Camps & Meets: 2016 Summer Pole Vault Camp (21st year)

2016 Summer Pole Vault Camp (21st year)

Our camps offer unmatched service, attention, optimism, and expertise. Our coaches, equipment, and experience ensure to best possible experience for vaulters of all ages and abilities. We vault for fun and personal bests in an environment where a personal-best at any height is equally honored and celebrated.

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The Location
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Robbinsdale Armstrong High School
10635 36th Ave N
Plymouth, MN 55441
Are you Tired?
  • Are you tired of not improving?
  • Are you tired of attending camps and clinics where you are ignored while the coaches pay attention to kids going higher than you do?
  • Are you tired of receiving no useful feedback on your jumps?
  • Are you tired of only hearing one-way to improve your vault?
  • And that one-way (built on one-model or philosophy) doesn’t seem to work for you…
  • Are you tired of runways that are over-crowded with other vaulters?
  • Are you tired of not having the poles you need?
  • Are you tired of waiting to vault while the coach stands on the runway and lectures?
  • Are you tired of being forced to do whole-group drills that do not fit your individual needs?
What you need:
  • What you need is a camp where the coaches are not just experienced but are also experts
  • What you need is a camp where you are treated as an individual—with the same respect afforded to the best kid there—with coaching that fits your needs.
  • What you need is all the equipment ready and available in real-time
  • What you need is a runway that is not over-crowded
  • What you need is for the coach to provide someone else's individual instruction (be it a drill or conversation) off the runway and out of your way.
  • and while that individual instruction is occurring, you need ongoing and accurate feedback on your jump
  • feedback that you can actually put into practice based on your current strengths (not necessarily based on the ideals of a world-record holder).
The Flight Deck Difference
  • We provide all poles—including many that are custom-made so that each and everyone has the best poles at their disposal
  • Outdoor High-bar (strap-bar) available for daily use
  • 9 athletes max per session so the runway is not over-crowded
  • (2) coaches at all times so vaulters get the best attention and the best coach to athlete ratio of any vault offering
  • Vaulters receive feedback on each and every jump
  • We tailor-fit the coaching, the ideas, and the cues to each athlete's individual needs
  • We almost never do whole-group drills or instruction as one-size rarely fits all in pole vault
  • Instead, we have individuals do specific drills, on an individual basis, when they individually need them.
  • While individual instruction is occurring, the rest of the group is still able to vault with the supervision of the other coach. Your development will not be delayed by the needs of another.
  • Caroline White, UofMN Women's Vault Coach
  • Steve White, UofMN Men's Vault Coach
Athlete Daily Responsibilities
  • bring water
  • bring a granola bar, or similar snack, to eat at the conclusion of practice
  • bring sunscreen
  • dress appropriately for heat and cold
  • bring running shoes (suitable for jogging)
  • bring racing spikes
  • arrive at least 15 minutes early to complete a good warm-up and stretch prior to the camp beginning
  • follow all coaching instructions
Rain Day Communication and Make-up
  • We will practice in drizzle, as long as safety is not a concern
  • In the event of dangerous or prohibitive weather, we will email everyone stating that we are cancelled.
  • Note: when we have to cancel, we do so group-by-group. So it is possible that the 8am group would be a GO and the 10:00 be cancelled
  • The rain make-up day for a cancellation will be the Friday of the same week at the same time.
  • If somehow it rains on the rain make-up day, vaulters will be able to make up the missed session at one of the many evening vault-meets we facilitate during the summer.
Questions?
  • Please call or email Caroline with your questions
  • caroline.white.fda@gmail.com
  • 763-458-2916
The Coaches
  • Steve White

