April 2015 Vaulter Magazine

April 2015 issue

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April 2015 issue

contents

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FROM THE EDITOR

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Let’s Take a Trip!

The “Best of” Guide to College Visits

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Returning the Favor He Promised to Do

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The competition is between you and the bar

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Getting Un-Stuck!

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FROM THE EDITOR Happy Spring, Everyone! Not that spring down-right awesome club is not one you will want brought too much warm weather with it, but April to miss. Many of you may have heard of them and brought you all some good articles to read! many of you may not have, but the story behind how this club began and how Coach Mike CockFor all of the Juniors starting your college erham literally built it from the ground up is very search, Penny has written an article on what to inspiring. For those who are thinking of starting look for and do on your college visits. It’s very a club, this is an article you will want to read beimportant to look at what colleges have to offer cause the leadership, encouragement, and dediand get a good feel for each one. But sometimes cation Mike and all the coaches have put into this looking at so many schools can be overwhelming! club very well may help you get your club up and Lucky for you, Penny has given you a great outline running. So check them out! The Dragons are not to follow and some tips to take into consideration. ones you will want to miss, but if you’re ever at a So start opening those college letters and flip on meet with them, there’s no way you will be able to over to see what Penny has to say this month. overlook this powerhouse!

Are you in a funk? Are you stuck? We all are at some point! This month Bubba has some good recommendations on how to get away from those run-through practices and back to the ones that count. As always, us younger vaulters benefit from his many years of pole vault expertise and he so graciously provides us with the solutions.

Also, now that everyone is in season, that one vaulter who we don’t like to see is back at our meets. But is the competition really with them?

Sadie Lovett has written an article on the importance of knowing who the competition is between.

It’s not the vaulters, it’s the bar that you must overcome. Sometimes that is intimidating, but this article gives you some advice about how to set goals to help you clear the bar and not let other vaulters affect your day to pole vault.

As we are now non-profit, we thank everyone who has stayed with us as we have gotten this far.

We are now able to accept donations to help reach our goal of giving every vaulter an opportunity to become the best they can be. This is only step one to what we plan and it’s a step in the right direction! So until next month, keep jumping big and Dragons in the house! This month’s featured achieving your goals!

Editor Doug Bouma article is on the one and only Flying Dragons editor@thevaultermag.com Pole Vault club. This enthusiastic, fun, family, and

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MAGAZINE 2015 Pole Vault Summit

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April 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com 2015 Pole Vault Summit

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Let’s Take a Trip!

The “Best of” Guide to College Visits Juniors, it is time for you to visit colleges! What? You say that you have been to visit your friend/brother/girlfriend/ sister at their college already?

What? You have spent time on a campus during your summer pole vault/scholars/science camp? What? Your mom and dad went to that college so they can just tell you all about it? Not a chance! You need to put yourself on the campuses that you are interested in as an educated consumer. You need to attend an information session, take a tour, talk to students and walk the campus to understand what makes this place tick.

What is it that calls to you to attend this school? Or perhaps, what is it that cements your decision that there is no way in the world you would ever go to this school? (This is also a great

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time for mom and dad to relive their glory days and maybe to learn something new). It’s time to travel!

When you are considering a college visit trip, I suggest that you research other campuses in the area of your school and visit them as well, especially if you are travelling across the country. A thorough visit will take you 4-6 hours. Here are my suggestions to make the most of your visit time:

1. Before you leave home, schedule a campus tour and information session. These run concurrently so that you can do both in your visit time.

2. Visit dorms that have coed and single gender floors to

see how you like them. Find out if all freshmen have to live in the dorms, does everyone eat at the cafeteria, etc. If possible, arrange to stay at the school dorms if this is a final visit. This is a great way to get a feel for the school!

3. Sit and talk with students in the Student Union. Ask them the questions on topics you really want to know about such as the social atmosphere on campus, how is the food, weekend life, where they go in the nearby city, how accessible are the teachers, etc.

4. Visit the library! You will be surprised how much time you actually spend there once you start college. Take

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a trip around the immediate campus to look at fraternity and sorority houses. How far away are the dorms from the main classroom buildings? Is it a bike ride or a short walk? You may have to do it in the snow!

