Expense, risk contribute to lack of participation (IN)

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http://www.thestarpress.com/apps/pbcs.d ... 00340/1006

Expense, risk contribute to lack of schools participating in pole vault

By TROY MEZERA

tmezera@muncie.gannett.com


Pole vaulting is in its second year as a scoring event in Indiana girls' track and field, but the event is largely ignored in East Central Indiana.

Central, Delta, New Castle and Shenandoah are the only schools in The Star Press coverage area (19 schools) that participate in the high-flying event.

The main reasons for diminished participation -- expense, expertise and lack of interest.

February 23, 2002

Kevin Dare, a sophomore at Penn State in 2002, died when he hit his head on the box where he had planted his pole just seconds earlier.

An experienced vaulter, Dare brought to light the fact that vaulters risk personal safety every time they go up on their pole.

Dare's death added fuel to the fire that pole vaulting pits, including the pads, must get bigger to better protect the athletes.

Expense

Pads, poles and standards necessary to compete in pole vaulting can cost $10,000 or more.

Some pits on Internet sites cost more than $20,000.

Poles can cost between $200-$600, and each pole can only hold a certain weight.

Schools with limited athletic budgets can easily run into problems when an athlete gains weight.

Schools that have both male and female participants can struggle having poles that fit each individual.

"It's all about liability," Central girls' coach Tara Gudger said. "The poles have to be up to standard, and the kids even have to weigh in before the bigger meets."

Central's Alyson parks weighs around 115 pounds but is using a 140-pound pole that the boys' team already had.

Lack of interest

Nearly every athletic director in East Central Indiana said there was not enough interest or no interest at all in pole vaulting at their schools.

Some said one or two kids mentioned a willingness to try the event, but decisions have been made to spend budget money elsewhere.

"We purchased new pits, and the very next year the pole vaulter from Penn State died," said Tom Lyon, Southside's athletic director. "It didn't make a lot of sense to upgrade and spend around $12,000 for one event.

"There might be a small interest here, but it's a huge expense."

Schools such as Southside have completely ripped out the pits and no longer have the facilities to vault.

The schools that do participate said they wanted their athletes, as well as those from visiting schools, to be able to pole vault.

"We are glad that other schools and their vaulters can have the opportunity (to pole vault) when they are here," Shenandoah athletic director Rick Penn said.

Expertise

When you are 7 feet in the air or higher, you want to know what you are doing.

The problem remains that not many coaches know much about pole vault, and the ones that do know some aren't always comfortable teaching proper technique to the athletes.

Delta athletic director Mike Jones said that John Shunk, father of U.S. National Indoor High Jump Champion Adam Shunk, is "fighting like crazy to keep the pole vault around."

Shunk works with Central's vaulters and also keeps an eye on the Delta vaulters when he can.

"My main goal is to promote the sport," Shunk said. "I am kind of concerned where it's going. I think part of the reason (for the decline in participation) is that not too many people know about it."

Shunk said that safety isn't nearly the issue people might assume it is because he spends countless hours working on the techniques and fundamentals of vaulting before the kids get into the air.

Athletes work on steps, alignment, speed and arm angle before trying to clear the bar.

Contact sports reporter Troy Mezera at 213-5816.

Pole vaulting
East Central Indiana schools (15 of 19 schools do not pole vault):

Yes - Central, Delta, New Castle, Shenandoah

No - Blackford, Blue River, Burris, Cowan, Daleville, Jay County, Monroe Central, Randolph Southern, Southside, Union, Union City, Wapahani, Wes-Del, Winchester, Yorktown