June 2015 Vaulter Magazine

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

1

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

2

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

contents

www.vaultermagazine.com

8

FROM THE EDITOR

4

The Davis 21

8

Continuing the Legacy

18

Going Out With A Bang

28

Sport Science Q&A

34

18

34

6 28 Photo by Jason Vinson

Photo by Brian Sullenger

2015 vaulter magazine

3

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

FROM THE EDITOR Thank goodness for warm weather! School will soon be out for the summer, if it isn’t already, and then it’s time to soak up some rays by the pool before summer meets start!

This month we have a very full issue! For starters, we have a brand new series of articles by writer Cory Worthy. How his articles will work is at the first of every month, we will post on Facebook asking you what you would like to know on anything health, fitness, weight lifting, supplements, etc.—Cory loves researching! Cory is a graduate student studying Exercise Physiology and this month he talks about what kind of weight training your child/athlete should do while they are still growing. Enjoy this article and be sure to ask him questions for next month!

Next we have a special article on a high school senior who went through an ACL surgery after her junior year and proved everyone wrong when she came back and dominated her senior year! Jennifer Kistemaker pushes herself to reach her goals and

more after recovering from surgery. Sadie Lovett covers her story, so flip over to this inspiring story.

Our featured high school this month is Davis High School in Utah. This high school is doing big things in the pole vault community by qualifying 21 pole vaulters to high school state! This unbelievable story of The Davis 21 is worth reading—check it out!

We all know Sandi Morris—collegiate record holder, national champion. But do we know much about her? This month, Sadie Lovett gets Sandi’s story of how she started pole vaulting and what actually happened the two times Sandi broke the record. Been waiting to hear about it? Well this article gives you the answers and more!

Our featured University this month is the University of Arkansas. It is clear that Coach Compton and the Razorback Vaulters are doing big things in the pole vault world. The Arkansas vaulters have created a pole vault legacy that the current vaulters are adding to. From senior Sandi Morris to freshman powerhouse Desiree Freier and professional pole vaulter April Steiner Bennett, the Arkansas vaulters will continue to dominate with the help of Coach Compton. This is not a school you want to miss—great story, great team!

As the school year comes to a close, we congratulate everyone who has graduated! Thank you for sticking with us and good luck moving on to the next chapter of your life! Until next month, have fun at your summer meets and keep us updated!

Kaitlyn Merritt, Rick Foster, Kate Thomas

4

vaulter magazine 2015

Editor Sadie Lovett Sadie@vaultermagazine.com

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

5

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

2015 CIF Southern Finals

6

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 CIF Southern Finals

2015 vaulter magazine

7

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

The Davis 21

An Interview with Coach Jeffery Agnello By: Vaulter Magazine ■■ Q: Where is your school located, name, and mascot?

A: Davis High School, Kaysville, UT Davis Darts-Dartman

■■ Q: Tell us your background as a high school coach and how long have you coached?

A: I am Coach Jeffrey Agnello and have coached Track and Field at Davis High School in Kaysville, Utah for the past 12 years. I was also the head coach of North Layton Junior High a few years ago for one year. My specialty is the pole vault, but I am over all of the jumping events at Davis.

I’ve had the honor of coaching several state pole vault champions over the years at Davis High School.

Coach Matt Williams is new to our coaching staff this year. He came with a great deal of experience coaching at Box Elder High School in Brigham City, Utah where he was over the pole vault as well as helped with the sprinters. He

8

vaulter magazine 2015

coached for six years at Box Elder High School where he trained numerous state qualifiers and champions, both boys and one girl vaulter who held the state record until our girl vaulter broke it this year. We are excited to have him here at Davis and he has complimented our program.

Davis High School has an amazing track and field program. We have the biggest team in the state with nearly 300 kids on our team. In fact, the 12 years that I have been here with Head Coach Corbin Talley, our girls’ team has either taken 1st or 2nd every year at the state championship since Corbin has been here. This year our girls’ team took 2nd place. On the boys’ side, we have won three out of the last four state championships—winning state this year.

■■ Q: Did you pole vault in high school?

