Shawn Vlog 1: 20 years of Depression

Beach Vaulting

Jersey Jumps Beach Vault

By:Samantha Kaplan

On August 1st, I left my house in New Paltz, NY at 9:00 am to drive down to Seaside Heights, NJ for the Jersey Jumps beach vault, so I decided that the meet would be a good topic for my first article. The Jersey Jumps meet started on Friday, the first, with the Women's elite and Men's masters (over 40) categories. Special guests included Jenn Suhr, women's indoor world record holder and Olympic gold medalist and Lawrence Johnson, Olympic silver medalist. Even though Suhr did not end up competing because of an Achilles injury, she did warm up with a 3-step, as seen in the video.

Because I am writing for the women's pole vault department, I am going to talk about day 2 of the meet, specifically the three women's high school divisions and the weather catastrophe that could have ruined the meet if the competitors weren't dedicated vaulters with high spirits and determination. 

The three women's high school divisions were supposed to be novice A, novice B, and championship, with the novice groups competing on separate pits in the morning and the championship in the evening, with college divisions competing the following day. When the novice groups arrived at 8 am to warm up for a 10 am start, it was pouring rain with a 20 mph head wind. Vaulters took shelter in restaurants on the boardwalk. People walking by could barely stand because of the wind, but the troubling forecast did not make anyone lose hope.

A few hours later it was clear the wind would be a head wind all day, so Mike Pascuzzo, meet director, made the decision to turn the pits around. All three boxes, pits, and standards were moved from the left to the right side of the beach. With the help of many coaches and vaulters, what could have been a huge task that could have taken hours was accomplished in about an hour. Warm up finally began around 3:00 and competition around 4:00, but all three women's high school divisions had to share one runway, giving it 60+ vaulters, and the meet only reached 10 feet for us girls before it was too dark. The vaulters were encouraged to stay in a hotel or come back the next day to continue competing, but sadly many could not.

The 2014 Jersey Jumps shows how even after 6 years of everything going right, it can always go wrong. Even after 6 years of a tail wind in one direction, it can turn into a head wind the next. Pole vaulters are some of the most dedicated athletes out there. With the expenses of poles and practice, traveling with giant, inconvenient sticks, and being the highest people at the track meet, the Jersey Jumps dilemma, that may have cancelled any other beach sporting event, adds to the list as to why vaulters are the most dedicated, brave, and just plain awesome people out there. Keep jumping, vaulters, rain or shine!

Eat, Sleep, PV, Repeat,

Samantha Kaplan

Check out these links:

Vertical Adventures Website (they run beach vault): http://www.verticaladventures.org/index.cfm?bhcp=1

Mike Pascuzzo contact info (runs all Vertical Adventures camps including On the Road Track and Field World Tour...which was awesome):http://www.verticaladventures.org/contact.cfm

Pole Vault Spikes Guide

A Beginners Guide to PV Spikes

By Devin Miller

Edited by Peter Chapman

    This "article" is for beginning pole vaulters or really anyone who is curious as to why you have to specifically go out and buy pole vault spikes. Not sprint spikes or mid distance spikes, but pole vault spikes.

 What is arguably the most important aspect to pole vault spikes is the heel to toe cushioning. This thick outer sole you find on pole vault spikes is there because we, as pole vaulters, have to jump in order to propel ourselves over ridiculous heights.

The sole cushions our feet and aids in preventing injury to our legs and feet from repetitive jumping.

Another aspect to many pole vaulting spikes is a strap in order to lock down your mid-foot. The reason for this is because you want every movement to be precise when running down the runway and you want to be locked down into the shoe in order to get the best use out of the spikes in your shoe.

 

Spike Placement:

Almost every single pole vault shoe has a certain spike orientation in the forefoot. This placement allows for us to generate the greatest speed when running down the runway. Avoid high jump spikes that have spikes in the heel. These encourage running more on your heels and slows you down drastically affecting your vault.

Buying Spikes:

When it comes to purchasing pole vault spikes there is a lot of advertising and marketing in your face. The best advice I can give is to find what feels right for you. If the Nike PV line of shoes doesn't feel right on your feet then don’t buy them just because you see most people wearing them at meets. Go to a running store and try on as many options as you can and choose what feels the best for you. Thank you and good luck!

