The next generation needs change

[dj]

Good morning,

i am so grateful you have said correctly and strongly what athletes and coaches have had to endure forever. Going back to the 70’s Dave Roberts could only “survive” because he was a medical student at Florida, had access to facilities through the Florida Track Club and the University. He coached himself.. when we(coaches) could we would catch his steps and act as a “set of eyes” and make suggestions. Earl made it because he was at Arkansas State with Guy Kochel. When I worked with Tully in the early 80’s he did not pay me. Nike had cut Tully’s contract in half but I luckily (through Jimmy Carnes 80 Olympic coach) got him money from Mazda, plus he worked 4 hours a day at Anheiser Busch. I was the manager of an Athlete Foot cloths and athletic shoe store in Northridge CA, did commercial and movie work as an extra and consultant to survive financially and coached for free at Cal State Northridge.

Even though Mike was the Trials champion we were “shut out” from training at UCLA because of preparations for the Games with the only solution by USATF being for Mike to go to Santa Barbara and train!!! What about his job!! He needed the money to pay his bills and the mortgage on his home. What about me having to travel 3 hours to get to his training and my job!!! We spent 12 hours one day going from track to track until we found UC Irive available for a training session. It was 9 at night before he got home in LA traffic. Then USATF wouldn’t even give me a credential for the training centers when USC and UCLA opened back up, after telling all the “personal coaches” they would be credentialed to attend their athletes practices. All the sprints relays and hurdles coaches got theirs. I got my own credential and when we went to practice Mike told the USATF staff to stay the hell out of our way. Stand and watch because he was doing this for himself and not for USATF. Even with this kind of treatment over the years I have still supported and tried to work with USATF and will do anything to help them help the athletes and coaches of all events. I want the US to win Gold in every event.

Hey I’m not saying these things to brag or B$#%@… I’m saying them because after reading your post, ADTF Academy, I know you know and understand.

This has gone on year after year after year… I have tried forever, first by starting NBPVA the National Beach Pole Vault Association with interest from Chrysler and Ted Turner. Another coach’s ego got in the way and “killed” the potential.

My wife is ready to kill me… I have been home a little more than a month and I’m spending more time thinking of “saving”/helping pole vaulting than helping her build our business. She thinks I should never “give away” any of my thoughts on technique or training, that I should write my own book and sell everything at a high cost and then maybe I will be taken seriously.

I don’t want my honest opinions, sharing of my experiences or my “idea” of technique or training to be “driven” by sales of my information, which is a composite of what I have learned from 100’s of coaches that came before me, nor do I want something accepted solely because of “name” or past success. It’s ok if it “gets you in the door but then it is up to you, the coach, to use logic, science and your own “methodology” to make it work for you and your athletes.

Sorry to throw in technique…

I have been “brainstorming” (again) and have thrown out an Idea recently with a couple of pole vault/business friends to start a LLC for the purpose of generating money (trying to think outside the box) for pole vaulting. Tentively named it “Pole Vault Advantage” and wanted it to be run by a CEO independent of me and create a board from pole vault people at large.. the mission statement would be simple: generate funding for USA pole vault athletes and coaches that would allow each (training centers included, like Baggetts and Bell's) an environment to reach there greatest potential…. sounds like this could/should be the Pole Vault Professional Association you suggest ADTF.

Over the years we/you have made so much progress with the individual training centers, the street/beach vaults, the summit and with PVP and other forums on the net, that it’s time we found a way to finance all our coaches and athletes.

Hopefully something great will come from this new “airing” of the issues……….

dj

[PV Official]

http://tonyward-trackchat.blogspot.com/

I don't mean to hijack this thread but the above article suggests that the problem being discussed here applies to all of track and field, not just the pole vault. Speaking for myself, I've been a Track fan for about 40 years but I've only been a Track AND FIELD fan since I started officiating. I was a distance runner in high school and college and didn't pay much attention to the field events. I started officiating as a timer but became bored. As soon as I started working field events, especially high jump and pole vault, I became hooked. I agree with earlier posts that events like the Summit and street vaults are a great way to promote pole vault and get the general public involved. But don't forget there may be some track fans who, like me, could be converted to pole vault fans. One idea: combine a street vault with a 5K run. Good luck.

[rainbowgirl28]

One idea: combine a street vault with a 5K run. Good luck.

Another great idea!

[achtungpv]

One idea: combine a street vault with a 5K run. Good luck.

Another great idea!

Actually, teaming with a marathon would be an even better idea. Once the runners leave, you've got a captive audience for over 2 hours until the first runners return. With an efficient crew, 6-8 athletes, and a good bar progression, that's more than enough time for a quality vault competition.

