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Gill Athletics is the official equipment supplier of the NCAA Track & Field Championships.
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CONTENTS r e b m e t p e
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FROM THE EDITOR
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AIM HIGH POLE VAULT CLUB: VIRGINIA’S VAULTING HAVEN
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AVOIDING MUSCULAR IMBALANCES IN THE TAKEOFF
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Cover photo by Kyle Bishop
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FROM THE EDITOR September puts all the kids back in school and clubs preparing for the indoor season.
Pole Vault news, “World and Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi extended her unbeaten streak to 12 in a captivating women’s pole vault competition at Zurich’s main train station on Wednesday 23, August 2017.” (Stefanidi bests Morris on countback in Zurich pole vault - IAAF Diamond League. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.iaaf.org/ news/report/stefanidi-wins-zurich-pole-vault)
“American Sam Kendricks capped his memorable, unbeaten season by winning the pole vault at the World Championships on Tuesday as the title once again eluded world record holder and former Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie.” (Kendricks wins pole vault, Lavillenie frustrated again. (2017). Retrieved from https://www.reuters.com/article/ us-athletics-world-mpv-idUSKBN1AO2I7)
On the cover, we have Aim High Pole Vault Club with fresh new insight into training and more. “ Building a vision from the ground up requires great determination and a sense of purpose. No one knows this better than Coach Kyle Bishop of Aim High Pole Vault Club in Mechanicsville, Virginia.” Coach Bishop continues to lead from the front with his club from building it to carrying the torch against the ban of pole vaulting in his state. Samantha Kaplan does it again with an insightful and impacting article about this club. Have you ever thought about Avoiding Muscular Imbalances in the Takeoff, well Kreager Taber
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has, and she shares some insight into the exercises and the cause of this issue? Get ready to start working on your hip flexor and tightening the buns. Kreager hits it out of the park with this article and shows that she has the experience to follow up with her article. Next month we have the infamous Pole Vault Atlanta Club on the cover, and we’re excited to see what they have to offer as we head into the college covers for the rest of the year. Enjoy your start of school and be prepared for the indoor season and we will see on the field. Doug Bouma Editor, Vaulter Magazine - Vaulter Club Inc. editor@thevaultermag.com
Taylor Amann
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AIM HIGH POLE VAULT CLUB: Virginia’s Vaulting Haven By Samantha Kaplan
Instagram: @eat_sleep_pv_repeat Building a vision from the ground up requires great determination and a sense of purpose. No one knows this better than Coach Kyle Bishop of Aim High Pole Vault Club in Mechanicsville, Virginia. When Kyle Bishop became a vault coach 36 years ago, he wasn’t willing to just coach the kids that were lucky enough to have access to facilities, he knew he needed to give everyone the chance to experience pole vault. So in 1981, the very same year he started coaching, Bishop took on the mission to found his very own pole vault club. His goal was to give high
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schoolers year round access to a coach and facility, and not just have to rely on their short school season, if they even had one at all, to improve. He set up shop right in his own backyard, selflessly offering up his own property to any and all vaulters who needed a place to practice. After over twenty years of using his own backyard, Coach Bishop’s work to upgrade paid off, and since October of 2015, Aim High has been relocated to Aerial East Gymnastics Facility. Opening and maintaining a vault club just scratches the
surface of what Coach Bishop has done for high school vaulters in Virginia. When the state of Virginia deemed pole vaulting too dangerous and expensive to keep in public schools, Coach Bishop fought back and successfully led the campaign to stop the banning of the sport. Currently, he works to make sure the pole vault will never be threatened again. Not only did he fight for high schoolers’ rights to keep vaulting, he helped make it so a large group of them were allowed to start in the first place. The Virginia High School League did not allow girls to
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Bishop Kendricks Sandridge
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participate in the event until Coach Bishop won a two year long battle to change that. Last year, in his 35th year of coaching, Coach Bishop was honored as the National High School Coach of the Year by the National Pole Vault Summit in Reno, Nevada.
Today, Aim High is Virginia’s pole vault powerhouse. Since 2008, Coach Bishop has been joined by his former athlete and College of William and Mary vaulting alum Eric Sandridge, in coaching the club. Together they draw in vaulters from across the state. “There are not many vault coaches in Richmond and areas east,” says Coach Bishop, “So many of our club vaulters come from these areas, some commuting up to two hours to get here.” The lack of high school coaches hinders the development of the sport, an issue Aim High exists to combat. “The state is not known as a strong pole vaulting state such as California, Texas, and those in the Midwest,” explains Coach Bishop. “Virginia has long indoor and outdoor seasons, however there are few indoor high school facilities.” Because of the lack of practice space and coaches, vaulters cannot utilize their especially long indoor season to improve, like the athletes in other events do. This results in poor spring
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results compared to the states that can focus their efforts indoors. Aim High Pole Vault Club, especially since it’s 2015 move indoors, has been a huge help in fixing this problem. The move to the Aerial East Gymnastics Facility has been a big draw for vaulters. Along with a 100 foot runway, UCS 1900 pit, and 125 vaulting poles of varying brands, Aim High edges out the typical vault club by providing vaulters with access to a full gymnastics facility. Athletes can use trampolines, rings, bars, spring floor, springboards, basically anything found in a standard club gymnastics facility. These apparatuses are important to the structure of the club’s yearly schedule. “Unlike a lot of clubs, we do not compete in the summer, but rather spend that time refining our skills, further our kinesthetic awareness, and developing a base for our competitive season,” and so much equipment means endless drills for form and technique.