A: Both Matt Williams and I pole vaulted in high school.

Matt Williams pole vaulted in 1986-1989 at a high school in Northeastern Pennsylvania. His

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com Front Row: Madi Lee, Kristen Funk, Nikki Hemsley, Baylee Reynolds, Ashley Sullenger, Sarah Calder, Ashley Taylor, Korra Jensen, Erin Bowe, Cami Limb, Ashley Harris, Johanna Nillson, Gentry Keaton, Ashley Lawson, Paige Erickson Back Row: Coach Agnello, Brigham Valentine, Jake Overfelt, Seth Valentine, Evyn Conrad, Matt Calvin, Taylor Southwick, Ben Fielden, Cache Arbon, Justin Godfrey, Austin Hansel, Jaxon Potter, Harrison Haslam, Baylor Green, Coach Matt Williams

2015 vaulter magazine

9

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Fun Fact Did you know

that the astronaut Buzz Aldrin was a pole vaulter?

Colleagues with Neil Armstrong, Buzz was fit enough to be chosen for the Space Program all because he was a college pole vaulter.

10

vaulter magazine 2015

personal best was 12’6” before succumbing to a season-ending injury during his senior year.

He also attended Dan Johnson Sky Jumpers camp to receive further training.

I pole vaulted for Davis High School from 2000-2003. My personal best in high school was 15’ where I took 2nd at State to Adam Ball who went 15’6”. I did vault in college at Weber State University where I qualified for conference a few times, but due to injuries, I was unable to compete.

■■ Q: What is pole vaulting like in your area compared to most programs? Is there a difference?

A: Up until recently, girls were not allowed to go to state in the pole vault unless they qualified with the boys mark. Last year my proposal was accepted by the Utah High School Athletics Association to allow girl’s pole vault in the state meet.

Last year was the first year they could go and this year is the first year they could score points. Our boys and girls were very excited about this. At the start of the year where I do my mini pole vault camp for our school, I had nearly 60 kids come. At the end of the week, we would usually loose half of the participants. In the end,

we still had 55 coming. I was dumbfounded on how popular it was, especially with the girls wanting to learn how to vault.

Eventually the numbers did subside, but we would range from 30 to 40 jumpers actively coming.

We tend to have the most vaulters qualify for state each year. I feel this is because of the deep tradition we have with pole vault at Davis and the increased popularity of the event. This year was no exception and was one I will never forget. Our boys did something that was never done before. We had seven boys qualify by mark, which has not been done by any school in the boy’s pole vault. I believe the next closest school was three this year. On the girls side we had fourteen qualify for state meet by mark. The next closest school was five. So we brought twenty-one kids to state from one school in the pole vault alone. This did not make us very popular with the other teams competing against us.

During the year Coach Williams commented, “I’ve been on the other side of this for several years, watching Davis dominate in this and many other events.

Now that I’m a part of it, I can attest… this is the result of hard work and dedication to the event from day one. I’ve seen it.

It’s no fluke.”

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

counted toward the overall total at the state meet. Many high schools have gotten rid of their pole vault programs due to increased liability and the high cost of equipment.

As an alternative, many of the kids vaulting, whose high school does not offer polevault as an event, attend the Utah Pole Vault Academy at the Olympic Oval in Kearns, Utah.

This academy is comprised of a group of coaches from area schools, as well as individuals with vaulting backgrounds, who come together with the philosophy of developing all vaulters. There is a fee to be part of their club and they vault year round.

Coach Agnello, Brigham Valentine, Jake Overfelt, Seth Valentine, Evyn Conrad, Matt Calvin, Taylor Southwick, Ben Fielden, Cache Arbon, Justin Godfrey, Austin Hansel, Jaxon Potter, Harrison Haslam, Baylor Green, Coach Matt Williams

Pole vault is different in Utah.

