Pole vault coach Trevor Fox has played an important part in the success of some of Britain’s best, including Commonwealth silver medallist Luke Cutts and World Youth Indoor record holder Adam Hague.
You can read the full story about what makes him tick here.
For a new feature, we asked Trevor for a few simple tips on how to succeed in the event.
Adam Hague and his coach Trevor Fox
1. PATIENCE
“There are no shortcuts. It’s about patience and dedication. A lot of the early processes are about developing an instinct to be able to do it all quickly and subconsciously thanks to hours of rehearsal. Practicing involves doing it, enjoying it, then maybe throwing a javelin a bit, sprinting or doing apparatus a bit.”
2. PHYSICAL ABILITY
“Understanding how to use your natural gymnastic ability to your advantage. The technique is tried and tested, but different athletes have different styles. It is a speed event and you need to be quick off the ground, but some athletes have ways of making up for this. For instance, they may not have as fast a turnover of their hips, but they might have a more powerful jump.”
3. CONFIDENCE
“Knowing that you can trust your instincts and your subconscious mind. They say practice makes perfect, but it’s practicing perfect that makes perfect. Being able to put fear of failures and negative emotion behind you. Being strong-willed enough to know that you can improve and to see how far you’ve come.”
4. TWO-WAY PROCESS
“(As a coach) I don’t intrude too much apart from telling an athlete perhaps to change their body shape here and there. You know your own bodies and it is a two way approach to coaching in which we both think about how to improve.”