5. Visit the athletic facilities (rec center, campus gyms and practice fields) to see where to go to work out.

What intramural sports do they offer? Pick up a recreation class schedule.

6. Finally, take pictures so it will stay fresh in your mind.

After a couple of campuses, they'll start to run together.

Use your phone to record your description of each campus so you will remember which one is which!

when they are doing that! Some guidelines for meeting with an admissions officer:

8. Take a walk by yourself before your interview so that you can talk more specifically about what you saw and liked about the campus. This is a good starting point for your conversation. Your walk also will give you an idea before you talk to them about whether you would consider the school as a candidate.

9. Since you've done your homework on the colleges, ask some questions that will be directly applicable to you such as how does the college look at letters of recommendation from alumni or donors. Do they prefer to have letters from teachers instead?

10. Ask about the college’s involvement with the nearby community if the social aspect is important to you.

Penny Hanson

7. Go to the Bookstore and buy a t-shirt!

To get the most out of your visit, schedule an interview with an admissions officer.

Each school has an admissions person assigned to the area of the country that you live in. You will find their name on the Admissions Office website.

Email them and ask to set up a time to meet. This person will be reviewing your application and it is a great benefit if they can put your face to your name

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11. Inquire about the computer facilities both in the dorms and the libraries. Is there free Wi-Fi on the entire campus?

12. What about Greek life?

How are sororities and fraternities viewed by administration given the propensity for alcohol and disturbances? What does the Greek Council provide that is considered a positive influence on the school and community?

13. Ask what the administrator thinks are the college's core strengths in terms of majors, social functions, clubs, etc.

14. What has the college had difficulty with in terms of the student body, and what is being done to correct the

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situation? Examples may be overcrowded housing, police involvement in campus disputes, excessive alcohol presence, etc.

15. How involved is the faculty with the student government organization?

If you like politics, you will find student government very interesting!

16. What are some upcoming campus projects that will affect the student body i.e. new research centers, replacing the student union, renovating dorms, etc.?

17. If you are at a public university, ask what percentage of classes are taught by teaching assistants (TAs) and graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) in relation

to professors. This may be very important, especially for the sciences and math.

18. If the counselor asks, be sure you can recite your SAT scores, your GPA, and your extracurricular activities so that they know you fall into their criteria. Ask them if this sounds like a student that would fit in well with the students they are trying to bring in!

Above all, ask anything you like and enjoy the experience!

Remember that you are the consumer in this case. You want to be sure that you purchase the correct product. Have fun!

Penny Hanson Hanson College Consultants penny@hansoncollegeaccess.com 720-883-6800

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MAGAZINE Chandlar Ifft 2015 Pole Vault Summit

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April 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com David Brannan

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2015 Pole Vault Summit

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Bonnie Draxler SDSU Invitational 2015

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Returning the Favor He Promised to Do By: Sadie Lovett, Flying Dragons Pole Vault Club Alumni The promise Mike made back when he was in high school, was to his coach—his “Mike.”

This coach drove him all over Kansas and Nebraska in a Cadillac. They strapped his poles to the top and off they went to the Junior Olympics Program: “I told him that if I ever had the opportunity to return this favor that I would. I had that favor so I took it,” says Mike.

Located in Bloominton-Normal, Illinois, Mike Cockerham stands in the Flying Dragons Pole Vault Club’s 16,600 square foot building, The Dragon’s Den, and smiles: “We started with absolutely nothing.” Having the opportunity to start a pole vault club 20 years ago, Mike started

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by asking friends to donate their old pits they had stored away, and took those four pits to make one: “We started with that and went from there.” 20 years later, Mike now looks around at his 100 plus member club, with 4 coaches (including himself), two runways, a selection of 150 poles, all the equipment they need, and they all consider it one big family. “I made a huge family,” says senior captain Mackenzie Gallagher, “you come here and feel so loved.”

When you first come to the Den, you are greeted at the door.

