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contents FROM THE EDITOR
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Sachem North Exemplifies Dedication
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Kaitlyn Merrit Enjoys the Ride
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The University of Tennessee Show Their Power
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Daven Murphree Breaking Records
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Preparing for Big Meets
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Bob Richards Inspires the Youth of America
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28 12 Photo by Wade Rackley University of Tennessee Athletics
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FROM THE EDITOR Spring continues to bring wonderful things to the world of pole vaulting, and exciting news for us to bring to you all. We are so proud to have the great Bob Richards telling his amazing stories and Bubba Sparks giving us great pointers. With each article, any vaulter will walk away inspired by these two men. The wisdom they bring to this month’s issue is amazing. We are so glad we get to share it with our readers. Megan Crain
Our featured high school this month is Sachem High School North in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. This school is doing great things in spite of challenges they must face. Coach Alex Young has done well with their vaulting program and we just had to share this dedicated school with you.
High school sophomore Kaitlyn Merrit is getting huge height for her team at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. She is yet another super-motivated young vaulter we have been fortunate enough to talk to. Vaulters young and old can learn much from this girl. Please don’t skip this uplifting article. Daven Murphree is a high school senior with a bright future. He is about to graduate from Harmony High School in Texas and will start his collegiate career at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas. The height is reaching is amazing. This young man is going places. We know you will enjoy reading about him.
Our cover story this month features the University of Tennessee- a school that is turning out Olympians and shows no signs of stopping. Coaches Russ Johnson and David Job have given us a very indepth perspective of their vaulting program. You won’t want to miss this one. It is jam packed with exciting vaulting accomplishments and success. Thank you again for your continued support. Please stick with us going into summer and all the great pole vaulting stories that are sure to come our way. See you next month.
Editor Doug Bouma editor@thevaultermag.com
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www.thevaultermag.com Mary Carson Pitts
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Sachem North Exemplifies Dedication By: Michelle Walthall
Sachem High School North is located in Lake Ronkonkoma, New York. Coach Alex Young tells us, “Lake Ronkonkoma is located in the geographic center of Long Island. The lake (about 1 ½ miles from the high school)
Alexis Bruno and Hayley Entenmann
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that the hamlet is named after is a fresh water kettle lake carved out by glaciers many millennia ago. Sachem North’s team nickname is the Flaming Arrows. Our team mascot is a Native American. The arrowhead symbol is seen on many team uniforms and other school gear.”
Here is some history about Coach Young: “I have been coaching girls’ track and field teams at Sachem since the 1992/1993 winter (indoor) season. I coached the boys’ spring track and field teams from 1991-1993 before moving full-time to the girls’ indoor and outdoor track and field teams. I became winter team head coach in 1992 and head coach of the spring team in 2001. I have been head coach of the Sachem North girls’ XC team since 2004. My initial role as track coach was as a sprints-jumps squad coach. I have coached all events and disciplines in track and field in my two+ decades coaching. I worked with pole vaulters
with the boys’ team and helped coach girls’ team vaulters when the event was introduced to our team in the mid-1990s. In the current spring season, I work with sprinters, throwers and race walkers in addition to the pole vault squad.” We also learned about other staff on the Flaming Arrow team. “Our team assistant coaches in winter are Danielle Lasher and Ryan Stillufsen,” says Coach Young. “Danielle and Rich O’Brien are on the spring coaching staff. Cailey Wood (winter and spring) and Tim McClernon (spring) are valuable volunteer coaches over the last two years. Boys’ Team Head Coach Bryan Rogers shares pole vault coaching duties with me in spring.” “Upstate New York pole vaulters, as well as New England-based pole vaulting, have been a little ahead of Long Island vaulting for more than a decade. That is not to say that Long Island (and Sachem) has
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and, especially early in the season, on our track using a slide box. We use video to study technique and to learn more about pole vaulting history, current top-ranked athletes and drills related to PV mechanics. Winter season training is challenging to say the least. We do not have an indoor plant box at Sachem. We set up vaulting workouts in