Why ESSX poles are the poles for you!

Why ESSX poles are the poles for you!

Written by Dara Binder

http://www.essxpv.com/

UST-ESSX is selling poles and a NEW product! UST ESSX poles use engineered pattern clocking that calculates the exact alignment of the soft side with the pole pre-bend curve. This reduces twisting and lowers take-o­ff stress making our poles easier to load. The UST ESSX pole design keeps the pole from bending low which improves roll over capabilities when compared to other brands.

Need a new pole case?  ESSX pole cases can adjust with three sections to fit all length poles up to and including 17.6” poles. Built to be water resistant and can carry 4-5 poles with their tubes. If you would like to order a new pole case, Ask Jamie for the ESSX model add your name or school to the bag, contact Jamie for costs and details.

Wait there is more! In addition to these pole, check out this product that is a new feature to the pole. It is called the ESSX Flame Pole Tip. This new ESSX tip is made of a unique engineer polymer for the World’s Premier Material Formulator, to their specifications and formed in house with a special material that has exceptional high shear and tensile strengths, this tip has unmatched resilience and balances impact without busing with no absorption or deforming. The ESSX tip has a simple design. The tip is not your everyday tip it’s shape creates a greater angle in the box to allow you to handle 2.2 to 4.4 lbs. stiffer poles. This could also allow, if all other things are equal, a higher jump. Also check out the new UST ESSX Recoil pole easier to bend and faster to return 

Top 10 Drills

Top 10 Drills

Written by Jacob Flores

Edited by Scott Powers 

1.                3-step swing up - going from a short run, normally around a three step, gripping fairly low, or higher if you can, running, getting a nice big plant, and swinging up to be parallel with the pole, making sure your bottom elbow collapses in past the pole.

2.                Cone runs - set up cones on the track or runway, setting each cone 5, 5 and half, 6 feet apart from each other, or how ever long you stride length is.  This is good practice to get the knees up, and help lengthen out your stride.  make sure to measure them out, and start small, and gradually increase the distance in between each cone.  Can be done with or without a pole.

3.                Bubka swing up drills - on a high bar, preferably one you can hang from where your feet don’t touch the ground, get a good swing going, and have a drive knee if you want to practice good form, then swing your trail leg through to get completely inverted, like in a vault.

4.                Handstands - Though handstands are difficult for some people, they are very beneficial to pole vault training.  While practicing handstands, you are developing a sense of balance, proprioception, and all of the muscles in your traps, back, shoulders, and abs.

5.                Extensions - done a high bar or gymnastic rings, these help with core strength.  You start in the ending position of a bubka, being fully inverted, holding yourself up.  Then you want to slowly lower the bottom half of your body until your legs make about a 90 degree angle with the rest of your body, then shoot back up to be fully inverted.  This takes a lot of practice, and if you are starting out, assistance is more than ok.

6.                Straight pole drills - going from a short run, anywhere from 3 to 5 lefts (or rights) and holding a little lower than normal on a big, stiff pole is a very useful drill.  When using a pole that you cannot bend to vault with, the height of the jump solely relies on you and your form.  Great to fix mistakes in technique.

7.                Pole throws - These are done standing in the field, or a grassy area.  Hold the pole upright, like you are about to start your run.  Start to drop your pole, pull your bottom arm away, and shoot your top hand straight up above your head, launching the pole forward and up.  If done well, your pole will fully rotate in the air, with the buttplug facing back towards you.  If you need help, ask a coach, or search videos on youtube.

8.                Inversions on full jumps - Many people do this in warm ups for meets, as well as practice.  Going from a full run, or even shorter, you’ll go through the vault like normal, with you run, plant, and swing up, but when you swing up, just try to get inverted as possible, and hold the position all the way down to the pit.  Practicing your inversion will help your vault tremendously.

9.                Slide box take-off drills - Using a slide box, mark up your runway with tape or chalk to simulate a runway leading up to the slide box.  You can go from any step you wish, however a full run would probably be best.  Slide box drills are great for improving your take off and building confidence, because you can put up a huge plant, and you will move the slide box.