There are just a handful of schools that have their own programs. Schools in the 5A classification can score

points during the state competition whereas in the lower classifications, the event is scored as an exhibition event and the points are not

As a result of the numbers, a few years back I started a mini camp during the summer and it has been very effective in helping some kids interested in vaulting get a head start before the next season. However, I try not to have my vaulters train all year. I feel like they need some time off from vaulting, even if just for a few months prior to indoors or the beginning of the spring season. They need some time to recover and forget bad habits. There is a point where I feel you can over-train your athletes: after all this is still high school and I want my kids to have a life as most high school athletes should. It makes for a well-rounded athlete.

2015 vaulter magazine

11

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Coach Agnello, Madi Lee, Kristen Funk, Nikki Hemsley, Baylee Reynolds, Ashley Sullenger, Sarah Calder, Ashley Taylor, Korra Jensen, Erin Bowe, Cami Limb, Ashley Harris, Johanna Nillson, Gentry Keaton, Ashley Lawson, Paige Erickson, Coach Matt Williams

■■ Q: Tell us about the group of pole vaulters who have qualified for state?

Who are they and what are their PRs? A: Our boys are amazing. We had seven boys qualify for state. Everyone cleared a height at state from our team. Each one of them had a strong work ethic and dedication to keeping the tradition going from years past as being some of the best in the state of Utah. With our large numbers, they also found themselves helping to

12

vaulter magazine 2015

coach each other as well as newcomers and of course the girls. Several were unselfish in their jumping time to give others time to learn and feel comfortable with the event.

• Matt Calvin – Junior – 2nd year jumper – placed 5th last year and won state this year with a PR of 14’6”. Beat Jake Watts, senior of Viewmont High School, who beat Matt earlier in the season at Region.

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

• Brigham Valentine – Senior – 3rd year jumper – placed 6th at State. His PR is 13’.

• Evyn Conrad – Senior – 3rd year jumper. He qualified for state with a PR of 12’6”.

• Harrison Haslam – Senior – 3rd year jumper.

He qualified for state with a PR of 13’.

• Justin Godfrey - Senior – 3rd year jumper. He qualified for state with a PR of 12’6”.

• Taylor Southwick – Junior – 2nd year jumper – placed 5th at State with a PR of 13’.

• Jaxon Potter – Sophomore – 1st year jumper – placed 9th at state and his PR is 12’6”.

Our Girls are amazing as well with 14 qualified for state by mark. Everyone from our team cleared a height at state as well. Some of our ladies were jumping for the first time and yet did fantastic. Our girls were the heart and soul of our crew. They were our cheerleaders (literally several were!). They supported each other as well as the boys. Their sunny disposition kept us all upbeat and they worked equally as hard as the boys.

• Paige Erickson – Senior – Cheerleader – 2nd year pole vaulter – took 2nd last year at state.

This year she set the state record at 10’8.5”.

She won the state meet with 10’7.25”.

2015 vaulter magazine

13

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

• Liz Jones – Senior – Been a Cheerleader – 2nd year pole vaulter – took 4th last year. This year she took 3rd. Her PR is 10’2”.

• Gentry Keaton – Senior – 3rd year jumper – placed 8th last year. Her PR is 8’6.25”.

• Ashley Lawson – Senior – Cheerleader – 2nd year pole vaulter. PR is 9’7”.

• Baylee Reynolds – Senior – 3rd year pole vaulter. PR 8’2”.

• Erin Bowe – Senior – 1st year jumper. PR’d at state 8’.

• Ashley Sullenger – Junior – 2nd year pole vaulter – Took 7th at state. Her PR is 9’7”.

• Nikki Hemsley – Junior – Cheerleader – 1st year pole vaulter. Pr is 9’.

• Kristen Funk – Junior – was a cheerleader – 2nd year jumper. PR 8’9”.

• Madi Lee – Sophomore – Cheerleader – 1st year pole vaulter – Took 9th at state with a PR of 8’6.25” • Ashley Taylor-Sophomore-PR 8’3”

• Johanna Nilsson – Sophomore – Foreign exchange student from Sweden. PR’d at state 8’.

• Ashley Harris – 1st year jumper. PR 8’9”.

• Korra Jensen – 1st year jumper. PR 7’9”.