opportunities to stay sharp for the outdoor season. 2011 graduate Kayla Cataldo was a winter All-County pole vaulter and NYS Championship Meet qualifier training on our rather primitive equipment. Our vaulters are also commonly the ‘after hours’ training group. It is not uncommon for a pole vault workout to begin its 1½ to 2 hour training
Left to Right: Austin Cassidy, Tom Olson, Alex Aurin
our auxiliary gym with our high jump and other mats and a creative and carefully constructed gym floor-level plant box. It takes a reckless and fearless nature beyond that of typical vaulters to train in this manner. We cannot vault above 8’0”. We focus on mechanics and notmat drills and use limited meet
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session as our regular track and field workout is ending.” We also learned from Coach Young that clinics have been held at Sachem North during most summers for the last 5 years. Coach Young also speaks proudly of his vaulters. He says, “2011 graduate Kayla Cataldo passed on a great deal of knowl-
edge to her younger teammates. Kayla holds our girls’ team record at 10’0”. Kayla was a twotime All-County vaulter and 2011 county champion. The girls are led by junior Madalyn Iadanza (8’6”) and sophomore Rachel Heymach (8’6”). Katie Pfeil (7’0”) and Andie Taylor (6’6”) are looking to new heights along with Rachel, Madalyn and the rest of our young PV squad. Senior Tom Olson (10’6”), junior Austin Cassidy and sophomore Alex Aurin (both 9’6”) lead the boys’ team.”
“The PV squad – the only coed training squad on the girls’ and boys’ track team – made a commitment to improve skills by attending pole vault sessions at a local pole vault gym at the beginning of this spring season,” says Coach Young when asked about interesting facts from this past season. “Attending these indoor sessions proved important as Long Island’s early spring was marked by cold, windy and wet conditions for most of the first month of the season.” This team does not let the bad get them downfurther evidence of their dedication. Here’s some more interesting information we found out about Sachem North’s competition this year: “Our better girl pole vaulters are among the average or above average vaulters in Suffolk County. Our top vault-
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ers are junior year athletes or younger and we hope to continue to improve and become more competitive over the next several years at the very least,” Coach Young says.
“I think that 10’ remains a mark of excellence in Suffolk County, but it will take at least 11’ to be competitive with many of the top north-of-NYC vaulters in the state.” “I look for opportunities for our vaulters on Long Island in the spring season. NYC’s New Balance Armory offers meet opportunities for our better vaulters to supplement the (only) two Section XI (Suffolk County) pole vault meets held during the indoor season.”
Warehouse Pole Vault Training Center. Jim has trained some of NYS’s top vaulters for many years and has made his expertise available to many Long Island-based vaulters. Many of the top Suffolk and Nassau County vaulters can be found getting in extra training and Jim’s brilliant tutelage on most weeknights in winter and spring seasons at ‘The Ware-
house’. Jim’s facebook page link is below. Jim is the pole vault coach at St. Anthony’s High School in South Huntington.”
w w w. f a c e b o o k . c o m / p a g e s / Wa re h o u s e - Po l e Vault/262782277075568
It’s refreshing to see a school beating odds and performing well. Keep it up Sachem North.
Madalyn Iadanza, Rachel Heymach and Andie Taylor at 4/13/13 Suffolk Coaches Invitational at Bay Shore H.S.
“Pole Vault is held at most spring track and field meets. Some Suffolk County teams still do not compete in pole vault because of lack of qualified coaches, small coaching staffs and very tight budgets and an occasional lack of coaching interest to take on the most challenging event in track and field.”
And here is what Coach Young says about getting help from elite athletes in the area: “Jim Henderson is the finest pole vault coach on Long Island. Many of my current vaulters have attended several or more training sessions at Jim’s
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Kaitlyn Merrit Enjoys the Ride By: Michelle Walthall
“The fact that I enjoy pole vaulting so much motivates me. There is no other sport or feeling like it,” says Kaitlyn Merrit- sophomore vaulter at Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California. Merrit started vaulting at twelve years old and managed a PR of 13’3” as a freshman. In March of 2012 she also set the state federation freshman record with a meet-winning clearance of 12 10¼ . The Santa Margarita Catholic High School website adds to Merrit’s list of accomplishments this past season. Their Track and Field News Page reads, “Merritt’s accolades from her stellar freshmen season include league, county, and CIF titles, as well as a national record to go along with it. In addition to her vaulting, Merritt was vital to the success of both relay teams (4x100 & 4x400), having run the fastest 400 by any Eagle when she opened up the 1600 meter relay in an eye-popping 56.7 at C.I.F. Finals.” “At my
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PR my grip was one hand grip down on a 13’, 140 pound pole,” Merrit tells us about her technique.