The enthusiasm of the members is very apparent once you step through the door. Boy’s senior

captain, Michael Rariden, says he takes the time to help some of the new vaulters on their first day: “I will spend an hour just working through the entire vault and just get it in them to the point where they can jump that first day.” If you are new, you will be helped and you will get the attention you need to be the best you can be. That attention starts the second you get to the Den: “I think that’s the big thing that the club does. That’s what Mike did for me. If it’s not one of his coaches, it’s one of his seniors. It’s the coach. It’s Tom, Ken, Mike, Jason. Somebody is here willing to spend an hour, or more sometimes, getting them off the ground the first day,” Michael tells us.

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Mike Cockerham with Dragon Girls

Why are you attended to so much on the first day? Mackenzie says, “I think we’re all just super enthusiastic about being here and about what we do. The atmosphere is super crazy all the time and we’re always having fun. So for a junior high kid, what more could they want? To be in a crazy place and be part of something. It’s pole vault practice, but it’s not strenuous. It’s fun, exciting, and we want everyone to enjoy the sport like we do. Of course we’re going to embrace them.”

It is a goal for them to get everyone excited to pole vault.

From within a 200 mile radius of the Den, Mike gets a phone call about learning how to pole vault and he has them come to the Den: “We get them here, we get them excited about pole vaulting. We get a pole in their hand, teach them how to hold, carry, plant, run and then let them jump into the pit. You can’t stop that. Once they get started, it’s over. It’s like I tell all the kids who come in, and I tell all the parents, ‘I’m sorry you’re here. Your child is going to be addicted to pole vaulting from now on. I’m sorry, but whatever they have been doing in the past, they’ll probably quit and become pole vaulters full-time.’”

The coaches who are available to the vaulters are devoted to the club like Mike is: “Ken Lovett is the gymnastics coach, he is also our assistant coach.

He does all the gymnastics

training. When I need someone to learn something gymnastically, I send them over to Ken. He takes care of it for me,” says Mike. The club also has assistant coaches Tom Coulon and

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Jason Bradford who will bend over backwards to help any of the vaulters. The club also has lifting coach, Cory Worthey come in a few times a week to help the athletes with weight training and using proper technique. Mike also has help from the parents too: “We have a lot of parents who step up and clean the bathrooms, sweep the floors, vacuum the carpets, put up bars.” In order for the club to work, everyone needs to help out and make it work, and that’s what these parents and coaches do—they make it work. All four of the coaches will stand at each pit and help the vaulters after each jump.

All are encouraging and want to help each vaulter with any problems they are having or keep them excited if they are having a good day. As we interview Mike, Coach Ken works with a vaulter who is learning to bend the pole: “I don’t teach kids how to bend the pole. I let them bend it naturally and then we work from there,” Mike tells us as he watches the vaulter run-through. Rather than being frustrated with the vaulter for being intimidated by the bend, both coaches approach the struggle with encouragement.

It’s not just the coaches who are encouraging, but all of the members. If you’re having a bad day, other club teammates are there to pat you on the back

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and give you words of encouragement. Other senior captain, Brooke Catherine, touches on the encouraging side of the club: “This sport is so mental and everyone around us can support us with that. Everyone is going to come and help you back up. You’re not going to be down on the ground for long.”

There is a strong focus on family and support at the Den and it carries on to the Reno Pole Vault Summit.

Being a support, encouragement-focused club, the Dragons’ second home is the summit. Michael says, “I didn’t know there were this many vaulters on the planet and they’re all in one building just crammed together and everyone is on such a high energy. It’s pretty invigorating, to me, to think about pole vaulting as an exciting thing.” His cocaptain Mackenzie says, “It’s so much fun. Just to have that support behind you is amazing. If you have a bad jump everyone comes around you and they’re like ‘It’s ok! Next one is going to be better!’ And they’re all trying to hype you up. If you don’t have that, what kind of mindset would you be in?”

There is a constant repetition of “family” amongst these vaulters. The Den provides all of its members with the sense of being a part of something and having people there for you. The

Ryan Ashenbremer

three captains could not imagine their life without the Den: “I don’t know what I would do without my Mackenzie,” Brooke tells us. They also express to us what pole vaulting has done for them. “Pole vault for me is a really big stress reliever. So I feel like I wouldn’t be able to get through

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high school,” Brooke says, “Having a rough day at school and then coming here and you see all the smiles, you have fun, you laugh, it honestly made my life better and kind of made me see the brighter sides of a dull moment.”

