The next generation?

[VaultNinja]

To only 5.50 men and 4.40 women.

Can you make a short list of facets you have that are good where you train and a short list of things you could use but aren't available where you train.

Like: Facilities, Gymnastics, Poles, Coach, medical staff etc. Add anything I might have left off.

Thanks,

Rick Baggett
WSTC

I'm one of the guys that is always on the bubble, "fills the field" and just refuses to quit because I know I'm better than what I've shown. I've only jumped 5.60m and I generally have a few jumps over 5.50m every year (except last year, but I don't want to talk about that)

Here are some of my thoughts....
I have to work two part time jobs. The reason I don't work full time anymore is because I could never get vacation for meets, and I was having a difficult time jumping at night for obvious reasons. So now I work part-time at a newspaper, and as a D-1 coach. This allows me to travel more (unpaid) and I still have an income I can survive on (barely). Over the years I have chased around looking for good meets (good conditions and competitors) in that time I have accumulated thousands of dollars in credit card debt that I only use to travel (and I travel like a bum, we're talking oatmeal, tuna, ramen noodles, hitching rides, borrowing poles at times and sleeping bags). So I have to constantly work to try and pay that off.
If I have a hard day at work, I can't go to the track and jump well. It sucks the life energy right out of me. And I can't plan jump days around work days because I never know what will be thrown at me.

The Most fit and confident i've ever been, hands down.....
Years ago I got caught up in a bit of an event scandal down in south africa. Long story short I found myself in Africa In december in 100 degree weather and got to stay for a month training and living for free. I trained 7 days a week twice with 3 balanced meals a day through christmas and even new years. I became a "full-time" athlete, and it felt amazing. I felt amazingly strong and fast by the end of the month, my confidence was soaring, and I was rolling over bigger poles than ever.
Guess what happened....I came back the US, went back to work, lost confidence and strength in weeks and had a mediocre season. I haven't had a chance to be a full-time athlete since, and I strive everyday to get my debt paid and keep my fitness up in hopes that some day I can become that athlete again and finally be truly great.

To answer Rick.
-I get in a gymnastics room once a week
-I have access to an outdoor facility and weight room year round.
-The weather in Idaho is rough, we can be indoors with limited hours from end of November through Mid February (which is not near enough time inside as it can snow here Oct-April. I've left for Mount Sac in snow storms more than once.
-I have most of the poles I need since the University stills allows me to train here.
-I have a great coach, who coached me through college as well.
-I can sometimes sneak in doctor visits but I haven't had medical insurance for almost 6 years now, and can't afford it, so that's been challenging.
-Traveling to meets is challenging. The nearest major airport that flies poles is 2.5 hours away, and the roads can be a little scary from late October-April as i said before. And meets in this region are hit and miss weather wise, with no competition or crowd.

Also I think the collegiate season is a crutch. Its confusing on the body and mind for us post-college folk. But how else are we supposed to get marks? I feel that we miss valuable training time resting for early meets we're not ready for, because we are chasing around trying to get a mark for USA's. Then we are supposed to be at our peak mid to late summer if we expect to make any money, or get into prestigious competitions.

Anyway, back to work.
-Litchfield out

[rainbowgirl28]

(and I travel like a bum, we're talking oatmeal, tuna, ramen noodles, hitching rides, borrowing poles at times and sleeping bags).

I've slept on Paul's couch and he's slept on mine and I can vouch for this statement!

[UWvaulter]

4 yrs of post collegiate jumping and having these things didn't make it a cake walk. Still had to work my tail off for rent, student loans, food, and insurance.

have
-poles
-indoor/outdoor tracks (year round)
-weight room (year round)
-coach(very good) some comps he can't make
-training partner (5.50+)
-athletic trainer(when not busy)
-chiropractor
-gymnastics room

don't have
-medical insurance (have it now but didn't for 2 years)
-travel $
massage therapist
-free gear

Can't count # of jobs I've had.

DN PR5.70

[altius]

Two great responses - a picture is beginning to emerge - but let us have some more to confirm the situation around the country.

[swtvault]

I don't think think I have even been promoted to "field filler" status yet (working on that,) but I have encountered some of the details Paul and Darren have described !! Here are my responses to the original question.

1: Poles: Have all the poles I will ever need.
2: Indoor/Outdoor: God Bless the University of Michigan and Siena Heights University for their generosity in allowing me to use their facilities!
3: Weight room: See above comment!
4: Coach: Have had many wonderful coaches who have helped me immensely. Most recently Mark Dooley, Dave Kaiser, and Dan Wilkerson.
5: Training partner. Pretty much non-existent. Sure, I have jumped with the vaulters from SHU, and U of M, but I have not really had a training partner since college.

