April 11, 2001
Pole vault clinic soars at Central
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
What sport at Traverse City Central High School has fielded seven state champions in the past 30 years, perhaps the most of any school in the state?
What sport has hosted a renowned skills clinic every spring for 20 years to train athletes from around the state, despite enhancing its own competition?
What sport had a coach recently named by USA Track and Field as National High School Coach of the Year?
If you answered pole vaulting you are correct.
And John Lober, Central's track and field coach, cannot say enough about the sport, the kids and the opportunities for improvement that the annual Pole Vaulting clinic, and the sport in general, provides for student athletes.
"Vaulting is very popular, everybody wants to do it because it combines what sports is all about: speed, stamina, agility, gymnastics and concentration," Lober said. "The real crux is to combine speed and technique."
"We find more than not we're taking average kids and developing them into outstanding sprinters and excellent athletes. That's developing self-esteem."
Lober and his pole vaulting team and coaches hosted a two-day Pole Vaulting clinic last weekend at the school. The clinic included one day for boys and one day for girls, the first year they separated out the boys and girls since girls were allowed to participate in the sport three years ago.
In all, more than 150 vaulters and coaches came from schools around northern Michigan as well as Novi, Grand Rapids and the Upper Peninsula. In fact, Central's annual clinic has grown so popular that a number of former attendees and vaulters who are now coaches themselves host clinics of their own trying to duplicate it. But many teams continue to make the annual pilgrimage to Traverse City to participate in the original Pole Vaulting clinic.
Helping the competition improve their vaulting is not a problem for Lober. He believes that if the clinic improves the sport overall by raising the talent and skill level, his athletes will be better for it.
"Many of the kids we've taught to vault have come back to compete against us," he noted. "It's actually been a thorn in our side in some ways."
Lober recently received the Coach of the Year award in recognition of his two decades of work training athletes and promoting pole vaulting through the clinic. Lober began the clinic 20 years ago because Central High School had an indoor facility to practice in and other schools kept calling for help with techniques and practice time. Over the years, the Pole Vaulting clinic has drawn more than 2,000 kids and coaches.
"Vaulting is fun, safe and the kids enjoy it," Lober said. "What more could you ask from a sport?"