Starting Age?

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Starting Age?

Unread postby lostbvrunner » Sat Apr 23, 2005 5:22 pm

What age did you all start Pole Vaulting?
What's the youngest you've heard of?
What do you think is a good age to start?

I'm just asking because my little brother REALLY wants to vault. I told him to take some gymnastics classes first... and he is going to this summer. But he still wants to know when he'll be able to vault. He's only 9... so I'm assuming he'll have to wait a few years. But I was just curious what everyone else did? I wouldn't know cause I didn't vault until this year.

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Unread postby winterzflamez88 » Sat Apr 23, 2005 7:32 pm

I just started this year and i'm 14. I think Freshman and sophmore years in high school are good to start, but I've herd of a lot of ppl starting in 7th and 8th grade. Our school doesn't hav middle school vaulting, so i duno. 9 is a little young, but he can always start lerning early!
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Unread postby KYLE ELLIS » Sat Apr 23, 2005 8:17 pm

i did straight poles onto my dady couch at 3 years old.... and started bending a pole and clearing bars at 10 (8'6)
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Unread postby CrossBarHOpper » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:13 pm

I No a six year old thats vaults often and hes clearing 7
hey guys! Abe Lincoln?
Sophmore PR 14'6"

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Unread postby illmatic3 » Sat Apr 23, 2005 10:19 pm

i started this year, i'm 17 years old.
I am the Revolutionary.

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Unread postby distancejumper » Sat Apr 23, 2005 11:17 pm

I started in 7th grade. My coaches son started when he was three(he's 4 now). when he comes to practice he vaults too. he just jumps into the pit

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Unread postby lostbvrunner » Sun Apr 24, 2005 3:25 pm

For those who started early... how'd you get a pole that short? Or well... how short do they make poles?
THanks for the info... my brother will be excited haha.

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Unread postby Jenny205 » Sun Apr 24, 2005 4:37 pm

Matt, my brother started jumping last year. He is 9 now and has a PR of 5' 3". As for poles, my coach Morry Sanders made a 9' pole for him out of a broken cross bar.

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Unread postby CrossBarHOpper » Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:03 pm

there some pink mystic that our 9'6" 70 pounds and i think catapoles even makes them smaller
hey guys! Abe Lincoln?

Sophmore PR 14'6"

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Unread postby rainbowgirl28 » Sun Apr 24, 2005 5:37 pm

Broken crossbars (saw off the ends so they are smooth and add a butt plug) make great poles for very small (elementary age) pole vaulters.

The smallest pole I have seen a manufacturer make is a 9' 70lb Altius pole. Altius has a teeny tiny mandrel that they can make tiny poles on.

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Unread postby achtungpv » Sun Apr 24, 2005 7:18 pm

rainbowgirl28 wrote:Broken crossbars (saw off the ends so they are smooth and add a butt plug) make great poles for very small (elementary age) pole vaulters.

The smallest pole I have seen a manufacturer make is a 9' 70lb Altius pole. Altius has a teeny tiny mandrel that they can make tiny poles on.


Altius made an 8'/60 for a 6 year old once. That kid only vaulted 13'6" so starting early didn't help him one bit. His bro jumped 17'8" and dad 16'6"...maybe he got all his mom's genes or something.
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Unread postby distancejumper » Mon Apr 25, 2005 7:57 pm

my coaches son use to use one of our poles when he's at the highschool. at home he uses a broom handle. at the begining of the season, my coach took some pvc pip and cut it down for us to use for drills, that's what he uses now


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