Walk Around – Check for any safety hazards Remove or Pad any hard or unyielding surfaces (at least one meter around the pit) Remove Pit Weather Cover – make sure the cover is placed so that it doesn’t become (or cover) hazards Note: The Pit Cover is NOT padding Make sure pit is solid – no gaps or holesContinue reading “Preparing for a Pole Vault Competition”
Author Archives: dahlman2017
Old Poles Never Die
Provenance I have an advantage over a lot of track officials when it comes to pole vaulting. I “became” a pole vault coach in 1983 out of necessity. I was a young (really young, and really “confident”, looking back at it) high school head boys coach, with a good pole vault program, and no one to coachContinue reading “Old Poles Never Die”
You’re ALIVE!!!!
Now Hear This – all you “old dogs”. I’ve got a “new trick”, one that I absolutely stole from BJ Duckworth, the Track and Field Director of Officiating Development for the Ohio High School Athletic Association. This “new trick” is about an old subject in running the pole vault (or High Jump) – Five Alive. (The NCAAContinue reading “You’re ALIVE!!!!”
Old Poles, New Labels
High School National Federation Rules require that pole vault poles have a manufacturer’s weight label, placed at the top of the “grip range” of the pole. And while pole vault poles, if properly cared for, can last for years (even decades) the labels often don’t. If the Pole Vault Official can’t read the label, thenContinue reading “Old Poles, New Labels”
The Last Attempt
I am a track official, but I was a track coach too. As an official I take each attempt in a field event as it comes. There aren’t any “mitigating” factors: first attempt or last, to win, place or go out, just one more ½ inch in the jump; none of it matters. Either the jump or throw isContinue reading “The Last Attempt”
Ohio Pole Vault Safety 