For the 2008-09 Indoor Season the Patriot Pole Vault Club will be hosting indoor practices at Hit Quarters, Shrewsbury, MA. These practices are open to all male and female athletes ages 9 and up. Any skill level from brand new beginner to the high school vaulter to the collegiate athlete to the open and master's athletes. We welcome and encourage beginners - we provide a low-stress environment so athletes can learn the proper technical progressions without having the pressure of performance-based results.
Click here to register for Hit Quarters practices
Information about our Hit Quarters Indoor Practices
- What do I need to do to attend an indoor practice session?
- How much is this going to cost?
- Where are you having these practices?
- What do we do at these practices?
- What do I need to bring to the practices? Poles? Spikes?
- How? What? When? Where? Why?
What do I need to do to attend an indoor practice session?
First - we do have a packet of paperwork for you to fill out. Click here to download this packet from our website.This packet includes :
- A USATF Membership Application
- A Patriot Pole Vault Club Registration Form
- A Patriot Pole Vault Code of Conduct Form
For insurance and liability purposes USATF (USA Track and Field) membership is required of ALL of our athletes prior to working out with the club. There are NO exceptions to this rule. USATF is the national governing body for track and field in the United States and the membership covers supplementary insurance for each athlete. A year's membership in the USATF costs $19.95 for those 18 and under, $29.95 for those 19 and up and covers you until the end of the calendar year in which you sign up. If you register now before January 1, 2010, your membership is still good through December 31, 2010. You may obtain USATF membership by filling out the enclosed membership application from the packet OR (prefereably) online here. We will need proof of your USATF membership before we can allow any athlete to participate. If you sign up for USATF membership online via a credit card just print out the receipt and that will be acceptable.
All athletes & parents must also fill out and sign the Club Registration and Code of Conduct forms. Please note that filling out the registration form does not bind you to becoming a full club member. Club membership ($300 per year) gets you many benefits including reduced indoor practice fees.
Next - register for your spot at our indoor practices by filling out our Hit Quarters Indoor Practices Registration Form.
How much is this going to cost?
Each indoor practice session costs $15 for Patriot Pole Vault Club members and $25 for non-members to cover the costs of renting the facility.
Coaches, observers, parents and interested parties are invited and encouraged to attend and observe free of charge. They need not be members of the club or USATF.
Please note that it is the policy of the Patriot Pole Vault Club to allow ANYONE and EVERYONE to vault with us regardless of their ability to afford it. If you are experiencing financial difficulties and cannot afford the membership dues or session fees please talk to us - we will work out a satisfactory solution to everyone's benefit.
Where are you having these practices?
On December 14th we will begin our 3nd year of residency at Hit Quarters in Shrewsbury (Hit Quarters 3 Tennis Drive Shrewsbury MA 01545 508-842-5002) for a series of Monday evening practice sessions. The practices are from 7:30-9:30pm. The dates are :
- December 14th, 21st & 28th
- January 11th, 18th & 25th
- February 1st, 8th, 15th, 22nd
- March 1st, 15th & 22nd
What do we do at these practices?
Our philosophy is that we must learn the simple skills before attempting to combine them into more complicated skills. With that in mind, most of our vaulting at these practices is done on shorter poles, shorter grips and shorter runs to decrease the margin of error for learning the skill and to increase the number of successful attempts per workout. Only after the basic skills are learned through numerous repetitions do we progress to the more advanced skills. This is especially true during the indoor season in Massachusetts where most of our athletes are preparing for an outdoor competition schedule.
Our practices include, but are definitely NOT limited to just pole vaulting. Workouts include many of the following : *
- Improving running form, working on the approach and acceleration patterns and speed work
- Gymnastics including basic balance and body awareness exercises up to ring workouts that closely mimic the movements in the vault
- Strength training and plyometric workouts
- Dozens of supplemental technique drills and cross-training exercises
- Video analysis of you and other elite athletes
The general format for our practices includes a warmup of essential sprinting drills followed by shorter drill work on the runway. Depending on the athlete and their goals, vaulters may progress to longer 5 or 6-step or longer runs or continue working from a shorter 3 or 4-step approach. Coaches encourage ring drill work as well as other supplemental off the runway work followed by an appropriate warm-down.
What do I need to bring to the practices? Poles? Spikes?
If you have your own poles that you are comfortable with we encourage you to bring them. We do have an extensive collection of poles available for use. If you would like to use our poles we must be notified in advance which poles you will need for a given practice session (if you don't know what you need we'll be more than happy to help you out). This can be done on the Indoor Practice Confirmation Form or by contacting us.
You will also need running shoes - trainers or flats ONLY (spikes are currently NOT allowed at Hit Quarters), workout clothes, plenty of fluids to drink and some nutritious snacks if so desired. We do have access to restrooms
If you have a question that hasn't been answered here feel free to contact us via e-mail (coachdoug[at]patriotpv.com), IM (vaultngus) or phone (774-276-1617). We also post updates to our E-Mailing list which you can join here.