ANUARV 2015. ISSUE 33 $12.95 ELITE ISSUE
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Renaud Lavillenie World Record Holder 6.16m (20' 2½")
Since 1987, pole vaulters have chosen UCS/Spirit vaulting poles to set more world records, win major medals and earn more championship titles than all other vaulting pole companies combined.
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January 2015 issue
contents
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FROM THE EDITOR
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The Meet of The Year
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Can Your Facebook Account Decimate Your College Application?
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Enjoying the ride!
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You Can Never Have Enough Poles
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The Annual Pilgrimage to Reno
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FROM THE EDITOR Happy New Year, everyone! We are ready to start 2015 off strong with a brand new website, new ideas, and of course, the many articles we give you each month!
of everything the summit has to offer and to cherish your time. Take a look at this article as you make your last-minute preparations for the summit!
Penny Hanson wrote an article this month for high school students preparing for college. Do you put everything on your social media sites? You may want to see what she has to say about your digital footprint because what you are posting may have an effect on your college applications. The last thing you want is to have an issue being accepted into college because of that one silly post in junior high. She always has great advice for you because she wants you all to succeed, so look at her article Also this month, Sadie and see what she has to say: Lovett has written an article You will not be disappointed! on the Pole Vault Summit. This article will prepare you on Having trouble deciding what to expect at the summit as whether you need to buy the well as what you should focus next pole? Sadie Lovett has on when you are there. This also written an article on summit is made to be fun and the benefits of having a large not stressful, so she suggests pole selection and why you for you to focus on the fun and should invest in having the use the positive energy to jump pole progressions you need. PRs. She says to take advantage She has also brought in some 2015 is finally here and what better way to start it than with the Reno Pole Vault Summit? This month, Bubba Sparks has written an article for you to read during your preparation for the summit. He encourages you to use this meet as a leeway into your indoor season and to use all the meets from indoor as a preparation for your outdoor season. Flip over to his article where he, as always, encourages all of you to do your very best.
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advice from other coaches who give you reasons why you want to invest in having that larger pole selection. Poles may be expensive, but they are well worth the price because they open up opportunities for you to improve! Jump on over to this article to see what
January 2015 issue
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Borges Lazaro
a large pole selection can do for you.
article, Mark recaps everything leading up to his season last year, what he went through, The cover article this month and his excitement for the is on the one and only Mark 2015 season where he plans to Hollis. We all know what a make his goals of jumping 5.80 wonderful season Mark had indoors and representing the this last season with jumping United States in the Rio Olymthe impossible 19 feet. In this pics. Mark has a great vault
story that you do not want to miss! Read about him before you see him in a few weeks at the Pole Vault Summit and wish him luck as he opens his 2015 season! Editor Doug Bouma editor@thevaultermag.com
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The Meet of The Year By Sadie Lovett
Every vaulter in the U.S. and even around the world knows about the three-day weekend, halfway through January. Elite vaulters from all over come to compete for thousands of young vaulters, coaches, and alumni in the Livestock Building in Reno, Nevada. It’s the Reno Pole Vault Summit. It’s the best meet for any vaulter who has gone and the meet that everyone wants to attend. There is no other meet like this summit, which has 12 runways going at the same time. There is no other meet where you can spend time with world-class vaulters, getting their autographs, pictures, and advice. Once you go, you have to go again! This summit has many opportunities for you to learn and improve as a vaulter. First, the access to elite
