About the Club
Our Philosophy and Goals
Our club is part of an effort to promote pole vault and to educate athletes and coaches in a way that allows for safety and success to go hand-in-hand. Our year-round training allows us to let the athletes progress naturally at their own comfort level without having to ‘rush’ in preparation for meets. We stress step-by-step skill progressions with a safety first motto. Our vaulters are not allowed to progress to higher handgrips and longer poles without mastering the basic techniques. It is our hope that in teaching athletes and coaches the proper progressions in a low-stress environment that the vaulter can maximize their potential without feeling the pressure of meet-based performances. Our competitions are with crossbars – not with other vaulters. Learn more about our practices, as well as how to schedule a practice, on our Practice Information page.
One of the best things about the club is the atmosphere. Because we have athletes and coaches from so many different schools, the club provides opportunities to create friendships that transcend the usual school and team boundaries. Those friendships help to create a positive, cooperative experience for everybody.
We are also proud of the fact that we have numerous coaches and mentors on our staff to help teach at each session. While we all share the same general training philosophy, there are always different ways of explaining the same idea.
With that in mind our club and our athletes have several goals.
As a club we hope to:
- Promote pole vault in a positive manner
- Introduce pole vault to new athletes, coaches, and schools
- Mentor new pole vault coaches
- Have our experienced athletes mentor younger athletes
- Supplement high school programs and coaches
- Provide opportunities for athletes whose schools do not offer the pole vault
- Provide access to poles
- Make pole vault a fun and challenging experience
- Help athletes translate their success on the runway into success in other areas of their lives
- Support all athletes in their quest to become better vaulters and better people
And it is our hope for each athlete to:
- Learn about the physics and mechanics of the vault
- Master basic and advanced drill progressions for themselves and to teach others
- Improve their physical and mental fitness
- Challenge themselves to the utmost of their abilities
- Not be afraid to try new things
- Vault up to their goals and capabilities
- Become a knowledgeable fan of the sport
- Ask questions and communicate with the other athletes, mentors and coaches
- Foster a sense of camaraderie amongst ourselves and others
- Have fun vaulting and interacting with an awesome group of people
Who Can Participate?
The Patriot Pole Vault Club is an open club – all male and female athletes of any skill level ages 10 and up are eligible to participate. We do allow younger athletes if they show they can handle the physical and mental stresses of the event and the club practice routines. 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. Visit our Membership Information Page to learn more about our membership and fees.