Even with this amount of success, this young vaulter Kaitlyn Merrit
doesn’t plan on stopping where she is. According to her, she has big goals for this season. When asked about those goals Merrit says, “At the end of this season,
I am hoping to have jumped around 13’8” to 14’. I also hope to have as much fun this season as I did last season.”
In order to reach the height she is looking for Merrit plans on giving it her all this season. She tells us, “My plans are to keep putting one hundred percent effort into practices and meets. I also hope to keep improving on my technique, to get on bigger poles and have fun in the process.” Enjoyment of the sport is obviously very important to this talented vaulter, and it shows.
The love of pole vaulting might motivate Merrit, but she doesn’t accomplish her goals without help. Here is what Merrit says of her coach and her team: “Mandie Rowell is my school pole vault coach, and she is awesome as well. We also train pretty much year around, except for our CIF required down time. Last year Coach Mandie even held our first offi-
Vanessa Davis
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www.thevaultermag.com Kaitlyn Merrit
cial Santa Margarita Pole Vault Camp which was a blast. Mandie has definitely helped me to improve a lot as a jumper, and I really enjoy working with her. We are also really lucky to have a great group of pole vaulters on the team. We all support each other and push each other to vault our best. It is a really tight-knit group, and we have ‘pole pal bonding’ sometimes after practice. My teammates and Mandie make it that much more fun to vault.” “Pole vault is growing in popularity at our high school, but I would not say it is very popular now. We have about six boys on the team and three girls this year,” Merrit continues. It seems that this small team of athletes, with a strong love of pole vaulting, has managed to create something special. Coach Rowell must be doing something right.
In addition to her high school team, Merrit is able to get even more training elsewhere with even more great coaches and vaulters. “I train at Higher Flyers Pole Vault Club in Huntington Beach year-round,” she tells us. “I think year-round training is definitely a great advantage because it helps me maintain the strength and speed I gain from season, and in the offseason I am able to shorten my stride and really focus on tech-
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The University of Tennessee Show Their Orange Power By: Michelle Walthall “The University of Tennessee is located in Knoxville, TN. Serving as the gateway to the Smoky Mountains, Knoxville is rich in Appalachian history and an outdoor lover’s dream. Founded in 1794, UT was the first public university chartered west of the Appalachian Divide,” says Russ Johnsonthe University of Tennessee’s proud men’s pole vault coach. “Smokey is the mascot for the University of Tennessee Volunteers, who are also known as the Vols and Lady Vols. The official colors of Tennessee are orange and white. We are a program rich with tradition, many dating back to the early 1900’s. The Vols are often recognized around the globe by their orange power “T” logo. The track and field/cross country teams are the most successful sports teams in school history, amassing a total of 81 SEC team titles
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and 8 NCAA team titles. Over the years, 35 athletes and 5 coaches have represented the Vols in the Olympic Games.”
UT is fortunate enough to have two enthusiastic and very qualified pole vault coaches: one for the men and one for the women.
Russ Johnson coaches the male vaulters and he gave us some detailed background about his coaching career. Here is what he had to say: “I am in my 8th year as the men’s pole vault coach for UT, dating back to the fall of 2005. Growing up in Carrollton, Georgia I found my way to Tennessee as a walk-on after jumping 15’6” in high school. I worked my way up from 15’6” to 18’6” in college, winning one SEC title and making All-American three times. I had the wonderful opportunity to train un-
der Coach Jim Bemiller for six years. Also, I spent a couple of years after college training with a group that included Tim Mack, Lawrence Johnson and Tom Pappas. I was away from Knoxville for a couple of years earning a Masters degree in Physical Therapy, but returned in 2005 and took on the coaching role that I currently hold today. My passion for the sport just continues to grow, and each year teaches me something new. I have been very blessed to have a steady supply of hardworking and talented athletes during my tenure, allowing us to win 10 of the last 15 SEC men’s pole vault titles, and produce several AllAmericans.”
