News Article on Private Coaches for Track

[pickerbuzz]

Cowtown...
You stated: "What if the football team didn't have a line coach and all the lineman had to go to a private coach, would the community accept that? " Not going to happen...
So you are saying that a club coach that has been coaching year long with the high school coaches permission should not be able to assist the athlete in the most important meets of his high school season. The athlete has worked with this private coach all year and when he needs the adjustments and coaching the most in order to perform.... take his coach away... I don't think his is a good idea..
Just go back to the track tutor idea.... Club coaches are tutoring not interfering... golf, tennis, gymnastics all do this.... let's just regulate track more... Again, I am glad you are coaching the vault and have the interest as we club coaches do... I wish more assigned second sport track coaches would get involved as well...

[dj]

These same discussions have been going on for 20 years….

You can train year round… no one can stop you from doing that… all sports train year round… of course the principals are making sure that the rules are in favor of the "major" sports… FOOTBALL.. BASKETBALL… and of course the clubs rule volleyball, gymnastics, swimming… and a few others….

There are only two high school sports that are recruited by the Universities, football and track. The other sports are recruited through clubs or travel teams.

That being the case it's more befuddling that football can get the best athletes on campus in the spring for "conditioning", legally by rule for up to two hours after school !!!!??? Try training an athlete for track after he has done 2 hours for the football team, with them making sure he has nothing left for the sport in season. Or try taking a kid to the state meet if spring football is going on??? If he is a senior you have a chance.

Yes you have a battle…. One that you will not beat the schools…or football on… the ONLY chance you have is to have a club and get the kids going in junior high…. Then you have a chance of following them through high school.

I ran into all the problems mentioned above in Gainesville, Florida. Dropped the "club" idea because of it. Coaches, who were the local guru that had coached many girls over 8 feet and boys to 10/11 and one to 12 feet, didn't want their kids coming to me. I registered in all the districts because of "Megan's" law (finger prints the whole bit and was glad to do it) and some districts sent kids once… they didn't jump higher that day so they didn't let them come back.

With the kids that did come with me… I usually didn't go to many meets… I would show their coaches the key things to look for. Yes I went some to "coach" and know how to coach them…

And you will not beat the high school coach with an ego… he usually has had the best cross-country and distance team in the state and it doesn't matter if his best female miler is jumping 12 feet in the vault she is going to run the mile, 800 and the 4 x 800 because the team needs her and she might qualify for state in the mile.. which makes him look good……… he had rather you not coach her because she might become too good for distance running.

I was an assistant director for the Florida Relays for 4 years and I still get run away from the pole vault venue…..!!! they don't want me coaching the "enemy"..

And at high school meets if I am not coaching the "home" team they usually do everything they can to get me away from the athletes I am helping.

Last year I decided to go one day each to three of the local high schools… they were in different districts so they were glad to get the free coaching.

If you love coaching… please continue to coach.. and find a way to "stick it" where the moon don't shine of the mush brained football coach, his "principal" homey… and the egotistical CC coach. I just went to another school and coached a girl to beat her..

Well I'm 7000 miles from all that but still proudly wear the battle scares… I think I "gave" .. Much more than I was given(my club colors were black and blue)… and came out on top along with the jumpers who battled with me..

Take care

dj

[tsorenson]

This has been a very interesting discussion. I like Rick's philosophy of the club coach being very respectful of the HS coaches and understanding that they are spread very thin. I also think that HS coaches should encourage kids to seek expert coaching in the off season, but only if the kids aren't interested in other sports or activities. If club coaches want to be on the HS field coaching kids, then they need to take all the classes and background checks required of any other HS coach (this includes unpaid volunteers). They also need to work with (not against) HS coaches...this is just good business for a private coach. Burning bridges just limits your market share, if you are in it to pay the bills.

Often times, the best athletes (especially in small schools) will play 3 sports, because their teams need them. This should never be discouraged for a singular pursuit of excellence in one sport...aren't we as coaches trying to build good citizens? A well-rounded individual is set up for success in life after HS athletics, whereas a kid who is funnelled into year-round training for one specific sport is set up for disappointment if they don't become elite. I have found that kids who play multiple sports are more coordinated, more coachable, and more durable than those who have a narrow focus. Keep that in mind!
It seems that other mainstream sports such as soccer and football tend to monopolize their athletes much more than track does, but we as pv coaches don't want to fall into that same trap (it's obnoxious and short-sighted).

