So, You Want to Vault in College? By Jose R. San Miguel Competing in college is the ultimate goal for many high school athletes. You yearn to wear a singlet from your school of choice, live in an athletic dorm, and benefit from the perks of being a student athlete like preferential class schedule, lots of gear, tutors, and recognition. Plus, you hope to surpass your high school record.
The truth is that less than 2% of high school athletes continue competing in their sport in college. And of those, fewer than 30% finish all four years of eligibility. Being a collegiate athlete is a job. You will train twenty hours per week, which does not include hours spent traveling to meets. Between practice, school work, and relationships, your time management will be challenged as you will have to prioritize rest and recovery. You will be forced to give 100% of yourself every day or be replaced by the next athlete who is managing a little bit better than you.
18
And, if you make it, it will be one of the most rewarding chapters of your life. Those who complete their athletic journey enjoy a unique experience that no one can take away. You may be too young to fully comprehend the magnitude of the accomplishment. Employers will be glad to consider you for jobs because if you compete for four years,
T A K E O F F
M A G A Z I N E
they know you are disciplined and organized. You have overcome adversity and achieved. College Athletics is a Business College athletics is a business. A coach’s decisions are not emotional, they are practical. Their job security depends on how well the team performs at the conference meets, and they will recruit athletes who they think will be able to score points for the team during their four years in school. The bigger the athletic recognition of the school, the higher the athletic standards to get recruited. If you are looking at a Southeastern Conference school, you need to be jumping at least thirteen feet as a woman and seventeen feet as a man. The reverse is also true. The higher the academic recognition, typically the lower the athletic standards to get recruited, although there are exceptions. Smaller Division I schools have lower athletic requirements than larger ones. In order to learn where you can play, take the list of schools you are interested in and go to www.tfrrs. com. Look up the conference of the school, MEAC, SEC, ACC, Sunbelt, Big South, etc. Research what heights scored at the conference meet for the last three years. What heights
did the meet open with? Can you clear those heights? Now, consider your personal record and see where you might fit in. If the women conference scorers jumped 13’, 13’6, and 14’ and your current PR is 10’6’, you have work to do, and you need to be realistic about what you can accomplish with the time you have left in high school. Can you add two feet to your personal record in two years? Yes, but you will have to work for it. You will need to train year-round, and pay close attention to the difference between what your coach is instructing and what you are actually executing. Where are you brushing off their recommendations or being stubborn? In the space between direction and doing lies your opportunity for improvement. You will need to practice pole vault two to three days per week. There is too much technical work needed to polish each phase of the jump. This can only be achieved through consistent effort over time. You and your family will have to prioritize vault practice. Achieving Your Dream Sports is a vehicle to an education. You must fit into a school as a stu-