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vaulters. Almost every, if not all, professional vaulter will be at this summit and all at your access. What’s wonderful about pole vaulters is they’re all nice. I personally have yet to meet an elite vaulter who did not want to help me, get to know me, or even give me the time of day. They are all so approachable and don’t make you feel as if you are inadequate to talk to them just because they jump feet higher than you. They were once in your shoes—striving to be professional and wanting to know how to get there—and they want to help you achieve your goals. When you are at the summit, ask them questions! The summit offers you an opportunity to sit around with them and ask them questions, ask for advice, and get to know them. I know when I went back in high school, people
skipped out on this event. I learned so much from talking with Chelsea Johnson and it is an experience I will never forget. You do not want to pass up this opportunity. Coach Mike Cockerham of the Flying Dragons Pole Vault Club says he always makes his athletes got to the round circle discussion with the elite vaultes. “It’s not every day you get to do that. You need to take advantage of it. It’s priceless” he says. Don’t be intimidated by them: you don’t always get the opportunity to sit around with vaulters who are world-class and learn from them. Another thing that Coach Mike uses the summit for is to keep the younger vaulters excited. He says he uses this meet to get the young vaulters all jacked up on adrenaline
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Olympic Gold Medalist Jenn Suhr with Fan
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Pole Vaulters at the summit
Pole Bags at the Summit
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and compete on a larger stage without the pressures of winning because then he is more apt to keep them involved in pole vaulting. “This meet really engrains in their mind that this is a lot of fun and really cool,” he says. This year Coach Mike says he is taking 25 athletes, around 50 with assistant coaches and parents, to the summit. He says that this summit is a really, really great stage for the younger athletes to jump high. This meet is what helps his club continue because it keeps kids excited about the sport: “The more kids excited is the longer we will be.” The excitement for the sport is what keeps his club going. For his older vaulters, this is the biggest meet they have as a club. This is the first technical meet of their season, aside from a few interclub meets.
Renaud Lavillenie
Coach Mike always tries to get as many of his vaulters as he can back to their full approach because it is this meet that produces the most PRs.
For all the new vaulters, what should you expect at this crazy, awesome event? You will be
Watching the big event @polevaultsummit
overwhelmed with everything that is happening! There will be thousands of vaulters in one place, and professionals there running the pits. How do you focus at an event so great? That’s just it: the summit is for having fun while doing something you love! It’s not an event to stress over or have something you need to prove, that’s why there are so many PRs—it’s a stress free, fun enforced environment. This is what Coach Mike stresses to his athlete: to have fun! The marks count for PRs, but there is no pressure to win. Because of that, everyone wants you to do the best you can and clear that bar. Everyone is on your side and is rooting for you. No other meet has this type of environment. This summit is not competitive, but a place where everyone comes together to do what they love. Cherish this.
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Coach Jon Blome of Illinois Wesleyan has some experience at this meet as a coach, but also as a vaulter. One thing he has always told his athletes is to keep your nerves in check. He also says: “Visualization also stresses. That’s one of the things I find a lot of the younger athletes don’t do enough of. If you can picture yourself succeeding, you’re putting yourself on a positive mindset from the beginning, which really puts you ahead of the game.” There is so much energy at this meet, you just have to remember to do what you know how to do. Don’t change anything. Use all the adrenaline to jump at more bars, but keep your nerves in check like Coach Blome says. Yes, there are a lot of nerves, but channel that nervous energy into positive energy to get that PR. As a competitor, Coach Blome says it was very important for him to visualize before competing. He says “For me, I had the mindset of, muscle memory will take over once I get into the jump, I just need to make sure I’m in the right place mentally and physically.” Again, everyone is rooting for you so you don’t have to try and prove something or make a statement. Don’t change what you know how to do. Just go out there and have fun because you know what to do, just don’t let the nerves take over and stress you out.
There is so much to learn at this event. This is the weekend where you need to be a sponge because of everything you can learn and experience. Take away everything you can. Ask all the questions you have. Meet all the elite vaulters and get their autographs. Make new friends. Jump a PR. And return every year that you can! Cherish it, love it, continue it, and let it feed your fiery passion for pole vaulting.