■■ Q: How often does this group and all of your pole vaulters train?

A: Training can be a challenge with the number of vaulters we consistently have come out as well as those who return from the previous year.

The numbers have greatly increased especially now that the girls are scored in the event. We

14

vaulter magazine 2015

try to do a boys’ day and a girls’ day. We jump at least two to three times a week on the pit.

The other days are spent doing their sprinters workout, weights, drills, etc. The addition of another coach has helped significantly, especially because our numbers continue to increase.

■■ Q: What other information would you like us to know?

A: It’s not only the depth of this team that makes it a constant contender. As I mentioned earlier, Davis has a steep tradition in track and field and we work hard year in and year out to “defend” it. Our vaulters have become a team within a team. We make it clear that winning is not everything. The friendships gained during and beyond the season are forever remembered.

The trust gained between teammates in an event that can sometimes be dangerous, is crucial. The knowledge that your teammates have your back and your step, is essential. This team has been amazing and I will never forget this year. They achieved what they set out to accomplish and worked hard to do so. They’ve exceeded our expectations as coaches and 21 of them proved it by showing they belonged at state this year defending a tradition.

I’d also like to give a special thanks Jeremy Kemp who helped now and again. Steve Thomas who has helped our state be recognition and hooking us up with Chris Chappell who helped us get the equipment we needed to have a successful program. Head Coach Corbin Talley for always making sure we have the equipment we need and being a great support. Matt Williams, without him this team would be hard to manage.

And of course, the parents of our vaulters for their support and patience with us as coaches.

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

Only Track & Field News can keep you fully informed about which athletes to watch, who’s hot and who’s not. We take you step-by-step, meet-by-meet, through the indoor season, outdoor conference championships, the domestic relay and invitational carnivals, the NCAAs, the U.S. Nationals, the Grand Prix events in Europe and of course the Olympics and World Championships.

Each issue is packed with meet stories, performer lists and other useful stats, interviews and profiles of your favorite athletes, action photos galore, opinion columns and feature articles, and everything else you need to keep abreast of the total track scene. If high school track is your special interest, seven issues during the year carry prep top performer lists and reports.

If you like track, you’ll LOVE Track & Field News. Call the toll-free number below today and we’ll start your subscription immediately.

Wri comp te for our le of tra te listing s ck and t books ours.

es)

igital issu $38.95 yr. (12 d rint issues) $43.95 yr. (12 p es) nt + digital issu ri p 2 (1 r. y 5 $48.9

K A R T T E G 1-800/Amex Charge to Visa/UMSACTF members t to

Special discoun

Track & Field News 2570 W El Camino Real, Suite 220 Mountain View, CA 94040 Phone 650/948-8188 Fax 650/948-9445

TRACK PERIODICALS • BOOKS • TOURS TO THE OLYMPICS, WORLDS, ETC.

2015 vaulter magazine

15

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

2015 CIF Southern Finals

16

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

17

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Continuing the Legacy By: Sadie Lovett

Ariel Voskamp, April, Megan Zimlich, Stephanie Diettinger above coach, Desiree Freier, Ariel LaChance, Sandi Morris

18

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

At the University of Arkansas, there is no denying that Coach Compton has had a great line up of women pole vaulters in the 16 years that he has been the coach. Coach Compton started as a graduate assistant at Texas Tech University, then made his way to Illinois State University for five years, over to Wichita State, then settled down at Arkansas.

In his many years as a pole vault coach, Coach Compton knows what he is looking for in an athlete. “I’m always looking for someone who wants to be a part of the Arkansas tradition and wants to be a Razorback,” he tells us, “they have to bring a good work ethic. They have to bring something to the table to be on the team.”

Coach Compton has 10 vaulters right now including the redshirt vaulters and the post-collegiate vaulter, April Steiner Bennett who trains with them. “We have the young ones in what we call the “follow the leader group.” What their trying to do is follow the April Steiner’s the Sandi Morris’s and just learn by what they do. And while I’m coaching a little more of them (the older group), they (the younger group) just kind of follows the leader,” Coach tells us.

