August 2018 UPVA

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CONTENTS t s u ug

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FROM THE EDITOR

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UTPVA: PAVING THE WAY FOR POLE VAULT IN UTAH

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USING KETTLEBELLS TO TRANSITION INTO HEAVY LIFTING

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Cover photo by Kody Pierce

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FROM THE EDITOR Street Vaults, USATF Junior Olympics, Beach Vaults, Summer Meets and more are starting to wind down and the rest period before fall training is starting to begin. Soon you will get back to school and start your next year of high school, middle school, and college. Rest is the name of the game during this period and getting yourself mentally prepared for the fall workouts is a must. Healing and recovery may be needed for both your mental and physical body aspects of the vault. Take the time and do it right!

Pole Vault news, “men’s pole vault – IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018 ” On a week where nothing seemed certain, where no favourite seemed impervious to the pressure of a major championship final, Sweden’s Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis was ice cool, dispatching his rivals to take Sweden’s first ever men’s pole vault gold with the minimum of fuss. (2018). (https://www.iaaf.org/news/ report/report-mens-pole-vaultiaaf-world-u20-champ)

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“Women’s pole vault – IAAF World U20 Championships Tampere 2018 ” (Amalie Svabikova produced the finest series in her of her life to dominate the pole vault and nab the first medal at these Championships for the Czech Republic. (2018). Retrieved from (https://www.iaaf.org/ news/report/womens-polevault-report-iaaf-world-u20champ) On the cover, Utah Pole Vault Academy. We talk with Kody Pierce about his club, starting it up after seeing his mentor Dean Starkey run his club and his love for the sport. Building his facility in Riverton, Utah, Kody has caught the eye of many around the area and has coached some of the best. “Motivated by what he had seen at Dean Starkey’s club, Kody decided the best thing to do for his vaulters would be to establish a club, and in 2015 he built a facility to train his athletes in year round.” Check it out and see what it takes to get your club off the ground and ready to go in your hometown, just like Kody. Samantha knocks it out of

the park and gives the ready and interesting perspective into this club.

Kreager Taber kettlebell training and the help that it provides when transitioning from bells over to weights.

“Instead of gradually increasing weight and easing themselves back into the weight room after a relaxing summer, many athletes strive to lift the same weights that they hit at the end of the spring season.” We love using kettlebells to train and use them as often as we can with our pole vaulters. Kreager has an eye for writing articles about the sport we love and what it takes to get stronger, faster, and mentally strong.

Check us out next month when we look into the world of the USATF Junior Olympics and what it takes to get involved and if you even should. Stay tuned, this will get interesting.

Doug Bouma Editor, Vaulter Magazine Vaulter Club Inc. editor@thevaultermag.com

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Junior Olympics 15-16 Boys

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RIGHT NOW N O T H I N G E L S E VAULTER

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MATTERS TIME TO FLY

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India Ortiz

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UTPVA: Paving the Way for Pole Vault in Utah

By Sam Kaplan

Instagram: @eat_sleep_pv_repeat

Pole vaulting is by far nowhere near one of the more popular or understood American pastimes. High schools often cannot provide their student athletes with proper coaching, and it can be difficult for vaulters to find local clubs to help their skills progress. In a state where only one division even sanctions high school pole vault, just recently adding girl’s pole vault as an official event, it can be even tougher

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to foster the next generation of athletes’ growing interest in the sport. When Kody Pierce began coaching his brother at Bingham High School, Utah in 2006, he was well aware of the fact that he knew very little about the event. However, Kody’s love for pole vault drove him to learn as much as he could from the best. Over the four years that he coached his brother, they traveled all over the country to renowned

camps and clinics to learn vaulting and coaching technique. From Earl Bell’s clinic in Arkansas, to Jan Johnson’s lessons in California, to Dean Starkey’s advice in Arizona, Kody learned as much as he could, including the fact that there were not nearly enough coaches out there to train the young, eager athletes. Kody brought everything he learned back to Utah to be a coach for the kids without one. Kids

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from all around came to train with Kody in their off season.