10.            Just plain vaulting at practice -  Actively vaulting and practicing is one of the best ways to improve.  Make sure you always vault with a coach, or someone who is well trained and knows what they are doing to ensure maximum safety.

Written by Jacob Flores

Hollis hits 19

Hollis hits 19

Written by Connor Guidry   

   A huge triumph for American pole vaulting was achieved recently at a meet in Europe. Mark Hollis, 2010 National Champ, reached his goal of 5.80 meters at a meet in Liege Belgium. For those who dont know much about Mark he has been striving for that 19 foot bar for a long time and to witness him achieve it is amazing for all American vaulters. Mark's jump was a great starting point for Americans because the United States has not held a mens world record since 1976 and has had only one world champion in the past thirty years. The women have also been stumped by the jumping of Yelena Isinbayeva in the world record category. Hollis's jump was a good preview of what the next American vaulters can do. The future also looks bright with some of the collegiate athletes such as Sam Kendricks, and Jake Blankenship, however Renaud's record still stands. America is in need of another 6 meter vaulter and Hollis showed us that we are closer than it seems.

Mark Hollis

Five things that will make anyone jump higher

Five things that will make anyone jump higher

Written by Conner Guidry 

1. Your Run - The run is considered by many - one of the most important part of the vaults. A good run generates power which will allow the vaulter to get the most out of their pole. Having a good run starts with speed and form. You can gain speed by training and learning form by repetitive practice.

2. Core Strength - Good abs are not only for impressing people but also helpful for the swing or tuck in your vault. However you get vertical, a good core can help you transition from the plant to getting upside down.

3. A Strong Plant - Nothing helps a vaulter penetrate into the pit like a good plant. A plant with good form can help vaulters get on bigger poles and send them flying into the air. To help your plant the best way is to practice. Sergei Bubka did over 100 standing plants a day to increase his form and strength while planting the pole in the box

4. Making the Pole Work - Many people have had issues with different poles and different runs. The best way to help you jump higher is to identify what run with what pole will help you get the highest and that does not always mean going back farther and getting on a big pole. Sometimes a shorter approach with a certain pole can help someone better than say a run from the back of the runway

5. Confidence - Confidence is one of the most important things a vaulter needs when preparing to jump. Confidence will help any vaulter penetrate into the pit and get vertical faster and better. If you can get confident without tiring yourself out, you can jump on poles you never thought you could get on while inverting yourself to a perfect degree.

The Warehouse

   The Warehouse

Written By Scott Powers

  In the middle of the season i was becoming a "good" vaulter and sought out to find a more experienced coach. When posting a picture on Facebook a man named Jim Henderson posted saying 

"I have a 7th grader jumping 10'0" but don't let that discourage you good pole vaulting runs in his family" That kinda discouraged me - but that made me work harder. I looked up Jim Henderson online he is pretty famous in the Long island area so we decided to check him out. Jim owns a warehouse in Sachem, when you walk in to your right you see air conditioners and to your left is vaulters paradise. He has 100+ poles two pits and a outdoor runway, It's amazing what you can do in such a little space. Check him out The warehouse pole vault club with Jim Henderson! 

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Warehouse-Pole-Vault/262782277075568

 

Not Jim's poles but this is the amount of pole he has

How It all started

How it all started

Written by Scott Powers

     

   
Honestly? I never thought pole vaulting was going to be my passion until my head coach asked me what I was running. I thought of the easiest event there was (so I thought) and picked pole vaulting. My teammates told me it would be fun and really no running at all. First practice, just an intro and stuff to the sport and meeting our pole vaulting coach. He told me I would easily pass 8 feet in no time - he was right. The 1st meet was home and we had the "Home court advantage" because we live on an island the wind was blowing like crazy! I had only learned how to vault maybe 1 week before the meet. The 1st and 2nd jump I knocked that bar down but the 3rd jump I got over at 8 feet (boys standard). This opened up an entirely new world I started loving the sport. Every time I had a chance I looked up the pros learning from them and watching their jumps. I was becoming obsessed... all I can think of was the next personal record. The 2nd meet came and I was ready! I made it over 9 feet 6 inches that's two personal records because we go up by 6 inches every time you make it over. This is how it all started

At the warehouse 

At the warehouse (jumping)