Leading the “follow the leader group” is their highest jumper Sandi Morris: “she’s our leader.” With Sandi being the highest vaulter, the other vaulters can relax a little knowing that Sandi will get all the points. “She’s the one we lean on and the pressure is kind of all on her,” says Coach.

Helping Sandi lead the team is Olympian April Steiner: “she

able weather. April is not just helpful to Sandi, but she is also a huge help to the rest of the vaulters. “I love having April there,” says redshirt junior, Ariel Voskamp, “she’s a great mentor to all of us and a great leader.”

These vaulters not only benefit from having April around, but they also motivate April in

Desiree Freier

brings a little bit of everything,” says Coach Compton.

“April has shown me the ropes of pole vaulting,” says Sandi.

Sandi being the leader for everyone, April is the leader for Sandi. April has taught Sandi how to travel to meets on her own, helped her with the mental side of pole vaulting, and how to battle less than desir-

her goals as a professional athlete. You would think that a little drama would sneak its way into a group of 10 women pole vaulters, but according to April “these girls have it together.

They are all close and supportive.” April says that this group of athletes is some of the hardest working athletes she has been around. Their positive

2015 vaulter magazine

19

VAULTER

Left to right: Megan Zimlich, Desiree Freier, April Steiner-Bennett, Coach, Sandi Morris, MAGAZINE Ariel LaChance, Ariel Voskamp

20

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

21

VAULTER

MAGAZINE Ariel LaChance

energy and motivation is helping April in her training to be competitive at the 2016 Olympic Trials. Being given the nickname “Memmah,” April is the “old lady on the block who can help and be there for the girls in all aspects, but one who can

22

vaulter magazine 2015

hold her own in training too.”

Coach Compton is a tough coach, but his coaching is affecting the performance of everyone. Freshman Desiree says that he’s like the coaches she has had before. “He’s very stern and to the point on what

you need to do,” Desiree says.

“He’s really on top of you and he tells you what you need to do, and if you don’t do it he’s going to tell you that too.” Ariel says that Coach Compton’s signature move is that “he always flings his hat back.” Or he

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

the future outside of track according to redshirt junior, Megan Zimlich.

will zip and unzip his top during an intense vault practice.

“He’s tough, but ultimately he just wants you to be a good pole vaulter.” Coach Compton’s tough coaching not only helps his vaulters improve in pole vault, but it also helps them for

Creating such a successful vault group, Coach Compton’s discipline finally paid off when he and his fellow coaches guided their team to be the first Arkansas women’s team ever to win an NCAA National Title.

At Indoor Nationals, Sandi was the pole vault National Champion. And with the points from the vault crew and the rest of the team, it was enough for the Women Razorbacks to bring home a National Title. “You get to carry that ring around and they can’t take that away from you,” Coach Compton says, “it means a lot.” For every athlete who qualified for nationals, every one of them scored points in their event. “I feel like that is really special,” says Ariel, who qualified for the 2014 Outdoor Nationals and received All American after coming back from a foot surgery. Ariel also qualified for the 2015 Indoor Nationals along with teammates Sandi and Desiree.

Through all the injuries and no-heights, the Razorback vaulters are always there for each other. “The girls on the team are like family,” say Megan, “I love my teammates.”

No matter how hard a practice may be, they can always count

on each other to make them smile, give them a hug, and get them through that practice.

“We want each other to succeed. Ultimately, they’re the ones who push me more than anything else,” Megan tells us.

“It’s kind of like a sisterhood in a sense. Everyone gets along,” says freshman Desiree. Sandi says, “I wouldn’t be the vaulter I am if I didn’t have their support all this time.”

