The Apex Vaulting Podcast

In this episode two high school athletes at the club, Bella and Alex, join the podcast and discuss how the strength app helped add the speed and strength they needed to get higher grips, bigger poles, further out mids, and new personal records! Can the strength app help you? Make sure to subscribe to the podcast and share the episode with a friend! And your comments also help promote the podcast and email us with any comments or questions! apexvaulting@gmail.com

In this episode Branko is joined by Lilly Brown and Calvin Gould. They discuss what it is like to jump as adults. Lilly is currently in law school and Calvin is an Engineer. They discuss the shift in perspective from being highly driven and competitive athletes at the high school and collegiate level to now using the vault as an outlet and way of staying in shape. They share their insights and of course the importance of community and culture of positivity and growth being one of the major reasons for continuing to vault. As always if you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and leave a comment! And if you have any questions please feel free to email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

In this episode Branko covers recent videos posted on the invert and getting "stuck in the bucket." As explained in those videos working on developing the needed strength and speed for each skill in the vault is needed, and doing the drills required to work on aspects of the vault has to be done to master skill. Doing full jumps from longer approaches and trying hard will get you no where fast. On that note Branko also discusses what really causes run throughs and what to expect if you want to solve your run through issues. If you enjoyed this episode it would mean the world to us if you subscribed and shared this episode on your own social media! Thanks for listening and email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com with any of your comments or questions.

If you have never pole vaulted before going to your first practice session might seem intimidating, but it doesn't have to be! In today's podcast episode we go over what beginners should expect at their first practice. And if you are a coach or club owner and don't have a pole vault structured warm up, make sure to take notes and email us if you need help designing your warm up structure to not only help onboard new athletes but help current ones continue to refine the foundational skills of the vault at every practice session! If you enjoyed the episode please share with a friend and subscribe! If you have any comments or questions please feel free to email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

I think if you're anything like me you want to know that you are doing your absolute best. And maybe that's what draws us to the vault. With all the technique there is to master, physical improvements we can make through training, there really are so many different variables we can continually work on to improve. The journey never really ends. On a scale of 1 to 10, 1 you're only scratching the surface, 10 you are squeezing every inch out of your jump, how do you rate your jump? Are you really trying your best? What are the metrics you use to rate yourself. Check out this episode for more context and perspective on this question, and discover what you should be considering when you try and rate your jump! If you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share it with a friend that you think will find it helpful! Thanks for listening!

Strength and Conditioning coach at Defranco’s Gym Calvin Hartman, former Apex Vauliting athlete and coach, joins the podcast to share an amazing new service we are providing at Apex Vaulting. As a former athlete and coach at the club he has experienced first hand what a strength and conditioning program can do for a pole vaulter. In college he went from being a 14’ HS jumper to hitting 15’9” in college! At Defranco’s Calvin has expanded his knowledge and experience by working with NFL athletes, adult clients, and high school athletes of all sports. He is now bringing this knowdge and experience to Apex by offering Virtual Training options through the Bridge App. And the best part, even if you aren’t an Apex member you can now virtually do our strength and conditioning programs. Hope you enjoy this episode! Please subscribe and share it with a friend! And if you want to take you pole vaulting to the next level you need to sign up for our Programming. Get all your workouts, an exercise library of videos and cues and even virtual feedback from a coach all on your phone! Email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com for more information.

Did you just have an awesome practice? Did you finally get the grip up, master one of the skills of the vault and it felt like everything just clicked? What should you expect for your next practice? What comes next may be suprising. Often athletes and even young coaches expect a never ending string of excellent practices and meets, but that's just not reality. In fact we must learn and expect that often those excellent practices and performances at meets are a product of many average, some may even call them boring practices. If you expect this it will be easier to get through the grind! As always if you value the podcast please subscribe, review, leave a comment and share with a friend! If you have any comments, questions, or you need help with your pole vault training email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com.

Have you ever plateaued three quarters of the way through a season? Are you sick of the same practice routine season after season? Maybe what you need is drill variation! In this episode Branko discusses how you can use drill variation to avoid practices getting stale and keep improving your technique and keep pr'ing! As always if you enjoyed this podcast episode please subscribe and share this episode with a friend! If you have any comments or questions or would like us to help you with your pole vault training email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

You can't wait for indoor track and want to have a big year! So what should you be doing right now to give yourself the best shot at having a great season? And what happens if you wait until December to start training? You might be surprised to find out it may be too late to make some of those technical and physical improvements you were hoping to make for this year. Don't wait, start training now! And if you need any help setting up your training reach out, we can help! Contact us at apexvaulting@gmail.com.