Of course Kody loved help out, but without a stable location to jump, it was difficult, especially in the winter. Motivated by what he had seen at Dean Starkey’s club, Kody decided the best thing to do for his vaulters would be to establish a club, and in 2015 he built a facility to train his athletes in year round. “Seeing how Dean Starkey ran his club is what ul-

timately inspired me to start my own club,” says Kody. “He has been an awesome mentor through the whole process.”

Today, the Riverton, Utah facility is home to Utah Pole Vault Academy, the empire that grew from Kody’s curiosity back in 2006.

The construction of a permanent facility has allowed UTPVA to grow drastically. In addition to Kody, former Ca-

nadian indoor national record holder Carly Dockendorf, 14foot Brigham Young University alum Rachel Schmekel, and Copper Hills High School coach Cameron Vongsawad coach the athletes. Along with several college athletes who come back to help out, the coaching staff, diverse in age, hometowns, and experience, provide the athletes with all sorts of unique perspectives.

Dallin Thornton, Samantha Bell

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Coach Kody Pierce, Coach Rachel Schmoekel, Coach Cameron Vongsawad, Coach Devin James, Coach Alex Crapo, Dallin Thornton, Trent James, Josh Park, Mark Bailey, Dallin Riley, Daniel Peterson, Brittany Chapple, Sydney Smith, India Ortiz, Lindsay Akagi, Maysen Rollo, Catherine Nemelke, Samantha Bell, Ella Spigarelli, Summer Steeneck, Sabrina Fairbanks

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Even with so many distinctive coaches, the club stays consistent with a few key principles. “Our main focus is consistency over height,” explains Kody. “I would rather have a vaulter with good, proper form and technique clear 14 consistently over a vaulter that gets lucky and clears 15 once.” As for what Kody views as proper technique, there’s no doubt. “I’m a big believer in the Petrov model and tell my kids all the time that “Beginner to Bubka” is the pole vault Bible,” says Kody. “The backbone of my coaching philosophy comes from that book.”

Although Kody has a philosophy that he believes in, he understands the importance of outside perspectives. UTPVA hosts two to three camps per year, most notably the annual Fall Camp, also known as the College Showcase camp. For the duration of this camp, local college coaches serve as the coaching staff. Along with the local coaches, UTPVA welcomes at least one out of state collegiate coach, most recently Pat Licari from the University of Washington. “The College Showcase camp is a great opportunity for the kids to have some other sets of eyes looking at them,” says Kody. “It also gives them exposure to some of the college coaches and what it takes to get into a college pro-

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Daniel Peterson

gram.” Along with the camps, UTPVA hosts monthly Saturday competitions during the off season, about six or seven per year. Because the club was originally created to help local vaulters train during the off

season, UTPVA likes to make their meets fun and convenient for vaulters, often aligning them with their camps, hosting them in a mall or on the street, and theming them for holidays.

This August marks the first

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20-30 active athletes in the club and usually another 20-30 that drop in occasionally,” says Kody. In addition to these local athletes, about 10-15 vaulters from surrounding states drop in to train several times a month. UTPVA welcomes vaulters of all ages, from 10 to 11 years old all the way through college and masters, however a majority of the club’s members are high school athletes.

On average, UTPVA hosts three to four practices per week as well as small group and private lessons by appointment.

Anyone with a USATF membership is welcome to drop in for a $20 single lesson, one of the best deals of any pole vault club around. All-Star and Elite group memberships are available as well, for vaulters who want to spend longer periods of time training with the club.

Salt Lake County Fair Street Vault that will ideally become a huge annual event for vaulters to wrap up their summer. Every year, the club vaulters take a trip to the famed National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, the big-

gest team trip UTPVA hosts.

