Pole Vault Passion
It's that time of year again--track season--and the pole vault still reigns as the top event for certain members of our family. I remember Meagan's first day of track in seventh grade, when she came home and announced, out of the blue, that she'd always wanted to pole vault. It was the first year that pole vault was a sanctioned event for Nebraska girls. Meagan's junior high coach told us later that all of the junior high track coaches flipped a coin to see who would have to coach girls' pole vault. He lost. Or maybe he ultimately won because he could say, eventually, that he had been the first to coach a future national champion.
Meagan was not a natural vaulter, but she was determined to get it right. She worked hard. Bill worked right alongside of her, always striving to provide whatever support she needed. Together, they researched proper techniques and nutrition. They went to camps and elite meets and the Olympic Training Center in California. Our whole family attended a lot of track meets, but throughout Meagan's high school and college careers, Bill rarely missed a meet. After Meagan finally graduated from Doane College in 2008, she got a job teaching math and coaching pole vault. She was able to continue with her passion on a new level. Bill wasn't so fortunate; he suffered through a couple of years of pole vault withdrawal until he volunteered to assist with the pole vault at Gering High School. This year, he is thriving as head pole vault coach for Gering.
I truly believe that God gives each of us unique talents and gifts that He expects us to use to the best of the abilities that He has given us. Everyone needs to be passionate about something! Of course, there is no greater passion than to be passionate about God, but throughout our lives most of us will cycle through several different passions. Most will admit to being passionate about their families or their jobs, or perhaps about music or art or a favorite football team. Some people are passionate about their pets, or about a particular cause. Our passions help determine who we are and how we live our lives.
So, what does pole vault passion look like? I could write a book about it! (Perhaps I will, someday.) For now, a few examples will suffice.
In junior high, a passionate pole vaulter will duct tape 2 broomsticks together so she can practice running with a pole in the backyard. In high school, she will call her coach on Sunday afternoons to see if he will meet her at the track for extra practice. She will convince her dad to build training apparatus in the backyard so she can practice turning upside down. She will watch and carefully analyze the summer Olympic pole vault events. She will run cross country in the fall, even though she hates it, in an attempt to maintain fitness for spring pole vaulting. And she will drop cross country in an instant when she finds out that cross country training is counter-productive for pole vaulters.
A dad who is passionate about his daughter's pole vaulting will plan his travel schedule around track meets. He will research appropriate nutrition, even finding and experimenting with recipes for breakfast pasta until he finds a recipe that his daughter will eat without complaint. Then, he will get up at 4:00 in the morning so he has time to prepare pasta for breakfast before every meet. He will make special trips to WalMart to buy Pink Lady apples and Clif bars, just because he knows his daughter will eat them willingly at track meets.
A big sister will design a computer program to determine how certain principles of physics influence efficient vaulting. A little sister will take her jump rope to track practice, jumping all the way around the track several times while she waits for practice to end. A mom will endure hours spent driving to and from track meets; she will sit in the rain or blistering sun again and again, offering encouragement, and keeping little brother and sister entertained so they don't distract the vaulters.
A passionate pole vault coach will make sure that all of his vaulters have the spikes and warm clothes they need. He will find tutors for students who need help with their school work. He will travel to elite meets with his best vaulters, even if he has to pay his own way. He will buy extra poles so vaulters have the equipment they need to vault well. He will set up a website just for the vaulters, complete with videos from each meet. He will invite the whole pole vault team to his house every week for pasta.
It's that time of year. Pole vault passion is evident at our house once again. Pasta, anyone?
Meagan was not a natural vaulter, but she was determined to get it right. She worked hard. Bill worked right alongside of her, always striving to provide whatever support she needed. Together, they researched proper techniques and nutrition. They went to camps and elite meets and the Olympic Training Center in California. Our whole family attended a lot of track meets, but throughout Meagan's high school and college careers, Bill rarely missed a meet. After Meagan finally graduated from Doane College in 2008, she got a job teaching math and coaching pole vault. She was able to continue with her passion on a new level. Bill wasn't so fortunate; he suffered through a couple of years of pole vault withdrawal until he volunteered to assist with the pole vault at Gering High School. This year, he is thriving as head pole vault coach for Gering.
I truly believe that God gives each of us unique talents and gifts that He expects us to use to the best of the abilities that He has given us. Everyone needs to be passionate about something! Of course, there is no greater passion than to be passionate about God, but throughout our lives most of us will cycle through several different passions. Most will admit to being passionate about their families or their jobs, or perhaps about music or art or a favorite football team. Some people are passionate about their pets, or about a particular cause. Our passions help determine who we are and how we live our lives.
So, what does pole vault passion look like? I could write a book about it! (Perhaps I will, someday.) For now, a few examples will suffice.
In junior high, a passionate pole vaulter will duct tape 2 broomsticks together so she can practice running with a pole in the backyard. In high school, she will call her coach on Sunday afternoons to see if he will meet her at the track for extra practice. She will convince her dad to build training apparatus in the backyard so she can practice turning upside down. She will watch and carefully analyze the summer Olympic pole vault events. She will run cross country in the fall, even though she hates it, in an attempt to maintain fitness for spring pole vaulting. And she will drop cross country in an instant when she finds out that cross country training is counter-productive for pole vaulters.
A dad who is passionate about his daughter's pole vaulting will plan his travel schedule around track meets. He will research appropriate nutrition, even finding and experimenting with recipes for breakfast pasta until he finds a recipe that his daughter will eat without complaint. Then, he will get up at 4:00 in the morning so he has time to prepare pasta for breakfast before every meet. He will make special trips to WalMart to buy Pink Lady apples and Clif bars, just because he knows his daughter will eat them willingly at track meets.
A big sister will design a computer program to determine how certain principles of physics influence efficient vaulting. A little sister will take her jump rope to track practice, jumping all the way around the track several times while she waits for practice to end. A mom will endure hours spent driving to and from track meets; she will sit in the rain or blistering sun again and again, offering encouragement, and keeping little brother and sister entertained so they don't distract the vaulters.
A passionate pole vault coach will make sure that all of his vaulters have the spikes and warm clothes they need. He will find tutors for students who need help with their school work. He will travel to elite meets with his best vaulters, even if he has to pay his own way. He will buy extra poles so vaulters have the equipment they need to vault well. He will set up a website just for the vaulters, complete with videos from each meet. He will invite the whole pole vault team to his house every week for pasta.
It's that time of year. Pole vault passion is evident at our house once again. Pasta, anyone?
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