Along with having fun, Mike’s goal is to give every vaulter the opportunity to be successful. Mike has provided all his vaulters with the vaulting equipment they need, he asks elite vaulters to come in and have camps, he gives his graduated, college vault-

ers a place to practice on their breaks, and has even built two two-inch elevated runways to prevent shin splints. Mike says that April Steiner Bennett will be practicing and hanging out at the club in March, but she’s not the first elite vaulter come to the Den. The Dragons have

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April 2015 “Never Know Until Youissue Go�

www.vaultermagazine.com Flying Dragons Pole Vault Club, Bloomington, Illinois

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a bar higher than they’ve ever jumped in their life, and they come running out of the pit, and give me a hug. That’s all it takes. I’m in it to win it.”

Kassadee Ifft

had Jeff Coover, Jordan Scott, the Dragons won the Ebay Brad Walker Camp Raffle, and Mary Saxer numerous times: “Mary has been here 5 or 6 times and she likes hanging out— they’re members of the club.”

Mike says he makes it available for elites to come in: “This is probably the only sport in the world where you can have an elite athlete come and hang out with your kids and not expect a whole lot in return. That just doesn’t happen anywhere. The pole vault community is such a tight-knit group of people that it’s the only place I know where it will happen.”

Mike has always come through and provided for his vaulters. There have been several times where it was a constant battle to find a place for

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the Dragons to call home. The Den they were in was bought and they needed to find a new one. Mike struggled to find a building big enough, cheap enough, and in the area they needed in time for when they had to move. He had coaches, families, and friends on the lookout for him. But his time ran out and the Dragons needed to pack up. But Mike always has a plan B. Until he found the new Den, Mike arranged for a local high school to allow the Dragons to use their track and pole vault pit to practice during the summer. Mike has never had a moment of worry and will always provide for his Dragons: “The most controlling factor for me is when someone runs down the runway, with a pole in their hand, and they put it in the box, and they jump

Mike also hones in on the importance of leadership. “Leadership is absolutely crucial. I can’t do it all,” he tells us. Needing leadership in the club, Mike came up with the idea of team captains. How becoming a captain works is at the end of each year, the graduating seniors and that year’s captains vote on who will be the captains for the upcoming year. They come up with names, run their ideas

by Mike, and they all agree who the next year’s leaders will be: “I give my input, but I don’t choose,” says Mike. As captains, Brooke, Mackenzie, and Michael are responsible for packing poles for every meet: “I told the kids early on, I do not jump on the poles, I don’t use the poles,” Mike says. The captains are responsible for organizing a list of poles needed, packing them, getting them all ready, and then letting Mike know where to pick them up. Then when the meet is over, it is also their responsibility to make sure all of the poles on the list are back in the bags and not forgotten. Any pole left behind, the price of that pole is divided between the vaulters who went to that meet so then it can be replaced. Very proud of his cap-

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tains, Mike tells us, “The leadership part is key. I have 100 kids running around here. I can’t, Ken, Jason, Tom, we can’t see everything. We have new kids coming in the door, our leadership group meets them at the door, they greet them, they say ‘hi’, tell them who they are and that’s crucial. New comers really like that. Someone else, an athlete, goes to them and talks to them and thanks them for coming.” Captain Mackenzie talks about leadership in the club too. “Mike has influenced my life in such a huge way because he’s the most selfless person I’ve ever met. He doesn’t get paid to do what he does and Chandlar Ifft

he has given countless hours, devoted to us and he’s such a prime example of a selfless leader in my eyes.” And she says it all. Mike has surrounded his athletes with leaders and great leadership is showing through in his captains.

One of the clubs biggest sponsors is Richey Athletics.

Richey Athletics has backed Mike for years by helping the Den get the equipment they need and providing them with “the best pits in the world” according to Mike. “The number of kids going into that pit in one year here is like 5 or 6 years at a high school. Richey Athletics does one heck of a job and they take care of us. Not to mention they have a 10-year guarantee on their equipment.

You can’t hardly beat that.” Some of the parents who work at State Farm also use their “Good Neighbor” grant to help sponsor the Den. State Farm gives to every employee $500 to give to a non-profit organization of their choice.

These funds help pay for the Den’s bills and equipment costs. Again, everyone helps make it all work.