[Branko720]

Sorry to be brief. I'll write more in a few days. I really like a lot of what has been said over the last few days. I agree with ADTF Academy. And I don't know whether or not I am on his side or not but I am. I train a post-collegiate vaulter currently and over the past few years have trained an unattached vaulter previously. I know, understand, and sympathize with all the difficulties. DJ you hit a lot of the points I am making.

ADTF Academy you are right USATF purpose is to provide grassroots level support. I agree, but I don't think they provide it. We do not have enough facilities around the country. I have always had a tough time trying to find places to jump with my athletes and I would not have a facility if it were not for the gracious efforts of some friends, who have nothing to do with USATF. That is my gripe. I don't expect USATF to support me or my athletes, but I would like to have a place to train. Even if I had to pay some additional membership fees.

I would also like to thank everyone for contributing to this thread. I too like the Summit idea by ADTF Academy and the marathon/5 K idea by PV Official and Achtungpv.

[rainbowgirl28]

It's not USATF's job to provide facilities. The training center in Chula Vista is a USOC thing, not a USATF thing. USA Gymnastics doesn't pay for gymnastics clubs all over the country, they are private businesses, and that's a sport that has almost no school support.

[altius]

Know this is off track but I cant pass it up!!! "I should write my own book and sell everything at a high cost and then maybe I will be taken seriously." Two points only - if you are prepared to work two years at around 50 cents and hour you might want to write a book - remember that invariably the folk who actually sell the book make more than the author per copy! But anyway I can assure you that writing a book does not ensure that you will be taken seriously! Ask the folk running the Summit!

However it is great to see a young coach trying to address the CRITICAL issues in pole vaulting in the USA.

[Branko720]

Becca I understand what you are saying about gymnastics. I'll be honest I have no idea about that situation, but I don't think we should be using gymnastics as our model. US Lacrosse has grown by leaps and bounds. It helps people find facilities and has a grant program for equipment for first year programs in need.

If USATF can't help us with facilities, what does it do for its members? I can always manage to pay a little more for insurance and figure something out. The toughest part is finding facilities. I don't know about anyone else but in New Jersey it is not too easy to find a pole vault runway. Never mind if I had to get property and buy mats.

Why can't USATF start forming relationships with high schools and colleges? I'll tell you some kooky pole vault coach asking an athletic director for permission to use their fields does not turn out well.

[rainbowgirl28]

Becca I understand what you are saying about gymnastics. I'll be honest I have no idea about that situation, but I don't think we should be using gymnastics as our model. US Lacrosse has grown by leaps and bounds. It helps people find facilities and has a grant program for equipment for first year programs in need.

If USATF can't help us with facilities, what does it do for its members? I can always manage to pay a little more for insurance and figure something out. The toughest part is finding facilities. I don't know about anyone else but in New Jersey it is not too easy to find a pole vault runway. Never mind if I had to get property and buy mats.

Why can't USATF start forming relationships with high schools and colleges? I'll tell you some kooky pole vault coach asking an athletic director for permission to use their fields does not turn out well.

Wow, seriously? You really expect USATF to make nice with tens of thousands of high schools and thousands of colleges so that you can find a place to practice? And you expect them you buy you a $10,000+ pole vault pit?

[ADTF Academy]

Becca I understand what you are saying about gymnastics. I'll be honest I have no idea about that situation, but I don't think we should be using gymnastics as our model. US Lacrosse has grown by leaps and bounds. It helps people find facilities and has a grant program for equipment for first year programs in need.

If USATF can't help us with facilities, what does it do for its members? I can always manage to pay a little more for insurance and figure something out. The toughest part is finding facilities. I don't know about anyone else but in New Jersey it is not too easy to find a pole vault runway. Never mind if I had to get property and buy mats.

Why can't USATF start forming relationships with high schools and colleges? I'll tell you some kooky pole vault coach asking an athletic director for permission to use their fields does not turn out well.

This is why you can't relate us to any other sport but gymnastics. The cost of a gymnastic facility is outrageous a single mat is $300.00 just for one of those little ones to roll around on. Soccer and Lacrosse and any other yard sport is easy go find some grass, paint some lines and go. How about indoor.... Well soccer is huge and they have indoor soccer facilities who can therefore do lacrosse and other yard sports at so they can help pay for there facility.

Build a track what else can you do? So now your out 1 million dollars (hypothetical) and its a one purpose thing except maybe to let people in to run laps which than gets in the way of practice and you basically have a 1 million dollar box for 1 use. You can not relate our sport to anything else. Heck I do believe even lacrosse has a professional organization... WE DON'T!

