I love the false sense of security argument......................it just does not make any sense. Pole vaulters are daring, its just that simple. A helmet does not make someone MORE daring.........whoever first made this statement did not think it through. I wear my seat belt (sometimes) but I dont drive any faster or more recklessly when I do........thats the exact same thing. I wear a helmet when i ride my motorcycle........i dont ride........well you get the picture. Why then is pole vaulting any different. A helmet is for safty, not confidence!!!!!! Now.......on to the tragic accidents from this year. The data obtained was not conclusive as to weather a helmet would have prevented any of them, however, 2 of the 3 involved the athlete hitting the mat first then bouncing out of the pit and hitting a hard surface surrounding the pit. In these instances the type of helmet (a skate helmet) could, might have, may have etc. done some good. No one is saying that it could have prevented the tragedy but.........As for the third I hope never to see that ever again (I was standing 25 ft from it when it happened and saw ever last second of it), so you can see why I am interested in safty. I am a vaulter, have been for over 20yrs. and never wore a helmet until last year. Its not hard to do at all if you just give it a try. Now I am going to show my age.........at the high school level athletics is a privlidge not a right. Just like my kids have to be belted in my car and my son wears a helmet to ride his bike. Check out the Big Ten Video Safty Conference..........I am trusting it will be good, I have to go see it today (first broadcast of it). You can get too it from the big10.org.
There is a reason that young people pay more for insurance and are involved in more accidents that us old farts...........there more daring (and it doesnt mean you all wear helmets all the time).
later, B
Helmets
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xtremevaulter
This is to PV Junkie
Ok first of all I will agree with you about my facts being a little screwed up, mainly because I don't have all of the facts. That is my bad...
Secondly I am not a huge fan of pole vaulters wearing helmets. But I am not opposed to them. I actually own and wear one every once in a while. I feel that helmets do provide a false sense of security and I have a few reasons why I feel that it does.
1st. During the summer I broke a pole for the first time. And I did what almost anybody does the first time in a relativly young pole vaulting career, I got scared. Since I had a meet that night I thought what the heck just to make sure that I would be safe if that were to happen again I put a helmet on, SO that was to raise my confidence.
That is one of the reasons why I say helmets provide a false sense of security. The chances of me actually getting hurt are so slim but having that little extra push can help.
2nd. Again during this summer I was competeing in a track meet where the pole vault pit was absolutly horrible. there were huge cracks in it and places where you would land you would hit the palets below. I eventually hurt my shoulder and took myself out for about a month. To build my confidence again i put my helmet back on and started to vault again. So even a nonhead injury made me try a helmet. Just to build my confidence.
3rd. This summer I was coaching an up and commer pole vaulter for my old high school. She has a lot of energy and potential but her one problem is that she is afraid of a.) being upside down and b.) letting go upside down (God forbid) She immediatly put my helmet on and little by little she started to go upside down. She never quite made it by the end of the summer but she was getting very close. I don't know if the helmet had anything to do with it, but I imagine that having that extra layer between your head and the pavements helps.
This is where I disagree with you when you say helmets are for safety not for confidence. I believe both statements to be true.
Helmets are used for safety and for confidence.
If you are invested in the topic of pole vaulting safety, have you thought about the increase in a.) spotters b.)tons of extra padding on the ground around the vault pit c.) Padding on the standards themselves {i would know how painful those can be} d.) bigger pits and e.) better coaches.
I feel that those should all be inforced before people even think about making helmets manditory.
Now I am sorry you had to witness the death of another vaulter. I can only imagine what that must have been like for everyone there. My thoughts and prayers are continuely on those who have lost loved ones due to pole vaulting. I do agree with you that we are taking a huge risk every time we step onto that runway and yeah maybe we are a little more daring then some. But that is the nature of the sport. So I say if anyone wants to wear a helmet do because you want to do it. Don't try to inforce making everyone wearing one becasue not everyone needs them. If you can understand what I have just said I applaude you because I wrote this while taking a break from studying for my finals at school. This is a very interesting topic for all of us to be talking about. If you want to talk more to me about this email me I would love to pick your brain on what you feel about this issue a little more indepth. just give me an email.
