PoleVaultPower.com

this isnt really a discussion topic but im just curious if any body else feels like pole vaulters arent respected enough and treated like crap.

Yes and No. Most people think we are lazy people (in most cases they are very correct) but usually when you become good they respect you alot more. I think when i started to become a very good overall athlete (being stuck in 4 events every meet) and ALWAYS coming home with at least 3 medals they respected me more. I think track is the easiest sport to gauge. It's either you are fast or not, your u got mad hops or not. Most people respect vaulting when u get the lazy butts on it and they can barely get on the pad.

It depends if people actually seen a pole vault event up close. The
televised events don't serve the event justice when its aired. Yet, I've seen people are totally blown away when they see it up close and really understand what it takes to prepare for a jump and the ability to make it over the bar. It's even a real shocker when they witness a pole breaking during the jump.

Personally, I've gotten lots of congrats for performing in this event since it helped my HS team win our competative county championships so many times.

i think i get respected.. at meets people always congratulate me. and stuff.. im not sure though cuase at champs it was cause i was going back and forth from the pv to 800, well i opened b4 i ran, an dhten after i ran they were waiting for me so they made me jump, i almost didnt clear the next few heights after that but i recovered and i had the whole crowd for me haha. it was cool. and even to the people who dont see it, they are like OMG U POLE VAULT! thats crazy cause they think were daredevils or soemthing hah. so its cool. plus all the chicks love it haha
however i have been to a few meets where it wasnt too good. i think its the meet directors fault though, they start the pole vault alittle later in the day cause they use the infield for hurdles and sprints (indoor track) when they can just use the actual track lanes for that. and so pole vault at this meet is always the last event, most people leave before u finish and its been my team the last ones to finish always, i remember my sophmore yr they made us stop jumping because there was a college meet that was supposed to happen adn stuff. i was pissed cause i just jumped a pr adn i wanted to do more. and last yr they made us hurry at the end but my coach wouldnt let them cause this was my last meet to make states so i upped the bar a foot + but i didnt make it heh.. it also sucks when theres like no one else on the track besides the vaulters.