Women’s Pole Vault Coach David Job also gave us an indepth look at his coaching career. He tells us: “I began coaching when I was in the army in
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www.thevaultermag.com Linda Hadfield
1968. I had just finished my third year as a UT pole vaulter having set the UT school record in 1965. I was a coach/ vaulter on the Mannheim, Germany track team. After getting out of the army I coached several high school kids for a couple of years. Then real life happened and I began climbing the corporate ladder for the next 30 years or so. I coached the Oak Ridge, TN high school vaulters for several years in the late 1990’s. My athletes were
pretty successful. That’s when I met Tim Mack (2004 Olympic gold medalist and record holder). His vaulters and mine were generally at the top of the game in the state. In the early 2000’s I moved to Knoxville and began to co-coach with Tim before he turned pro. In 2002 there was a head coaching change at the University of Tennessee and I asked the new coach, JJ Clark, if I could coach his female vaulters. He accepted and I’ve been coaching there
and with the Knoxville Track Club ever since.”
To vault with the Vols of UT, high expectations must be met. Coach Johnson and Coach Job are looking for the best.
“For the men’s pole vault, it takes around 16’6” to be considered for a scholarship,” says Coach Johnson. “Our walk-on standard is about 15’6”, but a lot variables are attached to both walk-on and scholarship
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rently there are four male pole vaulters on the roster. Tennessee has a long tradition of great pole vaulting. On the men’s side, Tennessee has produced 35 SEC pole vault champions, 5 NCAA championship titles, 30 All-American honors, and three
Olympic Trials champions. In addition, alumni have set indoor and outdoor American records while also winning world and Olympic titles. Tennessee has produced eight 18-footers and more than 20 athletes over 17’.”
The Lady Vols have quite an impressive list of all-time best female vaulters also. Coach Job lists them as follows: “Linda Hadfield- 2013 (4.24m) 13-11, Jessica Reust- 2006 (4.16m) 13-07.75, Alicia Essex- 2009 (4.15m) 13-07.25, Christie Elwin- 2003 (4.02m) 13-02.25, Erin Champion- 2013 (4.00m) 13-01.5, Kendra Rhyne- 2004 (3.85m) 12-07.5, Tracy Carrington- 1999 (3.85m) 1207.5, Lesly Love- 2000 (3.83m) 12-06.75, Beth Gehring- 2000 (3.83m) 12-06.75, Jessica Andrews- 2005 (3.80m) 1205.50 and Leslie Henley- 1998 (3.80m) 12-05.50.” “On the women’s side, the Lady Vols have competed in the pole vault since its SEC inception in 1998, winning the inaugural SEC crown,” says Coach Job. “The women have produced four SEC champions and five All-American honors. The number of women vaulters will vary from year to year. I have had as many as six and as few as one. This year I have two freshmen vaulters who are not yet on the travel team, and two who do travel who jump 13’1” and 13’11”.” Here is a detailed look, according to Coach Johnson, into the UT vault team leaders and their accomplishments: “On the men’s side, the Vols have
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Left to right: David Job (Women’s Pole Vault Coach), Tim Mack (Former Vol & 2004 Olympic Gold Medalist), Junior Chase Brannon, Sophomore Michael Maira, Junior Linda Hadfield, Robert Rasnick (Former Vol Class ofMAGAZINE 2012), Sophomore Erin Champion, Freshman Jake Blankenship, Junior Tyler Porter, Jim Bemiller (Olympic Champion Pole Vault Coach), Russ Johnson (Men’s Pole Vault Coach). Front Center: Smokey X (Official Mascot) Photo taken in front of Ayres Hall on the University of Tennessee campus in Knoxville, Tenn. Photographer: Wade Rackley/University of Tennessee Athletics
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program to transition from the season and help build for the next one. This may vary depending on the athlete’s specific needs and the time they have available after the season ends. They also know what is expected of them when they return, so staying in shape is in their best interest.”
