Coach needs Help!!

[jam354]

That definately makes sense. I'm gonna tell her to focus on hanging from her top hand and swing. Maybe that will get it done.

[powerplant42]

If you can simulate the pressure of a meet, then you can get at the problem more closely... Have practice meets once or twice a week... If she's a lot better than the rest of the girls, put the guys in it too, or give her a 1' handicap, only 2 attempts, or whatever. If she still doesn't feel much pressure, put up $5 for the winner! This should help you see the problem more often.

[jam354]

Another good idea. I have been discussing with her and my other vaulter that they would only be able to get medals if they jump correctly. I think motivation to get better is always needed obviously. She can jump terribly and still get a nice shiny gold medal at 80% of her meets. And for someone who has never excelled in any other sport, that's a nice thing. Of course, I'm only going to do this if she agrees.

[powerplant42]

The problem is that 'good' is totally objective... She may think that she jumped 'well', but you may think she didn't jump 'well' at all!

You have to get her excited about improving her PR. Get her competing against herself, or even against the boys!

[jam354]

Here's some video from her last meet. First one is at 9'6", next 3 at 10. She definately ran under on her last 2, but she still does the same thing even when she takes off free. I try to get her to understand that if she starts jumping in meets like she does at practice, she will be one of the best vaulters in the state and likely be able to jump in college. She's still got another year.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyG_rBTPS4

[powerplant42]

You have to make the video 'public'.

[rainbowgirl28]

And for someone who has never excelled in any other sport, that's a nice thing. Of course, I'm only going to do this if she agrees.

It sounds like you are setting her up for a really frustrating situation. She jumps well in practice, even over a crossbar. Then she goes to a meet and you make her change her run length and pole and she doesn't jump as well. It doesn't sound like it's an issue of her not trying hard enough/not listening to you/being disobedient, it sounds like something is changing technically when she goes to that longer run and pole.

You can't assume it's a mental thing when you are changing the physical parameters on her.

If you are in a state where you guys are in your outdoor season, than it's really early in the year. There's no need for her to be back at 7 lefts already. Have her compete from 5 until she can replicate what she is doing in practice. Then 6, then 7.

[jam354]

Sorry, it should work this time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2qyG_rBTPS4

I agree that I shouldn't rush to move her back to 7 lefts. The reason I did it is so she could advance in the State competition. She went all the way which is awesome. I know there is a technical flaw that is caused by the facts that she is going at a bigger height with a bigger pole from a longer run, I would just like to find the cue that allows her focus on her technique rather than the bar. The winter season is over, so it's a perfect time to back up and figure out the problem.

All of the suggestions have been great. Keep em coming.

[powerplant42]

The plant is EXTREMELY late... I'd recommend moving in for a while. And for how fast she's running, I'm not even sure she needs all that run length.

[KirkB]

Now that I've seen her vid, I'd like to suggest a purely technical (physical - not psychological) analysis of why she's going over the bar backwards, and a drill to help her get past this flaw ...

She has plenty of depth on her jump, yet she seems to think (according to her body actions) that she must shoot her legs OVER the bar - rather than straight up. This of course is a misunderstanding. All she needs to do is to shoot her legs more straight up, and her momentum will carry her over the bar. She's "flagging out", and in doing so, she's actually causing her body to fall onto the bar. This flaw also causes her turn to be incomplete when she clears (or attempts to clear) the bar.

So there's 2 flaws here. One easy drill to work on these is to sit on the ground (or floor, or mat) and rock back onto your upper back. Then extend the legs straight up. You should end up in an "I" position, but with your shoulders and head still on the ground, balancing you your elbows. (Elite vaulters can shoot from this position into a handstand, but that's not at all necessary at her level.) That's the first part of the drill, and I think it's important to get the hang of this over several sessions before moving on to the next step in the progression. You can help her by holding her ankles, and guiding her into the ideal "I" position. Eventually, she should be able to do this on her own - especially if she has good gymnastic ability, which she does appear to have.

The next step in the progression is to do the same drill, but this time, just before you reach full extension to the "I" position, you turn your right toe/foot/ankle over your left. Don't do this until your body is almost straight, or it won't work. The idea is that when the body is in an "I" position, it's much easier to rotate (twist) around the vertical axis of your body - from shoulder to feet. So unless you're almost in the "I" position, this will be difficult.

She should practice that drill on the ground until it becomes automatic. During warmups, between vaults, on non-vaulting days, etc. This drill can be done anywhere - even at home on a carpet.

Once this becomes automatic for her, she will (hopefully) be striving to get into that "I" position, rather than flagging out over the bar.

The other thing that she will find is that it's actually easier to do this as she vaults higher. By the end of this season, it will be very easy for her to do this "naturally".

I've given you a long, technical explanation of this drill. For her to "get it", you only need to step her thru the progession, holding her ankles and guiding her - without much technical explanation at all. It's something that her BODY needs to FEEL, rather than something that her MIND needs to UNDERSTAND.

Kirk

[jam354]

Great Drill! In fact I use it all of the time. Usually solves the problem. She's actually great at it. We've also been doing bubkas on a pull up bar next to a wall.

I think you're right that she thinks she tries to "shoot" at the bar rather than up. When it's a bungee, or nothing at all, she doesn't think it's necessary to shoot at anything and completes the jump. With no bar, her head stays in line with rest of the body. With a bar, as you can see, she never takes her eyes off the bar. I know you can look at the bar and get inverted (Dean Starkey looked like he was always staring at the bar), but it seems to be impeding her

[jam354]

Also, Dean Starkey's bar was well above him so it didn't change his body position.