nolevault wrote:Last, but not least, choose a school where the coach has the same beliefs in the vault as you do. Ask questions regarding their philosophy. Why should you learn to vault all over again just because the coach doesn't like something you're doing.
Here are some things to think about discussing with the coach:
What they do during fall training?
- When do practices start?
- When do they actually start vaulting?
- What kind of running/lifting/gymnastics stuff do they do in the fall?
- What do they do once they start vaulting? Drills? Short run? What kind of progression do they do from short run to long run?
What happens if you are hurt?
- What kind of athletic training facilities do they have?
- What would happen to your scholarship if you were hurt and missed all or most of the season?
- Or what if you had an injury that let you compete but kept you from doing your best?
How long of a run will they want you to compete from?
Do they like to use bungees or crossbars in practice?
What happens if you need a pole they don't have? Does their budget allow for mid season pole purchases (like if you make a lot of improvement and are on bigger poles than expected)
Also, ask these questions to the kids on the team too. See if their answers line up with the coach's.
Now whether or not you want a coach with a similar or different style than your high school coach is another matter. It's going to be totally different for everyone...
As a general answer I would say that if you enjoy your current stlye of coaching, and feel like you have a lot more room for improvement, you should probably look for a coach who has the same philosophy.
If you feel like you are about as good as you are going get with the current style of coaching, you should probably look for something different (if you think it will help of course).
If you get a coach with a different philosophy, it may suck at first. They may completely change your vault. This is part of why many vaulters do not improve much their first year. This is frustrating, but worth it if you think it will help you be the best vaulter you can be. Down the road you may jump a lot higher.
If you get a coach wth the same philosophy it will probably be an easier transition. If it's a good philosophy you should continue to improve.
I hope some of this helps all you high schoolers!
. And I have another question to throw out there, some of y'all have already answered it but:
