The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

Most pole vault pit storage damage does not happen during practice or competition.

It happens when the season ends.

In this episode of the Gill1918 Project Podcast, Mike Cunningham walks through the common off-season storage mistakes that can shorten the life of a landing system—and the practical habits that can help avoid them.

You’ll learn why coaches should pay attention to:

• Moisture trapped before storage

• Small tears, broken straps, and missing hardware

• Outdoor exposure and weather protection

• Wooden pallets and uneven pressure points

• Rodents and nesting animals

• Improper stacking

• Weather covers that have worn out

• The danger of storing a pit and forgetting about it for months

A few hours spent cleaning, drying, inspecting, repairing, and protecting a pit can help prevent much more expensive problems later.

The full article, “Common Pole Vault Pit Storage Mistakes,” is available through Gill Athletics and Mike Cunningham’s LinkedIn article series.