Chris Chappell of UCS joins the podcast to discuss the recent World Championships and Mondo's new World Record! I ask Chris How it feels to be the company that provides the poles for so many record breaking performances. As always if you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share! Also if you have any comments or questions please email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Have you ever had issues with run throughs? How do you fix the run through problem? In Episode 113 with Robert Plumb we discuss some strategies on how to fix run throughs and how long it will take to fix the issue. As always if you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share! Also if you have any comments or questions please email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Noah Kaminsky joins the podcast again! Noah discusses his experience coaching large groups at pole vault clinics for the Public School Athletic League in NYC. At times Noah would coach up to 40 plus athletes at a time. How do approach large group training differently? What should the goals be for coaching clinics and camps? Find out in this episode! As always if you enjoy this episode share with a friend and subscribe! If you have any comments or questions please email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com.

Ellie Fitzgerald joins the podcast and discusses her last two years of vaulting, including dealing with a stress fracture in her foot during this past indoor season and how she persevered to a PR this outdoor season! Have you ever had to deal with a setback from injury? Did you just sit back and wait for to it heal? Is that the best way to deal with it? What are some other options? Check out this episode to find out! As always if you enjoy this podcast please share with a friend and subscribe! Email us any of your comments and or questions at apexvaulting@gmail.com

You have one practice left before your big meet, (States, Conference, Nationals etc.)what do you do? Well Branko discusses how people answered that question on twitter and how he would approach that final practice. He also discusses some mistakes he made in the past. As always if you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share with a friend! And if you have any questions please feel free to email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Vaulting for Life! Why would adults pole vault? Calvin Gould one of the adults that train at Apex goes over his reasons why he trains. Calvin has jumped at Apex for over 10 years, through high school, college, and now as an adult, and he goes over his shift in mindset as a vaulter how that has made all the difference for him. His mindset of skill mastery instead of change pr's has made vaulting way more fruitful and satisfying. If you vaulted when you were in high school or college, or always wanted to try, find a pole vault club and see what pole vaulting can do for you! As always email us with all your comments and questions at apexvaulting@gmail.com, and please share this podcast with your friends and subscribe!

Vaulting for Life! Why would adults pole vault? Joe Lesky one of the adults that train at Apex goes over his reasons why he trains. Physical fitness, chasing goals, and finding a home away from home are just a few reasons why. Too often in the vault community it seems the only reason someone should vault as an adult is to train for the Olympics. But the vault has so much more to offer. If you vaulted when you were in high school or college, or always wanted to try, find a pole vault club and see what pole vaulting can do for you! As always email us with all your comments and questions at apexvaulting@gmail.com, and please share this podcast with your friends and subscribe!

Branko discusses his recent article, How do you program drills into your practices. Branko breaks down three different types of practice, small, medium, and big days. How to structure the practice and how many drills should be done on each type of practice. He also discusses how to choose drills for your athletes depending on deficiencies in their jumps. Finally Branko discusses that often the majority of the pole vault community has the wrong perspective. Their advice is often coming from the perspective of trying to get someone to jump olympic heights and not realizing that most of the community is trying to develop into pole vaulters. They need drills and progressions that will help them develop a complete jump, instead of what it takes to jump 19'. As always if you enjoy the podcast please share it with a friend and subscribe! And if you have any questions or comments please email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

This episode Branko discusses how paying attention to small details as a coach helps your athletes have more attention to detail and the dangers of overreaching at meets. Sometimes as coaches we feel that we need to make adjustments after every jump, but do we? As always if you enjoy this episode please subscribe to our podcast on Apple podcasts or our youtube channel Apex Vaulting! Also if you have any questions please feel free to email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Robert Plumb, college junior at NCAA Division 2 East Stroudsburg, joins the podcast to discuss how he chose the school he's at and how he has become an important member of his track team. We discuss what athlete's should be looking for in a school if they intend to compete at the collegiate level. He also discusses what it takes to be a successful member of a college team. You may have thought you were working hard in high school, but you may need to take it to another level in college. If you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share with people that may enjoy it as well! Thanks for listening!

Brad Lawrence, owner and operator, of Apex Long Island joins the podcast to discuss the Twitter debate Branko got into with Scott Simpson about specializing in the pole vault. Should people specialize in the pole vault at a young age? Will it cause injury? Should you do multiple sports instead?

