Each summer, Idaho State University hosts the Simplot Games Track Camp, presented by Dick Fosbury. I had the opportunity to attend this past summer.
We had an amazing coaching staff. Dick Fosbury, high jumper who invented the Fosbury Flop and won gold at the 1968 Olympic Games, coached the high jumpers. George Walcott, Jamaican sprinter, coached the sprinters. Latanya Sheifield, 400 meter hurdler in the 1988 Olyimpics, coached the hurdles. Willie Banks, 1984 and 1988 Olympic Games triple jumper, coached the horizontal jumps. Dave Nielson, head coach at Idaho State University and coach of the pole vault gold medalist Stacy Dragila at the 2000 Olympic Games, coached the pole vault, which is the event I did. Brian Janssen, assistant coach at Idaho State University, coached the middle distance.
On the first day of the camp, all campers had to check-in and received a Simplot Games Track Camp lanyard, drawstring bag, campt t-shirt, and for the overnight campers, a room key. We were all told to wear something that could get wet. At 9:30, we all trekked over to a grassy area, where we met the ISU track and field athletes that would be helping us and also the Olympians and clinicians that would be coaching us throughout the week.
We were sitting on a hill, where the clinicians/coaches and ISU athletes had set up a slip n’ slide. We split into two teams. Two athletes would go down the slip n’ slide and at the bottom was a baton. The first athlete to get the baton got a point for their team. It looked easy, but by the time you got to the bottom you were soapy, wet, and water was spraying everywhere, so it was almost impossible to see where the baton was. It was hilarious to watch fellow athletes slip and fall over each other to reach the baton. It was a good activity to break the ice and get to know the other campers around you.
After we finished the game, we all walked back and ate lunch, then headed off to the first coaching session at Davis Field.
All athletes separated to their separate events. I went with Dave Nielson, the pole vaulting coach. We started off with running drills and learned that one of the most important aspects of the pole vault is the run. The first thing we did before vaulting into the pit was check and make sure everything was safe. The session lasted three and a half hours in what felt like one hundred degree weather. There were about fifteen pole vaulters, so we got a lot of one on one attention and help. By the end of the session we were all exhausted.
At the end of the day, the pole vaulters were the last campers left on the track. We walked back to the dorms, ate dinner, then we all crashed. Around 7:30, we went and the Olympians told us their stories.
George Walcott came from a poor family in Jamaica. He worked hard and he never gave up on his dreams, and one thing he said over and over was “life is good!” Next was Latanya Sheifield. She didn’t even do Track and Field in high school. In two years, she had trained hard and set the American record the 400 meter hurdles. Her repeated statement was “try!” You will never know the things you can accomplish if you just try. Willie Banks talked about hard work and believing in yourself. He made us stand up and say with him “I AM A CHAMPION!”
Last but not least was Dick Fosbury. He told us about his journey to the Olympics and his invention of the Fosbury Flop. He never intended to make it as far as he did. In one track meet, he improved 6 inches. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for a high jumper, improving 6 inches in a season is an accomplishment. It took a whole new generation to adopt Fosbury’s new way of jumping.
It was amazing listening to them speak. All of them have incredible personalities and are great role models for any athlete. They are fun, happy, outgoing, confident, talented people. It was an incredible experience interacting with them.
After the Olympians finished speaking to us, we all headed outside for a game of tag. I was one of about 25 campers who didn’t stay overnight. After the pep talk from the Olympians, I headed home.
Day two started with another coaching session, but first we had a huge group picture. There was also a donut on a string competition, which was fun to watch. Then Willie Banks led us in all in a Zumba type routine, which everyone participated in. It was a lot of fun and easy to catch on to.
All the athletes headed to the coach of their choice for the second coaching session. I again went with the pole vaulters. We got right down to business with some sprinting warm-up drills, then did a timing drill where we ran with and without the pole. Dave told us that we should not be more than 0.2 seconds slower, and we were all in that time frame. We then went and made sure the vaulting pit was safe, then got to work. We vaulted for about two and half hours, with Dave and two ISU pole vaulters coaching us on our form, speed, and technique. I could already see that I was learning things in a day and a half that I hadn’t learned in two years of pole vaulting.
After that coaching session, all athletes headed to lunch. After lunch, juniors and seniors went to a short session about college eligibility for NCAA. Formerly known as the Clearing House, it is now the Eligibility Center. We learned about the requirements to go past high school in athletics and compete in NCAA competitions.
In our third coaching session, pole vaulters and horizontal jumpers went to a gymnastics gym and worked on form and learned some gymnastics skills to help us in our event. Then we headed to dinner.
To top off the second day of camp’s sessions, Brian Janssen, assistant ISU track coach, led us in a relaxation session. He taught us to shut off our minds and focus on relaxing our bodies and our mind. This caused many campers to doze off. Campers then finished the day by going swimming.
The last day started and finished at the track. We immediately went with our coaches for the last session. The warm-up lap for pole vaulters was more of a hobble around the track, since we were all sore from the previous sessions. We then went and watched a video of a pole vaulter and talked about technique and what our jumps should look and feel like. Then we went back outside and finished by vaulting for the last two hours. I feel like we all improved so much. At the end of the session, we all had to clear a height before we could walk off the track, which all of the pole vaulters accomplished.
After this coaching session was an ice cream social, where athletes could talk to the Olympians and coaches, and also get autographs and pictures. Like many campers, I had them all sign my camp shirt.
It was a great way to finish off this amazing camp.
About the Games
The Simplot Games is the premier track meet in North America for high school athletes. It is sponsored by J.R. Simplot. It is annually held the third Saturday of February in Pocatello, Idaho at Idaho State University in the Holt Arena. Holt Arena’s unique 200 meter banked-board track is one of the fastest indoor tracks in the United States. Records have been broken regularly since the first Games, which were held in 1979, hosted by Honorary Chairman, Dick Fosbury. Over 1,500 athletes from 20 different states and Canada travel to compete. It is unique among national events because you do not need a qualifying time or distance to compete. Admission to the Games is free.