctor is available for treatments/supervision and recommendations.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC

[rainbowgirl28]

Don't get me wrong. The talent in the U.S is awesome. You two guy are no doubt great jumpers. I wanted to focus more on the system. If maybe a system where the best trained under one coach, if it would make a difference?

We are a very big country geographically and have a very diverse set of athletes. It is not feasible for all of our athletes to move to one location because no one can afford to get them all jobs and housing, and not every athlete responds well to various personality styles.

[achtungpv]

Look at how many of the elites move from coach to coach, from location to location looking for the next best thing.

That's part of the problem, IMHO. Stability in coaching & life is probably at least as important as who your coach is and who you are training with.

[dj]

good morning

please refer to a post i just made in the high school thread..

dj

[vaultmd]

DJ,

Whom were you addressing and to what post were you referring?

[VaultNinja]

you need to include yourself on that list man

ill do it for you
Paul Litchfield is coming off a solid year could make some noise this year

also sadly i think John Takahashi has retired. Too many injuries. He was really ready to go big last year before blowing up his quad 2 consecutive times.

Thanks buddy. Sorry I spelled your name wrong. Its a tough one. So Johns hanging it up. Thats a bummer. He'll be missed.

[VaultNinja]

Look at how many of the elites move from coach to coach, from location to location looking for the next best thing.

That's part of the problem, IMHO. Stability in coaching & life is probably at least as important as who your coach is and who you are training with.

Well said. Coaches are also moving around a lot or looking for the next big thing. For good reason, if your not being coached by a college coach, or one of the lucky few with a successful private facility, then your being coached by someone who doesn't make squat from the vault. And survival has to come first. I see a lot of guys slip through the cracks because there college coaches won't help them out anymore, or there school won't allow them to train at there facilities. Now you've gotta find a job that allows you to train, in a place that allows you to train, a coach, and 4-5 thousand dollars worth of poles, starting out with virtually nothing in most cases. These private facilities and clubs have probably saved and created more exceptional vaulters than any other system, including USATF training centers. We don't need to change it, we need to strengthen it and support these guys.

[altius]

You have good coaches in the US - the results over many years confirm that - but there are just not enough of them. In part this is because there seems to be a reluctance on the part of many coaches to aggressively pursue knowledge - as evidenced by the relatively poor turnout at the clinic that agapit and I ran at Slippery Rock this summer. What is termed 'confirmation bias' seems an especially powerful factor here.

However I would suggest that even your very best coaches - no names no pack drill as they used to say in the navy - should consider spending a couple of weeks in Formia with Petrov - if he is willing!! There, they will see the support structures readily available to IZZY and most importantly get a vision of Vitali's professionalism and intensity. Time spent with Parnov in Perth would not be wasted - especially on enthusiastic surfers, although you might need a month to get both sports in - but I am not sure if his support structures are as good in Formia. No indoor facility yet for example. Just a thought.

[achtungpv]

You have good coaches in the US - the results over many years confirm that - but there are just not enough of them.

Quite honestly, I don't think it's a lack of coaches in general but a lack of coaches for post-collegians. You just can't break out of poverty focusing on professional vaulters in the US unless you're the one salaried coach at Chula Vista. When you look at the past few coaches that have had international success, neither relied on pro vaulters for income - Bemiller is a law professor and Bell has his club/camp business but employees run a lot of that for him allowing him to focus on elites. Heck, even if you coach a pretty successful pro making $250K/year, your cut as a coach is generally only 10% unless you've worked out some other deal with the athlete or sponsor (i.e. Nike). For 99% of the coaches out there, colleges, high schools, and under 18 clubs/camps pay the bills and until that changes it'll be very difficult to develop coaches that can devote the time and energy required to develop world champions.

[rainbowgirl28]

You have good coaches in the US - the results over many years confirm that - but there are just not enough of them.

Quite honestly, I don't think it's a lack of coaches in general but a lack of coaches for post-collegians. You just can't break out of poverty focusing on professional vaulters in the US unless you're the one salaried coach at Chula Vista. When you look at the past few coaches that have had international success, neither relied on pro vaulters for income - Bemiller is a law professor and Bell has his club/camp business but employees run a lot of that for him allowing him to focus on elites. Heck, even if you coach a pretty successful pro making $250K/year, your cut as a coach is generally only 10% unless you've worked out some other deal with the athlete or sponsor (i.e. Nike). For 99% of the coaches out there, colleges, high schools, and under 18 clubs/camps pay the bills and until that changes it'll be very difficult to develop coaches that can devote the time and energy required to develop world champions.

This is a good assessment. A lot of the other top coaches are tied up with college teams. It's nearly unheard of for a coach of a post-collegiate athlete to attend many of their meets. Rick and Jenn are the obvious exception, but Rick can do that because Jenn is the number one priority in his life. Petrov gets paid enough by Isinbayeva to make her the number one priority in hid life. Not too many other coaches in that situation, here or abroad.

[VaultNinja]

That's true. Most of the coaches I've met over seas have had full time jobs outside of coaching even in a club situation, and didn't get paid much for coaching. Anyone out there who can name a country where elite coaches get paid full time to coach only elite athletes??? China comes to mind.....any others?