The off season at UTPVA is all about improving and having fun, but that doesn’t mean the club comes to a halt for the rest of the year. “We have around

Vaulters who come to jump at UTPVA are treated to a top of the line facility. The club, which still resides in the 15,000 square foot indoor space Kody built back in 2015, is an easy commute from any Salt Lake, Utah, or Davis County high school. With its central location, UTPVA is a convenient 10-15 minutes from about ten different schools, and only about a half hour from another fifteen. Inside the facility, vaulters can expect two pits with 120 feet of runway each,

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Coach Kody Pierce, Coach Rachel Schmoekel, Coach Cameron Vongsawad, Coach Devin James, Coach Alex Crapo, Dallin Thornton, Trent James, Josh Park, Mark Bailey, Dallin Riley, Daniel Peterson, Brittany Chapple, Sydney Smith, India Ortiz, Lindsay Akagi, Maysen Rollo, Catherine Nemelke, Samantha Bell, Ella Spigarelli, Summer Steeneck, Sabrina Fairbanks

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including a raised runway. No one ever needs to supply their own poles, as the club owns more than 80 poles ranging in length from 9’ to 16’ to accommodate any vaulter who comes through the door. Ropes, rings, high bars, pull up bars, plyometric boxes, hurdles, and free weights help vaulters train gymnastics, speed and strength. UTPVA’s facility set up offers a unique cross training experience. “Half of the building is rented out to help subsidize the expenses of the club,” explains Kody. “There

Eric Durrant

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is an indoor basketball court, batting cages, and a speed/ strength/agility business, which have been great tie ins with our athletes.” With exposure to other sports and training styles, UTPVA jumpers not only become better vaulters, but better all around athletes.

Because UTPVA is both a fairly new club, as well as one of the only clubs in it’s area, it can be expected that up and coming young vaulters would be drawn to train there, to take advantage of the opportunity

the generations before them did not have. The top male vaulters at the club are all high schoolers, most notably rising senior Robbie Walker, with his 15’5” PR and Trent James, who jumped 15’2” to cap off his senior year. The recent sanctioning of girls pole vault as a high school event in Utah saw an explosion in the number of young women looking to break into the vaulting world. These ambitious athletes are not wasting any time jumping into this new domain, and UTPVA is the perfect place for them to

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get started. The club’s top female vaulters come from this new generation, including outdoor state record holder, only a rising junior, 12-foot Hannah Stetler, and India Ortiz, who, with her 11’6” PR was one of the top three 8th graders nationally last season. These young women, who have barely even begun their high school careers, already hold some of the states top accolades, proving girls pole vault in Utah is headed for some big, big things in the years to come, and clubs like UTPVA are helping make it happen.

With all of the strides UTPVA is making in terms of pole vault awareness in Utah, Kody never forgets what is most important about his work. “I think one of the greatest things about our club and vault community is the camaraderie,” says Kody. “There are no school ties or boundaries.

They just all love and cheer each other on, no matter where they’re from or what level they’re at.” In a state where the pole vault community is small, it is important for athletes to come together and support each other rather than be separated by arbitrary school allegiances. Through UTPVA, Utah vaulters and coaches can work together to learn, practice, and fight for their sport. Kody knows he wants to continue

Daniel Peterson

fighting for pole vault. “Hopefully, through our efforts, we can continue to grow the sport and get in sanctioned in the remaining five divisions.” Of course Kody wants to spread pole vault awareness and increase the sport’s popularity,

but helping provide the kids with opportunities to succeed that they otherwise would have is what means the most.

“I think the main thing that keeps me passionate about the sport is the kids more than the sport itself.”

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USING KETTLEBELLS TO TRANSITION INTO HEAVY LIFTING By: Kreager Taber

While summer breaks from school present a perfect time for vaulters to chase higher personal records, get faster, or work on their strength, it also provides an ideal time for athletes to take a step back from full vaults and focus on correcting problems in their technique. If the athlete is trying to rest their legs and take a break from intense training over the summer, measures can still be taken to ensure they make improvements to their form without vaulting

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from a full approach.

