1. DOUG JURASKA’S TIERED POLE VAULT COACHING SYSTEM
Presented by:
Doug Juraska, Boy’s Assistant Track Coach
Lake Park High School
ITCCCA CLINIC: Oak Park-River Forest HS
Saturday, January 9, 2016

2. Overarching Purpose for Today’s Workshop:
Explain the basics of multi-tiered pole vault coaching, including how to achieve the “Lake Park Trail Leg.”

3. A Little About Me…. TRACK COACHING EXPERIENCE: 32 YEARS
Lake Park High School – Asst. Coach
College of DuPage West Chicago High School – Head/Asst. Coach
Wheaton College – Voluntary Coach
West Chicago High School – Head/Asst. Coach

4. **(PV) Qualifiers for State or National Meets: 30 consecutive years
ACHIEVEMENTS: Pole Vault (PV)** High Jump (HJ) Long Jump (LJ) Triple Jump (TJ)  
LAKE PARK HIGH SCHOOL:
(PV) IHSA State – (6) 1st Place; (2) 2nd Place; (1) 3rd Place; (2) 4th Place; (1) 5th Place; (1) 6th Place; (3) 7th Place; (1) 8th Place. (HJ) IHSA State – (1) 3rd Place; (1) 4th Place; (1) 6th Place; (1) 7th Place; (1) 9th Place. Team – (5) State Championship, (1) Second Place, (1) 4th Place.
COLLEGE OF DUPAGE:
14 National Qualifiers—(PV) 4thPlace, 5thPlace, 8th Place, 9thPlace. (HJ) 3rd Place, 4th Place. (TJ) 8th Place. (LJ) 1st Place National Champion.
WHEATON COLLEGE:
Division III Nationals (PV) 2nd Place, 3rd Place.
WEST CHICAGO HIGH SCHOOL:
(PV) IHSA State – (1) 2nd Place, (1) 8th Place.
**(PV) Qualifiers for State or National Meets: 30 consecutive years

5. Coaching Philosophy
Physical Aspects— Arm & Leg Movements– Safety AND Success
Coaching Partnership— Individual AND Team Success—Finessed kinesthetic learning and development—Willingness to use, adapt and trust our techniques
What gets an athlete to achieve ten feet will not be what it takes to reach fourteen.
A Coach ONCE is a Coach ALWAYS

6. Objectives for Today’s Workshop:
Approach (without a pole): Running with high knees & 10-step accelerations
How to hold pole: Balancing pole properly to execute fast runway performance
Running with pole: Using checkmarks & acceleration drills
Driving right knee: Going parallel to ground & keeping toes up while holding knee
Planting the pole: Right arm curling, holding, extending
Finessing left arm on plant: Driving, going inward, not locking out
Mastering the Lake Park Trail Leg: Swinging left leg through
Putting it all together: Transitioning from straight poling to bending
Bonding: Building trust, faith, commitment and excitement

7. Approach (without a pole): Running with high knees & 10-step accelerations
Why High Knees
5 Lefts (Why?) Steps
Walking into 1st left Step
Mini Hurdles
Jump on pit without pole

8. How to hold pole: Balancing pole properly to execute fast runway performance
Start with pole tip over left shoulder
Walk with pole – Run with pole
Wall Plants – or L-R-L (Jump)
Drive the “Big 3”– Right Knee, Right Arm, Left Arm– Jump

9. Running with pole: Using checkmarks & acceleration drills
Walk into first left (holding pole)
Steps – Walk 1 step– 2 Steps—3 steps
Hit Checkmark #1
Pole running off runway
Races

10. Driving right knee: Going parallel to ground & keeping toes up while holding knee
Right knee must drive up and not in
Drive knee up by pulling heel of right foot up, not quad
Right toe
What gets you into the pit

11. Planting the pole: Right arm curling, holding, extending
Curl pole & extend close to body
Straight up – not into pit
Elbow extended – Drive up
Rotation – Pulling – Hooking

12. Finessing left arm on plant: Driving, going inward, not locking out
Drive arm – 10:00 – 11:00 o’clock
Use all fingers to hold
Locking out
Opening the door

13. Mastering the Lake Park Trail Leg: Swinging left leg through
Jumping off left leg
Leg position
Foot position
Hip Flexor
Follow trail up & through the door

14. Putting it all together: Transitioning from straight poling to bending
Beginner vs Varsity
Bending
Lake Park Style & Pulling

15. Bonding: Building trust, faith, commitment and excitement
Safety
Tradition
Team Building
History

16. Did we achieve--Overarching Purpose for Today’s Workshop?
Explain the basics of multi-tiered pole vault coaching, including how to achieve the “Lake Park Trail Leg.”

17. Did we achieve--Objectives for Today’s Workshop?
Approach (without a pole): Running with high knees & 10-step accelerations
How to hold pole: Balancing pole properly to execute fast runway performance
Running with pole: Using checkmarks & acceleration drills
Driving right knee: Going parallel to ground & keeping toes up while holding knee
Planting the pole: Right arm curling, holding, extending
Finessing left arm on plant: Driving, going inward, not locking out
Mastering the Lake Park Trail Leg: Swinging left leg through
Putting it all together: Transitioning from straight poling to bending
Bonding: Building trust, faith, commitment and excitement

18. A Coach ONCE is a Coach ALWAYS