How did you get into pv?

[BethelPV]

In 7th grade our track coach asked who was daring enough to try to vault. Me and a friend Chad Bison said we would. He was better than me through middle school, and then he played baseball when we got to high school, so I was alone with the coaching. It was a great thing, and eventually led me to be state champion this past year, and a high school PR of 16'4.75" What a grand time it has been, and looking forward to many years to come!

Zachmo

[bvpv07]

i've been learning to leave the gymnast mindset behind and be a TRACK athlete.

I really had to work hard last year to get through this. It's crazy because you don't think that it is that much of a problem, but it really is. Now I have to work really hard just to try not to think only of what I did wrong when I vault but try to also think of something that I did right or some improvement that I made and try to be happy because of it. Even now my coach always has to remind me to smile when I make a big improvement because I won't acknowledge it otherwise.

[achtungpv]

In 6th grade, our school tested us in every sport for the next year so the 7th grade coaches wouldn't have to spend much time figuring out who would be the QB in football, etc. Our HS head track coach was also the 6th grade PE coach, so we spent an extra amount of time on track learning each event. I was the only one to clear a bar that year...7'.

[GirlPoleVaulter87]

Now I have to work really hard just to try not to think only of what I did wrong when I vault but try to also think of something that I did right or some improvement that I made and try to be happy because of it. Even now my coach always has to remind me to smile when I make a big improvement because I won't acknowledge it otherwise.

Wow. Couldn't have said it better myself. So many times when the coach would say: "That was good, you are allowed to smile" As gymnasts we are so used to being tough and emotionless. I love Pv how u are allowed to be happy! Actually... it is essential!

[Skyin' Brian]

Now I have to work really hard just to try not to think only of what I did wrong when I vault but try to also think of something that I did right or some improvement that I made and try to be happy because of it. Even now my coach always has to remind me to smile when I make a big improvement because I won't acknowledge it otherwise.

Wow. Couldn't have said it better myself. So many times when the coach would say: "That was good, you are allowed to smile" As gymnasts we are so used to being tough and emotionless. I love Pv how u are allowed to be happy! Actually... it is essential!

its reasons like that why i cant understand why men's gymnastics isnt more popular than women's it just seems more fun to watch and to do than the women's sport. maybe i would enjoy it more if some of them made it past puberty

[GirlPoleVaulter87]

Yes, It is nearly impossible for a competetive gymnast to make it past high school without being mentally or physically broken. The sport requires a tiny body, at least 30 hours a week of practice, little if any social life outside of your "gym girls".

It is easier to notice your accomplishments in polevault. You can rejoice over a new personal best (even though you can always think of things to do better)
But in gymnastics, you are judged and given a score out of 10.0. You will finish a routine, hate yourself, and you and your coach will pick apart every little thing you did wrong. You will probably completely disregard anything you did well. Its very unforgiving and you can only take it for so long. (13 years and a fractured L5 for me).

[bvpv07]

You will finish a routine, hate yourself, and you and your coach will pick apart every little thing you did wrong. You will probably completely disregard anything you did well.

Sorry to keep going on this, but it is sooo true. The day after a meet at practice I can always remember that my floor coach (who was also a judge and former gymnast) having a notepad with all of our deductions on it, and she would literally sit us all down and only discuss what we had done wrong in our routines. Then, we would have to do an insane amount of whatever we had done wrong over again. I can only remember the many times that I had to do dance throughs with an idiotic smile on my face the entire time because that was what the judges wanted to see. (Once you're off the floor, it doesn't matter anymore...so it's kind of like
, salute - , walk out - , music on and routine - the entire time, salute - , walk off floor )