Accident in Oregon
Posted: Tue Apr 13, 2004 9:26 am
http://www.gazettetimes.com/articles/20 ... /prep2.txt
Lessons from a fall
Andy Cripe/Mid-Valley Sports
Crescent Valley's Tessa Johnson shares a lighter moment with coach Dave Gable.
Coaches, athletes hope pole vaulter Tessa Johnson's accident leads to increased safety awareness
By Steve Gress
Mid-Valley Sports
Kelli Greenfield had just finished vaulting and was hanging out with teammate Joan Casey as she cooled down.
The Crescent Valley High School students watched as Tessa Johnson began her pole vault attempt at the Grizzly Bear Meet in McMinnville. In an instant, they were watching in horror as Johnson came crashing to the ground, landing hard on her back, arms and head.
CV coach Dave Gable rushed to Johnson's aid, checking to see if she was breathing. She let out a guttural sound as her legs finally relaxed and fell to the ground. Then she passed out for nearly five minutes.
"I was nuts," Gable said. "I kept saying, ‘I will not leave your side.' I just wanted to give her some comfort."
Greenfield and Casey feared the worst.
"It was scary," Greenfield said. "It was instant tears. We were all like, ‘Oh gosh, she's dead.' We didn't want to walk down there because people were already starting to gather.
"But she is our teammate, so we kind of have to go there. We love her, so we want to go down there and make sure she's OK, but at the same time if she is dead, we're not sure we can handle that."
Johnson's teammates weren't the only ones affected. West Salem athletes gathered in a circle and prayed for nearly 20 minutes.
As the ambulance was getting ready to leave the field, Corvallis High senior Becca Cooper informed Gable that they would stop the competition out of respect for Johnson.
"Everyone was dismayed and stricken," Gable recalled. "It was neat to see everyone come together."
Johnson suffered a Grade 3 concussion, a bruised back, spine, hip and elbow and spent time at McMinnville Hospital. She was transferred to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland before being released the next day.
It could have been much worse.
It was the second accident of the evening. A member of the Rex Putnam boys team was injured earlier while attempting a vault.
Because of that injury, the pits were pulled forward. They were almost overhanging the box instead of being tapered away to allow the pole to bend and shoot up.
When the pits are too close, it doesn't allow for the proper angle, causing the pole to come up and hit the pits, stop rolling forward and then shoot up.
"Tessa did everything right," Gable said. "It was probably going to be her best jump because she was really vertical."
Johnson didn't know there was a problem at first, but she could quickly see she was in trouble. She took her cue from the pole and reacted the way she has been coached by Gable since middle school.
She looked down, let go of the pole and began to put her hands out in an effort to break the fall from over 10 feet up.
"Tessa's accident shouldn't have happened because it was preventable," Greenfield said. "Things like that just shouldn't happen."
At first, Johnson wasn't sure exactly what had happened. Paramedics were carefully trying to place her on a backboard to move her to the hospital. Her vision was blurry and she tried to make sense of the lights, sirens and numerous strange people around her as she made her way to the ER. It was there that Gable and Johnson, who have developed a close bond, considered never vaulting or coaching again.
Gable took six or seven years off from coaching the last time one of his athletes fell, in 1987. Then, the athlete had a cracked neck and had to wear a halo but was OK.
"I just started crying because I knew that I may never do the sport again," Johnson said, admitting she vaguely remembered telling Gable she was finished with the sport.
"I'm not going to quit. I'm still alive, and I am still healthy. God gave me the grace of still being here, so I'm not going to just give it up. I am still going to do it and stay strong. I will have to wear a helmet, but I don't care."
Johnson fell in love with the vault from the moment Gable introduced her to the sport as an eighth-grader at Cheldelin Middle School. She would go over to CV at the end of practice and get in a few vaults as often as she could.
By her sophomore year, Johnson was setting the school record with a jump of 10-6 before eventually clearing 11-0 later in the season. She has competed at the past two state meets, winning the district championship as a junior and placing second with Casey last year.
Being in the pits and on a pole have been a release throughout her last five years, an escape to the daily pressures and stresses the world can offer.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I have relied on sports to get me away from things, whether they be family issues, school issues or anything like that," Johnson said. "Pole vaulting fell right in there, and I have loved it since the day I started. It has helped me through a lot of problems with a bad relationship and other things like that."
After some rest, Johnson decided she wanted to return. She was back at practice the next day to let her teammates know she was all right.
Gable gave the team the week of spring break off to think about where they wanted to go after the accident. Did they want to get back at it, or bag it and call it a season?
"I told them I wasn't going to be at the track for spring break," Gable said. "When we came back, we went through and had a big old cry session. Everyone told what they were thinking. I think it was really healthy."
The accident was a wake-up call for the CV track team. Watching a beloved teammate nearly die will have that effect.
The team decided to continue and to try to have some good come out of Johnson's accident. They discussed making helmets mandatory for pole vaulting, hoping other teams would follow suit.
But after some discussion and investigation, it was decided that wearing helmets would be an individual choice. Most have opted not to wear them.
