The weight rating rule is making the PV less safe
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2012 12:54 pm
I helped officiate at our small school state meet two weeks ago. I volunteer to be the person who weighs the kids and checks their poles. I am the perfect person for this job because I am female (always nice when weighing girls) and I know more about pole vaulting poles than just about anyone.
I don't agree with the rules about weight ratings, weight labels, etc, but I do believe that if a rule is in the rulebook, the fairest way to enforce it is to be consistent with it.
I had to disallow about a dozen poles. Some of the poles were very old and looked dodgy, but those vaulters had been using them safely all season. Others were in great shape, just didn't have the right markings.
I always do my best to educate coaches about how they can get the right weight label to meet the current rules. All of the coaches at this meet are very generous about sharing poles. If I have a pole with me that will work for that kid I offer to let them use it.
These are the smallest schools in Washington. Many of them don't even have pole vault pits, their kids have to drive to another school or club to practice. The schools don't have much money. Sometimes that old pole is all the kid has had available to them, and the fact that they were able to qualify to state on it is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Here's the thing. This is supposed to be about safety. Nothing I did at State made the event safer.
Pole vaulting poles come in a wide range of lengths and stiffnesses. Here is a chart that compares the relative stiffness of poles: http://www.skyjumpers.com/articles/pvpr ... table.html
The weight ratings on the pole are arbitrarily decided by the manufacturer, as a way to guide coaches into finding the right pole for their athlete. Saying a pole is rated for 140 pounds doesn't mean anything until you also know the length of the pole. An 11' 140 pound pole is a lot smaller than a 13' 140 pound pole.
The goal of requiring athletes to use poles rated at or above their weight was to lower handgrips by forcing them on shorter poles and ultimately to increase the number of athletes landing safely in the middle of the pit.
Unfortunately, this has not been the result.
What else has happened since the weight rating rule was created? Girls started pole vaulting. Girls are slower than boys. Girls are weaker relative to their bodyweight than boys. Some HS boys struggle to find a pole rated at or above their weight that they can rotate into the pit, especially beginners or big strong boys who weigh over 170. MOST high school girls struggle to use poles rated at or above their weight, especially in the early stages of their career.
Wrestling is the only other high school sport in which it is acceptable to weigh female athletes. This makes sense as it an integral part of determining their divisions of competition.
Why do we weigh female pole vaulters? Ostensibly for their safety. Does it make them safer? No.
What are the downsides of weighing female vaulters? For most it creates stress. Many will engage in unhealthy eating habits in order to lose weight. While eating disorders are very complex, and one trip on the scale will not cause one, the stress of a weigh-in will certainly not be beneficial to an athlete who is vulnerable to developing an ED.
Why hasn't the weight rating rule made the event safer?
The biggest factor is the limited budgets of high schools. A high school is likely to have vaulters that come in a variety of heights and weights. In a perfect world, they would each have their own set of poles in a variety of weights and lengths and we would all be happy. Unfortunately, poles cost $300-$500 each.
The second factor is that many coaches don't understand the relative stiffness chart very well, and order a pole that is too long for their athlete.
The result has been that many high school athletes are using poles that are too big for them. This results in athletes not landing deep enough in the pit, and increasing the chance that they will land in the box, the most dangerous place to land.
But that's only a problem for beginning vaulters, right? Once they get past that initial hump of being able to use a pole at their weight, they're safe, right?
Wrong. A pole's weight rating is one of many variables that determines whether or not it is appropriate for that vaulter to use. A pole rated above a vaulter's weight, can still be way too small and cause an athlete to land too deep in the pit or even fly off the back of the pit.
But aren't old poles dangerous? Wouldn't breaking a pole be the worst possible thing that could happen? So it's good to have rules that disallow old poles, right?
Wrong. A properly cared for fiberglass pole vaulting pole does not expire. There are poles from the 70s that are still being used safely.
Breaking a pole is bad because poles are expensive and you can't insure them against breakage. Breaking a pole is bad because it can injure the hand of the athlete who breaks the pole. Breaking a pole is bad because it is possible (though rare) that one of the pieces of broken pole will fly away and hit someone.
But breaking a pole almost never results in a catastrophic injury. The athlete's momentum carries them forward into the pit. The pieces of the pole will almost always fly away from them and not hit them.
Pole breaks can be prevented by taking proper care of poles (scratches in the fiberglass can cause breaks) and not allowing athletes to overbend poles. A pole can be overbent and broken even if the pole is rated above the athlete's weight. The weight rating rule has not stopped pole breakage.
