Starting Age?

[souleman]

I started at 7. I grabbed a 1/2 inch piece of conduit out of my Dads garage and stuck a bamboo fishing pole across some orange crates and started jumping over them. The piece of conduit wasn't that long and it had a bend at the top of it. It made me look like I was jumping with a shepards staff. I made 4 feet with that thing. I didn't hit 6' until 5th grade with a thicker piece of aluminum conduit after a whole bunch of bamboo poles. And I jumped 1 foot higher than my grade up until my senior year when I missed the 13 foot mark by 4 1/2 inches. So Actungpv is right, starting early doesn't necessarily mean your going to be world class. I was far from that obviously. Equipment is so much better now a days and so is coaching. When I jumped I remember my track coach came up to me and said that he didn't know anything about pole vaultng and he would try the best he could for me (which he did) but he also told me I was basically on my own. For training manuals we basically had ABCWide World of Sports and the Encyclopedia Britannica. So count your blessings, listen to your coaches and as Essex says....Now go jump higher. Later...........Mike

[lostbvrunner]

Thanks for all the info from everyone- my brother is excited now haha.
Don't worry- by wanting him to maybe start early I'm not expecting him to be world class. He just likes to do the same things I do and he's excited about it, so I figure why make him wait?
Anyhow, I'm currently looking for camps for myself to go to this summer, so I'm going to try and see if I can find one that will teach younger kids
~Christie

[souleman]

Make sure you fill out the rest of your profile because that way folks that read your entries wll know what part of the country you live in. Then when you ask about camps and clubs they can better direct you. Later.....Mike

[pistolpete6994]

My coach has two sons, a 3 year old and a 5 year old... both have their own poles and are learning how to jump. granted one pole is a broken mstick and the other a 4' piece of broken bar, but we put plugs in them and the kids have a blast... the youngest actually will leave the ground on his own now. Dare devil just like his father, and if PV is in their blood they'll top his 18+ vaults easily.

[AKell]

that's so cool. i had no idea kids could start that early. although maybe they get bad habits...

[rainbowgirl28]

that's so cool. i had no idea kids could start that early. although maybe they get bad habits...

Not if they are properly coached.

[newPVer]

that's so cool. i had no idea kids could start that early. although maybe they get bad habits...

Not if they are properly coached.

agreed, but how can you really coach a 5 yearold to swing the trail leg, and other factors in the vault, when they have trouble doing jumping-jacks? Helping earlie may not always help, but if you start when you are further developed, 12 or so, you will benefit greatly IMHO.

newPVer

[rhill32]

This is my son's first attempt at pole vaulting, he is using a broken Essex pole which at this stage is just right for him. I coach a squad of 15 vaulters and he comes with me every week I can not keep him away. He joins in and takes his turn. As for teaching him and being my son he does listen and If you watch the attached video he has a great top hand and swing thru for a 5 yr old anyway.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0scP3FQs7a8

[lonestar]

That 5 yr old is awesome!

I just recently started coaching 2 sisters, one is 10 and in 5th grade and the other 11 in 6th. They both just cleared pr's of 5'9 last night, and the 10 yr old barely missed 6'0. Judging by most Jr. High Meets around here in the spring, if you can clear opening, you usually either win or place top 3, and opening is usually 5'0. These two will have such a head start, they ought to clean up the medals! The 11 yr old will have a year and a half more before she can even start middle school track, and the 10 year old 2.5 years. At some point (high school), athletic ability (or lack thereof) will catch up with them and the winning won't come easy or maybe not at all, but they'll have a blast with winning until then.