I have a student who is a junior in high school and is very good at the high jump (think 7+) and is starting to think about college. I’ve done my basic research for him. I’ve looked at who has qualified the most high jumpers to the NC’s over the last three years and now its time to take it to the boards.
What college has the best high jump program?
Westcoast
Texas A&M
So I just now noticed the Westcoast thing, lol!
Look at Kansas State and USC. Morehouse and Minnesota State Mankato have had studs lately. I believe Lindenwood had another. U of Minnesota has had some good talent recently. Bottom line, find the academic, social, athletic, and monetary fit for the kid. IN THAT ORDER. See if your student-athlete and the coach mesh. As you know, the coach athelte relationship is important... Best of luck.
Judging by your name, you hail from the West. I would guess the kid is Billy Butler. Right?
Kansas State
Mario Sategna at Texas is very good, as is Jerry Clayton at Auburn
K state is very solid year in and year out
Coach Rodda at Long Beach knows his stuff
Dont know if Blockburger at U of A is official HJ coach but he had great things going at Cal Poly SLO when he was there with the ladies
Dont know if you are looking strictly West coast or all over...
Lindenwood Univ. in Missouri tought the reigning world champ.
Inda Know wrote:
Lindenwood Univ. in Missouri tought the reigning world champ.
No, Lindenwood Univ. had a 7-4 high jumper fall in their lap.
Big difference.
No, my student just became a jounior in high school. I do know that he wants to look for schools our of CA.
Tell your student to grow up. We all have to leave the nest sooner or later. If he wants to be a world class high jumper, then suck it up, and check out K-State.
t.c. wrote:
Tell your student to grow up. We all have to leave the nest sooner or later. If he wants to be a world class high jumper, then suck it up, and check out K-State.
Tell yourself to learn how to read. The kid wants to look at school outside of Cali.
hj wrote:
Inda Know wrote:Lindenwood Univ. in Missouri tought the reigning world champ.
No, Lindenwood Univ. had a 7-4 high jumper fall in their lap.
Big difference.
How? Lindenwood found a basketball reject that never high jumped and got him to jump 7-4. All the other coaches take 7-2 high jumpers out of HS and teach them to go 7-4.
Big difference.
Well I expect to see lindenwoods roster full of 7'4 jumpers and imagine what they can do when they get a 7' guy out of highschool! He should be 9-10' by the time he graduates. No knock to the coaches they obviously didnt mess him up (which is actually real good coaching) but he is genetic jumping freak and he did HJ a bit when he was younger.
Yes, Lindenwood "found" Donald Thomas. They found him to play JV basketball. His coming out for track and the high jump had nothing to do with the track coaches recruiting or developing him. They really didn't develop him so much as give him a uniform, make sure he got to the meet on time, and tried to work on some semblance of a J. That was a good and knowledgable coaching staff too. The problem was "if it ain't broke don't fix it" during the season. There wasn't a lot of time for development. That was 2 staffs ago though. The new head guy is a distance guy from Britain. I don't know much about him, so I'd cross Lindenwood off the list for high jump development.
If I had to choose the best high jump school, I'd have to go with Rovelto at Kansas State. He's consistently produced great high jumpers over the years. That's not to say any of the others mentioned are bad. I just like his approach and resume the best.
If your athlete is a junior, make a list of the best few programs and head to their camps this summer. That'll give you and your athlete a better idea of who's the best fit for him.
Last year I would have said LSU because it's tough to top Boo, but Dick Booth remains a very very good HJ coach eventhough the recruiting seems to have tapered off a bit. Coach Rivelto is very very good as well.
It's tough to say who is the best because many of the bigger programs won't even work with a male jumper under 7' and a female jumper under 5'8" so the margin for improvement just isn't going to be as big as it could be.
On the mid major level (MAC) Bill Lawson and Dennis Mitchell are extremely knowledgable and have had some athletes really develop.
Cliff Rovelto at Kansas State is the best high jump coach in the country. That's why Scott Sellers is there, and that's why they have Olympians and national champs on a pretty regular basis.
Check out their men's high jump list:
http://www.kstatesports.com/pdf5/9772.pdf?SPSID=3199&SPID=220&DB_OEM_ID=400
Not updated to include Scott Sellers yet, but add him to the likes of Lancaster and Leeper. Women's side is impressive as well.
Dudley Doright wrote:
Cliff Rovelto at Kansas State is the best high jump coach in the country. That's why Scott Sellers is there, and that's why they have Olympians and national champs on a pretty regular basis.
Check out their men's high jump list:
http://www.kstatesports.com/pdf5/9772.pdf?SPSID=3199&SPID=220&DB_OEM_ID=400Not updated to include Scott Sellers yet, but add him to the likes of Lancaster and Leeper. Women's side is impressive as well.
Forgot to add Ed Broxterman as well. Pretty Rovelto's wife was a HJ Olympian as well.
I second Dudley Doright.