Lone Star Pole Vaulting Newsletter
November 12, 2015


In this issue:

As football, cross country, and cheerleading seasons are drawing to a close, we are picking up more clients at pole vault practice.  We're excited about the upcoming track seasons and look forward to seeing improvement from everyone.  Our current format for Group Practices is for the athlete to check the daily workout on our dry erase board, complete the warmup/workout activities independently but with some instructor and peer guidance, then transition into instructed drills and exercises while they pole vault.  I've always considered myself a teacher more than a coach and prefer my athletes to call me by my first name Kris as I feel my authority role is already established and I like to keep things more familiar, easygoing, and less formal.  That being said, I am not the stereotypical team coach yelling "hustle" and blowing a whistle.  I teach people to pole vault.  I want each athlete to ask questions, to become a student of the event, to understand the why behind each movement, exercise, and drill.  Time-management is not my strong suit, but attention to detail is.  Still, people learn in more than one way, and having athletes film each other vaulting and reviewing the video between jumps is a great visual supplement to my verbal instructions and kinesthetic rehearsal drills.  In the modern technology age, nearly everyone who walks through the door has a camera on their phone or tablet and I encourage everyone to use them to aid their learning. 

Services, Schedules, and Rates: 

To take advantage of any of the services we offer, we require 3 items:

  1. An Athlete Information Sheet completed and on file.
  2. A Waiver of Liability form completed and on file.
  3. A current membership with USA Track and Field (USATF) submitted and on file.  To obtain a membership, go to www.usatf.org/membership and sign up under Lone Star PV, LLC in the South Texas Association, then forward your confirmation email to me.  Memberships cost $20/year for youth and $30/year for adults.  This is not optional as my insurance company requires it.  USATF memberships operate on a calendar year basis and expired on December 31st, so they must be renewed for January-on participation.

 

Group or "Club" Practice:   

The backbone of our organization and its best value, group practices are scheduled in 90 minute blocks, however we rarely are able to finish in 90 minutes.  Most practices often run 2 hours.  On weeknights, it is ok to arrive as early as 3:30 to complete warmup independently, and it is ok to arrive up to 30 minutes late as we understand there are often traffic and scheduling issues to deal with.  If you need to leave at a certain time, be sure to inform the coach that day at the beginning of practice and to check the clock and remind the coach if it is getting close to that time.  If you need to cancel, you can do so online if you are logged in to the Online Scheduler, but it is ok to text Kris too at 830-263-2526.  Please do not No-Show as spaces are limited.  Most practices are instructed and supervised by myself, however our qualified Assistant Coaches do fill in twice a week on Tuesdays and Sundays in New Braunfels and at other times as needed.  Ongoing development of goal-oriented pole vaulting skills and fitness are at the core of this service.  Participation in competitions within as well as outside of scholastic track and field is encouraged and expected.  Members may be of any age, gender, or ability-level, therefore all group practices are heterogeneously mixed.   The Online Scheduler is set up to allow only 6 athletes per practice session.  Once those spaces are filled, you will be unable to schedule a spot.  This is for quality control... the more people on the runway there are, the less opportunity there is for instruction and repetition.  We recommend scheduling all group practices up to 1 month in advance even if you don't know your exact schedule from week to week and then canceling or rescheduling as necessary.  Currently I do not have Assistant Coaches available during weeknights to break into 2 groups.  Group Practices ARE REQUIRED to be scheduled via our Online Scheduler: https://instant-scheduling.com/sch.php?kn=570316

New Braunfels Groups:
Monday-Friday: 4:00-5:30, 5:30-7:00
Thursday Mornings: 11:00-1:00
Saturdays: 8:30-10:00
Sundays: 4:00-5:30

San Antonio Groups: (St. Mary's Hall School or Paul Golibart's home):
Tuesdays: 4:30-6:00, 6:00-7:30

There will be no practice on November 26th or 27th, nor on December 24th and 25th.  Our hours will remain the same until the week of December 23rd, and we will post a modified holiday practice schedule for that week and the following coming soon.  I will be out of town visiting family December 26th-January 2nd, so our Assistant Coaches will be holding practice while I am away.

For Group Practices we have discontinued "monthly" memberships and as of last July moved to a "block" model whereas practice sessions are purchased in a predetermined number of sessions.  You have 90 days to use all sessions in the block before they expire.  This helps to ensure that each client receives their money's worth of practice even if they miss a week here or there and eliminates the need to "pro-rate" time.  Please keep up with how many practices you have used and have remaining and renew membership payments accordingly.  The Online Scheduler keeps track of all past and upcoming sessions.


Private Lessons: One-on-One or small group (by request) customized instruction for all ability levels.  This is our premium service and allows for maximal high quality instructional time with minimal distraction.  Hours vary based on availability, but Kris is usually available most weekdays between 9-3 and on Saturdays from 10:30-12:30.  Assistant Coaches are usually available on weekends.  All lessons must be requested online and must either be confirmed, canceled, or rescheduled.  Do not show up without a  confirmation. Beginner and youth vaulters generally only benefit from a 1-hour lesson, while 1.5-2 hours is sufficient for more experienced vaulters.  Private Lessons can be requested and must be confirmed via our Online Scheduler: https://instant-scheduling.com/sch.php?kn=570316


Open Gym: Open Gym is access to the gym to train on your own during times when there is no group practice or private lessons taking place.  You may use any of the equipment in the gym, but we have a few rules: 1) If you're under 18 years of age you MUST have a parent or guardian present.  2) You MUST have a signed waiver of liability on file including your health insurance information.  3) You MUST have a current USATF membership on file with us.  4) By scheduling, you agree to pay for or replace any equipment that is damaged or broken during your workout.  Like all services we offer, you MUST schedule Open Gym time online: https://instant-scheduling.com/sch.php?kn=570316


Meet Results


Upcoming Meets: 


Thanks and have a great weekend!

Kris

-- 
Kris Allison
Owner - Lone Star PV, LLC
1985 FM 758
New Braunfels, TX 78130
Office 830-620-1175 
Cell 830-263-2526
Fax 830-620-1176
Website www.lonestarpv.com