PoleVaultPower.com

Back agian with up date. First we "Dialed it down for the summer" Just kinda Hit and miss with the training and all. Kids have to be KIDSSSSSSSSSS.

Now school is back and we are in full swing. Training now for 2 weeks and the 14 yr old is clearing 9 ft with a pr of 9 2. Little man 3 rd graded clering 7 2 with a pr of 7 4. The 14 yr old has been asked to compete at the HS indoor meet this year. She will be competeing as an 9th grading going up agianst women (and i mean women) who are 4 years older than her. The question is " is it fair to her to place her in a situation like that?

Also give me your feedback on how I shold proceed with Little Man. He has a long way to go before he competes.

My desire if for them both to learn that life can be fun even with rules, disciple and dedication. Oh and on the feed back plz no comments on spelling or grammer . I missed those classes !

Absolutely! Let her do it. Keep in mind no matter how good a vaulter is, there will always be someone better. The sooner she (and maybe you too) figure that out and are ok with it the better. Bragging rights are a very cool thing for a kid. They become more so as the kids grow up. I'm very proud of the fact that as an 8 foot to 9 foot vaulter, I jumped for the varsity at my high school at a couple of meets when I was in 8th grade. I remember getting a few points for the team at a couple of those meets which meant I finished at least 5th. Funny, I can't remember any of the meets that I didn't get any points......Amazing how that works. The fact was I did it and as I did I learned. Track and field is a very cool deal. There are so many ways to win and lose. She may lose in one aspect of the competition but she may win in another. Ex. winning height 13 feet, her height 9'3" . Did she lose? Yep, probably didn't even place.....BUT....First of all because she's vaulting varsity she won right there. Second of all new PR.....winner. Maybe her 9'3" vault is the first time she got fully inverted or maybe she jumped a foot over her hand hold. Winner there! Will the older competitors do what we used to call "psyching out"? More than likely, but how she learns to deal with it is important too. I competed with a guy from a neighboring school when I was in High School. He and I were equal vaulters to the tee. The guy that won the meet would be the one who could psyche the other one out. Sometimes I'd win,sometimes he'd win. It was quite a game. All through it though we were friends. Vaulters ARE friends. I think that's why we're such a close fraternity. That's also why you should let her do it. Later...............Mike

Thanks for the I was leaning that way and u pushed me over the edge yet i must keep in mind that she has the final say. I have always told boith of then when it stops beign fun then we stop doing it. LIfe is way to short to be feaking out over things now! One thing the best thing about PV is it is unlike any other sport. The fellowship is great! While there are always a few whos egos are higher than there performance for the most part it builds long lasting relationships. Most get a thrill out of watching someone FLYHIGH other than themselves. By they way I figured out along time ago their will always be someone who is smarter, richer and stronger than you! At 44 I am still learning and the best teachers are my kids!

Thanks for the help

poledad wrote:The question is " is it fair to her to place her in a situation like that?

Oh yeah she'll be fine. The only reason not to enter her would be if opening height was higher than she could clear. The focus in the vault, especially at a young age just needs to be on improving and having fun, not on how you place compared to other people.

Jake, I hope you got my lengthy email yesterday. Try those suggestions and let me know how they work out. I think they'll work well for your daughter and little man!!

You cannot teach experience. It would be a sin to not let her compete and gain the experience so that when she is good, she wont choke.