Calvin Hatman joins the podcast again, and he never disappoints. We discuss how you can grow your club and provide service that will attract more athletes. We discuss short term and long term goals you should have with your club/business. What actually works when trying to grow? How important is social media? What can you do make your athletes happy? Do you have athletes that struggle with pull ups and upper body strength? Calvin also goes over his bullet proof plan to get athletes from zero to 10 pull ups! Do not miss it. We have the video on our YouTube channel. If you enjoy the podcast please subscribe and share our episodes with friends!

Ethan Senecal, coordinator of Cross Country and Track and Field at Susquehanna University, joins the podcast! Ethan has a wealth of experience from being a decathlete, and coaching at many programs and shares his knowledge with us. Ethan discusses training, recruiting, and even shares his knowledge in hosting successful event. An amazing episode! It may have taken a while to have him on the podcast, but he definitely will be on again.

Baseball has spring training, Football has training camp in the summer, and The Pole Vault has fall training! Fall is the perfect time of year to get back to basics and work on all those drills, skills, and weaknesses you have. It's time to sharpen the blade that has gotten dull from the past year. It's also a great time to focus on strength and conditioning since theirs no meet around the corner. Time to get strong and fast. Fall training may not be sexy, but it is effective!

Eric Bennett long time NCAA Division 3 coach joins the podcast to discuss a belt system for pole vaulting and what that would look like. How would a belt system help athletes and more so coaches? Check out the episode and if you enjoy the episode please share it with a friend and subscribe!

Brad and Tobie, owners of the Apex Vaulting Long Island location, join the podcast and discuss their journey from being pole vaulters, to coaches and now club owners. They discuss what motivated them to coach and why they chose to open an Apex franchise instead of starting from scratch. If you enjoy the podcast please make sure to like, share, subscribe, and review and rate the podcast! if you have any questions please feel free to reach out and email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Esther Fleigle of the Fleigle Flyers joins the podcast to discuss the stress of practice versus the stress of competing and how coaches can help alleviate some fo the stresses of competition, as well as a slew of other pole vault coaching topics. If you enjoy the podcast make sure to subscribe, like, and share this episode! Thanks!

Branko does a solo episodes and covers a few topics. Who actually needs to buy poles? Should a novice jumper buy? How do you coach athletes to be tough, and what athletes actually need toughness the most? And as always if you need help contact us at apexvaulting@gmail.com. Don't be do proud as a coach to ask for help!

Alex Curran, head coach and business owner of Next Step Pole Vault Club, joins the podcast to tell us about signing for his first indoor facility! Alex discusses his inspiration and journey from becoming a pole vaulter, coach, and now proud club coach and small business owner! He discusses some of the concerns, struggles, and fears of getting an indoor facility. This is one of my all time favorite episodes and we will certainly have Alex on again! If you have any comments and questions about this or any episode please email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com. We are doing weekly episodes now and will be answering as many listener questions as we can! If you enjoy the podcast please make sure to like, share and subscribe! Thanks!

This is part 2 of Branko's solo episode answering listener questions that addresses the college track situation, how to coach sessions safely during this time, how masters pole vaulters should train and eat, as well as some other technical questions. This episode had to be divided into two parts due to technical difficulties. Thank you for the questions and keep them coming! If you enjoy the podcast please like, share and subscribe!

Branko does a solo episode and answers listener questions that address the college track situation, how to coach sessions safely, how masters pole vaulters should train and eat, as well as some other technical questions. This episode had to be divided into two parts due to technical difficulties. Thank you for the questions and keep them coming! If you enjoy the podcast please like, share and subscribe!

The great Shawn Francis and Colin Waitzman join the podcast to discuss the state of Pole Vault today! Are the Olympics or Track and Field holding back our sport? Also we answer some listener questions on this episode! Keep those questions coming and have your questions answered on the podcast! Email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com

Calvin Hartman joins the podcast to discuss what it takes to become a coach, and work towards making a living with it. Calvin discusses the ups and downs of being a young coach and some important lessons he learned along the way. We also go over what gpp and spp are and how coaches can incorperate both to take their athletes' training to the next level.

In this episode Branko announces he will be doing weekly episodes so make sure to email him any questions you would like him to answer on the podcast(apexvaulting@gmail.com. This week's episode covers the amazing results that are heating up this Winter Track season! He also discusses how you can grow your club and help more athletes!