Staying in shape should come easily with great facilities and equipment. Coach Johnson sounds just as proud of his facilities as he does his vaulters. He tells us, “Tom Black Track at La Porte Stadium is a great place for pole vaulting. At least three American records have been set there over the years- the most recent being Scott Huffman at 19’7” and Lawrence Johnson at 19’7.5”. These records were set in opposite directions, so both runways have street credibility. Vaulters enjoy consistent winds and favorable weather conditions from late March and on. Tom Black has hosted USATF, NCAA, SEC, NCAA Regional, and AAU championship meets over the last two decades.”
primary access to the Percy strength facility and Tim Kerin training room, which remain state of the art. The training facilities include all the latest strength and rehabilitation equipment, and a massive hydrotherapy facility. The following on-site resources are available in the training facility: physician, orthopedic surgeon, pharmacy, chiropractor, physical therapist, nutritionist and massage therapist.” Coach Johnson also lets us know that academics are not neglected with their vaulters. He
Chase Brannon
“Over the last 25 years, vaulters have competed and trained indoors at Stokely Athletics Center,” Coach Johnson also tells us, “which has a track record of 19’. That building will be demolished later in 2013, so the vaulters will be relocating to a new training location. Long-term, plans are underway for a state-of-the-art indoor facility.”
When it comes to equipment and training, Coach Johnson says, “Tennessee has traditionally used UCS Spirit pole vaulting poles, but occasionally vaulters have had a preference for other brands. We have a massive selection of poles which help our vaulters maximize their performances by making only small jumps in flex sizes as they progress. Tennessee has three UCS Spirit landing mats; two outdoor and one indoor. With football recently moving into its new $50 million training facility, the track team will reap several benefits. The vaulters will have
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says, “Academically, Tennessee vaulters have the best of the best. With 18 full-time staff members, the Thornton Athletics Student Life Center offers academic counseling services, a career development program, a student development program, a comprehensive tutoring program, a writing lab, a math lab, a computer lab, and accommo-
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dations for students with special needs.”
“Vaulters utilize Premier Gymnastics off campus on a regular basis to hone their gymnastic skills and perform pole vault specific strengthening and drills,” we also learned from Coach Johnson. He says, “Tennessee vaulters have had a
longstanding relationship with legendary gymnastics coach Phil Savage, who has displayed amazing generosity to the vaulters over the years with his knowledge and access to facilities.”
Staying in shape mentally is also important for the UT vaulters. Coach Johnson says, “Mental training is a powerful tool that some of our vaulters have utilized over the years to gain an edge. Led by Director of Mental Training Dr. Joe Whitney, our vaulters have access to one of the nation’s leading experts. Joe helped Tim Mack build his mental plan which ultimately led to a personal best performance to win the Olympic gold. A former coach with a wide range of experiences, Dr. Whitney helps develop custom tailored programs for each athlete’s needs and uses the latest technologies to carry out training sessions.” You can’t argue with results, and all the wonderful experiences that UT offers their vaulters are paying off. The University of Tennessee has produced some extraordinary alumni. “Most notably, Tennessee has produced two world famous pole vaulters in Tim Mack and Lawrence Johnson,” says Coach Johnson. “Multiple NCAA Champion Lawrence Johnson broke the American record in
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ly and internationally. His great success as a coach produced one of the most successful vault groups in college history. Current Tennessee vaulters continue to chase many of the records his athletes produced, which keeps the standards very high at Tennessee.” While the Vol vaulters train hard and take their athletic careers seriously, they do take the time to have fun. According to Coach Johnson there are lots of opportunities in their
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area to have a good time. “East Tennessee has over 3,300 miles of lake shore lines, countless streams and rivers, and the Smoky Mountains are 40 minutes away from the campus,” he says. “So hiking, camping, fly fishing and a ton of other activities are just minutes away from the campus. The athletes enjoy free time by taking trips to the Smoky Mountains, bowling, cooking out together, attending concerts and of course going to football games at one of greatest stadiums in college football.
Tennessee vaulters have developed strong bonds together over the years and often travel around together over summers. Many will go home and participate in their home vault club’s activities, street vaults, coaching, etc.”