Other factors: I currently work a full time job in Materials Management and work 50-70 hours a week: I am also a home-owner and a husband! The deck is for sure stacked against me, but I choose to focus on better time management and attacking elements that are within my immediate control. Last year was one of my best years since 2000 (2 meets over 5.35, and a total of 6 meets over 5.20 with 6 total meets. This year I want to jump in some more meets and start much earlier (October instead of February!)

Having a full time job puts a huge damper on pole vaulting, but I think it forces you to evaluate what you are doing and decide whether or not it makes sense given the time constraints. I think most people have huge amounts of waste in their training programs, and driving to eliminate those wastes can reap more rewards than what you were doing before. I really think you can still be very successful with a full time job.. I do not consider myself hugely successful, but I see no reason for the above factors to greatly limit your performances if you are truly dedicated and are using time efficiently.

[polevaulter08nw]

As a collegiate vaulter aspiring to become a successful post collegiate vaulter I am worried about the transition because it seems as if we don't jump high enough in college then it is extremely hard to continue to train and compete on a high enough level, provided the examples from ninja and uw and others I know. This puts pressure on us athletes to develop faster than could be possibly potentially good for us. Darren, hopefully doesn't mind me saying, only had a pr of 5.15 in college and now seems to be working twice as hard as when in college, just to continue the sport, but now has a pr of 5.70 and obviously has much more potential.(Keep up the good work!) We go to college to get degrees and potentially well paying jobs, obviously the market isn't great, but if we want to continue jumping then it seems we have to give up the jobs that will provide an income we can live well off of to continue training at level required to succeed in the the vault world.

Another thing that is potentially draining the talent of US Vaulting is the trade off of a good job and family to continue our olympic dreams. To some people going through all of struggle isn't worth it because they might have another more appealing opportunity. This is a sad truth that I have come to think about while reading this post. I have waited for a while for new talent to step up and take over for the "old guys", no offense to either but just from what I see as the potential of the "younger generation" there should potentially an entire new wave of competitive US vaulters every 5 to 7 years with the top end being more of a struggle over 19 rather than just consistency over 18'6. But then again, given the circumstances I can understand how we are struggling. So what can we do?

[lonestar]

I believe one thing that is highly underated is to find a system to stick with. I am especially guilty of this problem. After my first international travel experience and getting to meet and chat with Steve Rippon, and trying to learn more about the petrov model, and learning from every coach i could find, all these new thoughts got into my head and it was just overwhelming. I became a crumbling mess of 7 different styles of vaulting, none of which were true to myself. This last year, arguably my most consistent high level season of my career (4 meets over 18'4, 7 meets over 18'2, 20 jumps over 18'0), was accomplished largely by settling on certain specific goals and just getting after them, rather than trying to reinvent myself completely. Darrens big 5.70 PR came at the end of a long season which he struggled at periods, but, had been making adjustments with a new coach and took a while to get into that rhythem. Same story with mark 2 years ago with his 5.75 jump. Just found a coach that really clicked, put his trust in him, and went to work.

Now this isn't to say we should always just blindly do as were told. But to a certain extent, its the coaches jump to coach, and the athletes jump to follow directions. If the 2 are butting heads, nothign good can come of it.

Excellent point.

I've had the privilege (punishment?) of being able to work with 4-5 "Emerging Elites" over the last 8 years and made the mistake of trying to change too much too soon. Not to say they didn't need to change their model of vaulting, but it's a long-term process that will usually require checking your pride at the door, and not one I recommend attempting within 2 years of an Olympiad/Trials. Hardheadedness (on both sides), egos (on both sides), and pride (on both sides) of the relationship can lead to less than desirable results. I find it far more easy to coach beginners and high schoolers than collegiate athletes and especially post collegiates and (usually the most difficult of all) masters. The more experience a vaulter has, the more they think they know (generally). One thing I know as I continue my 21st year in the sport of pole vaulting is that the more I learn, the less I know.

Another problem we often face is that many equate PR with knowledge and expertise. I've seen numerous elite vaulters fall flat on their face in attempts at coaching, particularly beginners - Earl Bell, Jan Johnson, and Anthony Curran are the exceptions, not the rule.

I think perhaps the biggest issue, which was raised by Litchfield, are the financial and time issues. I know my guys struggled with those as much as anything.

