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Based on my previous post it doesn't look like there are too many home grown indoor vaulting facilities around the country. After taking the poll please feel free to post the location you feel needs this type facility and the number of highschool pole vaulters you believe will attend on a weekly basis.

I said other, my reason is that, I believe high schools should build facilities but some areas just can't build a facility , THe college I attend has a high school next door, so my thoughts are local colleges and high schools should try to make deals to give the high schoolers a place to vault at , but something has to be done so it isn't a one sided relationship. Clubs are hard to start, waivers, fees, and other expenses, liabilites are difficult steps to go through so using existing facilities and schools are ways I think that would work.

I think the club option in this area is the best senerio. In the northeast and northern midwest an HS indoor facility may be more of an option because they have more of an indoor season. However the WIAA has to remove restrictions to make it more feasable. The problem myself and Dick Henry have run into is even though it is a club and open to all athletes from any school. Athletes you coach during the season cann't attend. I feel like an idiot when I compete in an indoor meet and cann't say "boo" to one of my athletes b/c they could get disqualified from the state meet for being coached (even if you are a club coach) out of season.

It's one thing if this policy was upheld accross the board at the HS level. But, basketball, soccor, and volleyball don't seem to have as stingent a rule.

We need one in San Marcos. We do our best outdoors, and yes, Texas has pretty good weather most of the year, but it does rain and flood a lot in the fall, the wind isn't always good in many places, and 100+ degrees with no shade for most of July and August. I have anywhere between 50 and 100 people training with me now, and would probably double that number if I could offer an indoor facility. Just need the cash!

we need a club badly in south eastern michigan all we have are nearby colleges that we arent supposed to be in and oran mitchels club that is over 2 and a half hours away.

vaulter894 wrote:I said other, my reason is that, I believe high schools should build facilities but some areas just can't build a facility , THe college I attend has a high school next door, so my thoughts are local colleges and high schools should try to make deals to give the high schoolers a place to vault at , but something has to be done so it isn't a one sided relationship. Clubs are hard to start, waivers, fees, and other expenses, liabilites are difficult steps to go through so using existing facilities and schools are ways I think that would work.

I think that formost schools its just not practical to build an indoor facility. I know my school for one coudl never afford it, although track is by far the most sucessful sports team at my school, the athletic budget wouldnt allow for that, especially sicne theres a billion other thigns that need attentrion first, like maybe a track thats not full of potholes? or a runway that doesnt have a 6" dip right before the box would be nice too.. But anyway i agree with the idea of colleges letting hs kids practice there. Me and another hs vaulter on this board practice at one of the big colleges around here 3-4 days a week, and that works out wonderfully. But the only reason we got this deal is because one of the vaulters there offered to coach me over the summer, and we (the 2 hs vaulters) jump high enough that were all more training partners than people to look after, so to speak. So then the thing with using a college indoor facility is youd have to find people to coach/supervise the kids using it, and im guessing in most cases the college would want somethign in return. I think it is a good idea to spread though, if coaches would take the time and effort to arrange such a thing.

vaulter870 wrote:we need a club badly in south eastern michigan all we have are nearby colleges that we arent supposed to be in and oran mitchels club that is over 2 and a half hours away.

haha nice timing chris, but yeah i dont think it'd hurt to have a club down here either

Some colleges might not have the time available to let high school kids use the vaulting setup.

At Lindenwood we vault in the gym. It is the only gym for the whole school. It can be divided into 3 sections, so there are usually other sports practicing while we practice. The school will not let anyone practice in the gym before 3, and we fight for time with Cheerleading (it's a competitive sport at my school), Men's Volleyball, Women's Volleyball, Men's Basketball, Women's Basketball, Wrestling, and probably a few others I am forgetting.

We do alright, but I know our administration would not let any high schoolers use the facility right now. There are probably other colleges that are in a similar situation with their gyms or fieldhouses.

There are 12 indoor facilities (not an all inclusive list) in Eastern Massachusetts within I'd say a 40 min drive of eachother. Not one (except for one on a limited basis b/c the club coach coaches the college vaulters) allows highschool pole vaulters to practice.

I think this is the most reasonable, least feasible option...just try getting past the political red tape engrained in most college facilities.

There's only like 2 high school indoor facilities in Central Mass (Shrewsbury, and Fitchburg)