ClassX Video Lessons Youtube Channel Curiosity Stream A Peek Into Pole Vaulting With Sandi Morris | The Science Of Movement
Imagine using a 14-foot pole to jump over something as tall as a two-story building! That’s what pole vaulting is all about, and it’s both thrilling and challenging. When you successfully clear the bar, it’s an incredible feeling of joy and excitement. This is the world of pole vaulting with Sandi Morris, a two-time Olympic pole vaulter. Let’s dive into the science and skill behind this amazing sport.
Sandi Morris is not just any athlete; she’s a combination of a sprinter, jumper, and gymnast. Coming from a family of track athletes, Sandi tried many events before discovering her passion for pole vaulting. She never imagined reaching such heights in her career, but it shows that you never know how far you can go until you try.
Pole vaulting is all about converting energy. You need to channel all your speed and power into the pole to launch yourself into the air. Speed is crucial because it provides the energy needed for the jump. At the start of the runway, Sandi stands about 95 feet from the box, ready to unleash her power while holding a long pole.
As Sandi runs, she holds the pole at a slight angle. The pole becomes heavier as she drops it during the mid-phase, which involves six steps. The sprint phase is critical because it’s where she builds up all the energy for her jump. Her lower body muscles, like her calves, quads, glutes, and core, work hard to gain speed.
When she reaches the midpoint, it’s time to go all in! The pole drops effortlessly, and Sandi keeps her energy moving forward. She needs to stay focused, with her hips and feet ready to jump off the ground. Her rhythm speeds up through the takeoff, requiring a full effort.
As Sandi jumps, she uses her muscles to leap off the ground, driving her knee high. In the air, she relies on her core and upper body strength to swing and turn herself upside down, moving vertically. Imagine being upside down with the sky above and the ground below—it’s all about using your strength to complete the jump.
Strengthening your core and hips is essential for swinging yourself upside down. By staying close to the pole and using your arms, shoulders, and grip, everything comes together for a successful vault.
Once Sandi clears the bar, it’s time to celebrate! But she also needs to land safely from a nearly 16-foot fall, ensuring she doesn’t get injured. To be the best, you need relentless drive and determination. Even a small mistake can make a big difference in competitions.
Sandi has faced challenges, like breaking a pole and getting injured at the Tokyo Olympics. But she’s determined to compete in her third Olympics in Paris. With hard work and perseverance, she hopes to achieve her dream of winning a gold medal.
Pole vaulting is a sport that requires speed, strength, and precision. It’s a thrilling combination of athleticism and science, and athletes like Sandi Morris inspire us to reach for new heights.
Gather some craft materials and create a mini pole vault setup. Use a straw or a stick as the pole and a small object like a toy figure as the vaulter. Experiment with different angles and techniques to see how you can make your figure “vault” over a small bar. This activity will help you understand the mechanics of pole vaulting and the importance of energy conversion.
Conduct a simple experiment to explore energy conversion using a rubber band and a small object. Stretch the rubber band and use it to launch the object into the air. Measure how far it travels and discuss how the potential energy in the stretched rubber band converts into kinetic energy. Relate this to how Sandi Morris uses her speed and strength to convert energy in pole vaulting.
Play a simulation game that includes pole vaulting as one of the events. Pay attention to the techniques and strategies used in the game to clear the bar. Reflect on how these strategies relate to the real-life skills and science discussed in the article. This will give you a virtual experience of the sport and its challenges.
Find a local track and field athlete or coach and conduct an interview. Ask them about their experiences with pole vaulting or other track events. Inquire about the training, challenges, and science behind their sport. Share your findings with the class to gain insights into the athletic journey and the science of movement.
Participate in a workout session focused on core and upper body strength, similar to what pole vaulters like Sandi Morris might do. Follow a guided routine that includes exercises like planks, sit-ups, and push-ups. Discuss how strengthening these muscles is crucial for the swinging and turning movements in pole vaulting.
Sure! Here’s a sanitized version of the transcript:
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Can you imagine jumping the height of a two-story building using a 14-foot pole? I can’t! When I step out there to take a jump, the first thing I do is prepare to sprint all out and fling myself into the air with an inanimate object. When you make a bar, you know you’re making the bar, and it’s just sheer joy and adrenaline. I mean, my hair is standing on end just thinking about it. This is the science of pole vaulting with Sandy Morris. I’m David Wong, a primary sports medicine physician at HSS.
Sandy Morris is a two-time Olympic pole vaulter. When I see Sandy Morris pole vault, I see a very complete athlete—a perfect combination of sprinter, jumper, and gymnast. It’s something that not a lot of people can do.