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Steve Chappell
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MAGAZINE Becky Holliday
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Can Your Facebook Account Decimate Your College Application? As students’ use of social media has grown, so has the variety of ways for college admissions officers to use it. And while there are no strict guidelines for researching applicants online, a student’s digital footprint can be a deciding factor in college admissions. Consider all of the ways students are accessible online: Facebook, Twitter, email, Blogs, You Tube, etc. High school students need to pay particular attention to their online posts and pictures. College admissions officers are able to access your online trail simply by Googling your name. It has become common practice for them to search through Facebook and Twitter to get a more complete picture of their applicants.
The New York Times recently reported that “new research from Kaplan Test Prep suggests that online scrutiny of college
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hopefuls is growing.” High school seniors work diligently to submit their best application, but they may not realize that comments they casually make online could negatively affect their prospects. The Times goes on to relate a story of a young woman attending a campus information session at Bowdoin College. Throughout the presentation, she posted disparaging comments on Twitter about the other attendees and presenters, continuously using a common expletive. She was denied admission. Bowdoin says “We would have wondered about the judgment of someone who spends their time on their mobile phone and makes such awful remarks.” I certainly would too! Employers have researched job applicants online for years. It is easy to Google anyone and discover interesting tidbits about their life. High school
students in particular may have had Facebook or Twitter accounts since they were in Middle School….back when they were not as media intelligent as they are as seniors. Some of this material can be very embarrassing!
The first thing I suggest when I begin working with a college applicant is to set up a dedicated email address for the college admissions process. Many high school seniors are still using email addresses such as “pinkfuzzybunny@whatever. com” or ninjasruleforeverandever@simply.com. These childish email addresses should not be used to apply to college! The best email address for this purpose simply has your name or initials. Another benefit of setting up a new email account is that all of your college mail will be in one place, creating less chance of missing important communication from your
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school. You will also use this address for scholarship applications.
Facebook may be the online site that seniors will want to focus on cleaning up. I recommend that students go all the way back to the beginning of the Facebook account and go through each post and picture. Students will want to remove all alcohol related or sexually suggestive pictures. Students also have the option of untagging themselves in pictures that might not be appropriate for college application consideration. I recommend that students remove posts about inflammatory topics such as gun control or legalized marijuana. This is not to hide your personal opinions, but rather to will allow you the freedom to express your opinions in a more controlled environment where you can be fully aware of your audience. I suggest that students also look at cartoons and YouTube videos they have posted to be sure they are appropriate for viewing by a college admissions officer (or potential employer). Your own self-recorded YouTube videos (ala Jackass) should be taken down. Think of this as another milestone in your journey toward adulthood and maturity!
sites is a complex issue. Most colleges do not have formal policies about supplementing student files with online research. Often the practice varies between officers within one admissions office. Younger, more technologically savvy officers may utilize the internet more than older, more traditional ones. Many colleges do not utilize social media at all, preferring to review the overwhelming amount of material they already request such as essays, recommendations, and supplements. And further, when online research is used,
the colleges are not always transparent about how they use it. Someday there may be an accepted internet research process used by all schools. This will provide a standardized measurement and hopefully all students will be measured by the same criteria. Until then, my recommendation is that if you have anything on your social media accounts that you do not want college admissions officers to see‌take it down! Penny Hanson Hanson College Consultants penny@hansoncollegeaccess.com 720-883-6800 Penny Hanson
The practice of visiting college applicants’ social media
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Enjoying the ride! By Adam Pierson
In 2014 Mark Hollis enjoyed the finest season of his career. The United States leading pole vaulter not only surpassed the long awaited 19 foot barrier, but repeated the performance three times throughout the season. The confident renewed Hollis, who I met up with in Milwaukee in July, after what seemed like a decade long pursuit, wasn’t far removed from the athlete I had met eight years earlier in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Standing tall, focused, and humble at the back of the runway, this Olivet Nazarene graduate had something different about him. What was meant to be a casual homecoming street
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vault in Wisconsin, soon turned into a statement. As the sun was nearly setting, the temperature dropping, and the crowd dwindling into their evening weekend plans, a jetlagged Hollis called the remaining Milwaukee Vault Fest crowd to surround the wooden-board runway for a personal record attempt at 19’1 (5.82m). Along the Lake Michigan back drop, the dedicated fans would soon erupt. Hollis had just set a personal record for the third time in a week. What seemed to once be a pinnacle of an elite achievement was now a norm to the 29-year-old professional. He proved that
he could clear 19 feet, the difference was that now he was fully prepared to repeat it.
