My name is Nathan. Known by many as Nate, or Nathaniel. I’m a former SEC-trained pole vaulter who competed for the University of Tennessee from 2015–2020. Jumping 4.90. in high school to only jumping 5.00m after 5 years at Tennessee was more than disappointing. There are several factors that played a role in me not reaching my potential (physically), but what I gained through these experiences more than makes up for any PR or All-American status. As one of my coaches used to say, “The mind is a terrible thing to waste.” That idea stuck with me. With an educational background in psychology and biology, combined with years of exposure to high-level coaching and sports psychology at UT, I developed a deeper understanding of how the vault actually works, physically, mentally, and developmentally. My coaches and sport psych mentors instilled an immense amount of knowledge that I want to give back to a community I’ve been part of for over 17 years. One thing that’s always stood out to me is that if you look at elite and professional vaulters, every single one of them jumps differently. Pole vault has long chased the idea of a single “perfect model,” and I believe that’s a myth. Every body is different. Every mind is different. Every training history and competitive experience is different. Because of that, each vaulter needs to be assessed individually to understand what actually works for them. Take the current WR holder as an example. In many of his best jumps, he’s clearly “under.” To many coaches, this seems to be an area he could "improve". Rather, I think it is perfect. There’s also a lot of conversation around the idea of a “free takeoff,” which I have strong thoughts on, and why it’s often misunderstood. There are reasons certain things work for various WR holders. The flying French man had much closer if not fully a free takeoff. On the other hand, Bubka didn’t have a free takeoff in many of his best jumps even though his coaches preached it. I have come to understand many of our coaches and athletes focuses and cues in the vault are misguided. We are looking at the wrong stuff often times.