Coach Johnson and Coach Job have done well to create such a well-rounded, successful program. Their expectations for this year look to continue to be exceeded and we all need to watch out for them.
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High Jumping High School Senior, Daven Murphree, Breaking Records By: Michelle Walthall We are proud to feature a phenomenal high school senior who was nice enough to introduce himself to us, and tell us about what he is up to with his vaulting career. “My name is Daven Murphree,” he says. I am 18 years old and a senior at Harmony High School, which is situated in a rural area in the piney woods of East Texas, about 40 miles north of Tyler. There is no town of Harmony, so the school is what gives our area its name. There are about 350 students in grades 9-12, and we are the Harmony Eagles, also known as ‘Big Red’. I have attended school here since I started in kindergarten.” “I started pole vaulting in the seventh grade, when I was 13, and I knew by eighth grade that I was serious about pursuing it,” Murphree says of his start at vaulting. “I suppose it was the thrill of ‘going high’ as well as my initial success with it that pushed me in that direction.”
Since he started vaulting Murphree has had a great deal of success, even with some obstacles. He tells us this about his progress: My outdoor PR as a freshman was 13’9” when my season ended early because I broke my hand as catcher on the high school baseball team. My outdoor PR was 16’ as a sophomore and 16’7” as a junior.”
Daven Murphree by Mary Mauk
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“As a senior I am currently ranked number one in the nation in outdoor pole vault with a height of 17’2”,” Murphree continues. “I plan to vault at the Texas Relays in Austin on March 30th, and I hope to return to the State Meet in Austin
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school. I was elected a captain by my teammates for my senior year this past fall. I also played baseball for about ten years. I have benefited greatly from all my involvement in sports. In addition to the physical aspects of gaining strength, conditioning and dexterity, I have developed selfdiscipline, a strong work ethic and a real desire to help others do the same. In the process, I have recognized that my greatest passion is for pole vaulting. It seems Murphree is one well-rounded athlete.
His talents also extend to coaching, and he uses his success to help other young vaulters. Murphree tells us, “Since my high school is small, there have been only a few students interested in pole vaulting. However, my success in the sport has sparked a greater interest, especially among the younger students. In fact, the coaching staff at Harmony has allowed me to coach the high school and junior high pole vaulters, both boys and girls, for the past two years. During this time I have seen interest and skills increase. I really enjoy helping other kids be successful in the sport that I love, and I hope to continue doing this long-term. It is something I am passionate about.”
In addition to his coaches, team, and his student athletes coached by him, Murphree also gets his inspiration from his favorite vaulter. He has all this to say about the vaulter he looks up to most: “My favorite pole vaulter is Bill Payne. He is a native of Joshua, TX, and was coached at Baylor University in the late 80’s and early 90’s by Carl Erickson, who is now my private coach at Jacksonville. Bill was an All-American at Baylor and competed internationally for 5 U.S. national teams. He also competed at the 1995 World Championships and reached the Olympic Trials 3 times. His PR of 5.86 m (19’2.75”), which was achieved in May, 1991, in Houston, placed him 13th on the American all-time list. Bill Payne is
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currently a private pole vault coach in the DallasFort Worth area. He has been at several of the indoor meets in which I have competed. He was at Joshua, standing beside the runway, when I got my indoor PR of 17’1” in February. The characteristics that I admire about Bill are his outstanding work ethic and his determination to win and always do his best. I like how dynamic he was at the box.” So, what is next for Murphree? He says, “My goals for this season are the following: a. Win the Texas Relays, b. Win a third straight state championship, c. Break the 2A state record of 17’5” and d. Increase my PR to at least 18’.” “In February I signed a national letter of intent with Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, TX, where I will begin my collegiate career in the fall,” Murphree says of his longterm goals. “My pole vault coach there will be Jeff Erickson, and I will continue to do much of my practice and training in Jacksonville.”
Sound advice is always appreciated from our featured vaulters, and we do have some from Daven Murphree. He says, “My advice to them [young vaulters] is the following: a. BE COACHABLE- find a good coach, and then listen to him or her and follow those instruc-
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tions, b. BE FEARLESS- respect the heights you reach for, but don’t let fear take control of you and c. NEVER QUIT- be willing to work hard, and keep trying, no matter what hardships you face.”