Secondly I am not a huge fan of pole vaulters wearing helmets. But I am not opposed to them. I actually own and wear one every once in a while. I feel that helmets do provide a false sense of security and I have a few reasons why I feel that it does.
1st. During the summer I broke a pole for the first time. And I did what almost anybody does the first time in a relativly young pole vaulting career, I got scared. Since I had a meet that night I thought what the heck just to make sure that I would be safe if that were to happen again I put a helmet on, SO that was to raise my confidence.
That is one of the reasons why I say helmets provide a false sense of security. The chances of me actually getting hurt are so slim but having that little extra push can help.
2nd. Again during this summer I was competeing in a track meet where the pole vault pit was absolutly horrible. there were huge cracks in it and places where you would land you would hit the palets below. I eventually hurt my shoulder and took myself out for about a month. To build my confidence again i put my helmet back on and started to vault again. So even a nonhead injury made me try a helmet. Just to build my confidence.
3rd. This summer I was coaching an up and commer pole vaulter for my old high school. She has a lot of energy and potential but her one problem is that she is afraid of a.) being upside down and b.) letting go upside down (God forbid) She immediatly put my helmet on and little by little she started to go upside down. She never quite made it by the end of the summer but she was getting very close. I don't know if the helmet had anything to do with it, but I imagine that having that extra layer between your head and the pavements helps.
This is where I disagree with you when you say helmets are for safety not for confidence. I believe both statements to be true.
Helmets are used for safety and for confidence.
If you are invested in the topic of pole vaulting safety, have you thought about the increase in a.) spotters b.)tons of extra padding on the ground around the vault pit c.) Padding on the standards themselves {i would know how painful those can be} d.) bigger pits and e.) better coaches.
I feel that those should all be inforced before people even think about making helmets manditory.
Now I am sorry you had to witness the death of another vaulter. I can only imagine what that must have been like for everyone there. My thoughts and prayers are continuely on those who have lost loved ones due to pole vaulting. I do agree with you that we are taking a huge risk every time we step onto that runway and yeah maybe we are a little more daring then some. But that is the nature of the sport. So I say if anyone wants to wear a helmet do because you want to do it. Don't try to inforce making everyone wearing one becasue not everyone needs them. If you can understand what I have just said I applaude you because I wrote this while taking a break from studying for my finals at school. This is a very interesting topic for all of us to be talking about. If you want to talk more to me about this email me I would love to pick your brain on what you feel about this issue a little more indepth. just give me an email.
If we really think about it, a helmet shouldn't give us a "false" sense of security. Have you ever read one of the warning labels on a bike, skateboard, ski, lacrosse, or football helmet?
I've been doing some helmet safety research. There are a number of articles about bicycle helmets, hockey helmets, and football helmets. Did you know that the NCAA did not require football players to wear helmets until 1939. It was 1943 before the NFL made them madatory.
Research clearly shows that bicycle helmets have drastically improved safety. The instances of deaths and other serious cranial injuries have dropped in correlation with the number of states instituting helmet laws. Interesting the very nature of both football and hockey seem to have changed because of helmets. One article on hockey helmets claims that more players "high stick" and check more aggressively (and the referees permit more of this behavior) because there is less likelihood of head and facial injury due to the new helmets. Similarly, a number of football rules have had to be changed due to helmet technology. Players cannot lead a block or tackle with their helmet ("spearing") for example.
So what are the implications for the pole vault? Here is some speculation. If a pole vault-specific helmet is designed and manufactured (by say Riddell or Schutt?) you can bet that there will be a lengthy warning label explaining that pole vaulting is an inherently dangerous sport and that no helmet can prevent serious bodily injury, paralysis, death, disfigurement, etc. And the warning label will disclaim liability for accidents and injuries, and state that the user assumes all risk (you know the routine legal mumbo-jumbo - I should know, I one of them:)).
Of course. helmets can provide some security and confidence. I for one feel more secure knowing that if I don't make it to the pit (which happened to me on Saturday - ouch, my heel's bruised!), at least I know that I am increasing my chances that, if I bang my head, I won't get hurt as badly as I might otherwise. Does this mean that I'm going to grab a stiffer pole, throw caution to the wind, and raise my grip, no. As the Wookie suggests, I don't drive recklessly because I wear a safety belt.