Podcast host of Innovators Anonymous and Track World News Colin Waitzman joins the podcast to discuss some of the decisions made recently about high school and college track during this wild year of 2020. Does track leadership have a distance bias? Is a DISTANCE BIAS what prevents the sport of track from growing?

Robert Plumb joins the podcast to discuss a recent video posted on Apex Social Media. The video is an analysis of straight pole era jumping and elements of straight pole technique that can be applied today. We also discuss what we mean at Apex when we say pull. Hopefully this sheds some light on what we try and teach at Apex.

Branko does a solo episode and discusses how to help athletes develop as pole vaulters by identifying what stage of competence they are in. It is a must listen for all coaches.

Coach Tim Reilly of the North West Pole Vault Club joins the podcast to discuss the importance of a coaching system to the development of athletes. Coach Reilly is one of the most successful high school club coaches in recent years. Enjoy the podcast!

Jack Rhea joins the podcast to discuss his pole vault journey through college. Jack would join the Tennessee Volunteers program with a 15'7" pr and end up jumping 17'3". Jack has a maturity and insight that is rare for a 21 year old man. Great episode!

Matt Barry of Pole Vault Atlanta joins the podcast. We discuss what reopening a pole vault club might look like depending on your region and situation. We also discuss the importance of viewing coaching through an education lens. Awesome episode! Enjoy!

Jeff Coover joins the podcast to discuss The Ultimate Garden Clash, where Renaud Lavillenie, Mondo Duplantis, and Sam Kendricks competed to see who could clear 16'4" the most times. We discuss the tie, what was good, and what could be better. We also go off on many tangents and discuss a slew of topics. Great conversation, enjoy!

Sondre Guttormsen of Norway and UCLA joins the podcast. Sondre has jumped 5.80 (19'1/4") t the age of 20! Sondre introduces us to how he began pole vaulting in Norway and how the sports system in Norway differs from America. Sondre also walks us through an injury he dealt with his freshman year at UCLA and how he feels his strength and conditioning program helps keep him fit and fast, as well as prevent injuries. We also discuss what technical things he's working on and what parts of the vault he likes from some of his favorite vaulters of all time. Great episode!

Livio and Rosario join the Apex Vaulting Podcast and discuss how they stated their club and how it grew to a 60 plus athlete club. Their perspectives on culture, maturity, and respect as it relates to pole vault clubs and coaching are to be admired. The positivity and joy they bring to the table is amazing! Enjoy!

My friend and 17'9" vaulter Nick Homan joins the podcast and opens up about his medical battles the last few months. Just as Covid-19 was shutting down the world Nick started feeling numbness in his back and abdomen and losing strength in his legs. He went from one hospital to the next and had countless tests done. I hope listening to Nick and his positivity through this all can inspire us all to look for the positives we have in our lives. Also Nick's medical bills are huge, and if you find that you would like to help, please reach out to Nick to contribute to his gofundme page. Contact us also for more information.

Jake Winder of Rise Athletics joins the podcast again. This time we discuss how to talk to athletes about missing their spring seasons and what they should do about training at this time. We also go over what club owners can do during this time and facing some of the unfortunate realities of the current situation. Also Jake announces the his brother Josh and him will be starting their own podcast, One More Jump!

Eric Bennett joins the podcast and discusses how he started out coaching at the collegiate level and what it takes to become a head coach and get a full time position. We also discuss Eric's approach when recruiting and working with athletes that have jumped at pole vault club or a pole vault coach in high school. Great tips!

Joe Oliveri joins the podcast again for a pole vault companion episode! We go back to the 2015 IAAF World Championships. Yelena Isinbaeva is no longer competing and we see who will be the next generation of women to compete at the world stage! Enjoy!

Ed Luthy of DC Vault joins the podcast and discusses his journey through pole vault how he ended up starting DC Vault. His club is home to an amazing 3 pit outdoor facility that is also has all the training equipment an athlete would want or need. Ed discusses how the DC Vault coaching staff manage to train 5 year olds all the way through adults who are trying pole vault for the first time. An amazing podcast! Ed provides some amazing perspectives on what it takes to be a pole vault coach.

Joe Oliveri joins the podcast for a pole vault companion episode! Joe and I give you some commentary for the 1997 Mens Pole Vault Final. Go to YouTube and search "1997 Men's Pole Vault Final" and watch the 39 minute 53 second video with us. We break down the jumps and the comp. This is Bubka's 6th and final world chmapionship! We had an awesome time doing it and we hope you enjoy it too!