Above all the great training and his bright future, Murphree leaves us with his main source of daily motivation that allows him to make all his success possible. He tells us, “I feel so blessed by God. My sincere
desire is to be a godly man and to use the gifts God has given me in a manner that glorifies him. We will surely see more from Daven Murphree. He is certainly one to watch out for and look up to. Daven Murphree by Mary Mauk
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Preparing for Big Meets By: Buba Sparks
My former coach, Dave Johnson (DJ), used to tell me that a huge number of athletes get hurt within 3-21 days of a big meet because they are trying to get on poles that are too big for how they feel at a practice. It’s happened to me a number of times and I know better. Here’s a better way: I bet that every one of you has been exhilarated by the feeling of getting on a big pole for the first time. You cleared PR type heights with tons of room to spare. Sadly, you get used to this pole and now your jumps feel good, but not great. One kid told me he was so excited to jump 13’ on a pole and now he barely makes 12’ on it. His vault can now time up to that pole so the magic seems gone. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s a lesson I learned a long time ago: Jump on poles that you can easily move with a nice rhythmical run. You will
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not only get a lot of high quality jumps in, but you will greatly refine your technique.
A trick that I also use during this time of year is to forget actually clearing the bar. I get hip height twice and then move the bar up. This teaches you to find and hold good positions longer. For example, I had a senior in high school that had made 15’ (4.57m) several times with a lot of height, but had not made 15’6” (4.75). So in our next practice, after two jumps at 15’, we went to 15’6”. After two hip height jumps there he took some jumps at 16’ (4.88m). He managed to get his hips over that so he went to 16’6” (5.03m). The next meet, on his regular meet poles, which were now throwing him again, he cleared 15’6” and two meets later he jumped 16’. How is this possible? The first thing you learn when you move the bar up above
your PR is that you have to learn to achieve better positions to gain angular momentum. It just feels different. This goes back to my statement before that you have to “get comfortable with the uncomfortable”. Here is a great place to practice that.
Next, because you’re jumping on a midsized pole, and not pushing your run, you learn and groove in a nice run rhythm. Because you are jumping at higher heights you have to hold positions longer.
Result? Plain and simple, at a big meet you are now fresh, relaxed and confident. Your meet poles move easier because you are applying better mechanics. But here’s the real bottom line about why this works: a big pole comes out before you can fall out of a perfect position. If you can time a little pole to lift you, then a big pole will launch you. And that’s what it’s all about.
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www.thevaultermag.com Bubba Sparks Reno Summit 2013
Want evidence? Go to my website at bubbapv.com and scroll down a little and look at the two screen grabs of me clearing 13’6” (4.10m) at Reno a couple of years ago when I was 58. I am absolutely straight up and down vertical and get shot straight up the pole. That’s not my jump. I’m not that good. But my body was trying to hold a position it had learned to time on a small pole and now the big pole simply came out before I could fall out of a good position.
This trick works for anyone at any age. Pull this rabbit out of your hat NOW as your big meets approach. You have earned it and deserve it. I hope every one of you jumps higher than you thought possible. If you don’t have dreams then you have nothing to come true. Bubba
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Bob Richards Inspires the Youth of America By: Michelle Walthall Two-time Olympic gold medalist, and 3-time national decathlon champion Bob Richards may be retired from vaulting and the decathlon, but he is still inspiring athletes today. He has put out a lot of material that sends positive messages to young kids all over and has had an amazing career in the world of sports.
Richards says this of his start in vaulting: “At age 13 I was 5’ tall, weighed 90 pounds and was slow, but I could do 41 chin-ups and I could walk around the park on my hands. So I had pretty good shoulders and arms and there was a track meet in junior high school, in the 7th grade. The coach went down the line and he said, ‘Richards you got good arms and shoulders- you go pole vault’ and I won my first pole vault at 6’9”. It isn’t even a good high jump today, but that was the beginning of what you might call the greatest physical love of my life because I couldn’t stop pole vaulting from that point on. I fell in love with the event and for 50 years I continued to pole vault.”
