What's the overall best school to vault at?

[Peepers PV]

I've heard a lot about the good vault programs at Arkansas State, Nebraska, Texas Tech and so on. But when you take into account academics and the level of coaching, which college would be the best? I'd really like to hear what you guys have to say about this...

Lori

[opalkak]

The key to picking a good school is finding one where you will be happy regardless of vaulting. You may spend '20' hours a week training, but that leaves 148 hours to fill with things to do (ie school, partying, camping, eating....you know what I mean). Yes, vaulting is a huge part of my college experience, but I've also had the priveledge to be involved in many other things.

good luck and happy hunting.

[vaulterpunk]

yeah you just have to find your element. or just find a place you know you will have a good time.

[rainbowgirl28]

The best school for you...

Has a coach with a style that works for you
Is in a league that will give you a chance to be competitive
Has the academics you are interested in studying
Is the right distance from home for you
Has the right social environment for you
Is the right price for you and your family

You want to be as close to meeting those things as possible.


Different things work for different people. I was at 2 of the best vaulting schools in the country. One wouldn't let me on the team and the other had so many talented vaulters, I was not going to get to travel. Now I'm in the NAIA and getting the chance to do my best and hopefully win some meets along the way

[Skyin' Brian]

shameless plug: http://www.noctrl.edu

[vaultmd]

Everything that Rainbowgirl says is valid.

But to answer the question about the best school plus great coach:

My vote goes to Rice University.

My second place would be University of Washington.

[vaulter580]

juat pick the school with the hotest chicks!!!

[vaulter580]

just kidding,

[CowtownPV]

There are so many things to look at. So often people go to who offers the best scholarship and I understand that because money is a problem for everyone. However, what type of travel budget do they have,number of vaulters at school to train with, supply of poles and budget for new poles is important. The most important thing is for the vaulter to find a coach he relates with. There are alot of great coaches out there with different styles and it is important to find one you can relate to. I think coaching technique is a very small part of coaching. The really good coach is one who motivates you to do your best all the time. So my advice would be to get to know the coach as well as you can and talk to the other vaulters.

[cheeseyman]

I am in the middle of a transfer myself. Some mistakes that i made.

1.I looked at the money and thought, " it must be good if they have the money"
2. I saw that they had some good vaulters previously, but i didnt look at what they did in High school BEFORE they attended this university
3. I didnt grill the coach good enough, didnt pick his brain to find out his knowledge of the vault
4. Moved to a different climate, has a big effect of me.
5. Didn't get to know the head coach, just the vualt coach.
6. Didnt talk to kids on the team, when on recruting trip i didnt ask for their 'honest ' opinion, didnt get real with them, they just told me the team is nice, didnt say much about the coaches.

pretty much i went in there thinking that the money will make up for any flaaws. [/b] I WAS WRONG For any other vautlers that are planning on going to college, do the research, thats the most important thing to do.....

[Decamouse]

One that has what Rainbow Girl Said - but put a little more weight to what do you want to do when you graduate!!!!! -

[rainbowgirl28]

I am in the middle of a transfer myself. Some mistakes that i made.

1.I looked at the money and thought, " it must be good if they have the money"
2. I saw that they had some good vaulters previously, but i didnt look at what they did in High school BEFORE they attended this university
3. I didnt grill the coach good enough, didnt pick his brain to find out his knowledge of the vault
4. Moved to a different climate, has a big effect of me.
5. Didn't get to know the head coach, just the vualt coach.
6. Didnt talk to kids on the team, when on recruting trip i didnt ask for their 'honest ' opinion, didnt get real with them, they just told me the team is nice, didnt say much about the coaches.

pretty much i went in there thinking that the money will make up for any flaaws. [/b] I WAS WRONG For any other vautlers that are planning on going to college, do the research, thats the most important thing to do.....

Those are all really good points too! I agree with them because...

1. It's seriously not all about the money. A full ride scholarship is not worth it if you are miserable

2. Seeing how much people have improved since high school can tell you a lot. Not everyone will improve much for a variety of reasons (which may not be the coach's fault), but a good vault program will have most of its kids improving on their high school bests.

3. Definitely try to get a feel for what style of coaching the coach has. Find out what they think about weight lifting, what kinds of gymnastics drills they like to do, what kind of pole vault drills they like to do... anything you can think of!

4. This is especially important if you are going to a suckier climate. It's cold and snowy where I am now which makes me reallly miss going to school in Florida
Find out what kind of indoor facilities the school has, what they do in bad weather, etc. Even if you are going to a nicer climate, you have to decide if itis right for you. I went from Seattle to Florida out of high school, and I loved it, but I know lots of people from the NW would hate it.

5. I agree with this one too. If I had gotten to know the head coach before I went to Georgia, I might have found out a lot sooner that I would not be eligible Plus, the head coach sets the rules and tone for the team, so even if you are not working directly with them, you want to know what type of person they are.

6. This is a tricky one. The kids on the team are generally not going to say anything negative to you, even if they hate the school. Get to know them as well as possible on the trip. While they may not say anything bad, learn to pick up on the absence of glowing reviews, hesitating before they say something... stuff like that.
If someone is really happy and loves their situation, they will be the biggest promotor of the school and the best recruiter.