All of these vaulters are proud to be on the Arkansas team: “being part of this team is the proudest moment I’ve ever had in my life,” says Megan. They all also look up to the pole vault legacy that they are part of there at Arkansas. The pole vault legacy at Arkansas was something Megan idolized before she even went there: “to be a part of it is special and I still can’t even put myself on that level.” Before Ariel came to Arkansas, she knew all of the vaulters. Now that she is one of the Arkansas vaulters and becoming a senior, she wants to add to the legacy. “I want to be a good role model and leader, and pass that on to the youngin’s.” Freshman Desiree expresses how happy she is to be vaulting with an Olympian and the collegiate record holder. “I have the best people to practice with,” she says, “I couldn’t have asked for a better

2015 vaulter magazine

23

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

college to go to.” 2015 graduate, Sandi Morris slowly brings her college career to an end having broken records, PRs, and leaving her mark on pole vault history and adding to the Arkansas legacy. “To be part of the Razorback history has been so important to me and I can’t even describe how grateful I am to have played a role in that,” she tells us. As we listen Ariel Voskamp

24

vaulter magazine 2015

to Coach Compton talk about the vaulter legacy he has created, you can hear how proud he is: “I love it when we have our home meets and I look up in the stands and there might be 3-5 alumni vaulters sitting in the stands. They all want to come back. They all keep following. We’re very proud of them,” he says.

As the Razorbacks season comes to an end with the NCAA Outdoor Championships, we wish Coach Compton and his vault crew all the best next season as well as those continuing through the summer.

There is no doubt that these vaulters will be clearing big bars and continuing to add to the Arkansas legacy.

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

25

VAULTER

MAGAZINE Megan Zlmlich

26

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

27

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Going Out With A Bang By: Sadie Lovett

Sandi Morris 2015 Drake Relays, Image by Doug McDannald

28

vaulter magazine 2015

From the small town of Greenville, Illinois, Sandi Morris started her pole vault career the summer after 8th grade.

Both of Sandi’s parents went to Western Illinois University and were both in the multi’s for the track team. When Sandi was in second grade, her parents started her in track. At first she ran sprints, then in 6th grade she picked up hurdles.

But what got Sandi into pole vaulting was the local pole vault coach, Terry Wyatt, who approach Sandi’s dad and suggested that she try pole vault.

Not long after that, Sandi started working with Coach Rusty.

“I wouldn’t be here without Rusty because he taught my parents what meets to be in

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

and where to compete. He provided everything I needed,” Sandi says. Coach Rusty would go to Greenville High School every week to work with all of the vaulters and he would bring poles for them to use.

“He was just amazing for starting out my pole vault career,” Sandi tells us.

Throughout high school, Sandi’s parents drove her all over the country to work with various coaches to make sure she was getting access to good facilities and getting all the aspects of training that was required to be a good pole vaulter—weight training, technique training, and sprint workouts.

“I would not be at this point if it weren’t for my parents. My family has done so much for me growing up,” Sandi says. By her senior year, Sandi won USA Junior Nationals and jumped 13’3 the summer after senior year.

On the days that Sandi is really struggling, the days that she is having a rough practice, her teammates and family get her through. “It would be very difficult to get through the workouts we do if we didn’t have each other to pull us through,” she says. When it comes to struggles off the track, Sandi’s parents are only a phone call away. Even though Sandi is a 16-17 hour drive

away, her parents visit her as often as they can: “without them I would be a mess.”

One of the many things her parents taught her is how to be humble. Having worked so hard to get to the top, Sandi says that she is no better than anyone else is just because she is the collegiate record holder.

“I’m so proud of it, but I’m not going to be the person who’s not going to reach out a hand and pull others up here with me. I know how hard it is and I had hands reaching out to me as I was crawling my way to this point,” she tells us. Sandi always makes it a point to help others because she has had her fair share of being “at the bottom of the trough.”

Sandi has had a crazy year.

She’s broken the indoor collegiate record with 4.62m only for it to be broken the next day

by Demi with 4.63m. But then at SEC indoor championships, Sandi jumped 4.66m: “I was really hitting it and I blew up that bar.” When Sandi broke the indoor record at SECs, it was 11pm and she was the only event left—the rest of the meet was over. Though the meet was over, her entire team, men’s and women’s, was in the stands cheering for her. It was her last attempt at the record and she was out of gas. Using what little energy she had left,

Sandi picked up her pole and relaxed, letting her body do what it does every day. Next thing she knew, she was over the bar and screaming. “It’s an incredibly huge relief. It had been a height I had been seeking,” Sandi says.