“I was flabbergasted that I could jump that high with not ideal conditions. It just solidified that everything was there and everything was coming together.”
It’s been a long journey for the Freeport, Illinois native as he first began pole vaulting in 2000 under the guidance of his brother Steve. That guidance lead him onto not only qualifying for the Illinois State meet in 2003, but also enabled him to continue in college at Olivet Nazarene. Admittedly, Hollis has no shame in expressing that he’s
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been a late developer in the sport. At the age of 19 in 2004, he set a personal record of 15’5 that season. Another 19 year old pole vaulter at the time, Tommy Skipper, would clear 18’10 (5.75m) the same year. But Mark found a passion for the sport and he persistently sought out better ways to train and would go on and progress. Clearing 16’9 his sophomore year, Hollis would take 2nd place at NAIA National Championships and by his senior campaign he
would be crowned the 2007 National Champion having cleared 17’6”.
“I was taking shots at 18 feet, but at the time I was gripping under 16 and typically waiting around for quite a while. I had close attempts, but was never quite able to keep the bar up.”
The transition after college was relatively a smooth one for Mark. He was yearning for knowledge and started training in nearby Mishawaka, Indiana with Coach Danny
Wilkerson soon after. Not only would Hollis soon eclipse 18 feet the following March, he would go onto clear 18’8 (5.70m) at the Drake Relays and 18’10 (5.75m)a week later at the University of Illinois to qualify for the 2008 Olympic Trials for Beijing. Despite not making the Olympic Trial finals that year, Hollis had improved over 3 and half feet in 4 years and possessed the conviction that he now had the capabilities to compete at an elite level. Mark Hollis
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The years between the Beijing Olympics in ‘08 and the London Olympics in ‘12 would be a testament to that, but it would also prove to be the most transitional up to that point in his life.
The year following the Olympic Trials, he was on a roll. Even though he had broken multiple toes on a jump at U.S Nationals, Hollis was still clocked at 9.78 meters per second on the runway – one of the fastest clocked times in the nation that year. He ended up placing 5th that day in a heavily competitive field consisting of American record holder Brad Walker, and Olympic medalist Toby Stevenson. He followed that season up with a huge jump of 18’10 (5.75m) in Germany to prove that he could do it in Europe and he came home that year to win his first USA National Championship in 2010. “But it was in 2011 I started questioning things” Hollis explained.
He had made the World Championship team bound for Korea as an alternate due to finishing fourth in Eugene Oregon with a clearance of 18’1 (5.52).
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“While practicing with Derek (Miles) and Jeremy (Scott) I noticed they were practicing from a long run and I was just practicing from a short run. It kind of just shook my confidence on what I was doing.” “At the 2011 World Champs that was the time that I knew I was just as fast and strong as my competition. I knew how hard I was working, if not harder than my competitors, and I was just searching for answers.”
It was undeniable to most observers that Mark possessed the physical gifts of both speed and strength to vault higher, but he felt something was missing. “Leading into 2012, I knew I had to do something differently. Something. The Olympics were the very next year and I was willing to do whatever.”
Having already cleared 18’10 (5.75m) on different occasions, once in 2008 and again in 2010 in Germany, he had the year ahead of him to clear it to get to the “A” Standard for qualification. He made a pact with himself that he would put it all on the line to visit the best coaches in
order to get the advice he was looking for.
“I didn’t know exactly from where or from whom, but we started looking. I went and visited multiple coaches and started getting different ideas.