Additionally, specific aspects of the vault can be difficult to monitor while the athlete is trying to jump from their full approach and put a complete vault together, but are easier to correct when extraneous

variables are eliminated. For example, the swing, shoulder drop, and push off phases can be corrected more easily when the vaulter is on a small pole, from a short approach, and can concentrate solely on their form during the inversion,

rather than worrying about the run and the plant.

Similarly, the same aspects of the vault can be monitored if the vaulter performs a short approach down a sloped ramp or from an elevated platform rather than a full approach

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on the runway. Incorporating ramps and platforms into the vault approach provides an extra boost for the athlete that allows them to relax and focus on the aspects of their vault that need tweaking.

Sloped ramps allow the vaulter to take powerful, full jumps from their shorter approaches. They can be constructed soundly out of wood and are simple, cheap, and easy to build, and can also be built in various sizes depending on the needs of the

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club. Different ramps can be constructed to accommodate a one, two, or three step approach, and in addition, they can be built at varying angles to add more or less power to the athlete’s approach. Especially for summer training, when athletes should focus on correcting their form rather than chasing new personal records, giving the vaulter more power during a short run helps them focus on fixing smaller issues and break down the components of the vault.

Vaulting from a ramp, or at least

a sloped runway, may help the vaulter focus on their takeoff mechanics, swing, shoulder drop, and push off phases of the vault, and allow them to commit their mental focus during the jump to executing with proper mechanics rather than just making it into the pit.

Giving the athlete less to focus on can help them consciously change certain aspects of their jump, rather than just reverting back to inefficient form due to muscle memory in an attempt to feel more safe. Additionally, practicing

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from a short approach helps the vaulter control the power they put into the vault from the approach phase, as well as helps them develop running mechanics and leg strength to help with full vaults. It also may help them work on the timing of the pole drop and their plant mechanics, and teach them to efficiently transition their speed into vertical height by using the pole correctly.

Incorporating ramps into training for the summer and preseason gives athletes’ legs a break from taking full approaches, while letting them still make improvements to their jump.

Platforms are another inexpensive tool to help vaulters focus on their swing, shoulder drop, and push off rather than their takeoff or run. The platform should be approximately four feet off the ground and stationed a few feet back from the box and the pit. The athlete can plant their pole before starting their approach, and take a few steps before taking off from the platform and bending the pole, or performing a straight pole drill. From the takeoff, the athlete can swing up like a normal straight-pole drill without bending the pole, or even focus on staying close to

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the pole and the mechanics of the turn by shooting towards the back of the pit as the pole unbends. In the latter drill, the athlete practices turning properly while the pole is recoiling, which provides a more realistic drill and movement than practicing the turn with straight pole drills.

Furthermore, the additional height that the platform provides during the takeoff eliminates the need for a running approach, making it an ideal training method for athletes who are injured, taking time off from fully vaulting, or those who have trouble controlling the power they put into the takeoff. A walking, or even stationary, approach into the drill helps eliminate extraneous variables that could arise due to improper running form or the plant. Additionally, swinging up from a platform can help to fix hitches in the swing-up phase of the vault by forcing the vaulter to drop their shoulders more quickly than they are used to in order to take attempts at a bungee. Mistakes in the timing of the initiation of the shoulder drop, the final position the vaulter hits while inverted, or the transition from the swing phase into the top of the vault can be isolated and corrected. They can also be

used by injured athletes who have been instructed to avoid unnecessary stress on the legs.

Practicing with sloped ramps or platforms provides an interesting alternative to traditional training in the summer and preseason months. As the vaulter is placed in a novel situation

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during the jump, they are forced out of their comfort zone and their vault is more malleable; therefore, a better swing, faster shoulder drop, and better mechanics during the turn can be developed without placing unnecessary stress on the vaulters’ legs. The biomechanical transitions that turn a vaulter’s energy from

horizontal speed to vertical height can be scrutinized by their coaches, and the athletes can have fun in a lower stress environment than traditional vaulting. Pushing athletes out of their comfort zones during the summer and preseason months helps coaches break down their form, isolate variables that may be causing

problems, and put a more effective and technologically sound jump back together.

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