I come from a sports family; my parents were track athletes, and track runs in my blood. I tried just about every event in track and field, and pole vaulting is the one that really stuck. I never would have dreamed I’d make it this far—honestly, you don’t know how far you’ll go until you try.
Pole vaulting is figuring out how to take all of this energy, put it into the pole, and get as much of that energy back out the top of the pole as you possibly can. Speed is very important when it comes to launching yourself into the air; that is where the energy comes from. These pole vaulters are amazing—they’re fast, powerful, and dynamic. At the start of the runway, Sandy is about 95 feet from the box. When you’re at the back of the runway, it’s like containing a beast. It has to be powerful but precise. She has to build up as much speed as possible while holding a 14-foot pole.
The pole should be slightly angled when you take off running, and it will be ready to fall when you’re ready to drop it. The mid-phase is where the pole drop happens, transitioning from here to there in six steps. When you start dropping it, it gets heavy. The sprint phase is the most critical component of the pole vault because that’s where Sandy builds all the energy for her jump. She’s using a lot of her lower body muscles—her calves, quads, glutes, and core—to build up as much speed as she can.
Once you get beyond your midpoint, it’s go time! You’re dropping the pole, and the goal is to let it fall effortlessly while keeping all your energy forward. You don’t want to lean back or hesitate; you want to be attacking, with your hips and feet underneath you, ready to jump off the ground. Your rhythm should get faster through the takeoff, and it has to be an all-in effort.
As she jumps, she’s using those same muscles to leap off the ground, driving her knee as high as she can. Once she’s in the air, she has to use her core and upper body strength to swing and turn herself upside down to start moving in a more vertical direction. Imagine that’s the sky and that’s the ground; you’re upside down, and all you have to do is crank and finish the jump.
The reason we do everything we do is to strengthen your core and hips to have the power to swing yourself upside down. If you stay tight to the pole and use your arms, shoulders, and grip, it all comes together.
Once you’re down the runway and you’ve made the bar, that’s when I can just go crazy—let it all out! At the end, once you’ve cleared the bar and hopefully are celebrating, you now have a nearly 16-foot fall to land safely from, making sure your body is in a position to land without injury.
To be the world’s greatest, you have to have relentless drive because this game is hard. At this level, being just 2% off can be the difference between not making a final and winning a gold medal. You will very rarely come across a sprinter or jumper who does not do Olympic lifts because our events are very explosive, and Olympic lifting goes hand in hand with being explosive.
I have some big goals for this year. I’ve been through a lot in the last few years. In Rio 2016, I was young and inexperienced, and I wanted a medal at the Olympics. We had to wait five years because of COVID. I went to Tokyo, and unfortunately, I broke a pole and strained my hip flexor. It was devastating to leave my second Olympics with an injury. But I’ve always been a good third-attempt athlete. Paris will be my third Olympics, and I know I still have all the tools I need. I have to stay the course, keep my head down, keep training, and do everything right. If I’m lucky, it will all come together, and the stars will align for me to compete for that gold medal.
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Let me know if you need any further modifications!
Pole – A long, slender, cylindrical object used in sports like pole vaulting to help athletes jump over a high bar. – The athlete carefully selected a pole that was the right length and flexibility for her vaulting attempt.
Vaulting – A sport or exercise in which an athlete uses a pole to jump over a high bar. – During the track and field event, the crowd cheered as the athlete succeeded in vaulting over the bar set at a new record height.
Energy – The capacity to do work, which in physics is often measured in joules. – In physics class, we learned that kinetic energy increases with the square of the speed of an object.
Speed – The rate at which an object covers distance, usually measured in meters per second. – The coach emphasized the importance of speed in the 100-meter dash, encouraging athletes to improve their reaction times.
Strength – The physical power and ability to exert force, important for athletes in many sports. – Building strength through weight training can help improve an athlete’s performance in various physical activities.
Jump – A movement in which an athlete propels themselves off the ground using their legs. – The long jump requires athletes to sprint down a runway and jump as far as possible into a sandpit.
Athlete – A person who is trained or skilled in sports, exercises, or physical activities. – The athlete trained for months to prepare for the upcoming track and field competition.
Core – The central part of the body, including muscles in the abdomen and lower back, crucial for stability and strength. – Strengthening the core is essential for athletes to maintain balance and improve overall performance.
Muscles – Tissues in the body that contract to produce movement, essential for all physical activities. – During physical education class, students learned about different exercises to strengthen their muscles.
Olympics – A global multi-sport event where athletes from around the world compete in various sports. – The Olympics are held every four years, showcasing the talents and dedication of athletes from numerous countries.