A rule requiring helmets (which I would support, I think) might change the sport a little. It might provide the confidence boost that some may need to get inverted, for example. Wouldn't that be a pro not a con?
As long as everyone realizes that a helmet is not a panecea (as I said, the warning labels will make that abundantly clear), and as long as vaulters know that helmets cannot prevent all head injuries (and certainly not spinal injuries), helmets, it seems to me, are likely to increase safety rather than injury.
I've been doing some helmet safety research. There are a number of articles about bicycle helmets, hockey helmets, and football helmets. Did you know that the NCAA did not require football players to wear helmets until 1939. It was 1943 before the NFL made them madatory.
Research clearly shows that bicycle helmets have drastically improved safety. The instances of deaths and other serious cranial injuries have dropped in correlation with the number of states instituting helmet laws. Interesting the very nature of both football and hockey seem to have changed because of helmets. One article on hockey helmets claims that more players "high stick" and check more aggressively (and the referees permit more of this behavior) because there is less likelihood of head and facial injury due to the new helmets. Similarly, a number of football rules have had to be changed due to helmet technology. Players cannot lead a block or tackle with their helmet ("spearing") for example.
So what are the implications for the pole vault? Here is some speculation. If a pole vault-specific helmet is designed and manufactured (by say Riddell or Schutt?) you can bet that there will be a lengthy warning label explaining that pole vaulting is an inherently dangerous sport and that no helmet can prevent serious bodily injury, paralysis, death, disfigurement, etc. And the warning label will disclaim liability for accidents and injuries, and state that the user assumes all risk (you know the routine legal mumbo-jumbo - I should know, I one of them:)).
Of course. helmets can provide some security and confidence. I for one feel more secure knowing that if I don't make it to the pit (which happened to me on Saturday - ouch, my heel's bruised!), at least I know that I am increasing my chances that, if I bang my head, I won't get hurt as badly as I might otherwise. Does this mean that I'm going to grab a stiffer pole, throw caution to the wind, and raise my grip, no. As the Wookie suggests, I don't drive recklessly because I wear a safety belt.
A rule requiring helmets (which I would support, I think) might change the sport a little. It might provide the confidence boost that some may need to get inverted, for example. Wouldn't that be a pro not a con?
As long as everyone realizes that a helmet is not a panecea (as I said, the warning labels will make that abundantly clear), and as long as vaulters know that helmets cannot prevent all head injuries (and certainly not spinal injuries), helmets, it seems to me, are likely to increase safety rather than injury.
Russ
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
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xtremevaulter
Listen up!
Ok I thought i clearly stated this but i guess I didnt. I am first of all not opposed to some people wanting to use helmets (I HAVE ONE!), Secondly, you say that helmets shouldn't give us a sense of security when in fact you even said yourself that it gave you some security when vaulting so I don't understand what you are trying to say there. You in fact just proved that my false sense of security commit is true. Finally I don't understand where the hell that whole football helmet comment is even relevant. SO please explain cause I am confused by a lot of what you just said.
Actually i have one more point to bring up I brought up the person wearing the helmet as a pro for helmets because i does in fact give the young person some confidence.
Actually i have one more point to bring up I brought up the person wearing the helmet as a pro for helmets because i does in fact give the young person some confidence.
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Robert schmitt
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Does anyone have or know of were I can find the actual study that Dr.Chang preformed. All the links I've found only give you the findings. I'm interested in how the study was preformed (how the study subject was selected, what methods were used for measuring the increase in cervical flexion., how many subjects were studied etc.. etc....)
Last edited by Robert schmitt on Tue Dec 10, 2002 10:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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PimpVaulter11
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I pole vault at Cedar Park high school and at our school it is mandatory to wear helmets. I jump around the 16 feet area and wear a helmet. The rest of my team from big jumpers to small jumpers all wear helmets. Its not bad and it doesn't even bother me. The ladies say that I look pimp in it. I actually done many interviews for being one of the first high schoolers to wear them in meets. I was on ABC national news once getting interviewed and on local news a couple of times.
in response to xtremevaulter
Ok, here goes. I'll try to explain myself in greater detail.