What has made the event safer in the past 17 years? Bigger pole vaulting pits. Padding the standards and other hard surfaces around the pits. Increases in coaching education.
What has not made the event safer? Weight rating rules. Rules about labels and stickers and engravings on poles. Rules about uniforms and jewelry.
Where should we go from here? How can we actually make the event safer?
Number one is always coaching education. Every state should require each pole vault coach undergo some sort of training. This should be implemented at the state level, Delaware has vastly different needs than Texas. Each state should be willing to take action if coaches fail to meet this requirement. That's right, I'm giving you the stinkeye WIAA for failing to enforce your PV coaching education rule.
Number two is a crazy idea, but it would solve so many problems. Let's completely eliminate ALL rules about weight ratings, weight labels, etc. If an athlete can land safely in the pit, let them use that pole.
Jan Johnson has a proposal that would allow us to do this and would make the event safer. Tim Reilly in Washington state has been advocating for this for many years as well. A safe landing zone can easily be marked on the pole vault pit, using tape, spray paint, etc. A vaulter who has an unsafe landing gets a warning. If they get three warnings, they have to stop vaulting and are awarded with the best height cleared.
No other country requires athletes to vault on poles rated at or above their weight. The NCAA and all other collegiate bodies in the United States do not require this. USATF only requires this at youth meets because they try to be consistent with high school rules. The IAAF does not require this at any level.
What would the effects of this rule change be?
- Schools could allow a wider range of athletes to try the pole vault, they would no longer be limited by the weight ratings of the poles in their shed. This would benefit smaller/poorer schools who own less poles.
- Schools could use any pole vaulting pole that was getting their kids safely in the pit, regardless of age.
- High school vaulters would no longer be faced with stress about their weight and would reduce the pressure on them to engage in unhealthy eating habits or to cut weight.
- Coaches would be forced to learn how to get their athletes to land in the middle of the pit. It is no longer "get over the bar at any cost."
What would the negative consequences of this change be?
- Schools may spend less money on pole vaulting poles. It is good for schools to buy at least one or two new pole vaulting poles every year in order to increase their selection which increases safety.
- A good, safe vaulter might be off one day and find themselves out of a meet early. This will be especially unpopular when it comes to qualifying meets at the end of the season. It is a price worth paying if it prevents injury to that athlete.
- It adds a potentially subjective element to officiating.
Please add your thoughts, comments, stories, below.
I don't agree with the rules about weight ratings, weight labels, etc, but I do believe that if a rule is in the rulebook, the fairest way to enforce it is to be consistent with it.
I had to disallow about a dozen poles. Some of the poles were very old and looked dodgy, but those vaulters had been using them safely all season. Others were in great shape, just didn't have the right markings.
I always do my best to educate coaches about how they can get the right weight label to meet the current rules. All of the coaches at this meet are very generous about sharing poles. If I have a pole with me that will work for that kid I offer to let them use it.
These are the smallest schools in Washington. Many of them don't even have pole vault pits, their kids have to drive to another school or club to practice. The schools don't have much money. Sometimes that old pole is all the kid has had available to them, and the fact that they were able to qualify to state on it is a testament to their hard work and dedication.
Here's the thing. This is supposed to be about safety. Nothing I did at State made the event safer.
Pole vaulting poles come in a wide range of lengths and stiffnesses. Here is a chart that compares the relative stiffness of poles: http://www.skyjumpers.com/articles/pvpr ... table.html
The weight ratings on the pole are arbitrarily decided by the manufacturer, as a way to guide coaches into finding the right pole for their athlete. Saying a pole is rated for 140 pounds doesn't mean anything until you also know the length of the pole. An 11' 140 pound pole is a lot smaller than a 13' 140 pound pole.
The goal of requiring athletes to use poles rated at or above their weight was to lower handgrips by forcing them on shorter poles and ultimately to increase the number of athletes landing safely in the middle of the pit.
Unfortunately, this has not been the result.
What else has happened since the weight rating rule was created? Girls started pole vaulting. Girls are slower than boys. Girls are weaker relative to their bodyweight than boys. Some HS boys struggle to find a pole rated at or above their weight that they can rotate into the pit, especially beginners or big strong boys who weigh over 170. MOST high school girls struggle to use poles rated at or above their weight, especially in the early stages of their career.
Wrestling is the only other high school sport in which it is acceptable to weigh female athletes. This makes sense as it an integral part of determining their divisions of competition.
Why do we weigh female pole vaulters? Ostensibly for their safety. Does it make them safer? No.