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Mark Hollis
I figured I could attempt to get the “A” standard in the process and tighten things up in May before the Trials.”
He would spend the spring travelling and getting input from some of the best coaches
the country had to offer, even considering moving and looking for jobs with his wife. From Jonesboro, Arkansas to Chula Vista, California the improvements were evident, but the results hadn’t come yet. Hollis would have to enter
the 2012 Olympic Trials not having yet cleared the Olympic “A” standard and thus putting pressure on him to reach the mark on the day of the Pole Vault finals in Eugene, Oregon. “I’m a big meet jumper and
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“I had three shots at making the Olympic team.”
Mark Hollis
What wasn’t known during the competition is that the previous clearance that he had made at 18’4 (5.62m) was a “blow through” on the biggest pole he had been on his entire season. He was so amped that the weather had little effect on his speed and it faced him with a tough decision. He would have to go to a pole that he had never used before. “Rain was coming down and there were tough winds, but I was so focused. I remember looking at Brad (Walker) at the time and saying ‘Biggest pole in the bag…here we go!’ and Brad saying back ‘Let’s see it!’”
I knew I felt I had put the work in and was capable of placing in the Top 3 and making the “A” standard to qualify for the London Olympics. At that time, I had no doubt in my mind.” It would come down to just that.
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On less than ideal conditions at Hayward Field, Hollis was faced with turning a dreary Oregon day full of unfavorable winds into an Olympic birth. Amped and focused, he would have three attempts at 18’9 (5.72)
The energetic crowd at Hayward Field that day would do their best to send Mark over the qualifying height. In the face of wind, rain, and on the biggest pole he had ever been on, he barely missed making 18’9 (5.72m) on his third attempt that would have sent him onto the Olympic Games. “Making the finals in the rain and having that experience. There is nothing I would have done differently. I didn’t have
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the tools required to pull off in the wind and rain to make the team. I’ll never have it back, but I know I’m stronger because of it.”
Mark Hollis
At the age of 28, Mark Hollis was taken across the world because of pole vault. He had been to Japan, China, Australia, Korea, Ukraine, Austria, Sweden, London, Brazil, Greece, Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Belgium, and Paris, France. He had a college degree and a loving supportive wife, but was still paralyzed with the question of “Should I still pole vault?” “Can I responsibly continue to vault as a professional?”
“I felt like this was a business I started from the ground up that I put 12 to 13 years into. It was really tough and I would start to question everything I had done to that point.” The questioning would soon subside though.
Mark Hollis
In May of 2013, Mark and his wife, Amanda, along with their Labrador, Zoey, relocated themselves to Knoxville, Tennessee. There was one clear reason – Tim Mack.
“I got along great with Tim. He had an eagle eye and that level of accountability that you just can’t beat. It’s never just a workout with him and what is so cool about the relationship I have with him is that it is a pursuit. A pursuit of perfection.” The former Olympic record holder would take Hollis back to the basics. They would take a look at the whole progression of the vault and focus on just one thing each training session.
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“The consistency was such a huge part of it. Not only am I not questioning if I would hit 1 out of every 3 jumps I was putting together, 80% of my jumps were spot on or closer to perfect. I just knew that I was getting closer towards bigger bars.” The bigger bars would come. This past season at the US Outdoor Championships he would jump 18’8 to place 2nd and was onto a trip to Europe the very next day. That trip included stops in Prague, Paris, and Lynz, Austria that would soon lead to a long awaited moment that Hollis had been waiting for 6 years. Hollis would jump a new personal record of 18’11(5.76m). “I felt like ‘That wasn’t that hard’ and I just told myself ‘Ok. Let’s move on to the next one.’” Hollis proved the pursuit of perfection with Mack was paying off. “I’ve always dreamed what 19 feet (5.80m) would be like. It was an impossible feat. I had no idea how people jumped 19 feet and I always thought it would be so difficult.”
