Training to walk on to college team

[ACvault]

Hi, so I'm a senior in high school and I just finished up my season. I will be going to a Division I college in the fall and I am planning on trying out for the team. I spoke to a member of the team and he told me to make sure I come in great shape and to be ready to run the football stadium and such. So my question is, for this summer how should I spend my time training to get ready physically but also to improve in the vault. My vaulting options are I can join a local summer track team and compete, or I would have the opportunity to vault maybe once a week for most of the summer at a clinic. I have been to a pole vault camp for the past two summers but that is not an options this year due to work schedules.

Thank you

[rainbowgirl28]

Have you talked to the coaches at that school yet? If not, you should definitely do so ASAP.

[ACvault]

Yes, I emailed the head coach about standards for trying out/walking on and he told me tryouts will be the first week of September once school starts.

[rainbowgirl28]

When I tried out and got cut from a DI team a few (many) years ago they never saw me vault, it was purely on strength and speed. I have no speed, therefore no potential, and was cut.

I would recommend emailing the coach and asking what they look for in the tryout. If you can improve your PR between now and then, that will definitely help, but otherwise get yourself in shape to handle some tough workouts.

[Jennapv]

I tried out for and was able to walk onto a D1 team a few years ago.

I emailed and met with the coach the spring before I planned on trying out and nailed down what I'd be expected to do as a tryout, and what his girls' summer workouts were. I spent all summer training, and kept in contact with the coach. I think I had to broad jump, run a 40m, and do bubkas for my tryout. I got the impression I barely made it...my PR wasn't fabulous, and I had been out of competing for about 2 years.

My advice would be to talk to the coach or athletes about the exact tryout, and what you can do to prepare.

[ACvault]

Ok, this is what I have come up with based on what I have available to me(which is not much). I plan on building with each week by increasing repetitions. Overall this is geared towards strength and speed.

Sunday - 3 mile run (geared towards strength and endurance)

Monday - Track workout, lifting afterwards (speed)

Tuesday - Core work, pushups, pullups (recovery from running)

Wednesday - Vault/Crosstrain, lifting (hopefully vaulting will be available, otherwise swimming/plyometrics/hiking)

Thursday - Core, pushups, pullups (maybe should change to another speed day?)

Friday - Hills, lifting (strength and speed)

Saturday - 3 mile run

[bel142]

Hey what school you looking at if i may ask? I agree with the above contact the team's coach.

in terms of training, (i am sure you may get some people who dissagree with me)
the way your body works you dont really need to train with those 3 miles runs. You don't want to train slow twitch muscles when you're aming for speed. If you need a day off, take a day off.... In the year when you are trying to get in shape 20 min jogs, are perfect but for summer training not as much helpful as people think.

But speed and strength are going to make or break how you run. Get strong and get fast. You should be running anything and everything Under 100m.

Get a coach who understands running form and work on your sprint tech (with out a pole) for the first half of the summer, then the second half work on sprint tech with a pole in your hand.

With lifts, olyimpic lifts are really going to benifit getting fast, and being explosive.

In terms of vaulting, most schools will not let you touch a pole untill mid october! So any techinal trainin you do may be lost in that time. You also dont want to get burned out during the year. Although track work outs are great, and you're excited to get back to running track and vaulting, the first month of training in University are all base building.

Use the summer to get fast, and strong, ALSO if your going to any D1 school they are not going to let you play IM sports or other activitys so get your fill this summer, cross train as much as possible, I love soccer and rock climbing, so besides my sprit work outs and lifts, I am playing soccer and climbing like its my job...

As long as you get exercise in, and not sit around you should be in great shape. I train with an olyimpic Multi hopeful who used to play basket ball all summer and would come back to school in great shape.

Hope that helps... get back to me if you need anything eles.

[ACvault]

Ok so I'll just make those weekend runs around 20 min.

I am trying out for the university of maryland - college park

[bel142]

At a second glance... If you need a day off take a day off, if you are aiming to get fast, there really is no sence in training those slow twitch muscles. The first months of school are used for building your fitness so on second thought, stay away from long runs all together....

[ACvault]

ok, so forget the long runs altogether.

maybe on those days I can just go over to a field and do some accelerations for speed?