What are the downsides of weighing female vaulters? For most it creates stress. Many will engage in unhealthy eating habits in order to lose weight. While eating disorders are very complex, and one trip on the scale will not cause one, the stress of a weigh-in will certainly not be beneficial to an athlete who is vulnerable to developing an ED.
Why hasn't the weight rating rule made the event safer?
The biggest factor is the limited budgets of high schools. A high school is likely to have vaulters that come in a variety of heights and weights. In a perfect world, they would each have their own set of poles in a variety of weights and lengths and we would all be happy. Unfortunately, poles cost $300-$500 each.
The second factor is that many coaches don't understand the relative stiffness chart very well, and order a pole that is too long for their athlete.
The result has been that many high school athletes are using poles that are too big for them. This results in athletes not landing deep enough in the pit, and increasing the chance that they will land in the box, the most dangerous place to land.
But that's only a problem for beginning vaulters, right? Once they get past that initial hump of being able to use a pole at their weight, they're safe, right?
Wrong. A pole's weight rating is one of many variables that determines whether or not it is appropriate for that vaulter to use. A pole rated above a vaulter's weight, can still be way too small and cause an athlete to land too deep in the pit or even fly off the back of the pit.
But aren't old poles dangerous? Wouldn't breaking a pole be the worst possible thing that could happen? So it's good to have rules that disallow old poles, right?
Wrong. A properly cared for fiberglass pole vaulting pole does not expire. There are poles from the 70s that are still being used safely.
Breaking a pole is bad because poles are expensive and you can't insure them against breakage. Breaking a pole is bad because it can injure the hand of the athlete who breaks the pole. Breaking a pole is bad because it is possible (though rare) that one of the pieces of broken pole will fly away and hit someone.
But breaking a pole almost never results in a catastrophic injury. The athlete's momentum carries them forward into the pit. The pieces of the pole will almost always fly away from them and not hit them.
Pole breaks can be prevented by taking proper care of poles (scratches in the fiberglass can cause breaks) and not allowing athletes to overbend poles. A pole can be overbent and broken even if the pole is rated above the athlete's weight. The weight rating rule has not stopped pole breakage.
What has made the event safer in the past 17 years? Bigger pole vaulting pits. Padding the standards and other hard surfaces around the pits. Increases in coaching education.
What has not made the event safer? Weight rating rules. Rules about labels and stickers and engravings on poles. Rules about uniforms and jewelry.
Where should we go from here? How can we actually make the event safer?
Number one is always coaching education. Every state should require each pole vault coach undergo some sort of training. This should be implemented at the state level, Delaware has vastly different needs than Texas. Each state should be willing to take action if coaches fail to meet this requirement. That's right, I'm giving you the stinkeye WIAA for failing to enforce your PV coaching education rule.
Number two is a crazy idea, but it would solve so many problems. Let's completely eliminate ALL rules about weight ratings, weight labels, etc. If an athlete can land safely in the pit, let them use that pole.
Jan Johnson has a proposal that would allow us to do this and would make the event safer. Tim Reilly in Washington state has been advocating for this for many years as well. A safe landing zone can easily be marked on the pole vault pit, using tape, spray paint, etc. A vaulter who has an unsafe landing gets a warning. If they get three warnings, they have to stop vaulting and are awarded with the best height cleared.
No other country requires athletes to vault on poles rated at or above their weight. The NCAA and all other collegiate bodies in the United States do not require this. USATF only requires this at youth meets because they try to be consistent with high school rules. The IAAF does not require this at any level.
What would the effects of this rule change be?
- Schools could allow a wider range of athletes to try the pole vault, they would no longer be limited by the weight ratings of the poles in their shed. This would benefit smaller/poorer schools who own less poles.
- Schools could use any pole vaulting pole that was getting their kids safely in the pit, regardless of age.
- High school vaulters would no longer be faced with stress about their weight and would reduce the pressure on them to engage in unhealthy eating habits or to cut weight.
- Coaches would be forced to learn how to get their athletes to land in the middle of the pit. It is no longer "get over the bar at any cost."
What would the negative consequences of this change be?
- Schools may spend less money on pole vaulting poles. It is good for schools to buy at least one or two new pole vaulting poles every year in order to increase their selection which increases safety.
- A good, safe vaulter might be off one day and find themselves out of a meet early. This will be especially unpopular when it comes to qualifying meets at the end of the season. It is a price worth paying if it prevents injury to that athlete.
- It adds a potentially subjective element to officiating.
Please add your thoughts, comments, stories, below.