His PR of 5.76m (18’11) at Linz, Austria was on a Friday.
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On the following Monday despite being in a car for 6 hours to Liege, Belgium he would surmount the 19ft barrier (5.80) and by Saturday he would fly back to the United States in time to PR once again at 19’ 7/8” (5.82m)at the Milwaukee Vault Fest. “For me it was just such a great time to keep the bar up there and I was having such a great time. I knew if I gripped this high and I executed this jump, I absolutely knew I could clear the bar. That was something I had never experienced before.”
For someone who has pole vaulted on nearly every continent, most would find it interesting to hear someone mention something they’ve “never experienced”. Especially when considering Mark had cleared 18’10 (5.75m) six years before at the age of 23. “It was awesome,” he reflected. “An overwhelming feeling and just have so much gratitude.”
Finalizing the season with four PRs, ending the season with 19’1 (5.83m) and #5 overall in the World, Hollis has turned his long continued
pursuit of perfection into a secured profession.
“I feel like 2014 was a tip of the iceberg and a product of all the work that has been put in over the years and for 2015 I’m looking to continue to mastering this craft; continuing the pursuit I’ve been on. Everyday I’m training for just that here in Knoxville with Tim Mack and I’d like to vault 5.80 indoor and look to medal at both Beijing and Rio.”
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You deserve this pole.
WWW.UST-ESSX.COM Gall 817-819-1472 to order or for more information.
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You Can Never Have Enough Poles By Sadie Lovett
Jenn Suhr taped pole
Poles are expensive. Companies charge hundreds of dollars only for the vaulter to use it for a few months, blow through it, and need to buy a bigger pole. Is it worth going through that buying process over and over when you could just buy a pole that is bigger than the vaulter needs that will last longer for them to move up to? If you are questioning whether to buy the next pole up for your child, vaulter, or yourself, you should buy it
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because there are benefits to having a larger pole selection.
Pole vault is already a mental sport. Vaulters have enough to think about on the runway and don’t need any outside distractions. If a vaulter has a big gap between poles, that is more stress put on them. Will I be able to get on that bigger pole? Will I be able to get it into the pit? Having
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a big difference between poles is not something vaulters need because that is where mental barriers come into play and everyone knows how hard mental barriers are to overcome. If that bigger pole rejects them, the vaulter will start to secondguess themselves and that is very hard to get past. Also, if vaulters get stuck in the gap between poles when the one they are on is too small but the next pole is too big, they will be scared of moving up poles. Moving up poles is great. That shows they are improving and means higher PRs. But if they are scared to move up poles because of the possibility of being rejected, they aren’t going to attempt that PR or move onto that next height. Because of that one pole gap the vaulter has to deal with, moving up to any pole, even if it’s the right progression, will make them nervous and lose confidence. Vaulters need to be confident in themselves, especially when moving up poles. If the next pole could possibly reject them, nine times out of ten they will stay
on the smaller pole. They stay on the smaller pole hoping they have enough room to clear the next height, but what they really need is the next pole up. Buying the next pole may be expensive, but it’s a simple solution. It’s something that jumwill keep all of the “I can’t do it’s” away.
