weighing athletes??

[dheldr01]

In a state where you are not required to weigh athletes but know or question someones liability on a pole how do you challenge it at a high school level or do you ignore it. I saw 2 kids last night coming close to snapping their poles. I offered to lend them any of my poles and 1 athlete did and greatly improved his bend. The other declined and continued to make me gasp with every jump. This is a huge safety concern with me as I do not want to see another athlete snap their pole with their head above the box. But at what point and how do you question/challenge it. I'm not a pv expert but I know yanking the pole down towards the ground on a pole 30lbs belowe your weight is not a good thing

Thank you

[rainbowgirl28]

Check your state's rules about the requirements, usually the coach and sometimes the AD have to sign something verifying weight. If the PV coach is unwilling to do anything (or if they don't have a PV coach), speak with the head coach and tell him you are concerned about the safety of the vaulters. The weight rating is not so much the issue, they could be overbending poles over their weight.

Unfortunately, the HS rules don't let you DO anything about it, but by bringing up the safety issues with higher ups at the school, you can at least try.

[dheldr01]

I know its possible to overbend on poles above your weight, and most athletes that do that are receptive or knowledgable enough to know how to fix the probelm, MOST. But the majority of athletes I see doing this have no idea and think that bending the pole more is a good thing, as do many coaches in my area. Many may be an overstate but just 1 is too much with so much at risk. And I know form is as big of a factor as weight ratings. I just thought having an athletes weight challenge may force him to move to a pole better suited for him/her. I always carry a nice selection of poles to our meets to offer athletes in these situations as well my advice.

Our state doesn't require us to weigh vaulters and I cant find anything that states how to challenge a vaulters weight. Here in mi we just inspect poles and get a coaches signature.

[rainbowgirl28]

Our state doesn't require us to weigh vaulters and I cant find anything that states how to challenge a vaulters weight. Here in mi we just inspect poles and get a coaches signature.

I don't know of any states that have the ability to challenge, unless the pole the vaulter used does not match what the coach signed for. If they are going to weigh them, they weigh them all before the meet, there should never be a selective weighing of kids mid-meet.

[dheldr01]

Yes you are right. Weighing mid meet would be like the coach waiting for an athlete to jump before telling her about the bracelet rule.

How would you recommend telling a coach or athlete mid meet what they are doing or saying is encouraging the athlete to snap a pole and at what point do you feel ethically obligated to not let a high athlete whose more than likely a minor continue to jump for fear of a serious injury?

That's off topic and I am not looking to jump into any kind of argument with a coach/official/athlete. But I've seen this behavior far too many times and feel chastised for mentioning anything, but fearful and guilty when I don't say anything.

Does anyone know the answer to this ethical question?

[IndyCoach]

I disagree with comparing the weighing to the bracelet thing. Weighing a vaulter is about safety where as the bracelet is about a stupid rule that doesn't allow fabric jewelry for safety reasons, yet require an athlete to wear safety pins to hold their number on...
I am a HS coach and I have allowed beginners to jump on poles below their weight to teach proper technique as they are usually not holding at the top of poles, but as soon as they start bending with proper take off the begin moving up through the pole sets. I know Coach Bell does a similar thing and I think it can be done as long as the vault caoch is activily watching the workout. Indiana requires coaches to sign off on the weight of their vaulters in teh state series with only the State meet being aloud to weigh in vaulters. our conference meet they weigh in the vaulters and I am always shocked at the number of vulaters jumping on poles below their weight.

I would like to see pole builders come up with multiple weight poles where they are tested at say one foot increments with label markers at each spot. Have say a a 14' 150 and at 13' it would have another band that says 140 and at 12' it would say 150. That may be over generalized, but it might allow for schools that struggle with getting new poles to get one pole and use it for multiple kids at multiple weights...