How much should a coach be coaching during a competition?

[KirkB]

In the ROUND TABLE WITH SERGEY BUBKA http://www.carreroart.com.au/polevault/2200b.htm, the last question/answer was ...

Q. You have developed a pole vault school in your country. What is the role that the coach plays during a competition?
A. Many times I see coaches who send a lot of messages, move their arms and shout from the stands. I think that all the work has to be done previously, we can do very little in the moment of competition but there is another point – the athlete must be knowledgeable of his event with a high level of motor awareness. What happen if the coach, in a given moment, sends a message which has nothing to do with what the athlete felt?

What to do, from the point of view of the athlete? Follow his own kinesthetic feelings, or follow the message sent by the coach from the stands?

This is a very important element to consider, and as coaches we must work beforehand and have less participation during the competition.

I agree full-heartedly with Bubka's comments. I have seen and heard some coaches bellowing orders from the stands, and I really wonder if the vaulter has a brain of his own, or if the coach is preventing him from using it. During the competition, I think the vaulter should be on his own, and the only utterances from the coach should be words of encouragement and advice about some "metrics", not "technical tips". If the vaulter hasn't figured out a certain technical issue by game-time, then it's too late to TEACH it during the competition. Just my opinion, but I think the coaches should leave any technical tips for pre-meet pep-rallies or post-meet analysis.

I don't expect that my view is in the majority here ... I just pity the poor vaulter.

I'm interested in hearing from coaches on both sides of this issue.

What are the things that you think a coach should do DURING a competition?

1. Advise on pole choice and grip?
2. Catch/advise on mid-mark?
3. Catch/advise on takeoff?
4. Advise on standards placement?
5. Provide brief technical tips? i.e. "swing hard!"
6. Provide detailed technical tips?
7. Provide encouragement (non-technical)?
8. Advise on heights to attempt or pass?
9. Other?

I put this in the Intermediate forum, but I'm curious about Beginners, Advanced, and Elites as well.

I'm sure that the age and experience of the vaulter must be taken into consideration, as well as the importance of the meet, so please qualify your answer with this in mind.

I'm also curious whether you're speaking from the coach's perspective, or the vaulter's perspective.

Also, what about hand signals vs. shouting?

Kirk

EDIT: Added 'grip'.

[dj]

hey

i have always said

RUN.......PLANT>>>>>>SWING

but i coached Tully from 40 rows up in the Coliseum.. with hand signals...

twirling the index fingers meant he needed to RUN…

right arm extended up meant reach higher, earlier and more aggressive……

swing the right arm around the left hand.. (the in your face Wally.. 1980 olympic @ off. To the Russians) means swing like H@//..

Perrin/France and I were in the same section.. he was a little more verbal and animated…

Now it looks like most of the coaches are in the front row… those seats in LA were for the “paying” costomers…

Of course the ones mentioned , grip, standards, pole size..

I very seldom catch the takeoff.. the vaulter should know from fell if they were on, out, under.. if the mid is on and the run correct the takeoff will be correct.. and if these happened I don’t ever check the takeoff. If they ran good and were jammed it means it’s time to move the “MID” and maybe raise the grip.. and start jumping some bars…

If they stretch they either need to run better and faster or move the “MID”….

Later

dj

[jam354]

I agree that coaches should leave their athletes to themselves during competitions, but only after they have developed their "body awareness". As a high school coach, I use most competitions as practice for this. It is very difficult to simulate competition in practice, so meets are a great opportunity to discuss with the vaulter what they were feeling and helping them understand what they need to do. As the vaulters get more experienced, they become more independent.

When I vaulted in high school, I can remember many times where something would go wrong in competition and I would sort of "freak out". Luckily I had a coach to remind me of the things I needed to do to be successful. By the time I got to college, I could almost replay my vaults in my head like a videotape. So I think it is a good idea for coaches to steer inexperienced vaulters in the right direction during competition because many times their instinct can lead them in a wrong direction.

[learning to fly]

from a vaulters perspective, I think that an athlete would have to be at a fairly elite level (college at least) before the coach becomes relatively obselete during competition.

I think it is a good idea for coaches to steer inexperienced vaulters in the right direction during competition because many times their instinct can lead them in a wrong direction.

haha this is certainly true for me in some aspects of my vault
My old coach would yell to me like 5 or 6 things to remember in the jump while I was standing at the back of the runway and that would get really overwhelming. But i think it's important and very helpful for a coach to remind the athlete of a few certain key things to remember, for me its "elbow down and press the hands up."
but thats just my pretty inexperienced opinion

[KirkB]

... My old coach would yell to me like 5 or 6 things to remember in the jump while I was standing at the back of the runway and that would get really overwhelming.

Even if you "hear" and "remember" those 5-6 things at the end of the runway, you won't "remember" and "execute" them during your vault. That's expecting too much. That's INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

Sometimes when I hear these diatribes shouted from coaches across the track, I can't help but wonder if their intended audience is the people sitting near them ... rather than their athlete. I don't mean to paint all coaches with the same brush ... the FEW "over the top" coaches I've heard like this just seem to be showing off about what they know. Most coaches are very good with their "encouraging words" ... it's just that the over the top ones stick out in my mind ... long after the meet is over. They leave a bitter taste in my mouth ... about how NOT to coach.

But i think it's important and very helpful for a coach to remind the athlete of a few certain key things to remember, for me its "elbow down and press the hands up."

That's 2 things ... about the limit that you can and should focus on during any one jump.

Kirk

[learning to fly]

Even if you "hear" and "remember" those 5-6 things at the end of the runway, you won't "remember" and "execute" them during your vault. That's expecting too much. That's INFORMATION OVERLOAD!

oh I know I COMPLETELY agree with you. My new coah gives me like 2 things to think about for the entire meet sorry i didn't explain that well. the yelling across the track is overwhelming and gives a vaulter too much to think about- it adds too much pressure

[learning to fly]

haha and it sounds like you know the coach i used to work with because you described him exactly lol. hes definately considered "over the top"