Dylan Spadacinni owner of Strength Speed + and also former high school pole vaulter and collegiate decathlete joins the podcast to discuss training at home at this time as well as how small business owners in the fitness industry can better serve and help their clients during this time. We also discuss the importance of having some strength and conditioning knowledge and experience as a pole vault coach.

It is a trying time for all of us with COVID-19 but hopefully this podcast helps to address some of the concerns that the pole vault community is having, and if we work together we will make it through this. Calvin Hartman describes his at home workouts that will keep you in shape if you are without a gym. Hang in there everyone!

Former member of Apex from 2015, Ahmad joins the podcast to explain how he not only convinced his mom to let him pole vault but also join the club. After listening to the pure joy and excitement Ahmad experienced pole vaulting everyone will want to try jumping!

The great Bubba Sparks joins the podcast and shares some of the amazing knowledge and wisdom he has picked up from being involved in the pole vault for 55 years! We discuss what causes run throughs, how to run practices and much more. This is a must listen!

Calvin joins the podcast and we discuss training plans. How do fit technical days and longer run days in your schedule? How do you manage CNS fatigue, not just muscular fatigue? We also discuss how to pick and choose exercises when you're crunched for time. Thanks for listening, and please subscribe!

On this Thanksgiving, Jake Winder joins the club and tells us about his journey through the pole vault. It is a true family affair for the Winders, and what pr's and national titles once did for Jake is now overshadowed by the joy and excitement of coaching his own club, Rise Athletics. What a great episode, and how appropriate during this holiday.

Doug Houser of Vertical Assault joins the podcast again. Doug and Branko discuss how things other than technique can help create a safe and successful club. They discuss the impact of culture, and promoting hard work over results alone. They also discuss the importance of competing on the runway but working together off the runway with other coaches, clubs, and programs to grow the sport outside of what already exists. How do we bring new people, young and old to our sport and how important club meets between various programs are to the growth of the sport. As always feel free to email us at apexvaulting@gmail.com with and comments and questions. Also if you enjoy the podcast please subscribe!

The amazing Shawn Francis joins the podcast again and he talks about his inspiration for his book, The Pole Vault Tool Box. Five dollars from every book purchased, and actually anything purchased off of team-hoot.com, goes towards funding a pole vault club or program with $1,000 of pole vault equipment! I can't say enough good things about Shawn, his book, or his giving nature. Help out the pole vault community and pre order a copy today!

Jon Hammerschmidt of Minnesota joins the podcast to discuss his process of starting a club. We discuss ideas on how to get equipment and save money in the process, ways to market your club, and how to grow the sport. Keep this in mind pole vault peeps, you aren't really competing against other clubs, we are competing against other sports and activities for clients. Lets help each other show the world how amazing pole vaulting is!

The amazing Cam Josse joins the podcast and discusses how a strength and conditioning program can help you jump higher! Are you concerned about gaining weight when lifting, or getting hurt. A quality strength and conditioning program will not only get you faster, instead of bulky, but also help prevent injury! This is a can't miss episode if you plan on improving your jumping this year!

Daylis Caballero joins the podcast and tells the story of how she fled Cuba to make it in America! She tells about the struggles she went through and how after a 5 year break form the vault she still managed a lifetime best of 15'1". What a great story and what a wonderful message about perseverance, gratitude, and toughness.

John Mraz is a masters pole vaulter who jumps at Apex Vaulting, but first and foremost he is a Husband and a Father! The story of his journey through pole vault is amazing. He tells about his weight loss how he avoided having hip replacement, and how Pole Vaulting helped him get healthier. He also explains how Pole Vaulting has become a family affair and how it has helped bring his family closer. This is a must listen episode.

Former UT All-American Chase Brannon joins the podcast and tells us about the journey he took from college athlete to post collegiate elite. Where did he train, how does he make a living? We also discuss the recent comments from Max Kellerman of ESPN about track, and how to handle online criticism and who should be able to analyze pole vaulting.

Branko does a podcast solo! He discusses coaching philosophy, and how it guides the development as a coach. Don't get caught up playing that adjustment game!

Jason Church, head coach at Southern Regional High School in New Jersey, joins the podcast again and we discuss where competitiveness fits into pole vault and how track meets could be more popular.