Mike and the captains leave us with some

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advice. Mike says, “If you have someone who wants to start a club, my advice, start one. It takes one pole, one pit, or one pad to get it going.” “Make sure to have fun,” Brooke reminds the young vaulters. “You might wake up one day and realize that you took the last vault of your life yesterday. You may as well give it 100% every single day,” Michael encourages.

“How could I deny him the opportunity to be a pole vaulter?”

Mike points at one of his youngest vaulters, “I couldn’t. It’s all about them. It’s not about me, it never has. It’s never been about the money—you don’t make any money doing this. If you made money at this, it wouldn’t be what it is. The key is to provide an opportunity for the kids to be successful. If you do that, give them some guidance, give them the proper tools to do it, and they will be successful.”

With the highest girl vaulter senior captain Brooke Catherine jumping 13’4, and highest guy vaulter Adam Coulon jumping just over 16, the success that breeds success that Mike is referring to can only go up from here. This tight-knit family will only continue to grow and impact the pole vault community in an amazing way.

“Once a Dragon always a Dragon” ~ Mackenzie, Mike, Brooke, and Michael

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Jenna Ring

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April 2015 issue

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The competition is between you and the bar By: Sadie Lovett

Season has started and that one vaulter who you always dread to see is at your meets. This person always wins. You have watched them take the first place that you want so bad over and over.

This person is your biggest competition. You don’t want to hate seeing them because they’re just there to jump, and sometimes they’re a friend of yours, but you can’t help but not like that they are there.

You always plan to jump higher or win that meet only because you know they will be there. They are always your meet goal. That’s where you went wrong.

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They are not your competition—the bar is. They have no control whether you make that height or not—the bar does. If you hit the bar, it’s going to fall. They didn’t make it fall, you did. You have to clear the bar. You can’t bar jump. You have to go out there and jump at each bar like it’s your opening height, because that bar is what determines whether you go onto the next height or not: not that vaulter.

That doesn’t mean be scared of the bar. That means you need to see the bar as your competition and to treat it like you treat that one vaulter.

Having practices with bars instead of bungees helps you

learn how to not be scared of the bar and not bar jump. You need to plan how you’re going to clear the bar through visualization and setting goals for each meet of what height you want to clear.

Knowing that the bar can fall off is not a reason to be scared of it, but knowing that should boost your determination to not let it overcome you—being confident and knowing that you can clear that bar and not make it fall off. You decide whether that bar is going to stay on or not.

You need to tell yourself that you are going to clear that bar or go out with three great at-

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tempts. If this one vaulter is still intimidating you, then don’t used them in the wrong way. Use them to set goals on how to beat the bar. If they come in higher than you, set a goal of still being in when they come in. If they clear a bar on their first attempt, then set your goal to jump it on your first too. You’re not trying to beat them, you’re trying to jump with them. You’re using them to pull you with and over new bars. Use them as a positive, not a negative.

The Pole Vault Bar

When I was in high school, and even now in college, I was usually the highest vaulter and had no one pushing me to PR. My favorite meets were the ones where there were other vaulters who jumped higher than me. I didn’t have those meets very often, but I PR’ed or jumped my PR at all of those meet. I did because the vautlers who jumped higher than me gave me goals—to still be jumping when they come in, to make it on my first, to get on that next pole because I have more adrenaline. They pulled me with them.

You can’t control how the other vaulters jump. If they’re having a good day, then they’re having a good day and you can’t do anything about

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it. So don’t let them intimidate you and effect how your day to pole vault goes. They can have a good day and set a new PR and that’s exciting for them!

But just because they have a good day, that doesn’t mean you can’t have a good one too.

There is no sense in worrying about something that you have zero control over. Instead, worry about what you do have control over—you clearing that bar. Instead of being nervous that they are having a good day, use their excitement to get pumped up and excited too!

If you worry about what the other vaulters are doing then your vaulting will be effected.

You’ll be nervous or anxious if they are doing bad or good.

But how they do does not affect your goals. Calm down, and focus on what you want to achieve.

Pole vault is already a mental sport, so don’t make it more than it needs to

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be with something out of your control. Stay focused on what you need to do. Set your goals.

