Of all the sports I least identify with, pole vault has to be at the top of the list. I’ve always considered it the most unlikely and baffling of activities, as if someone asked Dr. Seuss to invent a new track event. I’m not sure how one decides to become a pole vaulter, and after this story, I’m even less likely to find out.
A pole vaulter for UC San Diego, 19-year-old Leon Roach, died after missing the landing pad on a practice pole vault attempt at the university’s La Jolla campus on Saturday.
Roach was unresponsive after missing the pad and landing on the concrete, head first.
He was pronounced brain dead at a hospital. An autopsy is pending.
A memorial service will be held this week in Huntington Beach, where Roach graduated from Marina High School.
It may surprise you to know that, according to one study, the pole vault is the deadliest sport in America.
A study published in the January 2001 edition of the American Journal of Sports Medicine reviewed 32 catastrophic pole-vaulting injuries, 16 of which resulted in death. The injuries, reported to the National Center for Catastrophic Sports Injury Research between 1982 and 1998, showed an average of one death per year in the event. With about 25,000 participants, it ranked as the highest death rate per participant of any sport.
Should helmets become mandatory? Probably not a practical idea, according to this story from the TRI-CITY HERALD:
A company called POLEVAULTHELMET.COM advertises a helmet called the KDMax designed specifically for vaulters.
However, their information is copyrighted from 2004. I found this 2006 article talking about pole vault safety, and how at that point, there were no helmets that were proven to protect a vaulter in a severe fall (say, anything above 7 or 8 feet).
National pole vault safety director Jan Johnson was quoted in the article as saying: “For a vaulter to have total protection, he would need a helmet 3 feet thick. Nobody wants a heavy helmet.”
Would anyone really care if this event were banished for safety reasons? I mean, since it’s more dangerous, evidently, than boxing?
10:07 pm on September 6th, 2009
He missed the pads doing a relatively risky drill. “rope vaulting” - Imagine jumping from a ledge on a lake, and the rope swings you into the lake and you let go, falling into the water. (hopefully safely)
But instead of just holding on to the rope and falling feet first. Try to do a half backwards full (swinging-as we call it). so you’re still in the air with your feet above your head and you do a half twist (turn) over a bar (or a loose bungee chord) After the turn you, hopefully, fall safely into the pads on your back facing the direction you started from.
This is a terrible accident that happened to a great kid and family. The Southern California pole vault community is in shock at the moment.
( I apologize for this long passage, but I feel that this must be explained the right way.
11:35 pm on September 6th, 2009
Why don’t they make the landing pads bigger…..seems simple to me.
11:49 pm on September 6th, 2009
the landing pad size has been increasing in size every year. The sports started with a square of saw dust and has now increased into 3 ft. thick, 24′ long, and 20′ wide pads. All Governing bodies have a minimum pad size issued each year. With an entire pole vault pad costing roughly $10k-$20k it would be difficult for most schools if the minimum size pads were always being upgraded.
In this situation- it is hard to say whether sufficient padding was used. I’m sure they have done that drill over and over in practice sessions.
The biggest issue is coaching. This is a very dangerous sport- if you don’t have the proper knowledge on how to coach safely- something like this could happen. Unfortunately, good coaches can’t stop an extremely unlucky situation.
12:35 am on September 7th, 2009
I pole vaulted in Jr. High School and in High School for a bit before moving on to events that I was actually good at. I only vaulted 10ft but it was incredibly fun. I’ve done every Track and Field event except the hammer and Pole Vault is the most exciting. I imagine that that’s why people do it. I remember missing the pit multiple times and it was always on to grass. I’m not quite sure why there was concrete right by the pit?
1:59 am on September 7th, 2009
Leon Roach was my brother. He, my dad and other brother all pole-vaulted. It was a passion for all of them and I couldn’t imagine them with out it. Besides the fact that he wasn’t actually “vaulting” at the time, the rope swing exercise was set relatively low. There was nothing wrong with the coaching or the mats. Leon loved his coach and was looking forward to all he could learn this next season. Not only did they have mats but there were 2 people as spotters at the end of the pads. What happened to Leon was not an accident, it was the Lord’s time for him. We all love him and miss him very much, but we know that there are no accidents in life and that the Lord has a plan for all of us. Leon lived every day that he was supposed to and we will remember and cherish every single one. My father and brother will both continue pole-vaulting. We don’t believe this sport is any more dangerous than the car you get in and drive every day. The Lord has not given us a spirit of fear, we will live our lives and know that He is God.
Leon loved this sport and had such a strong faith in the Lord and this family will draw on both those things as we remember him and celebrate his life.
11:47 am on September 7th, 2009
Christyn - We’re all sorry for your loss.
8:21 pm on September 7th, 2009
The Pole Vaulting Community Nationwide mourns with your family Christyn. As a pole vault mom I worry every day, but I know how much my son loves to vault. Our vault club with be praying for you all.
Eastcoast Pole Vault Mom
11:26 am on September 8th, 2009
Takes me back to eighth grade in Jr. High. My football coach wanted me to go out for track so I would be in better condition for football season. But it soon became obvious that track wasn’t for me (I was the center on my football team, and I couldn’t run fast at all). So the coach handed me a pole and told me to go over there and teach myself how to pole vault.
Now I realize that this lack of coaching might have had some serious consequences. But fortunately, I couldn’t get off the ground. Being a center on the football team is exactly the wrong body-type for pole vaulting.
4:51 pm on September 15th, 2009
As an ex high school vaulter and father of a soph. vaulter, I know how much fun it is. But these kinds of tragic accidents let us all know how frail we really are. My thoughts and prayers to all the family. You seem to have a great foundation in your faith. You are a great example!
9:29 pm on September 25th, 2009
The last comment, “Would anyone really care if this event were banished for safety reasons? I mean, since it’s more dangerous, evidently, than boxing?” Yes I would say people would be outragous to the thought and idea of pole vaulting being banned. As a pole vaulter for my high school I would be angry and infuriated if this became law. Not only would the 25,000 people who pole vault be angry, but so would probably about 8 times that amount that enjoy watching pole vault more then any other track event feel the same way. I’m not saying that others don’t care about the racing or the throwing, but for running, poof they’re off, and the race may be close but it’s over so quick. As for throwing I have nothing against it, I have several friends that throw, but for that you are either overweight, or really buff to good at that even. Pole vaulters work pretty hard to sprint every single attempt, and most successful vaulters do this quite a few times for every event such as tournements and championships. And for those out there that want pole vaulting cancelled. You can’t banish pole vaulting! If they take this from us you may as well end boxing, bull riding, strongman competition, cheerleading, rugby, running of the bulls, base jumping, ultra marathons, motocross, horse jumping, skeleton racing (ice racing) which are on the top of the list for most dangerous sports, along with hundreds of other forms of entertainment because if that’s the case, then just go ahead and kill entertainment because it’s not safe. We know it’s not safe, but we do it anyway knowing full well that we may get hurt, you can hurt yourself more then a dozen different ways before you even are over the bar. But we do it anyway because we love it.
9:31 pm on September 25th, 2009
I’d also like to add that I am sorry for your loss and I hope things begin to look up for you and your family Christyn.
9:38 pm on September 25th, 2009
Adding on for the concrete near the landing pad, there should be smaller pads off to the side or atleast grass, or any kind of cushion to lesson the blow from a fall from 8ft all the way up to 20.14ft (6.14m) set by Sergey Bubka in outdoors in 1994, or 20.17 (6.15) set by Sergey in indoors in 1993.