    Flight Deck Coach / Former University of Minnesota Vault Coach
    Steve coached the University of Minnesota Men's Pole Vault 11-years, St. John's & St Ben's 5-years, Tech High School 3-years, Armstrong High School 5-years, and University of St Thomas 1-year. Steve began vaulting in 7th grade. While at St Louis Park high school Steve placed 7th at state twice and had a PR jump of 14'. Steve earned All-American honors twice while at North Central College in Illinois. An advocate for girls in sports; Steve co-lead the original movement that led to girls getting to pole vault in Minnesota. Steve coached the first girls' State Champion in the event; the first MN girl to clear 11'. At the UofM, Steve coached athletes to 13 Big 10 conference titles, 9 All-American performances, 2 Olympic Trials Qualifiers, and 1 NCAA Champion. Some of these athletes include Moorhead native Brock Spandl (17'3, 2010 D1-All-American), Jack Szmanda (17'5, 2010 D1-All-American), Ben Peterson (18'0 PR, 2011 D1-NCAA All-American and National runner-up), Zach Siegmeier (18'1 PR, 2014 D1-All-American), Luca Wieland (2015 Indoor Heptathlon NCAA CHAMPION 16'5 PR). Now in his 29th year in education, Steve is the Assistant Principal at Minneapolis North. Steve is USATF certified Level 1, level 2 jumps, level 2 endurance, and a certified coaches-education instructor. Steve has a lifetime PR jump of 17'4, cleared 16'+ for 16-years in a row, and was the 2012 & 2021 USA Masters Outdoor Champion. Now at age 53, Steve is currently 14th on the World Masters 50-54 All-time list with a jump of 14'6. Contact Steve with questions (763-458-2932) or (steve.white.fda@gmail.com).

  • Caroline White

    University of Minnesota Vault Coach / Flight Deck Coach
    University of Minnesota Women's Pole Vault Coach. In her 12 years at the U of M she has coached female athletes to the NCAA D-1 national meet ten times, 8 Big 10 Champions, two to the USA Olympic Trials with jumps over 14' (most recently Samantha Sonnenberg in 2012 -12'6 HS PR, 14'3 PR as a Gopher, 14'5 current PR), and the 2007 Junior Pan Am Gold Medalist, with a current PR of 14'4. Caroline began vaulting as a college freshman at the College of St Benedict, where she earned All-American honors twice. Caroline has a PR jump of 12'2 in 2002 and since has placed her focus on coaching and teaching. Caroline is finishing her 12th year teaching life science at Maple Grove Junior High. Caroline is USA Track and Field certified Level 1 and Level 2 jumps. She has been coaching pole vault for 13 years and has 10 years experience coaching gymnastics. Caroline is assisting Shawn Francis (2014 USA Indoor Runner-up), Leslie Brost (6th place 2015 USA Indoor), and Jack Szmanda as they head toward the 2016 games.

Session A (MTWTh)
  • $216.00 per group
  • Days

    • Monday, June 20, 2016
    • Tuesday, June 21, 2016
    • Wednesday, June 22, 2016
    • Thursday, June 23, 2016

  • Groups

    • 11:40am - 1:30pm Full - Waitlist Available
    • 8:00am - 9:50am Full - Waitlist Available
    • 9:50am - 11:40am 1 Spot Available

Session B (MTWTh)
  • $216.00 per group
  • Days

    • Monday, June 27, 2016
    • Tuesday, June 28, 2016
    • Wednesday, June 29, 2016
    • Thursday, June 30, 2016

  • Groups

    • 11:40am - 1:30pm Full - Waitlist Available
    • 9:50am - 11:40am Full - Waitlist Available
    • 8:00am - 9:50am 4 Spots Available

Session C (TWThF)
  • $216.00 per group
  • Days

    • Tuesday, July 12, 2016
    • Wednesday, July 13, 2016
    • Thursday, July 14, 2016
    • Friday, July 15, 2016

  • Groups

    • 11:40am - 1:30pm Full - Waitlist Available
    • 9:50am - 11:40am Full - Waitlist Available
    • 8:00am - 9:50am 3 Spots Available

Session D (MTWTh)
  • $216.00 per group
  • Days

    • Monday, July 18, 2016
    • Tuesday, July 19, 2016
    • Wednesday, July 20, 2016
    • Thursday, July 21, 2016

  • Groups

    • 11:40am - 1:30pm Full - Waitlist Available
    • 9:50am - 11:40am Full - Waitlist Available
    • 8:00am - 9:50am 2 Spots Available