Helmets have several drawbacks. No certified helmet is made specifically for vaulting. Also, wearing a helmet could increase the risk of neck and spinal injuries.
"I've made sure everyone has thought about it," Greenfield said. "At this point I'm not (wearing one), but as soon as they get one out for pole vaulting, definitely. As long as it says this is for pole vaulting and I have read background on it and it will help, absolutely, but I don't really want to take the risk of injuring my spinal cord right now."
Johnson must wear a helmet when she practices or competes. She was back to practice Monday, and while it was a bit tough to get back on the pole, she was glad to be back at it.
"I made sure I didn't let any of my teammates or coaches know that I was a little bit scared, just because I don't want them freaking out," she said. "They were already freaking out enough.
"It did pass my mind, but it was, I can either let that affect me or I can push past it and not let it bother me."
Gable also organized a safety meeting with Paul Wilson, the Willamette University pole vault coach and a member of the national pole vault safety committee. Wilson traveled to Corvallis just over a week ago to discuss vaulting safety. Gable has helped put together a safety packet for the Valley League's athletic directors. It will be distributed at other meets as well.
He also has taken the 16-step safety check sheet from the 2004 National Federation of State High School Associations' safety rules. It is his captains' responsibility to make sure the pits and the area around them are up to standards.
While it could mean not competing at a meet, Greenfield said she is willing to take that chance if it will bring awareness to unsafe surroundings. She also said she hopes other teams will follow the Raiders' lead.
"Accidents like that shouldn't happen," she said. "Especially if the school's pits aren't up to code. We shouldn't be vaulting on them, but they should be up to code.
"For them, even in practice, it could happen if they aren't up to code. I would love it if everyone just kind of had this big sweep across Oregon for safety."
The vault is safe when precautions are taken. Gable said the key is safe and proper equipment, a coach who knows the sport and good pole selection.
"I think to a certain extent everyone has taken more of an interest in (safety)," Greenfield said. "I've always been kind of aware of it just because I love the pole vault and I want to make sure I know everything that is going on.
"Everyone who pole vaults knows the dangers when they start, or at least they should, and if they don't, someone needs to have a discussion with them and say, ‘Look, this is what can happen.'
"If you love something enough you are going to take the risk."
Gable said he hopes something positive comes out of what could have been a tragic accident.
"I think from Tessa's horrible accident, actually there is some good coming from it," he said. "We will be better because of this accident. We will be so safety-oriented that this will never happen again because of the over-exaggerated measures we are taking.
"A great thing will live on from Tessa. A lot of things should live on from her.
Lessons from a fall
Andy Cripe/Mid-Valley Sports
Crescent Valley's Tessa Johnson shares a lighter moment with coach Dave Gable.
Coaches, athletes hope pole vaulter Tessa Johnson's accident leads to increased safety awareness
By Steve Gress
Mid-Valley Sports
Kelli Greenfield had just finished vaulting and was hanging out with teammate Joan Casey as she cooled down.
The Crescent Valley High School students watched as Tessa Johnson began her pole vault attempt at the Grizzly Bear Meet in McMinnville. In an instant, they were watching in horror as Johnson came crashing to the ground, landing hard on her back, arms and head.
CV coach Dave Gable rushed to Johnson's aid, checking to see if she was breathing. She let out a guttural sound as her legs finally relaxed and fell to the ground. Then she passed out for nearly five minutes.
"I was nuts," Gable said. "I kept saying, ‘I will not leave your side.' I just wanted to give her some comfort."
Greenfield and Casey feared the worst.
"It was scary," Greenfield said. "It was instant tears. We were all like, ‘Oh gosh, she's dead.' We didn't want to walk down there because people were already starting to gather.
"But she is our teammate, so we kind of have to go there. We love her, so we want to go down there and make sure she's OK, but at the same time if she is dead, we're not sure we can handle that."
Johnson's teammates weren't the only ones affected. West Salem athletes gathered in a circle and prayed for nearly 20 minutes.
As the ambulance was getting ready to leave the field, Corvallis High senior Becca Cooper informed Gable that they would stop the competition out of respect for Johnson.
"Everyone was dismayed and stricken," Gable recalled. "It was neat to see everyone come together."
Johnson suffered a Grade 3 concussion, a bruised back, spine, hip and elbow and spent time at McMinnville Hospital. She was transferred to Oregon Health & Science University in Portland before being released the next day.
It could have been much worse.
It was the second accident of the evening. A member of the Rex Putnam boys team was injured earlier while attempting a vault.
Because of that injury, the pits were pulled forward. They were almost overhanging the box instead of being tapered away to allow the pole to bend and shoot up.
When the pits are too close, it doesn't allow for the proper angle, causing the pole to come up and hit the pits, stop rolling forward and then shoot up.
"Tessa did everything right," Gable said. "It was probably going to be her best jump because she was really vertical."
Johnson didn't know there was a problem at first, but she could quickly see she was in trouble. She took her cue from the pole and reacted the way she has been coached by Gable since middle school.
