PoleVaultPower.com

Cpvault wrote:Thank you Lon. Typically, I express such opinions on this site and immediately I'm attacked. So, I'm glad you said it first. You're right, 13 or 17 is too low for things to be paid for. But, if you are paying for the women and not the men, it just doesn't seem right. When did a 13 foot vaulter become more interesting for fans, than someone jumping 17 feet? Is it when the element of sex became involved? (I'm not exactly talking about the gender). Regardless, you are having trouble getting men in the event because they are being treated as SECOND CLASS ATHLETES.
Trust me, I love watching the women vault; in addition, they saved many high school programs by being able to compete in the vault back in the 90's. But my point still stands, emerging elite men will continue to feel slighted when events like the Simplot Games keep treating us like . . . well I've said it before.

It's not that we are trying to make anyone feel like a second class athlete.We could only get money from simplot for the Women, because they have had the women jump many times in the past and great things have happend (Stacy Broke the World Record two years in a Row on the same runway) We have never tried it with the men before and we are trying to introduce it into the meet. If it goes well, you never know, maybe next year the Simplot people will not be as cheap. But the way things are looking right now, we might not be able to have a mens vault do to lack of a field. I know that it sucks to be a male vaulter in the US when it comes to money, and being an emerging elite is very financially pressing. We just wanted to promote the mens and womens vault this year, and put on a good show for the fans.

Now who sounds like the anal engineer - gee whiz batman - how the metric equivalent

Don't get me wrong, everyone appreciates what you guys are doing. Its all about spreading the enthusiasm. Too bad its not closer, because I know alot of people who would go for that cause. Start small with it, you don't exactly have to pay everyones way to get a field, I guarantee even small prise money would make a huge difference in the field size. I hope it works out for you guys. Good Luck. Lon

It's not that we are trying to make anyone feel like a second class athlete.We could only get money from simplot for the Women, because they have had the women jump many times in the past and great things have happend (Stacy Broke the World Record two years in a Row on the same runway) We have never tried it with the men before and we are trying to introduce it into the meet. If it goes well, you never know, maybe next year the Simplot people will not be as cheap. But the way things are looking right now, we might not be able to have a mens vault do to lack of a field. I know that it sucks to be a male vaulter in the US when it comes to money, and being an emerging elite is very financially pressing. We just wanted to promote the mens and womens vault this year, and put on a good show for the fans.[/quote]

Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking anyone personally. What I'am attacking are meets like Simplot (and their promoters) for this growing trend. I think Lon had a good point: offer prize money (men's and women's) instead of paying the way for all of the women. I'm sure that would attract a quality field of vaulters for both genders. Yet, I regress to my original comment: Isn't is funny how the pole vault has changed in the U.S.? So quickly at that.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not attacking anyone personally. What I'am attacking are meets like Simplot (and their promoters) for this growing trend. I think Lon had a good point: offer prize money (men's and women's) instead of paying the way for all of the women. I'm sure that would attract a quality field of vaulters for both genders. Yet, I regress to my original comment: Isn't is funny how the pole vault has changed in the U.S.? So quickly at that.

I agree but I don't think that it is funny, I think it sucks. The mens vault has lost so much attention over the years. I think that it is good that the womens vault is up and running in full force, and I think that without the womens vault the mens vault would have been even worse off then it is. But it is harder to find paid events in the US for male vaulters than it is for females. There are many different reasons for this, as we have all read and discussed before, but it still sucks.

....I think that part of the money issue for the Simplot people funding the women and not the men is that USATF womens developement is also backing it.

And the women don't get their way paid to NAPVA... it's all about how the people in charge choose to spend the money.

rainbowgirl28 wrote:And the women don't get their way paid to NAPVA... it's all about how the people in charge choose to spend the money.

When Steve did NAPVA, he did not get any of his trips paid for either (except reno) I don't think Frailey pays travel in NAPVA, just winnings.

The male winner of the USATF Development Championship meet gets their trip to Clovis paid for by Fraley. I think they have to jump a certain height (a 10' guy isn't going to go) and I think there is a limit to how much of the trip is covered.

That's the way it is supposed to work, doesn't always mean it does. Some chairmen don't hold a championship for their region.

You're right; no trips are paid, only winnings at the end of the circuit.

OK I know for a fact they get their hotel rooms paid for at Clovis. I saw that one...

A hotel for SELECTED athletes may be paid for. But $40-$60 is not much toward paying for someone's travel. In addition, hotels are not paid for at every meet. At Clovis they want to get the best quality field because of the show type atmosphere involved.

I should have said NAPVA Championships... I was just talking about Clovis. My point was that Nielson doesn't get money from USATF to spend on the men, so it's not fair to complain that they don't have money to spend on men for this Simplot exhibition.

They people in charge of the exhibition would have to go get sponsors and stuff. Maybe they didn't plan this far enough in advance to do that this year. I dunno.