What do college coaches look for?

[pv cowgirl]

hey yall

when college coaches look scout for vaulters what exactly do they look for? i vault with this girl at school and the coaches always ask about her . yeah i would understand if she had a higher pr but i vault higher than her by a good bit and have better form (even my coach says so ). she is taller than me and a year older but the coaches don't know how old she is untill they ask ? so what is it that intrests them? i'm not jelouse or anything i just want to know what i would have to do to get offered a scholorship or somthing like that!

[AVC Coach]

I think college coaches do a little more homework than you realize.

I'm sure several factors are dependent on the strength of their conference, and what they think it will take to be competitive.

Obvious qualities would be speed, athleticism, size (height, weight), attitude, and of course, PRs.

Also, one of the first questions a college recruiter asks is "How's his/her grades, and what did he/she make on the SAT/ACT?"

Hope this helps a little. I'm just a high school coach, but I've had several vaulters go to college on scholarships.

[*TigerVault*]

This is really late but...ive been talkin to coaches lately and seems to me that they also concentrate alot on experience. Like even tho you jump higher than someone by abit but they have a year or so more jumpin time in ... that may be what they look at. So has she been vaulting longer?

[polevaultdad]

One obvious point is that she is s year older. That means she will contribute sooner to a college program...and there are rules about contacts based on class/year in school.

So maybe they are asking now about her and next year it will be your turn.

Second, don't get caught up in the recruiting wars. I know a girl that was #1 in California, #5 in the US, but only got recruited by out of state schools. The girls she beat consistantly for 2+ years got scholarship offers to local/prestigious schools. She was a late arrival on the scene, did not get coached by anyone in the inner circle. They got books or tuition only, she got a full ride out of state.

Third, go up to one of the coaches you recognize and introduce yourself. Show them that you have a personality and are interested in vaulting in college. It is not a violation is you approach them. They can talk and give advice. Learn as much as you cana nd start contacting your schools of choice now. If they have money, they may set some aside for you. Some have spent their allotted money and have to wait. Some don't spend money on vaulters because they only score in one event (UMiami is that way). Some don't have a dedicated coach to handle more than a few girls. Every place is different, so do some looking around. Talk to girls at your meets. Network, it will make you feel better about your chances.