She looked down, let go of the pole and began to put her hands out in an effort to break the fall from over 10 feet up.
"Tessa's accident shouldn't have happened because it was preventable," Greenfield said. "Things like that just shouldn't happen."
At first, Johnson wasn't sure exactly what had happened. Paramedics were carefully trying to place her on a backboard to move her to the hospital. Her vision was blurry and she tried to make sense of the lights, sirens and numerous strange people around her as she made her way to the ER. It was there that Gable and Johnson, who have developed a close bond, considered never vaulting or coaching again.
Gable took six or seven years off from coaching the last time one of his athletes fell, in 1987. Then, the athlete had a cracked neck and had to wear a halo but was OK.
"I just started crying because I knew that I may never do the sport again," Johnson said, admitting she vaguely remembered telling Gable she was finished with the sport.
"I'm not going to quit. I'm still alive, and I am still healthy. God gave me the grace of still being here, so I'm not going to just give it up. I am still going to do it and stay strong. I will have to wear a helmet, but I don't care."
Johnson fell in love with the vault from the moment Gable introduced her to the sport as an eighth-grader at Cheldelin Middle School. She would go over to CV at the end of practice and get in a few vaults as often as she could.
By her sophomore year, Johnson was setting the school record with a jump of 10-6 before eventually clearing 11-0 later in the season. She has competed at the past two state meets, winning the district championship as a junior and placing second with Casey last year.
Being in the pits and on a pole have been a release throughout her last five years, an escape to the daily pressures and stresses the world can offer.
"Ever since I was a little girl, I have relied on sports to get me away from things, whether they be family issues, school issues or anything like that," Johnson said. "Pole vaulting fell right in there, and I have loved it since the day I started. It has helped me through a lot of problems with a bad relationship and other things like that."
After some rest, Johnson decided she wanted to return. She was back at practice the next day to let her teammates know she was all right.
Gable gave the team the week of spring break off to think about where they wanted to go after the accident. Did they want to get back at it, or bag it and call it a season?
"I told them I wasn't going to be at the track for spring break," Gable said. "When we came back, we went through and had a big old cry session. Everyone told what they were thinking. I think it was really healthy."
The accident was a wake-up call for the CV track team. Watching a beloved teammate nearly die will have that effect.
The team decided to continue and to try to have some good come out of Johnson's accident. They discussed making helmets mandatory for pole vaulting, hoping other teams would follow suit.
But after some discussion and investigation, it was decided that wearing helmets would be an individual choice. Most have opted not to wear them.
Helmets have several drawbacks. No certified helmet is made specifically for vaulting. Also, wearing a helmet could increase the risk of neck and spinal injuries.
"I've made sure everyone has thought about it," Greenfield said. "At this point I'm not (wearing one), but as soon as they get one out for pole vaulting, definitely. As long as it says this is for pole vaulting and I have read background on it and it will help, absolutely, but I don't really want to take the risk of injuring my spinal cord right now."
Johnson must wear a helmet when she practices or competes. She was back to practice Monday, and while it was a bit tough to get back on the pole, she was glad to be back at it.
"I made sure I didn't let any of my teammates or coaches know that I was a little bit scared, just because I don't want them freaking out," she said. "They were already freaking out enough.
"It did pass my mind, but it was, I can either let that affect me or I can push past it and not let it bother me."
Gable also organized a safety meeting with Paul Wilson, the Willamette University pole vault coach and a member of the national pole vault safety committee. Wilson traveled to Corvallis just over a week ago to discuss vaulting safety. Gable has helped put together a safety packet for the Valley League's athletic directors. It will be distributed at other meets as well.
He also has taken the 16-step safety check sheet from the 2004 National Federation of State High School Associations' safety rules. It is his captains' responsibility to make sure the pits and the area around them are up to standards.
While it could mean not competing at a meet, Greenfield said she is willing to take that chance if it will bring awareness to unsafe surroundings. She also said she hopes other teams will follow the Raiders' lead.
"Accidents like that shouldn't happen," she said. "Especially if the school's pits aren't up to code. We shouldn't be vaulting on them, but they should be up to code.
"For them, even in practice, it could happen if they aren't up to code. I would love it if everyone just kind of had this big sweep across Oregon for safety."
The vault is safe when precautions are taken. Gable said the key is safe and proper equipment, a coach who knows the sport and good pole selection.
"I think to a certain extent everyone has taken more of an interest in (safety)," Greenfield said. "I've always been kind of aware of it just because I love the pole vault and I want to make sure I know everything that is going on.
"Everyone who pole vaults knows the dangers when they start, or at least they should, and if they don't, someone needs to have a discussion with them and say, ‘Look, this is what can happen.'
"If you love something enough you are going to take the risk."
Gable said he hopes something positive comes out of what could have been a tragic accident.
"I think from Tessa's horrible accident, actually there is some good coming from it," he said. "We will be better because of this accident. We will be so safety-oriented that this will never happen again because of the over-exaggerated measures we are taking.
"A great thing will live on from Tessa. A lot of things should live on from her.