Still, another big problem in this country is the perception of pretty good, good, very good, and excellence:

From "Never Let Go" by Dan John:

"One day I was tossing the discus - throw after throw over 180 feet. Despite these being very good throws, Coach Maughan criticized me continually. Finally, I said something along the lines of, 'Jeepers, Coach, these are good throws.'

He took off his glasses, rubbed his eyes, and answered, 'After seeing my athletes throw 230 feet from this ring, it's just hard to watch these kind of efforts.'

I reached down, pulled my ego out of my rear-end, and got back to work.

You see, once you have the vision of excellence, pretty good is hard to swallow."

It's going on 25 years since the 6 meter barrier was broken, and yet we still feel that every time someone jumps it there ought to be a ticker-tape parade. 6 meters in 1985 is excellence. It is still very good. 6.15 is excellence. 6.40 is near-perfection, and do-able!

P.S. - We have an awesome training context in New Braunfels, Texas. A 12-month indoor/outdoor fully-equipped pole vault training center with access to tracks, runways/pits, weights, pools, and training rooms at several close-by universities, multiple gymnastics gyms in the area, favorable weather (if you can stand the 100+ weather for 3 months during the summer), and several college meets within 4 hours driving distance that allow unattached entrants. Not much in the way of other elites/emerging to train with or compete against though. You can decide the quality of our coaching for yourself, but we're confident it's top-notch - not the best, that would be arrogant to think or say, but very good if not excellent. Halfway between Austin and San Antonio provides multiple work and social opportunities. A great place to live and train. I think that covers a great deal of Alan's list. The question is: Are you curious or serious?

[altius]

swtvault -There is little doubt that you have the commitment and talent to jump 5.80 - I wish that I were in a position to help you and I am very disappointed we didnt catch up this year.


Apologies for going off topic but Kris raised the issue first and it is worth exploring at some point.
Re elite vaulters who are unable to coach young athletes - this is not an unusual state of affairs in any sport because the two roles are completely different. In fact I find it strange, if a little sad, that so many coaches include their performances in their coaching vitae for camps etc and even more so that they advertise the fact they will be assisted by 'all conference vaulters'. A case of the blind leading the blind in many cases I suspect. Being a good vaulter does not preclude you from being a good coach but nor does it ensure that you will be one. As I have been chastised for observing in the past I would like to teaching qualifications included in the vitae!


However I would like to draw your attention to Dean Starkey in the wilds of Arizona- a great athlete by any standard - who made a determined attempt this year to bridge the vast gap between the two roles.

[baggettpv]

Keep it coming guys/gals!! I want a picture of what people are thinking.

Rick Baggett
WSTC LLC
US Senior Coach

[lonestar]

From "Never Let Go" by Dan John:

The majority of strength coaches and athletes fall into two categories. The first doggedly stick to the old training methods. The second fall for every new fad. Predictably, the former have limited success and the latter have only soreness to show for their efforts.

I believe the same can be said about vault coaches. I've certainly fallen into the second category often, while most in my area are stuck in the first.

"The art of progress is to preserve order amid change and to preserve change amid order." Alfred North Whitehead

All the other factors being equal (or at least adequate), if the bulk of U.S. coaches coach follow this simple tenet, I believe our vaulting performances, collectively, would improve.

[VaultNinja]

After complaining a bit, I just want to leave on a positive note.
For all you vaulters out there that have been reading this thread, don't lose hope. I encourage any and every single one of you who have post collegiate dreams as an athlete to pursue them, not matter what your PR is. My career has been mentally and financially tough, yes. But so incredibly worth it. I've been to Europe basically for free about 6 times now, South Africa once, and all over the US to compete. Everywhere I've gone I've made amazing friends, and friendships that I feel will last a lifetime. We are a unique breed of athlete, and alike in so many ways. I've had more life experience in my travels as a vaulter then the rest of my life put together. And I'm one of few people that can say "I'm chasing my dream" and when I'm an old man on my front porch scanning the memories of my life I will never have doubt or regrets about my career and be able to sleep sound at night knowing, I went for it, and I gave it everything.
Who knows, you could be the next Jeff Hartwig or Stacy Dragila. Both late bloomers, who had historical careers and will be remembered for all time.
When I think of it this way. Everything comes back into perspective and it puts a massive smile on my face.

Sorry to go a little off of thread topic.

[UWvaulter]

Paul I second that! Even though post collegiate vaulting has been extremely difficult at times, it too has brought me to many new places meeting new friends worldwide. I'm not promising that all post-collegiates get to go to far off cool places but they might look back when you are old an say it was worth it to see what they still had left in the tank.

Let's get more replys to what post collegiates have at their disposal to help their pursuit of prs.