Coach Mike Cockerham of the Flying Dragons Pole Vault Club highly suggests for people to invest in having a large pole selection. To understand why having the poles you need is important, Coach Mike gives this scenario: if you’re athlete is jumping on a 12’6 130 pole and blows through, they need to go up to that next pole: a 12’6 135. But if the next pole they have is a 12’6 150, then they’re tough
out of luck. It’s too hard to make that big of a jump and they now don’t have the opportunity to attempt the next height. He says “guys are better with a 1015 pound difference, but girls are hard to work with even if it is a five pound difference. It plays with their mind a lot. A five pound difference can make all the difference in the world just like a 2 point difference in flex can.” He believes that having the entire pole progression for a vaulter sets them up for all possibilities of getting a PR. Having a 10-pound difference between two or three poles may not be bad, but having too many will be challenging for the vaulter to improve. New coach Jon Blome of Illinois Wesleyan has good advice
Pole Bags
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too. He agrees with Coach Mike about being caught between poles. He says being caught between poles “is a terrible feeling knowing that the next PR is right there, if only you had that next pole.” Coach Blome has another reason why you should invest in having a great pole selection. Coach Blome says “it gives another measuring stick, outside of PRs and meet finishes, for how an athlete is progressing.” When a vaulter has a larger pole selection with the right progression of poles, they can see how they are improving based on when they move up poles. They can see that they are getting better. It’s harder to see the improvement when they have a large difference between their poles because it is not easy to make the big transitions. They have to train a lot on the smaller pole just to be able to jump on the bigger one. But if they have the pole progression they need, they will be able to move up poles as they need without the unneeded stress.
If you want your child, athlete, or yourself to improve, it is worth having the larger pole selection. Having the larger pole selection will give the vaulter more opportunities for PRs and they will be able to see their improvements as they start moving up poles. If there is any worry about the prices of poles, you should still buy them, but sell them when the vaulter does not need them anymore. Once the vaulter gets to the point of not using a pole at all, there is bound to be another vaulter who would be willing to buy that used pole for a lower price rather than spending the higher price for a brand new pole. As a vaulter myself, seeing how I am improving based on how I move up poles is encouraging. Because pole vault is a mental sport and it does not always show results, pole vaulters need all the encouragement they can get. By having all the poles they need with a large selection, vaulters are given the reassurance they need to keep thriving to improve.
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Jenn Suhr Poles
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Renaud Lavillenie Poles
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MAGAZINE Mary Saxer 2014 Pole Vault Summit
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January 2015 issue
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The Annual Pilgrimage to Reno Since its inception nearly 25 years ago, I have missed only four of these events. Only the pole vault community would flock to this tiny city in the middle of nowhere during the winter. Every January nearly 2,000 vaulters, coaches, and parents from all over the world do just that.
Over the past years, other events have gained traction and success. Sure these are fantastic gatherings and more convenient for the regional traveler, but there is only one true pole vault summit and that is in Reno. I urge you to check it off of your bucket list at least once. Trivia Question - Who won the elite division at the very first Reno PV Summit? Answer at the end.
This time of year is exciting with new athletes, new beginnings, and new goals. What I can tell you as that the indoor season will fly
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away before you know it. This is exactly why I tell my athletes that if you aren’t ready to PR at Reno, then you are late in your development.
Seems like forever ago we were sweating in the hot summer sun as we became accustomed to the awkwardness of vaulting at a crossbar from only two steps. As we moved back to 4, 6, and 8 steps we carried these new skills and timing. We were pleasantly surprised when our jumps got bigger and cleaner just by magnifying these new efficiencies with speed and our off-season strength gains. Now is the time to let the real fun begin. Two suggestions may help you along the way this winter. 1) Practice like you compete and compete how you practice. Don’t show up at a meet and start doing everything different. You made success by following your system so you need to follow the same pattern at your meets. 2) Em-
January 2015 issue
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Bubba Sparks
brace the opportunity to jump indoors. Too many vaulters want to cut this short and get going on outdoor meets. One year I had a high school kid who jumped between 15’ and 15’6” at every indoor meet. He skipped the last two indoor meets where he could have gotten some valuable experi-
ence at higher bars. It was five weeks into the outdoor season before he ever even made 15’ again because of the seasonal cold and wet weather. As you know, I follow many of you on Facebook. PLEASE feel free to come up and say hello at Reno. I’ve been in this
sport since I was 12 years old. I’m now 61 and my biggest excitement is watching you all improve. You are the present and future of the sport. Looking forward to meeting you in person. Bubba
Trivia Answer: My dear friend Anthony Curran won the very first Reno with a PR of 5.70m/18’ 8 1/2”.
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