Just because Aim High doesn’t host any summer competitions, that doesn’t mean they’re taking any breaks in the off-season. “Much of the club’s early existence focused on developing athletes’ abilities through summer camps,” Coach Bishop reflects.
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Alex Slinkman
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“We believe in providing affordable camp options to help those athletes looking to improve over the summer.” Aim high hosts two two-day camps, one in July and one in August, concentrating on technique and form adjustments in the vault. As far as meets during the year, Aim High hosts an annual fun Halloween meet, as well as the newly founded Aim High Elite Pole Vault meet to inaugurate the new indoor facility. This annual winter meet showcases the top eight vaulters in the Virginia Commonwealth and
is a great way to kick off the indoor season.
December through June is competition season in Virginia, but that does not mean Aim High skips right to all vaulting, all the time. With practice groups of 30 to 40 athletes on a weekly basis, just vaulting wouldn’t be efficient or effective. “We break our practice groups into beginner/ intermediate and advanced groups,” explains Coach Bishop. “We pride ourselves on doing things the right way, which
Alex Slinkman and the wall of fame
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means a methodical approach to technical development without taking short cuts.” Aim High vaulters will often spend a lot of time working on straightpole vaulting and drills, on small poles with low grips. They get their technique and understanding of the physics on the vault perfect, so by the time they take full jumps, each attempt is deliberate and with a purpose. Most importantly, technique work helps a vaulter keep an open mind. “Our best vaulters understand that the pole vault is a ongoing learning
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Gracie Jauch
experience. Just as our coaching methods and styles change, we expect our athletes to embrace the mindset that there is always more to learn in this sport!”
This past year has been a stand out year for the Aim High vaulters. Superlatives of the graduating class include Griffin Kowal, 16’2”, headed off to Virginia Military Institute as Virginia’s second highest high school vaulter ever, and Emily Harrison, 12’6”, going to Villanova. The underclassmen stars were Alex Slinkman, 16’, a rising senior, and Gracie Jauch, who jumped 12’6” as just a sophomore. The 2016/2017 season saw four other vaulters over 15’3”, including Ben Ransom, Harrison Rice, and Will Chapman, as well as numerous state titles from the girls and
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boys. The Aim High vaulters all had the privilege of a lifetime this past season, spending four months with Olympic bronze medalist and current World Champion Sam Kendricks while he was stationed at Fort Lee Army Base. “Sam took the time to mentor each athlete and his presence around the club vaulters made them better vaulters and better people,” says Coach Bishop, reflecting on how having a pro around reminds the vaulters of their possibilities and inspires their ambition. And the club record board shows just how much ambition Aim High vaulters have. Top of the board is home to Chris Pillow’s 16’3” jump. Pillow is now a national competitor on the pro scene. Kevin Brown, the first Virginia high schooler over 16 feet, is
right up there with his 16’2” leap. The girls club record goes to Cameron Overstreet with her 13’1.5” jump as a senior, with Kathryn Tomczak’s 13’0.75” right behind. All of these top Aim High jumpers went on to drastically improve their PR’s in college, all holding their individual college records.
Aim High has grown immensely since it’s opening 36 years ago, and although it only has two official coaches, Coach Bishop stresses that Aim High is a community effort and could not work without the help of a few surrounding coaches and parents. They know how important pole vault is because they see it in their athletes and children. Volunteers Key Randolph, Pam Tomczak, Ken Harrison, and Brian Triolet are all pole vault coaches at nearby high schools, and Tomczak and Harrison each have a child involved in the sport at Aim High. These volunteers work to spread a love pole vault in Virginia, protect the sport, bring in new club vaulters, and allow Aim High to flourish. Many high schools do not have coaches who are invested in pole vault or it’s surrounding community, which is a main reason why the sport is in jeopardy, but volunteers like the ones at Aim High are the reason pole vault will make a comeback in Virginia.