If you actually knew anything about the USATF they do have programs in place to help youth track clubs with grants to get equipment. Buy hurdles and other stuff you have to apply for them and show need. If this is what your talking about check it out. Otherwise the college culture tends to care less about anyone but themselves and their donors. High schools are under such tight restrictions with insurance and worry about being sued that they don't let anyone in. Honestly any high school or youth based coach your life is not as hard. There are tons of empty buildings in every town right now. I have even had offers but when the peak is only 18 feet it makes it a tad hard to train at. If I was a high school coach I would take any building with an 18 foot ceiling put down a roll out runway and the pits they would have to store in the shed in the winter all day long. Name it a club practice site and get USATF approval and now you have $1,000,000 third party insurance coverage. If some of you people are from the south you don't know what it means to be creative till you move to the north like Michigan's in the winter.

Face it we are living in the stone age.... When Mark came out of no where and jumped 18-10 we had a 93 feet runway max approach to train on with a roughly 19 foot ceiling to jump at (which he almost hit twice) so he basically could only jump from 6 lefts in preparation to jump we rolled out a runway on a gym floor (3 pieces to be exactly to get enough rubber) to have barely enough room to work on full approach. He had to slam on the breaks in roughly 10 meters or he would hit the wall. He had spikes on and if he went on the wood I would get in trouble by the head basketball coach the next day.

What does a true pole vault and speed coach need. Give me a 50 feet wide and 300 foot long wind tunnel with 24 foot ceilings at one end and the rest 18 foot and I would be the happiest man in the world. I would even live out of a trailer if I had too. I quoted it out at around $125,000. I started a piggy bank two years ago I currently have $37.82 in it the rest went to bills (won't lie i have busted it open twice to help buy food)

DJ I am so glad you brought my idea up. I do believe when I posted that it was shot down quicker than I had time to write it. Well something will be presented at the Summit this year to the elites. It will be done on a small scale for those that wish to take part and try to make it work basically to test the waters if you must. If it does well we will try to open it up to all vaulters who are out of college by next year.

[joebro391]

Well, I've followed this entire post, without my own input, frankly because i'm too young and uninvolved, as becca would agree, with the system, to add any helpful knowledge. And although i have many desires and wants for myself and fellow athletes, the topic (our goals?) has become: "what can be done to put out world-class athletes, even if it takes starting with youth programs (not based around the current top US vaulters), so future generations, years into the future, can compete successfully on the world stage?". I like a lot of everyone's ideas. Everyone has some very good information to bring to the table.

Now becca, we'll call you the voice of reason for the time being. What do YOU feel would be a proper course of action, to accomplish our goals? Having such an intricate knowledge of the system, perhaps you can state some specific steps and procedures that would need to be followed in order to succeed. We'll all be anxiously awaiting your response. -6P

[rainbowgirl28]

Now becca, we'll call you the voice of reason for the time being. What do YOU feel would be a proper course of action, to accomplish our goals? Having such an intricate knowledge of the system, perhaps you can state some specific steps and procedures that would need to be followed in order to succeed. We'll all be anxiously awaiting your response. -6P

I don't fully understand USATF myself. It's an organization that is mostly run by hundreds of volunteers. We need pole vault people that are voting delegates sitting in every single committee meeting at the USATF Annual Meeting every year. If we're not getting our fair piece of the pie, it's because we're not at the table. My Association assigns delegates to each meeting, then we meet as an Association to discuss what's going on. AAC tries to have athletes sitting in every meeting for the same purpose.

We as an event group have accomplished SO MUCH on our own, with very minimal help from USATF. I think a lot of the people who have been involved with USATF at one point or another got tired of the politics and realized they could accomplish plenty without them. I don't think that our pole vault leaders have done a good job of encouraging the rest of us to be involved with USATF. If you're going to retire from the politics game, you have to at least get someone else to replace you as a voice at the table.

USATF = politics. There have been changes over the years, probably some for the better and some for the worse and some we'll see. But we have to be willing to play the politics game if we want our voices to be heard by USATF.


So, like I have said before, this starts for most by becoming involved within your Association so that you can become a voting delegate. Elite and emerging elite athletes, you need to get involved with AAC. Talk to Erica Bartolina or Jeff Hartwig if you don't know how to do so. It means investing money out of your pocket to go to the Annual Meeting each year and learn how things work.


If you don't like USATF, that's fine. But put your money where your mouth is and do something about it. Posting on message boards means nothing if you're not willing to back it up.