It’s not easy to stop thinking about the other vaulters, but when you think only of how you are doing and not worry about them, you improve faster and compete better. Plus you will have way less stress when you walk into a meet!

The competition is not between you and any other

vaulter. It’s between you and that bar. That bar determines your fate and it’s that bar that you can triumph. You know you can. If you believe you can, you will. Are you confident in yourself to do it? You should be because you can do anything if you set your mind to it. Deep breath, shake out your nerves, because you can do this.

Pole Vault Standards and Bar

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www.vaultermagazine.com Shane Atkinson SDSU Invitational 2015

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www.vaultermagazine.com Zoe Casteel SDSU Invitational 2015

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Getting Un-Stuck!

The season is progressing nicely, the weather is improving, and the big invitationals have started. You’re back at your full run and feeling good.

Then it happens. Your regular poles start to feel big, you’re struggling on your run, and your timing was left on Spring Break. You’re stuck! This happens to most all of us at some point as the year progresses.

I remember a few years ago I got a call from one of the top college girls about this very subject. It was her senior year, conference was coming up, and she was so demoralized that her practice had become 90%+ made up of run-throughs. I called her on the phone and here’s what we talked about.

I explained to her that as you

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progress to bigger poles and longer runs, that your timing becomes more critical and you have far less room for error. In an effort to move the pole, she was likely over-running, which got her out of position for take-off. On the times she actually left the ground, she was probably hitting the pole hard but not maintaining the pressure and lacking pole speed.

These are all things that happen when you try and jump at a high level when you’re body doesn’t feel the best. As a possible solution, I relayed a story to her about a well-known vaulter I used to work with.

Number one is that she had to start having fun again.

Warm-up on a tiny pole from three lefts/six steps so that she can see how easy it is to jump

with good pole-speed again.

I told her my guy would do this from a standing 35’/11m run on a 14’1”/4.30m pole until he could jump 15’/4.60m or 15’6”/4.75m. His reasoning was that he devoted time to warm up his body, so why wouldn’t he warm up his vault timing. His favorite statement was that if he couldn’t vault correctly from that run, what made him think he would be able to when he moved his run back and added speed? He liked that start run because he couldn’t get in enough to turn up from speed alone; he would have to use good body mechanics as well.

His rule, and now hers, was to take 3-4 jumps per run and then move back a stride and up a pole with the only objec-

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tive being to duplicate the efficiency from the previous run. This continued until he got to six lefts/12 steps. At this run, my guy was having good jumps at 17’6”/5.35m and 18’/5.50m using only a real crossbar of course.

When he went to a meet, he started at 9 lefts/18 steps gripping about 15’6”/4.75m. With the addition of the speed and higher grip and bigger pole, the efficiencies he worked on in practice were greatly magnified. He had 11 meets that year over 18’/5.50m including his PR of 18’ 6 1/2’/5.65m at the Mt. Sac Relays, getting 2nd in a jump off with Olympic Champion, Nick Hysong.

The system worked for him and my friend who was struggling. She went from panic and

defeated frustration at the most important time of her senior year, to a PR at the NCAA championships and an All American finish. It just goes to show that sometimes you have to be willing to go backwards in order to move forward. Ultimate panic and devastation to having a blast.

Certainly worth a try, right?

As a final reminder, remember to continue your lifting and running during the season, as some of these ruts can be caused by declining conditioning from only vaulting. Hopefully these real-world stories will give you hope if you get stuck. Wishing you the greatest success.

Bubba

PS - Please feel free to reach out to me at any time at polevaulter@msn.com <mailto:polevaulter@msn. com>. I’ve been vaulting since I was 12 and I’m 61 now. It’s not that I know so much, but rather that I have already made every mistake you will ever make during your career. ;-) In fact that’s exactly why this girl reached out to me. She said “Certainly as long as you have been jumping that you have had this issue. What did you do to get out of it?” I’m grateful that my painful lessons learned spared her from further grief, and that she was able to have a rewarding result.

The very best to you as well.

2015 vaulter magazine

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VAULTER

MAGAZINE

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vaulter magazine 2015

April 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com Jorge Luna SDSU Invitational 2015

2015 vaulter magazine

39

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

40

vaulter magazine 2015