For outdoor season, Sandi jumped 4.62m only for Demi to break it with 4.66m at Drake.

Even with the ordeal about whether Demi’s jump should count because of the box collar, Sandi says Demi’s vault should count. “We’re seeking bars higher than 4.66m anyway,” she says. Little did Sandi know that she would have an even better outdoor season. “I wanted to go to the last SEC championships and go out with a bang,” she says and did she ever! Demi holding the outdoor record by this time at 4.71m, Sandi was on a roll. After jumping 4.62m, Sandi put the bar at 4.72m, but wasn’t even thinking about that being the record: “I was thinking about how I wanted to get as close to 16 as I can.” The second she was on the mat, she was screaming. “I think people two states away could hear me!” she says.

After all of the success Sandi has had in her college career, she still takes the time to give advice.

2015 vaulter magazine

29

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

“Do what you love. Don’t force yourself to do something you’re not enjoying. I love pole vaulting. Yes, there are times that I get extremely frustrated—I don’t think I could have chosen a more frustrating event. But it’s a love/hate relationship and it’s such a thrill when all of your hard work finally pays off and you hit a new pr. To all the younger athletes out there, if you don’t love it, then find something you do love. Don’t force yourself to do

Sandi Morris, Texas Relays 2015

30

vaulter magazine 2015

it because you only live once and you only have one shot at this life that we’re living and you don’t want to spend it doing something you don’t love.

Put your whole heart into things that you are passionate about. Be as passionate with as many things that you can because life is something that you really need to enjoy. Those good days will come, you just have to keep on fighting. Keep on fighting. Don’t give up on something just because you

aren’t doing well. Everybody has their downs. I’ve had many downs. Don’t be afraid to change. I transferred the University of North Carolina to Arkansas after my sophomore year of college—It was probably the most difficult thing I have ever done in my life. But I needed a change. Embrace change, embrace opportunity, don’t doubt yourself. If you think you can’t do something, prove yourself wrong.”

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com Sandi Morris, Drake Relays 2015

Image by Doug McDannald

2015 vaulter magazine

31

VAULTER

MAGAZINE Kaitlyn Merritt, 2015 CIF Southern Finals

32

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

33

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Q&A By: Cory Worthy “How much weight training should my child do if he/she is still growing?” -Koni L., Illinois

I could not have thought of a better question to begin this sports science Q&A series.

This may very well be the first question to come to all coaches’ and parents’ minds in regards to training. What’s safe?

What’s effective? How much is too much? I will begin by covering the basics and then listing the nationally-recognized recommendations. After that, I will go further into growth and maturation of children and adolescents.

Let’s start with the general recommendations put forth by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (1). Generally, children and adolescents should be physi-

34

vaulter magazine 2015

Sport Science

cally active for 60 minutes or more every day, most of which should be moderate- or vigorous-intensity. Three days of the week should consist of muscle-strengthening activities such as playing on playground equipment, structured and supervised weight lifting, or using resistance bands.

Kids should also participate in bone-strengthening activities on at least three days per week; examples include running, jumping rope, basketball, or tennis among many others.

Childhood and adolescence are critical periods for lifelong bone health; as much bone is laid down during the years of adolescence as most people will lose during their entire lifetime (2)!

In regards to strength training, the most important note

from both the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) that is repeatedly stressed is that resistance training does not increase the risk of damaging the epiphyseal (growth) plates when properly supervised and instructed. Injuries can certainly occur, and this risk is increased when exercise is unsupervised and uninstructed. When choosing a strength and conditioning coach, be very selective and ask questions regarding their experience and relevant certifications (ACSM, NSCA, USAW, etc.). Many certifications have little or no required content knowledge on training youth athletes.

Oh, right – back to the numbers! The following are the

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

recommendations from ACSM and NSCA (3,4). Children and adolescents who are new to resistance training should begin with no or light weight with the goal of perfecting technique and form. For the goal of increasing strength, exercises should be performed with 8-15 repetitions for 1-3 sets per exercise. This should be done to moderate fatigue.

