I am forwarding this article for a friend, who lives in Northwest Indiana.
This article appeared in my local paper serving Northwest Indiana yesterday
Dan can you post it to the T&F list for me? I can't post from my work
email. I think we should all email this guy and let him know how we feel
about this issue.
Thanks,
http://www.thetimesonline.com/index.pl/article?id=14595280
Time to toss the pole vault
By John Doherty / Times Sports Correspondent
Posted on Monday, March 18, 2002
The following story ran in this space five years ago this month.
Tragedy struck at Bloom Twp. High School earlier this month. On March 7, as a result
of a pole vaulting accident, William Moreno suffered a fatal head injury.
In the immediate aftermath of the incident, the instinctive, knee-jerk reaction would
have been to call for elimination of the activity.
A check with the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington, D.C., last week
revealed one other fatality in the last three years associated with pole vaulting. In
April of 1994, another 17-year-old died from a "blunt-force head injury." CPSC
official Ken Giles also reported on 30 to 40 other non-fatal injuries that required
emergency room treatment over the same period.
One is left wondering how complete the CPSC's database is, though. They had no
information, beyond what I told them, on Moreno's death.
Consequently, I contacted the National Athletic Trainers' Association. That
organization is in the midst of a three-year, comprehensive investigation of injury
rates among high school athletes. Unfortunately, according to survey director Dr. John
Powell, track and field is not among the sports being studied.
So where to turn for an expert opinion on the general safety -- or lack thereof -- of
pole vaulting? Sometimes, there is no place like home.
Lee Bollhorst is an IHSAA-certified track and field official. He had served as head
coach for girls track and field at Griffith High School for 15 years until 1990. Early
in our conversation, he made his feelings plain.
"They need to get rid of the damn thing," he said.
For starters, according to Bollhorst, there are few talented local participants. More
importantly, most schools do not have a coach who knows how to teach an interested
athlete how to do it properly. (Although this, said Bollhorst, was not the case at
Bloom. Moreno was a good athlete with good coaching at good facilities -- but disaster
still struck.)
"This year will be my 48th in track and field," he said, "and I wouldn't know how to
do it."
It's not that pole vaulting is wrong, in Bollhorst's view, as much as it is not right
for this part of the country. In California, it's very popular and the coaches are
well trained.
Judging by the IHSAA's recent conduct, however, it does not share the veteran coach's
opinion. Still, the IHSAA and/or the National Federation could at least mandate some
kind of headgear, such as a cyclist's helmet.
"I'd agree with that," said Bollhorst. "It wouldn't impede their arms or legs."
It wouldn't impede a better safety record, either. True, there has been only one other
death, besides Moreno's, since 1994. But compared on a per capita basis with other
supposedly more dangerous sports, this is unacceptable. Just ask the grieving families.
* News item: On February 23, 2002, Penn State pole vaulter Kevin Dare died during the
Big 10 indoor track championships in Minneapolis. He fell during an attempt, missing
the padded pit, and struck his head on the ground instead. Dare's death was -- at
least -- the fifth in the sport, nationwide, in the last 10 years. He was not wearing
a helmet.
John Doherty is the head athletic trainer at Munster High School. He can be reached at
[EMAIL PROTECTED] or (219) 922-8188.
--- Begin Message ---
This article appeared in my local paper serving Northwest Indiana yesterday
. Dan can you post it to the T&F list for me? I can't post from my work
email. I think we should all email this guy and let him know how we feel
about this issue.
Thanks,
-Ray
http://www.thetimesonline.com/index.pl/article?id=14595280
Raymond C. Cook
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(219) 977-7745 - fax
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