Vaulters Improve Their Skills At GetVertical Pole Vault USA TF Club 
Sunday, January 6, 2013 at North Shore Academy of Gymnastics, Cedarburg. Get Vertical on Facebook. Get Vertical Web Site
The weather out side is frightful, but pole vaulting indoors is so delightful
The GetVertical USA Track and Field Club was begun in 2006 with the purpose of having athletes in the greater Milwuakee area having a way to improve thieir skills in the pole vault event. GetVertical is in session 10 months a year and works with athletes from Illinois and Wisconsin following the rules and guidelines as set forth by the USATF, NCAA, WIAA, and IHSA organizations.
GetVertical leader Jason Shimko stresses safety, enjoyment, and personal improvements as the cornerstones of the pole vault experience. Shimko is assisted by Milwaukee area high school and college pole vault coaches.
In addition, a gymnastics coach helps with the technique that vaulters need to improve their performances. Coaches on the staff are USA Track and Field registered coaches which includes background checks as required by USATF policies for youth clubs.
GetVertical PV Goals
1) The goal is to improve the sport of pole vaulting by teaching kids and coaches how to jump high safely. GetVertical's philosophy is such that we provide mentoring to other coaches and to our athletes so they too can coach. We have several examples of that amongst the group. To this end, our doors are open to anyone interested in the sport.
2) GetVertical is primarily a volunteer run organization - everyone involved has a day job to pay the bills, we do this for fun.
3) GetVertical is a club, not a camp that practices with mostly the same athletes and same coaches 10 months a year.
Left: GetVertical leader Jason Shimko discusses safety and club goals with the vaulters. Jason is a USATF Certified Level 2 Jumps coach, a Pole Vault Safety Certified Instructor, a member of the National Pole Vault Safety Board and has assisted in SkyJumpers Pole Vaulting camps as a lead coach for over fifteen years.
Above L-R: Coaches Pat Burke [Sussex Hamilton HS], Jeff Boeder [West Allis Central HS], and Dave Lee [Milwuakee Pius XI HS] were some of the vault coaches present to help each of the high school vaulters.
After warmups the vaulters were divided up into groups [by experience] and were kept hustling with a great variety of drills aimed at improving their skils
Left: George Grainger is the owner of the North Shore Gymnastics Club. A number of years ago he organized vault camps at West Bend. During the practice many gymnastics techniques were demonstrated and practiced in order to improve the vaulters performance.
Right: Coach Paul Tilleman [Whitefish Bay HS].
Below L-R: Abby Croft [Germantown HS, Marquette Universty vaulter], Samantha Hubmann [West Allis Central, Concordia University vaulter], Coach James Pauer [New Berlin West], and coach Chris Benzow [East Troy].
Top header photo of Corinne Franz by Lisa Franz.