The vault took over, and Richards found himself competing in the Olympics and winning, twice. This led to other opportunities to work in sports and influence young kids for the better. We asked him about one of his more famous endeavors with Wheaties cereal and he said, “I had been eating Wheaties as a little boy playing
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Federation, with a budget of $50,000 a year, actually shook the television world and the sports world. We worked with the Olympic Committee raising money for the Olympics and we got the Russian-USA Track Meet started and so-forth and so on. It wasn’t about money at all. It was about helping America and young people to be fit, and to dream the great dreams of being in the Olympics. That’s really what it was all about.”
Surprisingly, some of Richards’ most cherished accomplishments are not his most famous. He tells us, “I won the Big 10 medal for scholarship and athletics, and that is my most prized trophy.” He goes on to say, “I broke the world record held by Jim Thorpe [in the National AllAround Championship], who was named the greatest athlete of the century, by something like 600 or 700 points and I’m really proud of that. That’s the only world record I held at the time.” Richards also let us know that he was also inducted into the New York Hall of Fame for winning the Millrose Games for 11 straight years, which nobody else has ever done. With all ments, this his share of of us. One
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ence he shared with us was his Olympic bronze medal he received in 1948. Here is his take on the ordeal: “When I got the bronze medal I was so disappointed because, when we got to London, it rained night and day. The Olympics of 1948 was atrocious. Have you ever tried to pole vault in a steady, constant rain? That’s what we went through. I only jumped
13’8”- I had been averaging 14’6”. Boo Morcom was averaging 14’6”, but he didn’t even make 12’6”. Guinn [Smith] won because he just was able to hold on when we were slipping down the pole and everything. I was really disappointed because I should have won in ’48.”
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He obviously learned how to work through the disappointment because he did get his gold. However, the gold came with a bit of luck according to him. Richards says this about winning his two gold medals: “I was injured both times, in ‘52 and ‘56, when I won the gold so it was so lucky. I know all of you are saying, ‘no it’s not luck’ and all that, but there is an element of luck in sports that you have to contend with. Anyway, I feel very fortunate that I was able to compete for 13 years and be in three Olympics.”
Richards stayed active in vaulting for quite a few years after his wins. We asked Riley Richards him about the last time he vaulted and here is what he says: “I think the last time I pole vaulted was in a national masters’ championship in Chicago, Illinois; prior to that I had set a record of 12’ when I was 60. I never was able to use a fiber glass pole. I have to admit from the very beginning that I found out from Coach Hood that in fiber glass jumping, the instant you hit the box you push. In steel pole vaulting
you pull, so I never was able to change myself from pulling in fiber glass. I jumped, I think, that 12’ when I was 60, but I later went into hammer throwing, 35 pound weight throwing and I got into the weight pentathlon. I trained all the way up until age 75 or 80, and then I had a heart problem. My highest jump ever was 15’6” and my grip was 13’4”. I just barely missed 15’9”- the world record in Milwaukee. My thumb hit it as I snapped down. I won, the
most important thing in my life really, 3 national decathlon championships.”
Since the changes in vaulting over the years have had an impact on Richards, we asked him about the changes. He says that the fiberglass is great for women’s vaulting, and for getting higher, but he wishes the steel/stiff poles were still around for the sake of giving
all a chance to try vaulting. “I think we should have two vaults,” he tells us. “I think we should have fiberglass and I think we should have steel pole vaulting- for all the poor schools and states like Iowa that has totally abandoned pole vaulting...just throw an aluminum pole out and let everyone use it and have stiff pole vaulting as well as spring pole vaulting.”
A challenge has even been placed when it comes to steel vaulting vs. fiberglass vaulting, according to Richards. He and Don Bragg have offered $10,000 if anybody could jump 15’6” on their steel pole – Steve Smith (18’51/2”) tried and only got to 14’3”. It’s no easy feat, even for the best of vaulters.
Since the switch to fiberglass, the United States has seen international competition change as well. We can’t seem to get quite the height the Europeans are getting. Richards gave us his opinion on that as well. He tells us, “I don’t know why the Americans are not there [matching the European
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www.thevaultermag.com Madison Mills
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