Kris Allison, Director and Head Pole Vault Coach
- 18 years of experience in the pole vault
- 2-time NCAA Conference Champion
- Has coached numerous District, Regional, State, Conference, and National Champions at the Jr. High, High
School, College, and Elite Levels
- Studied directly under world class mentors including Vitaly Petrov, coach of World Record Holders Sergey Bubka
and Yelena Isinbayeva, Earl Bell, Don Hood, Bubba Sparks, David Butler, and Dr. Peter McGinnis.
- USA Track and Field Certified Coach
- Selected by United States Olympic Committee in 2004 to be the Head Clinician at the highly-acclaimed Women's
Junior Elite Track and Field camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
Kris M. Allison is the owner and head coach of the Lone Star Pole Vaulting Club in New Braunfels, TX. He earned a BA in Secondary Education from the State University of New York College at Cortland in 1998. Since then, Allison has had an active role in the pole vault in the United States as an athlete, coach, consultant, and official.
Having taken up the event of pole vaulting as a pre-teen, Kris Allison regularly competed all through the Jr. High, High School, College, Post-Collegiate, and now Masters levels. After joining and competing for the Austin, TX-based Lone Star Pole Vaulting Club from 1999-2000, Allison was encouraged by his coach Brian Elmore to branch off of the club and provide coaching and training opportunities for South Central Texas youth wanting to learn to pole vault. In 2001 Kris made it official and departed his high school teaching career to head up Lone Star Pole Vaulting as a full-time venture.
In his six years running the club from his backyard facility, Allison has coached thirteen Texas high school state champions in the pole vault and had one of his female vaulters set the girls' state record seven times en route to becoming the first high school girl in the state of Texas to clear both 12 feet and 13 feet, winning the Texas 5A State Meet twice in the process. Allison has had one high school male jump 17 feet, with two other males over 16', while one female jumped over 13 feet and seven other females over 12'. He has had several of his youth club vaulters compete in the Nike Indoor and Outdoor Championships, USATF Junior Nationals, the USATF and AAU National Junior Olympics, and the Great Southwest Championships, with his athlete's earning 3 National Championship gold medals. Several of Allison's masters-level vaulters regularly compete and medal at the National Senior Games and USATF Masters National Championships.
In addition to his club athletes, Kris has done extensive coaching at the collegiate level. Trinity University enjoyed Allison's coaching from 2001-2004 with Trinity pole vaulters winning three SCAC Conference Championship titles during that time. In 2003, Allison was also at Southwest Texas State (SWT) where his vaulters scored among the top 3 finishers in both the Indoor and Outdoor Southland Conference Championships, and all 3 of his vaulters qualified for the NCAA Division I Midwest Regional Championship, with his best vaulter advancing to the NCAA National Championship as an 18'+ vaulter. In 2004 Allison took a hiatus from SWT to work with the vaulters at Texas Lutheran University where both of his vaulters scored in the American Southwest Conference Championships, and he has had a vaulter score in or win that conference each year since. From 2005-2007 Allison coached at Texas State University-San Marcos (formerly SWT) and had numerous athletes score at the Southland Conference Championships with three qualifying for the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
From 2002-2003, Allison coached former Olympic Trials finalist and NAIA national champion Lesa Kubishta, whose personal record was 14'4. He continues to work with some of the nation's promising up-and-coming ìEmerging Eliteî post-collegiate vaulters.
Kris is a USATF Level 1 and Pole Vault Safety Certification Board (PVSCB) certified coach as well as a USATF certified official. In July 2004, he served as the head pole vault clinician at the prestigious USATF/USOC Women's Junior Elite Training Camp at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Chula Vista, California.
As a Division III student-athlete himself, Allison was a two-time SUNYAC Champion in the pole vault at the State University of New York at Cortland, and graduated in 1998.
Allison currently resides at the Lone Star Pole Vault Ranch in New Braunfels, Texas with his wife, Kristalyn, and their newborn future pole vaulter/tennis player, Austin Allison. He continues to consult with local universities on training pole vaulters.
Assistant Coach Blake Luther
- 10 years experience in the pole vault.
- Assisted in coaching several district, regional and state champions at the high school level.
- Interim pole vault coach at Texas State University during the fall of 2007.
M. Blake Luther is from Granbury, TX, where he attended all levels of education. During the eighth grade, Blake endeavored into the world of pole vault, following in the footsteps of his father who pole vaulted at Duncanville high school in the 1970s. After completing his sophomore year of high school, Blake began working with junior high students at the two middle schools in Granbury ISD. By his senior year in high school he had achieved a personal best jump of 13í while coaching two other male varsity vaulters to 12í6î and 12í. He also worked with several varsity and junior varsity girls with a 10í6î vault at the top of the list. After high school, Luther chose to attend Texas State University ñ San Marcos and pursue a degree in Public Administration, while walking onto the track program.