Having said all this, if kids don't have any other sports and want to train PV year-round, there needs to be a club available for them to get the training they need, since most every school puts their pits away as soon as the state meet is over. We are very lucky in my area to have a close-knit group of coaches at the various local high schools, who all get together and pool resources in the off-season, helping kids (and coaches) from all the schools with summer vaulting and winter indoor vaulting. It can be challenging to have so many coaches in the same practice, but we are all respectful of each other and we share a common goal of helping kids learn the event. Thankfully egos don't get in the way of cooperation...that seems to be the key.

With the current budget crisis facing most schools, I forsee a gradual transition to club status for many sports, possibly track & field included. It is way more efficient and may be necessary as our economy continues to recede. I personally would rather have club sports in the US and keep the teachers (who are being laid off and having their benefits cut) in the classrooms...anyone disagree? If so, you are clearly not interested in what is best for our youth. Pole vault and other sports are only a path to being a better person...teaching goals and hard work to kids. I actually agree with others on this thread that the US would have better vaulters if we used a club system, rather than the current system that is spread pretty thin in places. Then the best coaches would be concentrated working with the best athletes, and we wouldn't have the problem of poor coaches and good athletes riddled with bad habits/poor technique. Obviously this is a radical shift from our current system, and many may disagree. That's ok, it's still a free country

Tom

[dj]

hye

i respect the coaches totally and work with them (those that will and are interested in the athlete) and never behind their back...

next point..

i stated that Football and Track are the only two sports recruited in the high schools... those two sports (and CC) plus maybe basketball, covering each season, are the only three sports that should be kept for boys and maybe Soccer/fall, basketball and track for girls... you would have a sport each season for any/everyone... and you would lighten the burden on the schools and teachers ...

the "club" sports could continue the way they are... no one would be slighted....

dj

[rainbowgirl28]

Club sports work great in metropolitan areas. I live in a very rural area, any sports eliminated by our HS (and it's constantly under consideration) means most of the kids won't have the opportunity to participate at all. Not only are there very limited opportunities in the area, but most of my athletes are poor and don't get out of the area often. A good percentage of the kids on our team work year-round jobs and almost every kid works a summer job (tourist economy).

It's great when kids have club opportunities, but don't idealize a world without HS PV.

[CowtownPV]

It's great when kids have club opportunities, but don't idealize a world without HS PV.

I agree, Most tracks belong to schools not clubs. We need the school programs and I belive in them.

[belmore]

I really am having a hard time diving in on this discussion. I had great coaches growing up, they had a limited knowledge of the vault. They showed me how to use the projector and watch film and gave me books to read on the subject and then turned me loose on the runway. Those were my high school and jr high coaches. The local photographer for the news paper was an old vaulter and he pitched in and helped me and in the summer the school record holder back from college would help me. That has always been my angle on helping vaulters. I just remember the generosity of those that came before me. Generosity, I think that is what Cowtown pv is writing about. Instead of pitching in and just helping an athlete, sometimes income and ego becomes the issue. Not the athlete. If you can help a kid out at practice and show them the right things to do at practice, show them how to compete and they won't need you at the meets. It won't be about the coach at the meets, it will be about the athlete. Teach them right, keep 'em safe and give 'em the right tools to go and face the competition. Don't hold their hands marching them into the venue. You should have done that at practice. If the rule of the competition is that private coaches are not allowed to coach at the competition, then the private coach should coach the athlete to perform at the competion without the private coach. Let them learn how to compete, how to prepare. How to stay safe. A private coach can do that and never set foot in a stadium and still have his kids jump well. Don't overstep the boundaries, think of the kids, get them ready to compete without you.

[pickerbuzz]

B....
you know it takes two to pole vault... look at every vaulter that succeeds... what is the first thing they do after they hit the mat???... look for their coach for feedback.... you even do the same thing with your vaulters.... we all do...its not an ego thing... we just care about the kids that we work with and want to see them succeed...no athlete wants to be without his coach who has coached him all year... at a major competition.

[Bubba PV]

I agree with Brian. If my athletes can't get the majority of their PRs without me there, since I am at my own meets, I have failed. They regularly PR without me but they tell me they hear my voice all during the competition. So I guess maybe I am there. Bubba

[rainbowgirl28]

look at every vaulter that succeeds... what is the first thing they do after they hit the mat???... look for their coach for feedback....

Most elite vaulters do not have their coach at the majority of their meets. Their coach teaches them how to make decisions for themselves based on how the vault feels and the feedback they are able to get from others (midmark, etc).

A high school vaulter should not vault unsupervised, but a good club coach will teach them how to think for themselves and make the best out of their situation.

[Bubba PV]

Perfectly said Becca!!

[belmore]

Very good new Mom. I bet you're gonna be the best pole vault mom ever.