Worst indoor season ever ?

[kcvault]

I have not read every post on this thread but thought I would give my own personal experiences of why is is so hard to be good in the US. Over the past 7 years I have used $7'000 in student loans to buy pole vaulting poles for my wife and I. I have taken classes in strength and conditioning, nutrition, sports psychology, Fitness, physiology of exercise, Kenisiology, and personal training in order to be able to write the most efficient, sports specific periodized workouts as possible. I have lived on $10'000 a year with two people with an estimated cost of living with tuition and books at $18,000 a year per person. I train year round and do as much research as I can and try to apply the most efficient pole vault technique possible. I have gone from an 13.8 second hundred meter time when I was 18 to the 11.6 100m time I run now, from a one and a half foot push off to a three and a half foot push off, and a 15'6 pr to a 17'8 pr.

I am no longer jumping in college this year I hurt my calf and it has taken me out for the last 8 weeks. If I had access to a personal trainer or money to see a doctor I could have healed it in three weeks. For my wife to enter meets it is a $25 entry fee, usually $30-$40 in gas and we drive up the morning of even when it is 6-8 hours away because we can not afford to stay in a hotel (It's $400 a month just for us to compete). I have every intention of jumping 570 or 580 but tell me what other sacrifices I can make to do it and I will. Personally I say when it comes to pole vaulting the athletes are doing everything in there power to get better.

If you want to make pole vaulting in the US better then start a club and do what ever you can to increase pole vaulting popularity. If you have money help schools by coaching or providing equipment. I think everyone is right about coaching being a problem. There are several kids at meets with out coaches but you can make a difference by going to those meets and coaching them. I would bet that just by advising those kids to lower there grip one fist they would all jump half a foot higher. Personally I help at three or four camps a year and several high school meets As soon as I am done pole vaulting I intend to start a club to keep interest in the sport. My real point is quit complaining about how bad pole vaulting in the US is and try to fix the problem.

--Kasey

[VaultNinja]

My real point is quit complaining about how bad pole vaulting in the US is and try to fix the problem.

--Kasey

Exactly. I'm with Kasey. We are doing everything we can, and more. What are you doing, besides talking? Yeah you, the one reading this, please please please, go make a difference. Maybe we can save vault in the US and the future threads will read "The US's best season ever". Wouldn't that be nice. You can post or suggest, a million perfect solutions but that doesn't do anyone any good, if no one has the courage and conviction to actually go implement a single one. So i guess you have to ask yourself, are you full of valor and passion or just full of s***? You have the power to make a positive change in someones life, right now. The choice is yours.

-Paul Litchfield

[KLocke]

I wonder if throwing you money would create success? Few understand the commitment that it takes to succeed. Toby Stevenson recently spoke about sacrifice and how pole vaulting was his girlfriend during his competitive years. He said, "If your Olympic Dream is your Olympic Dream, there is no sacrifice big enough". As for the young man also trying with his wife. Sadly, that seems to never work out to have two struggling athletes.

[tsorenson]

I think that the US has a bright future with some up-and-coming talent like Jack Whitt who is a long way from peaking, and Hollis, Roth, and J. Scott who should continue to improve. Can they vault 6m? Time will tell. Like everyone said, it's really hard to make it post-collegiate, but somebody will step up.

Skipper may come back and put it together (I heard that he was training, may just be a rumor). Don't forget that Brad Walker has a great chance to beat everyone internationally if he can stay healthy. I predict that the US will be in medal contention at the 2012 olympics, no matter what this indoor season was like. I am really looking forward to seeing Lavillenie, Hooker, and Walker in London...assuming they all make it to the finals. I think it could be one of the great all-time competitions. Suhr vs Isi, part II, should be great too.

As far as getting sponsorships, that is hard for a sport with minimal media coverage. I like the idea of grass-roots local fundraising, but it's especially tough in a poor economy. Having a flexible, supportive employer that pays decent wages is about all you can hope for until you jump 6m. Too bad we don't have some of our US billionaires donating $10 million to our athletes, like the guy in Russia!

I agree with the statement that giving something back by coaching kids is a good path to improving the sport. We could certainly use some improvements at the middle-school level, where lack of coaching=kids are learning bad habits and going for height instead of pounding the fundamentals. It would be a lot easier to coach HS vaulters if you didn't have to spend the first year breaking bad habits! I ran a day camp for middle 30 schoolers last summer, and had all of them jumping from 3 lefts on stiff poles and doing drills on the field for 3 days. They were blown away because none of them had ever done drills...and most of them PR'd from 3 lefts. Don't forget that every vaulter starts somewhere, and the formative years are the most important!