After improving over one foot in three short months, Kris Allison took him under his wing as an assistant volunteer coach for the Lone Star Pole Vault Club. While improving his PR to 14í6î, and sustaining a season ending foot injury, Luther turned his focus to coaching young athletes. Luther personally saw to several PRís throughout the 2005 track season. During the 2006 season, Luther turned his focus to his own career where he saw yet another foot increase to his PR with a jump of 15í7î at a Rice University track meet, after which he again struggled with injuries in the form of a quad strain and hamstring pull. He remained as a volunteer coach for Lone Star, mainly working with athletes during afternoon practice sessions. During his final season with Texas State University,
Luther increased his practice PR to 16í after suffering a severe ankle sprain which he battle with all season. After his junior year, Luther turned his attention to school and assisted with the coaching at Texas State University when Kris Allison departed after the 2007 season. Luther is currently in his last semester of study at Texas State and, after a full year of rest and recovery, has returned to the world of pole vault role as Assistant Coach to the Lone Star Pole Vault Club.
Britni (Lawrence) Holland
Assistant Director of Lone Star Athletic & Training. A 2-time 5A State Champion, 9-time Texas State Record Holder, Nike All-American, and the first Texas High School Girl to Clear 12'0 and 13'0, ni has coached alongside Kris for over 5 years. She played a major role in the development of Jessica Doyle, 2-time State Champion and 4-time medalist. Britni has personal best of 13'2" or 4.02m.
Coach Marty Davenport
Specialty: Throwing Events: Shot Put, Discus, Javelin, Hammer, Weight
*NJCAA Discus Champion- Odessa JC All American 1982
*Member: Jr. Pan Am Team- 2nd place Jr. Pan Am Games 1982
*NJCAA indoor 3rd place All American Shot Put 1983
*NJCAA outdoor 2nd place Discus 1983
3rd place All American Shot Put 1983
*SWC Discus Champion U of Texas 1984
*NJCAA Discus 2nd place All American 1985
*US Nationals 5th place 1985
*U of Texas Strength Staff 1986 - 1987
*South qualifier for US Olympic Sports Festival 1987
*Coach- St. Michaels Academy 1999 - 2005 produced state
qualifiers every year.
*Coach- Austin Striders Track Club 1999 - 2005 I had the honor
of Coaching 45 AAU All Americans, 15 AAU National
Champions and had the priveledge of helping 15
of these athletes earn college track scholarships.
*2007 to present - TLU womens throws Coach
*Level I Track Certification
*Personal Best - Shot Put - 16 lbs. 60'
Discus - 2 kg. 205'5"
Rates: First Session - 3 hrs. - $100
Following Sessions $50 2hr min.
Contact Info. e-mail: dr.discus@sbcglobal.net
(subject: throwing lessons)
text message: (512) 698-8481
Phone: (830) 372-3790 (leave a message)
Coach Alan Launder
Since my PR is/was 8'11" after thirty minutes of practice in 1957 - my one and only attempt at pole vaulting - I am glad to know there is not a complete correlation between vaulting performance and teaching ability in the event! That said i do believe that all things being equal, the better vaulter you are/were the better coach you could be - although not necessarily the better teacher of pole vaulting!
I believe that good teaching is a function of both knowledge and experience - you gain the initial knowledge from your course work in pedagogy and the ongoing study of the key issues involved and then you build on it through your teaching experience.
My get out is that I have never seen myself as a coach - except for a brief period at Western Kentucky University when being COACH L. got one a lot more help around the place than being 'a teacher in the PE department'. I now prefer to think of myself as a 'sports educator' in an attempt to separate myself from the 'coaches' of professional sports whose primary aim is to win and not to educate. Coaching track and field, including the vault, has only ever been a hobby which I fell into when i found that the kids in my first school loved it -- and cross country running. My real personal and professional interests are in the teaching of teachers of physical education, especially in the areas of ball games such as soccer, cricket, basketball and table tennis.
So - graduated from Loughborough College in England with majors in physical education and math July 57.
1957 -60 head of PE (because I was the only one in the department!) at Wymonham secondary school - of 450 boys aged 11 -15. Taught every hour god gives and usually worked a 70 hour week with after school sports coaching. Build my first pole vault run way and pit there /coached my first vaulter there - Paul Dove - focused on athletics simply because the playing fields were in a mess and we couldn’t play cricket that first summer. Had my first English schools champion in the shot - Tony Elvin.
1960 -67 head of PE (ditto) at Dr. Challoner’s Grammar school -a selective high school of around 550 boys. School became a national sports powerhouse - especially track and field and cross country. Ask Steve Chappell, CEO of UCS/Spirit Vaulting Poles - he was in the mix there. Another 70 hour a week job!
