This is the November 2015 University of Akron Issue of VAULTER Magazine. Most sought after print magazine for The Pole Vaulter and the pole vaulting fan. Now you have the unfair advantage in pole vault!

Over halfway through the semester and Thanksgiving Break is almost here! That means indoor season is just around the corner! For this month, we have a range of articles for you to enjoy.

First, we have an article on why you should not land on your feet in the pits. Too many times have people landed on their feet and sat themselves out with a rolled ankle. And too many times did they miss important meets and got behind in practices. You do not want to lose a few weeks of your season because of a rolled ankle. But, if you do have a rolled ankle, included in this article are some rehab exercises to help you heal faster and get back on the runway. There are also some preventative rehab exercises that will strengthen the muscles and ligaments in your ankles, which will hopefully prevent your ankles from rolling.

There is so much to remember in pole vault. All the technique, all the drills, then you have to remember numbers too—numbers for your steps and numbers for your grips. You don’t just have one approach to remember, but you have a 3-step, 5-step, 6-step, and an 8-step. It is easy to forget where each of them starts. That is why you should keep a pole vault notebook. Just like you take and use a notebook in class, you should take and use a notebook in practice and at meets. You can write down all your marks, your pole progression, what your coach has told you to think about, and some encouragement to yourself. There are many other reasons why you should try keeping a notebook like this, so check it out.

We all have bad practices. We all get into a slump where nothing seems to be going right—you are getting nothing accomplished. The last thing we want to hear is to stay positive. We think it is something our coach just says so we will calm down. Or maybe they just do not understand what is going on and do not know what we are going through. But our coach is right about staying positive. When you get angry, when you become negative, nothing will get accomplished. Your attitude greatly effects how your practices and meets turn out. Being negative can also affect your teammates around you. Positive attitudes really do produce positive results, and this month we have an article suggesting what you should do to stay positive. You want to be the best you can be, so don’t beat yourself up. Instead, read this article and see what you can do to stay positive.

Our featured university this month is the special University of Akron. 20-year home of Coach Dennis Mitchell and training center for World Champion Shawn Barber, the University of Akron vault crew has made itself known in the vaulting world. Suiting up 18 vaulters this season, Coach Mitchell has big plans of success for his team. All-around great school and program, and a dedicated vault crew—this team is not one you want to miss!

Please enjoy this month’s issue. Until next month, have a great Thanksgiving Break!