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i was just wondering, last year was my freshmen year at Uconn, and i did horrible, not so much horrible i just actually started training i gained 30 pounds from lifting and everything and got bumped to the 16s my body weight was so off to what i was normally used to so i couldnt rock back or anything but this year i have made a complete 180 im comin off the top of the pole a lot better gettin 16 off the 15s from a short aproach, which is nice im just wondering if anyone else had that problem, because i was pretty depressed , what are some of your stories from freshmen year to sophomore year.

my sophomore year saw the complete transition from mild-mannered division III vaulter to complete and utter headcase. Hopefully Jake the Snake's will be a little better :-)

I lifted alot my first three years and put on 30-35 lbs and vaulted like crap for three and a half years

I'm starting my second year too at southern maine (although my hometown is down the road from UCONN), i know how you felt last year. you seem to be making technical progress but the heights aren't much more than a foot or two better. this year i came back right where i left off and things look like they could be great this season. Then again i could get into head games and fall apart. The biggest thing I've found is that pole vaulting is a mental event, 90% mental 20% physical.

When are you opening your season?
we start up at Northeastern on Dec. 6

Our first indoor meet is on jan 10th at yale, so we have a little ways to go but then we dont stop until like may, so its a work out over the next semester, i cant wait to jump i have been doin a lot better than last year got my weight under control, opening up around 15 15 3 and have been doin pretty well, i know what to expect like i did last year, but im still a little nervous for some reason. i just cant wait to get some heights under my belt

uh-o...... i put on 30 pounds this summer by liftin a TON...... so thats gonna mess up my vaulting now ??

my freshman year i improved by 9 inches indoors, but outdoors did not go so well. sophomore year i improved 6 inches indoors and then didnt pr until the last meet of the year when i pr'd by 25 cm. i was a lot more consistant my sophomore year and peaked at the end of the season rather than in the middle. freshman year was more of a learning experience.

mcminkz05 wrote::eek: uh-o...... i put on 30 pounds this summer by liftin a TON...... so thats gonna mess up my vaulting now ??

Not if you maintain your speed and flexibility. One side effect of getting stronger is putting on wieght. As long as you can stay fast and flexible, your body and brain should adapt.

i put on 30 pounds in a few months, from never having lifted, weights did a toll on my body. my pr out of high school was 15'3 and i got lucky a few times in indoor and went 5.10m (16'8.75") then the length of the season caught up with me and never got higher than 5m in a decathlon and 5.05m at regionals. but last year wasn't all about clearing higher bars. i was just learning the event. i got away with bad form my whole career cause i'm tall and fast, so when i got on big poles (16'1 200lbs) i got my stuff handed to me. but this years looks to be a huge improvement, i'm taller, stronger, faster, heavier, and more flexible and i understand most of the take-off dynamics my coach has been beating me in the head with. good luck to all the other sophmores.

ashcraftpv wrote:

mcminkz05 wrote::eek: uh-o...... i put on 30 pounds this summer by liftin a TON...... so thats gonna mess up my vaulting now ??

Not if you maintain your speed and flexibility. One side effect of getting stronger is putting on wieght. As long as you can stay fast and flexible, your body and brain should adapt.

well thats good, necause after i got bigger i actually gained speed. i dont think flexibility has really changed... But hopefully being a ton stronger will help!

I was a freshman in a new state at a new school(obviously) and my season went from being a 12-9 vaulter out of high school to someone who couldnt even vault 10 feet. But since then I have transfered from Western Oregon University up to my home state and the school i should have started at in the first place and during summer practice i shot back up and went up to 14 in a matter of a few practices.

Now that I am injuryed i am doing what ever i can to help myself get better so i can possibly kick some a** during this next outdoor season.

This will be my sophmore year and ive put in alot of hardwork, i guess i will see if it pays off or not. Last year was horrible had a cc coach as the head coach. This year we have pv savy Coach Phillips from Johnson County, he is awesome So me and brandon look to improve on our current 16ft pr's. If we dont we suck! Thats how good a coach Phillips is.