Outdoor Season

A Plan for Success

By Jose R. San Miguel

Outdoor season has its challenges.

Every spring, we check in with our vaulters on their success at their school meets.

This what we hear:

“I blew through all of my poles”

“My poles got wet and my hands were slipping.”

“The meet ran long and I did not have any food.”

“I had to run the 4x100, 4x200, and 300H at the same time pole vault was going on, and I was exhausted!”

“There was no box collar, but my school coach said that’s ok.”

“You should have seen that pit! No one should have jumped on that thing, but I tried and went no height.”

“I bottomed out and hit the ground as the top pad was not holding the pit in place.”

“The vaulters from the school did not jump because the pit was trash, but their coach told us it was safe to jump. I got a concussion from hitting the ground.”

“My pole got caught on the lip of the planting box because it was set higher than the track and I got hurt.”

“I had to guess my step as they did not have a tape measure.”

“I did not get a warm-up when I came in after 5 heights, the official said there are no warm-up jumps allowed once the competition started.”

“The official threatened me with a DQ for watching the video of my jump with my coach.”

These stories ultimately point to the athletes and their coaches. The athletes are not prepared and do not know how to advocate for themselves. Coaches do not know all the rules and therefore cannot confidently support and defend their athletes.

Vaulters must be prepared for what they may face at an outdoor meet. You need a plan A if everything at the meet goes as hoped, and a plan B if unexpected challenges arise.

What can go wrong at an outdoor track meet?

1. Weather – It will be freezing; it will be ninety-five degrees; the rain will drench you; there will be a head wind, a tail wind, a cross wind, and weather delays.

2. Pole selection - Not having the right poles at a meet can be the difference between making it to the state championships, jumping a new personal best, and a wasted competition opportunity.

3. Your weight – It’s a rule in high school athletics. You must jump on a pole with a weight rate heavier than your weight. In some meets, you will be weighed.

4. No tape measure on site or painted marks to use.

5. Facilities - many facilities at smaller schools do not meet the minimum safety standards as per NFHS guidelines. Learn the difference between a safe facility and one that is not. See links below to NFHS.

6. Officials who may not know the rules of the event. High school meets follow NFHS rules, not USATF or NCAA rules. YOU should know the rules.

7. Uniforms / spikes - In North Carolina, you can only have one logo showing on your uniform. In the past, we have had athletes swap clothes on the runway to be in compliance.

What should you pack to be prepared for your meets?

1. Poles for a great day and poles for a not so good day. Your reach pole. A little tail wind may be all you need.

2. Athletic tape, chalk, and a tape measure. If there is no tape measure at the meet, use your pole to measure your step. As per NFHS, there are no runbacks allowed.

3. Proper clothing, hat, sunscreen, towel, and trash bag to keep poles dry in case of rain.

4. Food, snacks, electrolytes, water.

5. The NFHS rules for pole vault and facility safety guidelines

https://www.nfhs.org/media/1019124/ field-events-diagrams.pdf https://www.nfhs.org/articles/rules-booksand-case-books-available-as-e-books/

What should you do if a facility where you compete is unsafe?

1. Explain the facts to your coach. They should fix them or present them to the meet director. Be respectful.

2. If your coach will not advocate for you and your teammates, find the meet director and do it yourself. Again, be respectful.

3. The meet director should require that the facility meets NFHS guidelines, or relocate the pole vault contest to a safe facility, maybe another school or your club.

4. If the meet director chooses to ignore the NFHS guidelines - You should NOT compete. Never jump in an usafe facility.

EXAMPLES OF UNSAFE FACILITIES

No standard base pads. The bases need to be weighted to prevent the standards from falling. Exposed cement and metal.

No standard base pads; exposed cement; metal gap between runway and planting box.

No standard base pads - The top pad does not fit the pit and hold it together. An athlete can fall between the sections of the pit and be injured. Exposed cement and pallets.

EXAMPLES OF SAFE FACILITIES

Approved box collar; standard base pads; top pad is properly secured; no exposed cement or metal; planting box is flush with runway.

Standard base pads; top pad properly secured; no exposed cement or metal; approved box collar (not visible from this angle).

Standard base pads; top pad properly secured; no exposed cement or metal; approved box collar (not visible from this angle).