Want to know what its like to win NCAA's? Well Chris Nilsen joins the podcast and fills us in on what it felt like to double pr and win the NCAA championship.

Want to know what a ride to a meet is like? Well check out episode 60 with Pete Roach. Learn how Pete became a pole vaulter and listen to Branko and Pete trying to figure out all the pole vault problems. Lol Enjoy!

Shawn Francis joins the podcast and we discuss how and why some pole vault technique and drills videos are so confusing. Shawn tells us how he thinks about creating his videos, and we also go off on a few tangents. But the tangents are probably the best part! Enjoy!

Garrett Starkey joins the podcast again! This time we discuss what your training should look like between indoor and outdoor track, weights? sprints? technical? We discuss what your expectations for training should be in the month between seasons so you don't burn out and are ready to crush it during the championship meets.

Branko sits down with Chris Chappell of UCS to discuss a little of the history of the company, how the poles are made and how things like sail pieces impact the poles you use. Great epsiode!

Branko talks to Jax Williams about her journey from a 10'9" high school vaulter to working on her PHD in Chemistry all while continuing her training and jumping 14'5". Who said you can't have brains and brawn! This episode of the podcast is inspiration to anyone tackling a heavy course load, dealing with working full time, and still training.

Do you use Dj's mid chart? Have you ever looked at all the info on DJ's Mid Chart? Branko explains how you can use more than just mids from the mid chart to help you coach your athletes to be the best vaulters they can be!

Branko sits down with club coaches Matt and Esther Fleigle at the Reno Pole Vault Summit. They discuss what its like coaching in Minnesota, and Branko thought Jersey winters were tough, as well as what they think club coaches need or should do for their members, like attending meets. Oh and that Reno Pole Summit was pretty cool too. Hahahah

Garrett Starkey and Nathan Hiett, athletes and coaches at Dean Starkey's pole vault club, Arizona Pole-Vault Academy join the podcast. We discuss the benefits of having training partners that push each other and compete, the benefits of weight training, dealing with the negativity of jumping after college, and how to overcome the negativity and actually do what you love, pole vault, and helping others vault too! Definitely the most Bro episode yet!

Former NCAA Division III Champion Michelle Favre joins the podcast to discuss her journey from an 8'6" vaulter as a freshman in high school to a 13'9 3/4" vaulter in college. Everyone wants to believe in magic tricks, but most of this podcast was about mind numbing consistency and determination.

Branko sits down with Chris Tutela, owner of Tutela Training Systems. They discuss why someone would start their own gym, this is a must listen for people who are thinking about starting their own pole vaulting club. In the second half of the podcast Chris discusses his thoughts on training athletes. Enjoy!

Kris Allison, club coach of Lonestar, joins the podcast and we discuss how he developed as a vaulter and his influences as a coach. It is a must listen for all pole vault coaches, we discuss coaching systems and progressions. We also discuss the idea of context.

Branko discusses training and perspective with Calvin Hartman. People often offer advice in the pole vault, but not in context. People often discuss growing the sport, but then turn athletes away. Whats going on?

Nick Homan, @that_tattooed_vaulter on Instagram, joins the podcast and discusses how he managed to connect with Branko and how social media is a great asset to connect people in the pole vault community. They also discuss how social media will literally make coaches and athletes more accountable as well as drive competition not only between athletes, but also coaches and coaching systems which will help grow our sport. Enjoy.

Branko discusses the value of pole vault! What are the values, instruction, learning to deal with failure, but how do we let people know about the value of pole vault?

Danny Davenport, an original Apex Vaulting member joins the podcast to discuss the early days of Apex Vaulting: the team atmosphere, the honesty, the accountability and more. We also discuss a crossroads in Danny's life that he needed honesty, and how as teammates and coaches we need to be honest, even when it isn't easy.

Branko rants about the Pole Vault today. Stop worrying about hitting the perfect position or doing the perfect workout. Try new things and see what works for you!

Becca Peter, the creator of the Pole Vault Power comes on the podcast to discuss various topics, social media today, drug testing of athletes, and Safesport; USATF's new background screening process.

Jeff Coover joins the podcast and discusses the reality of jumping post collegiate: travel, access to equipment, facilities, etc. Jeff and Branko also discuss how the sport can grow and the difference between diamond league meets and the atmosphere at American meets. They also talk about Renaud Lavillenie.