Higher repetitions are advised

for pre-pubertal children. All major muscle groups should be targeted over the course of an exercise session. For the goal of increasing power, 3-6 repetitions for 1-3 sets should be performed; these repetitions and sets should not be performed to muscular failure (the inability to perform another repetition with proper form). Advanced or older adolescents can progress to using

loads equal to 80-85% of their 1-repetition maximum.

The NSCA recommends that resistance training take place 2 or 3 days per week on non-consecutive days for children and adolescents (4).

This allows the body enough time to recover between exercise sessions. If training takes place more than 3 days per week, factors such as train-

Resistance Training

2015 vaulter magazine

35

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

Fun Fact Did you know

that Yelena Isinbayeva was a gymnast before she was a pole vaulter, but had to quit because she was too tall?

Like many pole vaulters, Yelena was a gymnast from ages 5-15. She had to quit because as she grew, she became too tall for the uneven bars.

She was considered too tall to be competitive in gymnastics. Yelena is 5’8.5”.

36

vaulter magazine 2015

ing volume, training intensity, exercise selection, nutritional intake, and sleep habits should be tightly monitored to ensure proper recovery between sessions. The more ‘advanced’ the athlete is, training volume may increase but so must the measures of recovery. However, the first and primary goal should be proper technique and skillful execution of each and every exercise.

The physiology of young children does not allow kids to significantly increase the amount of muscle mass they have. This is due to insufficient levels of the necessary hormones, enzymes, and muscle quality (i.e. protein density). Therefore, gaining muscle should not be a goal of a resistance training program for children. Most strength gains in children are brought on by neuromuscular adaptations and a general increase in body size as the child grows, not by an increase in muscle mass. This situation changes during the biological rollercoaster otherwise known as puberty, during which a cascade of maturational changes occur that are marked by a rapid increase in height, muscle mass, and strength.

Regardless of these recommendations, extreme examples do exist. China and its national Olympic development program

Resistance training Dragons Den, Illinois 2015

is a common example. These training strategies should not be applied to the vast majority of athletes. A counter-example would be the Russian model for the sport of Olympic weightlifting. Russian weightlifters start at an early age but typically train with age- and skillappropriate weights with the

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

light weight with a focus on solidifying proper technique. Advanced and older adolescents may progressively increase the intensity toward their 1-reptition max. Resistance training during these years may actually help the athlete maximize their growth potential and increase lifelong bone health.

goal of lifelong progression, not immediate internationally-competitive performances.

When properly planned and progressed, weightlifting and resistance training are appropriate training techniques for increasing coordination and physical enhancement in children and adolescents.

In summary, all resistance training programs for children and adolescents should be properly supervised and instructed by a knowledgeable and certified coach. All such programs should be founded upon long-term progressive overload. Pre-pubescent and new athletes should use no or

•

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. How much physical activity do children need? Retrieved from http://www.cdc. gov/physicalactivity/everyone/ guidelines/children.html. 2015.

•

Bailey DA, McKay HA, Mirwald RL, Crocker PR, and Faulkner RA. A six-year longitudinal study of the relationship of physical activity to bone mineral accrual in growing children: The University of Saskatchewan bone mineral accrual study. J Bone Miner Res. 14(10): 1672-1679, 1999.

•

Kohrt WM, Bloomfield SA, Little KD, Nelson ME, and Yingling VR. Physical activity and bone health.

Med Sci Sports Exerc. 36(11): 1985-1996, 2004.

•

Faigenbaum AD, Kraemer WJ, Blimkie JR, Jeffreys I, Michell LJ, Nitka M, and Rowland TW. Youth resistance training: Updated position statement paper from the National Strength and Conditioning Association. J Strength Cond Res. 23(S5): S60-S79, 2009.

2015 vaulter magazine

37

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

38

vaulter magazine 2015

june 2015 issue

www.vaultermagazine.com

2015 vaulter magazine

39

VAULTER

MAGAZINE

40

vaulter magazine 2015