Inj my earlier comment, I tried to emphasize that a helmet does not give a FALSE sense of security. It gives a sense of security, yes, but not a false one. But my point is that it should only give a measured (or tempered) sense of security, not a false-bravado "hell I can do whatever I want to because I'm wearing a helmet." A FALSE sense of security would be a bad thing, I think. A rational, measured sense of security is certainly warranted.
On the football helemet point. Okay it is a subtle and sophisticated point, perhaps not readily apparent, so be patient with me (forgive me in advance, I'm a law professor by trade). My point in discussing football, hockey, and bicycle helmets is that those sports are analagous in certain respects to the pole vault. Baseball is too, for that matter. Here's how. When those sports began and for much of their early history, nobody wore helmets. Then, as more and more head injuried occurred, somebody said (or more likely a group of people said), "Hey, wouldn't it be safer if we all wore protective headgear?" Of course there was resistence from the purists. Ever hear of Frank Chapman? He was the only major league baseball player ever killed as a result of being hit by a pitch in a major league game. You guessed it, he played in the days before anybody wore a batting helmet.
In many sports there has been a gradual evolution of helmet acceptance. My point is that we now seem to be in the early stages of a similar evolution/transition in the sport of pole vaulting. There will be debate and resistence, but I'll be very surprised if it doesn't eventually become commonplace and probably mandatory.
I am sorry if I got on my soapbox and sounded too professorial. I'm simply trying to add a little historical and legal perspective to the dialogue. My goal is neither to offer nor to provoke emotional responses.
Inj my earlier comment, I tried to emphasize that a helmet does not give a FALSE sense of security. It gives a sense of security, yes, but not a false one. But my point is that it should only give a measured (or tempered) sense of security, not a false-bravado "hell I can do whatever I want to because I'm wearing a helmet." A FALSE sense of security would be a bad thing, I think. A rational, measured sense of security is certainly warranted.
On the football helemet point. Okay it is a subtle and sophisticated point, perhaps not readily apparent, so be patient with me (forgive me in advance, I'm a law professor by trade). My point in discussing football, hockey, and bicycle helmets is that those sports are analagous in certain respects to the pole vault. Baseball is too, for that matter. Here's how. When those sports began and for much of their early history, nobody wore helmets. Then, as more and more head injuried occurred, somebody said (or more likely a group of people said), "Hey, wouldn't it be safer if we all wore protective headgear?" Of course there was resistence from the purists. Ever hear of Frank Chapman? He was the only major league baseball player ever killed as a result of being hit by a pitch in a major league game. You guessed it, he played in the days before anybody wore a batting helmet.
In many sports there has been a gradual evolution of helmet acceptance. My point is that we now seem to be in the early stages of a similar evolution/transition in the sport of pole vaulting. There will be debate and resistence, but I'll be very surprised if it doesn't eventually become commonplace and probably mandatory.
I am sorry if I got on my soapbox and sounded too professorial. I'm simply trying to add a little historical and legal perspective to the dialogue. My goal is neither to offer nor to provoke emotional responses.
Russ
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
reply for Robert Schmitt
On the Chang article, here's the site that I have:
http://polevaulteducation.org/Headgear_Article.html
http://polevaulteducation.org/Headgear_Article.html
Russ
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
"If you fail to plan, you plan to fail."
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Robert schmitt
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rainbowgirl28
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vaultfan
Dr. Spencer Chang's Pole Vault Page
Here is Dr. Spencer Chang’s Pole Vault Page which contains an e-mail address.
http://www.geocities.com/skykaeo2000/Vault2000.html
Hopefully, the e-mail address is currrent as I have not “testedâ€Â
http://www.geocities.com/skykaeo2000/Vault2000.html
Hopefully, the e-mail address is currrent as I have not “testedâ€Â
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xtremevaulter
Re: in response to xtremevaulter
Russ wrote: I am sorry if I got on my soapbox and sounded too professorial. I'm simply trying to add a little historical and legal perspective to the dialogue. My goal is neither to offer nor to provoke emotional responses.
Thanks for clearing that up for me. Plese excuess me if i sounded rude I am in the middle of Finals week at school so I am a bit edgy.
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