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Camps & Meets: "Interested List" for Indoor CLUB (2026-27)
"Interested List" for Indoor CLUB (2026-27)
This will be our 32nd year of safely and successfully coaching vaulters in the off-season. Contact Steve if you have questions --steve.white.fda@gmail.com --(763) 458-2932
Register for Event- Team will be limited to 5-8 athletes who wish to operate as a small team in collective pursuit of State Meet performance.
- With State performance in mind, minimum current PR of 14' boys / 11' girls is preferred. Lower PRs may be accepted by arrangement.
- Registration will be invite-only.
- Cost estimated to be ($2175)
- If you would like to join, and have a 14+ / 11+ PR, please take the following three steps.
- 1) register here to get on the 'wait-list'.
- 2) email 1-3 videos of your best jumps in a meet (steve.white.fda@gmail.com).
- 3) if the opportunity arises, please introduce yourself to Steve or Caroline at a meet or street vault this summer.
- Each athlete provided with personal bag of poles to use
- Athletes sign up for the whole season
- Season includes coaching and instruction at 19 practices and meets
- Best athlete to coach ratio
- Whole team, one-size-fits-all instruction on drills or on vault is rare
- One-on-one instruction on drills as each individual needs is the norm
- Athletes do not have to set up or take down the landing pits each day--that's a big deal.
- High School coaches are welcome to come and observe any/all sessions
- Each athlete is provided with a personal bag of poles to use
- Athletes will pick up their poles in Maple Grove prior to the first practice
- Athletes will transport their poles to and from all practices and meets
- Athletes are welcome to keep the poles at their homes through 3/7/27
- Athletes will return the bag of poles to Maple Grove after the conclusion of the USATF meet on 3/7/27
- Athletes will become USATF members (USATF membership fee and all Meet entry fees are not included with camp cost)
- Athletes will be members of Flight Deck Athletics club (USATF club number 30-338)
- Athletes will arrive at the meet sight at least 1h15min prior to the start of the event
- Athletes will conduct themselves with character and class at all practices and meets
- The runway will not exceed 8-people at a time
- Two coaches at all times
- Coaches will not jump while coaching
- Coaches will jump at all meets
- Sundays, October 18, 2026 through March 7, 2027 (except 12/20 and 12/27)
- Every Sunday will either be a practice or meet
- All meets and practices will be at the UofM or Mankato State Universoty
- We do (tentatively) plan on attending Reno in January 2027.
- --note re Reno--costs for attending Reno are not included in club fee.
- Safely and securely transport poles to and from all practices and meets
- bring water
- bring a granola bar, or similar snack, to eat at the conclusion of practice
- bring running shoes (suitable for jogging)
- bring racing spikes
- arrive at least 15 minutes early to complete a good warm-up and stretch
- follow all coaching instructions
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Steve White
Flight Deck Coach / Former University of Minnesota Vault Coach
Steve coached the University of Minnesota Men's Pole Vault 11-years, St. John's & St Ben's 5-years, Tech High School 3-years, Armstrong High School 5-years, and University of St Thomas 1-year. Steve began vaulting in 7th grade. While at St Louis Park high school Steve placed 7th at state twice and had a PR jump of 14'. Steve earned All-American honors twice while at North Central College in Illinois. An advocate for girls in sports; Steve co-lead the original movement that led to girls getting to pole vault in Minnesota. Steve coached the first girls' State Champion in the event; the first MN girl to clear 11'. At the UofM, Steve coached athletes to 13 Big 10 conference titles, 9 All-American performances, 2 Olympic Trials Qualifiers, and 1 NCAA Champion. Some of these athletes include Moorhead native Brock Spandl (17'3, 2010 D1-All-American), Jack Szmanda (17'5, 2010 D1-All-American), Ben Peterson (18'0 PR, 2011 D1-NCAA All-American and National runner-up), Zach Siegmeier (18'1 PR, 2014 D1-All-American), Luca Wieland (2015 Indoor Heptathlon NCAA CHAMPION 16'5 PR). Now in his 31st year in education, Steve is the Assistant Principal at Minneapolis North High. Steve is USATF certified Level 1, level 2 jumps, level 2 endurance, and a certified coaches-education instructor. Steve has a lifetime PR jump of 17'4, cleared 16'+ for 16-years in a row, and was the 2012 & 2021 USA Masters Outdoor Champion. Last season, at age 54, Steve placed 2nd at the 2025 World Masters and remains 15th on the World Masters 50-54 All-time list with a jump of 14'6. Contact Steve with questions (763-458-2932) or (steve.white.fda@gmail.com). -
Caroline White
Flight Deck Coach / Former University of Minnesota Vault Coach
Caroline coached the University of Minnesota Women's Pole Vault for 22 seasons, taking over the men's squad as well in the '18-19 season. There she has coached athletes to the NCAA D-1 national meet 15 times, 9 Big 10 Champions (most recently Jak Urlacher 2024), two to the USA Olympic Trials, and the 2007 Junior Pan Am Gold Medalist, with a PR of 14'4. Caroline has also coached post-collegiate athletes including Leslie Brost (2016 Olympic Trials Qualifier) and Shawn Francis (2014 USA Indoor Runner Up). Caroline began vaulting as a college freshman at the College of St Benedict, where she earned All-American honors twice, Athlete of the Year in 2001, inducted into the CSB Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018 , and included in the 50 most influential athletes in the 2022 Title IX 50 year anniversary ceremony. Caroline has a PR jump of 12'2 in 2002 and since has placed her focus on coaching and teaching. Caroline is finishing her 23rd year teaching life science at Maple Grove Middle School. Caroline is USA Track and Field certified Level 1 and Level 2 jumps. She has been coaching pole vault for 23 years and has 10 years experience coaching gymnastics. Contact Caroline with questions (763-458-2916) or (caroline.white.fda@gmail.com).
- $1.00 per group
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Days
- Sunday, October 18, 2026
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Groups
- 12:30p-2:00p (UofM Fieldhouse) or - 8:30a-10:00a (UofM pool) 19 Spots Available