The wristband is inscribed with "Pole Vault Just Something You Do, It's Not Who You Are". It serves as a reminder that performance does not define an athlete.
Story
Pole vault is just something your do, it's not who you are.
It's easy to fall into the trap of getting your self-worth from how well you perform from certain heights, meets you made it into, or medals you win.
But ill say it again, it's a trap.
Here's the secret that no one wants to talk about, win or lose, it feels like shit if your self-worth is tied to your performance.
When you lose, you convince yourself that people don't care about you. You create stories like "But if I won or made that meet I'd be worthy."
When you win, you get the praise but then you constantly feel like you can't let off the gas which is exhausting. You create stories like "I'm not worthy if I don't keep winning or performing."
Here's the honest truth from someone who's suffered through both. The people who genuinely care and love you, just want to experience it all with you. Win, lose, or draw. They want to ride the ride with you. More importantly, if you love the ride yourself, that's the ultimate form of self-love.
So no matter how high you jump, what meet you made or didn't make, or what medal you won or didn't win, to me you're a badass because you decided to give it your best shot and have fun along the way.
That's a pretty healthy place to operate from.
Besides looking awesome here are three ways to use this band as a tool to vault higher
1. Give it a snap!
As pole vaulters, we tend to get in our heads a lot. After talking to many sports psychologists and mental health experts, keeping the mind and the body in the same place can improve performance.
When you notice your mind in the future or the past, give the band a little snap to bring the mind and body back together, take a deep breath and focus on the sensation for 15-30 seconds. The mind and body work best when they're working together!
2. Switch Wrists
This one comes from Sports Psychology guru Robert Andrews. As athletes, we can be incredibly self-critical. One way to help with negative or critical thoughts is by bringing awareness to these thoughts.
When you notice negative self-talk, switch the band to the other wrist. You might find yourself doing this 100 times on the first day, which is good!
Over time you'll develop more awareness of these thoughts which breaks the stream and lessons the negative chatter. As you can imagine, your performance will improve as you lessen the chatter of the bully in your mind.
3. Grounding
A common PTSD technique to help “Get out of your head” when we have big emotions and difficult thoughts that create an internal storm. This can be especially true when moving up poles, competing at big meets, or attempting something you've never done.
The technique is to find 5 things you can see, 4 you can feel, 3 you can hear, 2 you can smell, 1 you can taste. You can use the bands colors, patterns, and textures to help.
Grounding can help calm the storm. It's easier to vault in the sun with a killer tailwind!
Keep your focus and stay on track with this Pole Vault band. Made with a cloth elastic for a comfortable fit. Perfect for pole vaulters of all levels, this bracelet is a great way to show your passion for the sport or to send as a gift.
Features:
- Durable materials
- Suitable for all levels
- Sizing - S/M fits 80% of all people.
Price: $9.99
Shipping: Free shipping on all domestic orders over $60