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I have found that if you pole vault you practically have to fight the school, coaches, and everyone else that does not understand this sport. Does anyone else have a problem with practices. Our HS coach first told us he did not want us to have any special training because that would be unfair to the other schools. Isn't this what we want in a meet. Last night he pulled out our son from vaulting and put him in running events, events he has no desire to do. The reasoning "This is not a vaulting team this is a track team!" What are some other opinions. We didn't pay mucho bucks all summer/winter for camps and strength to run. He told us we should move our son to another school if he didn't want to run.

I'm assuming this is the head coach. The head coach has to look out for the teams well being. If he needs your son to run other events, then he should run other events. BUT if the only reason your son is doing track is to pole vault, and he takes him out of that to do other events that is not right.

You dont sign up to play baeball and the coach makes you play volleyball....

As far as "special training" being unfair; That is ridiculous. It sounds like this coach is there to make friends and not to win titles.

It is one thing if there was not any pole vault equipment (pit, poles, runway, coach..) but it sounds like that is available. I say speak to the AD if it becomes a bigger problem.

Did the coach pull him from the pole vault competition, meaning he couldn't finish the event, or just long enough to do the running event? The sport is called "Track and Field" at all high schools and colleges I know of, and if you win or place in the vault, that adds points to the team's total!

- master

My son was not even allow to vault at the meet. They needed runners. My son is a freshman and can vault 13' at practice the winning vault last night was 9'6" not by anyone from our school. He wanted him running because he said he is the coach and he makes the decisions on what events you will be in. He also told my husband and I if we didn't like it we should change schools. The coach is also the football coach and is having a problem because our son told him he does not want to play football.

Bee wrote:My son was not even allow to vault at the meet. They needed runners. My son is a freshman and can vault 13' at practice the winning vault last night was 9'6" not by anyone from our school. He wanted him running because he said he is the coach and he makes the decisions on what events you will be in. He also told my husband and I if we didn't like it we should change schools. The coach is also the football coach and is having a problem because our son told him he does not want to play football.

It sounds like you guys need to sit down and have a meeting with the head coach and the athletic director and possibly principal. Some of this stuff sounds like harassment.

Wow, 13' as a freshman! Bring him to our school. We'll let him vault!

We travel to Bell for camps. At this point my son would go anywhere if he could vault. We used to live in Ark. Don't tell him he would want to move back!

when I coached ALL vaulters did other events in small or dual meets as part of thier cross training FOR the vault....sprints, hurdle jumps ,what ever......... when the big meets came or invitationals..... then they did thier specialty...usually that was towards the end of the school year..... even most of the GOOD college level jumpers ran other events to stay in shape.... if your legs aren't in shape then you risk injury...

2-15-46 wrote:when I coached ALL vaulters did other events in small or dual meets as part of thier cross training FOR the vault....sprints, hurdle jumps ,what ever......... when the big meets came or invitationals..... then they did thier specialty...usually that was towards the end of the school year..... even most of the GOOD college level jumpers ran other events to stay in shape.... if your legs aren't in shape then you risk injury...

I actually do agree with this. I coach high school, and require that all of my pole vaulters do several other events at every dual meet (the 100 and long jump are highly encouraged).

However, if pole vault is their primary event, then that is what we focus on. They get the other events in as their schedule allows. I would never not let them vault if that was where their passion was, unless maybe I had directed them to do other events at another meet and they refused to do so and did not have a good reason why not.

at my high school, the vaulters would rack up so many points that our coach never wanted us to do other events unless we asked to do them. But our coach was much more understanding that the one you describe...

If he's being singled out because of not playing football, then it's definitely at least against school policy if not some law. I'd check and see if there's any other one event athletes who were forced to run other events. If not, have a lawyer call the AD.

Otherwise, he could always jump the gun in each running event and get DQ'd.

Hey Bee -
Tough call all around. As a former HS coach it is sometimes difficult to make everyone happy. Not letting your son in "his event" sound really harsh. But, as was said, expecting a PVer to "help out" by running other events is expected, but not at the expense of the PV. My favorite - just when the PV is getting to the higher heights a vaulter is called to run a leg of the 4 X 400. Unless the kid is a real "stud" he is finished in the PV for the day. An intentional false start is out of the question!
Sound like a meeting with AD, parents, athlete, and coach is in order.
Hey - just my .02!
Dan

PS - Baseball - you might be a catcher, but on occasion you might be need in the outfield!