Tianna Bartoletta joins Branko on the podcast. Tianna is the 2005 World Champ and the 2016 Olympic Champ in the Women's Long Jump. She discusses social media and how being honest and telling your story is important for engaging with the track community and growing the sport. We are so happy that Tianna was able to join us this is a must listen, her story of early success and then commitment through tough times is one everyone can benefit from. Tianna's book Gravity will be out soon make sure to check it out! Check out her social media blog: theycallmetb.com website: tbtrackstar.com twitter: @tibartoletta instagram: @tianna.bartoletta facebook: Tianna Bee

Branko sits down with Calvin Hartman and discusses the importance and value of strength training for pole vaulters. They cover some common misconceptions people have about strength training and why people neglect it in the sport of Pole Vault. Don't miss out on a way to get better, start strength training today!

Branko talks with Jacob Sanders who was inspired by the podcast to start a pole vault club in Maryland, Sandstorm Vault Club. They discuss how pole vault clubs impact the participation rate of our event, and how much easier it is to get clients in pole vault due to the demand. Check it out!

Branko sits down with Dan Reynolds, 16'8" pole vaulter and fan of the podcast. Branko discusses how the pole vault community was able to grow so big in, of all places, Rochester, NY. Anyone who isn't aware Rochester is in upstate New York and has brutal winters. You would think Pole Vault could only grow in places like California where outdoor jumping is possible all year round. Dan discusses how many times clubs had to make due with what equipment and facilities they had. This podcast brings home the idea that there are no excuses. Make it happen!

Branko speaks with Andy Nageotte who is a long time track fan and recently put out a tweet that got more engagement with track fans than our sports governing bodies get. We discuss a more in depth look at what are the important performance numbers in the pole vault and what really determines who the best athlete is. Our sport is much deeper than just who jumps the highest! Is consistency the key? Have a listen!

Branko sits down with former professional high jumper and current meet director and promoter extraordinaire Mike Pascuzzo! Mike has been running the Jersey Jumps Beach Vault for the past 10 years. They discuss the work and effort required to run a successful pole vault event that people enjoy and makes money.

Branko sits down with Calvin and discusses the difficulties with plateaus and how to overcome them. They discuss the binary option after a bad meet, you can quit or keep working. A must listen for anyone that has gone some time without a pr.

Branko discusses social media and the role in can have in growing the sport. He also addresses concerns many have over posting on social media.

Branko discusses the Winder Up way with Josh Winder. They discuss how mentality, focus, and process played a role for Josh in overcoming a torn rotator cuff injury to pr and become a Division III national champ. We also discuss how important process becomes especially when you consider having to scale practices for multiple athletes. A must listen.

Branko sits down with Coach Mike Sullivan who is the quarterbacks coach for the Denver Broncos. They discuss coaching philosophies and how to stay flexible with coaching to continue to grow and develop. "Fixation is the way of death, Fluidity is the way of life" - Musashi

Branko sits down with Lilly Brown recent high school graduate and 11'7" pole vaulter at Apex, and discusses how injuries can be overcome through strength training and how strength training can prevent injury as well!

Branko sits down with Noah and discusses high school track and some goals that coaches need to have in mind. Athletes come first!

Branko sits down with Doug Houser, coach of Vertical Assault. They discuss the concept of coaching skills and teaching athletes through drills and progressions that lay down the foundation for pole vaulters to understand pole speed and swing speed. Doug and Branko also discuss their early mistakes as coaches and discuss the evolution of coaching after coaching 100 athletes a season for the last few years.

Branko discusses the idea of creating a community with former Apex Vaulting member Brad Hoey. Brad joined the club with an 11'6" pr after his sophomore year of high school and ended up jumping 15'3". Brad discusses how he found the vault and why he loved it so much.

Branko sits down with Robert Plumb, a high school pole vaulter at Apex, for a second discussion. Robert and Branko discuss mid marks, and various other topics that focus on a high schooler's perspective of the sport.

Branko talks to Rob Plumb, a high school junior who attends Apex Vaulting and jumps 12'6" with 11'9" grip, and Haden Williams who has been getting help from Branko through some free online coaching. Haden has gone from 10'6" to 12'6" in about a month. These athletes and Branko discuss the lack of content and the amount of people that need help in the pole vault world.

This episode we have the great pleasure of talking with Nicole Pompei, a New Jersey High School state champ and high school All-American. SHe discusses her pole vault experiences, why she had to stop, and how she got started power lifting. We discuss how she feels power lifting could have been useful during her pole vault career.