Our friend Shawn Francis wrote this book. I would recommend if you’re a young vaulter if you don’t have a coach you better have this book. I mean, it’s really good. I bought one of the first copies.
Scott Kendricks 2x world champion, Olympic Bronze medalist pole vault coach and Father of Sam Kendricks
This is the best book on pole vaulting written in the last 40 years and in my opinion ever. As a student of the pole vault, your work has made me a wiser and better jumper and has helped me solved pole vaulting questions that I have had for decades. You book has has simple actionable ideas to help vaulters at all level. This is a great investment and a huge asset to any any jumper, coach or athlete who wants to jump higher, more safely with great enjoyment, knowledge, confidence, certainty and have more fun. In my opinion this is an essential tool for any vaulter, coach or parent. I wish I had this book 40 years ago, I am glad I have it now. Thank you Shawn
Ron Hubsher
"The Pole Vault Toolbox". In a word, OUTSTANDING! Shawn has the ability to communicate complicated topics in an easy to understand way, and has also somehow found a way to be entertaining. His delivery, comparisons and examples take you on fun little mini vacations throughout the book. The information and suggestions are dead on! This is a great book and every vaulter, coach and parent should have their own copy! Super well done Shawn!
Bubba Sparks World Masters Pv Champion
If you're a vaulter, coach or parent this book is a must read!!! I just started reading it and I've already laughed and cried, thanks Shawn for writing this amazing book.
Rosario RoJo Ultimate PV Club
Thank you Shawn Francis for making this book about pole vaulting! I highly suggest anyone interested in coaching or competing in pole vault get this book. It’s probably the most informative book on the event that I’ve ever seen!! It’s really simplistic and easy to follow along with.
Eric Stroup
So thankful to Shawn for taking the time to write such a great book for the pole vault community. The book can connect on any level; from the veteran coach, to the rookie. I’ve coached pole vault since 92’ but found myself educated in a new way with the turn of every page. The book puts technique, drills, skills all into new and interesting terminology that catches the learner in a fun way. And the rookie coach can build a firm foundation of knowledge even if they just read the 10 commandments of vaulting. I plan on buying a few as Pr incentives for athletes as well as gifts for fellow coaches, thanks again Shawn!!
Coach Mac Mac Track and Pole Vault Club
Loved it and wish I had it when I started coaching, can’t wait for the videos that go with the book good job Shawn
Robbie Robertson Georgia Pole Vault Club
I received your book for Christmas and I haven’t finished it yet but it is amazing! It has been so helpful to me and gives great pointers! I have no coach and my school owns two poles that are both under my weight. The book has been really helping me to coach myself and learn different approaches to the vault. Since there is no coach, my school has low interest in the event and therefore puts no funding into getting new poles for me to use. It would be amazing if we could get more poles and a coach to try to get more people involved with the sport. You are awesome! s.
Emily French
Weather you’re brand new to coaching pole vault, or been coaching pole vault since Sergey Bubka was in diapers, this book is a must. The way Shawn breaks down each phase of the vault combined with his sense of humor, makes The Pole Vault Toolbox easy to understand & implement into your practices. Based on training drills I picked up in this book, I now have vaulters clearing new heights at every meet. This book now lives in my practice bag and has great quick reference for me and my athletes. Thank you Shawn for this labor of love. The pole vault community appreciates you.
Kendra LaPlume: Pole Vault Coach, Colby-Sawyer College
Testimonials | Training plan
Shawn is a man that we need more of in both in the pole vault community and just in the world in general. His love for pole vault is emmense and it shows with the compassion and guidance he shows to the athletes he encounters. Personally, I reached out to Shawn after struggling heavily with the transition to college. Frustrated and ready to give up the sport, I looked to Shawn for help. He responded and though just a few emails and videos helped me to improved my vault and restored my love for the sport. Thank you, Shawn!
Brett Garbrick
I purchased your 3 month workout program and did it with my kids this summer. I’ve also integrated tons of your coaching into our program. We went from 10’ pr at the start of last year to 14’3” at Simplot with a short approach on small poles. Wowza! Thanks for all you do!
Joe M
“The opportunity my athletes had to participate in a Team Hoot pole vault camp was an amazing experience. Shawn is a top notch athlete/coach with an invaluable amount of knowledge. Every single one of my athletes who participated in the Team Hoot camp achieved a personal best at the next meet! My athletes and I can’t wait to work with Shawn again this season! We are Team Hoot all the way!”
Melissa White
Shawn! Just wanted to let you know that I’ve been finished with the training plan for almost two weeks but it worked great! I PRd in my meet last Saturday and I’ve moved up 3 poles since my meet the month before
Joe Jardine
When I was a freshman, I had a high jump coach trying to help me learn how to vault, but it was a struggle. With only 4 vaulters in my school, none of us had a real way to learn how to vault and we didn’t vault often due to the weather and conflicting sports. Watching these videos had the biggest impact on my vaulting because it showed me things that my coaches didn’t know and helped me understand the little things that were difficult to come up with, and the exercises and progressions were huge in helping me progress through the vault. I’ve seen every one of your videos and they helped me vault 9 feet by the end of my freshman season. I’m currently a sophmore girl jumping 10’3. Also, you have had the courage to talk about mental health in sports which is something that I don’t see very often and it really makes a difference in my life reminding me that I’m never alone and my depression isn’t something that can stop me from doing what I love. So with all of my heart l, I thank you so much because you have changed my life.
Carmen Trillo
I started vaulting late in my HS career but I was hooked. I walked on as Decathelete in college back in the early 90s just so I could continue to vault. Great times! Now fast forward a quarter of a century my son decides he wants to vault as a Freshman. Realize I still have one of my 15’ poles (maxima4) that I use to hang christmas lights with and I have asked him if he wanted to pole vault and the answer was always no. I was out of the sport for 25 years and now I need to brush off the cobwebs. Shawn helped me get back into the sport and talk my son through what he needed to do. Now he has finished his soph year and I am one of the assistant coaches on the track team. I forgot how much I loved the event and thanks to Shawn he helped me get back into track and the school has already been asking if I want to stick with this even after my son graduates. Thanks Shawn
Edward Gawell
I bought your program this past summer and it did wonders for my run! Coach said I’m the fastest vaulter! Thanks!
Turner Champ
I’ll start with saying I haven’t compared a lot of coaching platforms with my own, so this is a first for me. However, a lot of the training has some similarities. One thing that I learned from your written “outline” was to have the opportunity to decide how the day has treated you and to have the option to pick between a hard, medium or easy day. LOVE IT! The combination of your emails, youtube vlogs, and website are OUTSTANDING. You, yourself are very motivated and is easy to see how passionate you are about the sport and helping others.
Michael Stark
If it weren’t for Shawn’s witty and informative videos I would be way deep in the weeds. Being a masters level pole vaulter I have no coach or support system to help “re-learn” technique. My wife Denise has come a long way in critiquing my efforts by watching these videos with me, but Shawn’s knowledge is un-surpassable! Thanks to Shawn I am again enjoying an activity abandoned 49 years & 9 months ago. I am forever grateful for his energy and persistence in advancing the joy of pole vaulting.