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Back Row Right to Left: Coach Eric Sandridge, Will Chapman, Jack Thumma, Joey Badalamenti, Harrison Rice, Daniel Dolvin, Anthony Giacchetta, Griffin Kowal, Chris Vincent, Chris St. Helen, Coach Kyle Bishop
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Front Row Right to Left: Ella Smith, Peyton Blanding, Marissa Linkous, Rose Wyant, McKenna Dunn, Annalise Fisher, Emily Harrison, Gracie Jauch
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AVOIDING MUSCULAR IMBALANCES IN THE TAKEOFF By Kreager Taber
The takeoff phase of the vault sets the foundation for the remainder of the jump. Having a powerful takeoff can ensure that the vaulter has not only enough momentum to make it into the pit, but also helps them to avoid injury due to the strain placed on the legs during takeoff. Shin splints, hamstring injuries, foot pains, and hip injuries can all arise from poor takeoff form or weakness in the takeoff leg, making foundational exercises that develop explosive strength in the takeoff leg and stretches for the hips essential for safe vaults.
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Glute Bridge
If any muscular imbalance is present during the takeofffor example, if the takeoff leg’s hip is weaker than the other leg’s- it can cause one leg to compensate for the other. This problem is exacerbated during the takeoff because of the increased strain placed on one leg over the other. Imbalances in strength or mobility in the glutes and hip flexors are
particularly harmful due to the muscular connectivity in the legs. For example, if there is an imbalance in one’s hip flexors, the athlete will likely notice the problem when they develop shin pain or knee problems rather than feeling hip pain or tightness. If the takeoff leg’s glute is weaker than the other leg’s, the athlete’s hips will become tighter and
will have to compensate for the unnecessary strain. The imbalance will be absorbed and improperly accounted for by the body, and will cause hamstring, knee, shin, and foot issues.
To avoid these problems, it is important to develop a broad and symmetric range of motion in the hip flexors and to prevent
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the takeoff leg from developing stronger glute muscles than the other leg. The gluteal muscles can be strengthened with glute bridges, walking lunges with or without weights, single leg glute bridges, and step ups onto a box or bench. To make the last exercise more specific to pole vault, the athlete can rest a barbell on their shoulders and push the weight upward as they step onto the box with one leg, driving the opposite knee Standing Kick Back for Glutes
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up. This motion mimics the takeoff and allows the vaulter to practice their coordination and develop the foundational strength necessary for a strong takeoff. More traditional weightlifting exercises, such as front and back squats, deadlifts, kettle bell swings, and the Olympic lifts can also target the glute muscles when done with proper form. Since the contraction of the glutes controls the movement of the
hips, having strong glutes is essential to avoid hip injury. However, if there is a strength imbalance in the glutes, it can cause one hip flexor to become tight and less mobile than the other. For this reason, it is helpful to roll out both hips with either a tennis or lacrosse ball, taking care to release strain on all portions of the hip. The hip flexor is made of three major muscle groups-
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the iliopsoas, the sartorius, and the rectus femoris- which can all be stretched and rolled out differently. To release tension in the iliopsoas, also referred to as the psoas, a lacrosse ball or tennis ball can be used. Locate the hipbone and then place the ball just outside of it, laying on your side with the ball underneath you. It’s nice to start with a tennis ball because it is more forgiving on the body when rolling out a new area, and then working up to the harder lacrosse ball. To stretch the psoas, yoga’s pigeon pose and regular lunge stretches are extremely useful. To roll out the sartorius muscle, once again, lacrosse and tennis balls can be used. The athlete should stand next to a wall and locate their hip bone, and then place the ball right outside of it. Leaning against the wall with the ball between their body and the solid surface, the athlete should bring their inside knee up to their chest and then lower it back to the ground. Strain in the sartorius muscle can also be alleviated by rolling out the IT band with a foam roller, since the IT band also originates in the outside of the hip. The sartorius muscle can be stretched be standing on one leg, bringing the heel of the other leg towards the buttocks, and imagining pushing the
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hips forward without arching the back. This motion targets the sartorius muscle, as it runs from the outside of the hip to the inside of the knee. To alleviate stress in the rectus femoris, the athlete should lay flat on their stomach, locate their hip bone, and place the lacrosse ball just inside of the bone. Either a single lacrosse or tennis ball can be used, or a pyramid of four if the athlete needs deeper pressure on the muscle. The athlete should remain static to alleviate tension at a single point, or they can use a single ball to release tension in a larger area by moving the lacrosse or tennis ball. The rectus femoris can also be rolled out using a standard foam roller by rolling out the tops of the thighs, from the point that the quadricep muscles meet the hips to the knees. To stretch the rectus femoris, the standard quadricep stretch described to stretch the sartorius muscle can be used. In addition, the athlete can do a standard lunge and bring their hand to meet their back foot. The hand and back foot should be opposite of one another (so if the lunge is being done on the left leg, the left hand should hold the right foot). These stretches and rolling out techniques can be used to alleviate tension
held in the hip flexors and to prevent injury in the rest of the legs due to tight hips.
Tight hip flexors and weak glute muscles can improperly absorb the impact created during the takeoff, causing injury to the rest of the legs. However, when proper attention is given to the muscular imbalances in the glutes and unnecessary tightness in the hips, the likelihood that the athlete will be injured is decreased.
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Walking Lunge
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Brycen Redding
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