Tom

[kcvault]

As for the young man also trying with his wife. Sadly, that seems to never work out to have two struggling athletes.

Actually this is the only way I survive as a pole vaulter. My wife is the only person willing to spend the time to time my intervals, catch my step, help analyze my technique and help me through the hard times. Also she is a very knowledgeable coach. The fact is there is not many coaches in the US willing to do that for you once you get out of college. Plus as far as I can tell Russ and Dana Bueller are pretty good pole vaulters, along with Jill and Dean Starkey.

I wonder if throwing you money would create success?

Pole vaulters don't need money they need a place to train with equipment and facilities. Trust me there are several pole vaulters out there that work harder then Toby Stevenson but most people in the US usually only care about athletes after they become elite, before they become elite we just complain about how bad they are and how they don't work hard instead of trying to help them. Help support your athletes and you will not be disappointed with the result.

--Kasey

[KLocke]

Kasey,

I am going to guess that you meant to write that "few" work harder than Toby? Otherwise, the statement is a bit insulting.

Trust me there are several pole vaulters out there that work harder then Toby Stevenson but most people in the US usually only care about athletes after they
--Kasey

[kcvault]

I am going to guess that you meant to write that "few" work harder than Toby? Otherwise, the statement is a bit insulting.

I am not implying that Toby Stevenson does not work hard I am saying that several people work as hard or harder then him. Do you think Toby would have got the same support if he only jumped 16ft in college? You think Jeff Hartwigg would have gotten as far as he did if Earl Bell was not there to direct his work ethic to what he needed to do? Do you Know how hard it is to get equipment and facilities if you are not already elite when you get out of college?

You have to work hard to be great, but you do not have to be great to work hard. So for the last time the US needs to quit complaining and do something to support our athletes; the athletes are doing everything they can.

___Kasey

[rainbowgirl28]

I think KLocke qualifies as one of the few people who has done (and is doing) something tangible to help our athletes.

[KLocke]

Hi,

Firstly, I know a little bit about all your questions. I also know that your blatant disrespect probably could be detrimental to your development. You may post your next message as an apology to Toby.

I am going to guess that you meant to write that "few" work harder than Toby? Otherwise, the statement is a bit insulting.

I am not implying that Toby Stevenson does not work hard I am saying that several people work as hard or harder then him. Do you think Toby would have got the same support if he only jumped 16ft in college? You think Jeff Hartwigg would have gotten as far as he did if Earl Bell was not there to direct his work ethic to what he needed to do? Do you Know how hard it is to get equipment and facilities if you are not already elite when you get out of college?

You have to work hard to be great, but you do not have to be great to work hard. So for the last time quit complaining and just support our athletes they are doing everything they can.

___Kasey

[kcvault]

Firstly, I know a little bit about all your questions. I also know that your blatant disrespect probably could be detrimental to your development. You may post your next message as an apology to Toby.

Toby is actually one of my favorite vaulters, I meant him no disrespect. I do not know who you are but if you are helping advance the sport of pole vaulting I thank you.

Please do not tell me my blatant disrespect is preventing me from progressing for I am simple pointing out the flaw in the US system. If you had ever coached me you would know I try to do everything I am told until I perfect it then I try to replicate it. Currently I buy my own equipment, find facilities to train, and my wife and I coach each other. If you wanted to come coach me I would be more then happy to work with you on all of my technique flaws since finding a coach in this area is not easy. Currently I run an 11.6 100m and push off 3 and a half feet off my top hand but believe I can push four feet off my top hand and run an 11.3 with proper sprint and technique training, but I can use all the help I can get.

The point I was trying to make is there are non elite pole vaulters that work as hard as elite pole vaulters. As a nation we tend to only help the already elite or nearly elite and forget about the rest.

---Kasey

[VaultLove]

Yikes! upsetting KLocke. I pity the fool

[kev44000]

The point I was trying to make is there are non elite pole vaulters that work as hard as elite pole vaulters. As a nation we tend to only help the already elite or nearly elite and forget about the rest.

---Kasey[/quote]

This is the way it works in America. Sad but true. As a parent of an elite vaulter (5.60 at 20 years old) I am glad I or my son will not have to contend with the hardships of him being a pro Track and field athlete. I feel for all who do. I myself help support an elite vaulter without a shoe contract, and volunteer coach at our high school.