During 57 - 67 I qualified as a British AAA club coach in sprints, hurdles and jumps and as an AAA senior coach in Shot, Discus, Javelin and Middle Distance. Also gained senior coaching qualifications in soccer, cricket and table tennis. All done through holiday courses and both theory and practical exams - usually during the summer break.
1967 -68 graduate student at Western Kentucky University. Taught in the activities program and coached field events. Completed Masters in Physical education.
68 -70 taught physical education at the WKU Elementary Lab school and worked as field event coach.
70 - 73 taught elementary PE methods, activity classes and coached T@F at WKU. During that period Western won the OVC each year- coached Div 1 All Americans in Shot, Discus and Long Jump and conference champions in every field event including the vault - although I did not have a clue about the event!
Conducted workshops at the University of Kentucky and for the Louisville school district in Movement Education, Movement and music and dance drama. Did 30 hours beyond the masters and after scoring 1270 on the GRE was invited to do an EdD at Indiana- but was too old and beat to take up the offer. Offered Head coaches job at WKU but that is not what I wanted to do with my life.
In 1973 moved to what became The University of South Australia in Adelaide to help develop a degree program in Physical Education Teacher Education. Responsible for pedagogy, curriculum and teaching studies so taught methods classes as well as practical classes in Soccer, basketball, table tennis, track and field, archery, ten pin bowling, team handball, sailing and skiing. Even developed a way to help OZ kids understand and begin to play American Football! Have presented on pedagogy issues at numerous conferences in Britain, the USA and Australia.
In 2000 Human Kinetics published my first book "Play practice" - a games approach to teaching and coaching sports".
Have just been invited to conduct workshops at Ohio State in February next year with doctoral students, majors and teachers as they are trying to develop the ideas outlined in the book.
At Univ-SA coached the women’s Basketball team to three National Tertiary Championships.
Began coaching throwers in 73 - including Christie Elwin’s mother to a silver at the Commonwealth Games in the javelin. Between 78 and 91 coached male athletes to 12 national junior titles in the javelin - best 78.20m - and three girls to top four finishes in the C'wealth games - best 62m plus.
Began coaching vault in 76 when best male vaulter in the state jumped 4.20. Between 78 and 00 South Australia won the Australian junior title more times than all the other states put together (five times all three medal spots) --- 96 - 03, 6 0f 8 girls titles. Boys at world juniors 86,88, 90, 96,2000 - girls at world youths 99, 2001,2003 - World Junior 98, 2002 - Christie Elwin was selected in 2000 but was not allowed to go. Performances detailed in BTB should suggest these results were not all gimmees although of course they cannot be compared with those of the US.
From 78 - 90 coached boys to eight national junior decathlon titles, one to the 86 world juniors and another - Dean Smith - to the 92 Olympic Games (as an able bodied athlete) - he remains the world deaf record holder in the decathlon and several other events I believe. Early on taught Simon Arkell (C'wealth champion/dual Olympian) to vault - he went on to jump 5.80 but I have often said that if he had had a decent coach in the beginning he would have been a 6.00m vaulter!
1973 - 80 Australian national event coach shot put - unpaid position. 1980 - ? National event coach pole vault. 1984 team coach Olympic games; 1986 head coach Australian Junior team Athens; ditto Sudbury Canada; world university games coach 91/93.
In January 1978 undertook a study tour to Europe with three athletes. Spent two weeks each with French National Vault Coach Maurice Houvion in Paris, Polish National Vault Coach Andrej Krysinski in Warsaw, and German National Vault Coach Krupsky in Leverkusen. Studied them working with athletes of the caliber of Slusarski, Kosakeiwicz (both Olympic champions), Houvion Junior.
Had the great good fortune to meet Vitaly Petrov and Sergey Bubka in Canberra (OZ) in 1985 - became a friend of Vitaly’s over a few ales and brandies that weekend. Have been to Formia on three occasions and have had Petrov to Australia twice - once in Adelaide for three weeks, when he brought Italian National Record Holder and World Champion/Olympian Giuseppe Gibilisco with him. Sat beside him at 98 World juniors, 99 world championships 92 Olympic games and 2002 Europeans (with Sergey on the other side of me!) as we watched the vault. Had a two hour interview with Bubka in Munich in 1990 and was able to question him again at the clinic in Jamaica in 2001.
In 1990 spent a week with French National Coach Dr. Jean Claude Perrin in Paris - coach of world record holder/Olympian Thierry Vigneron and other world class athletes in the 70s/80s.
In early 1991 Russian vaulter and coach Roman Botcharnikov came to live with us for three months. He returned in October and stayed until September 92 when we found him a scholarship in Missouri. An exceptional coach - not coaching - unfortunately - on a serious basis at the present time..
Have attended five Reno Pole Vault Summits in recent years and was a keynote speaker in 2004 - spoke again in 2005 but have not been invited back since - must have said the wrong thing -not unusual!!
