Assistant Coach Stephen Wilson, who joined Outdoor Track and Field this Spring, trains athletes who compete in Pole Vault. In the event, competitors are equipped with a fiberglass or carbon fiber pole and attempt to jump over a high bar. Before coming to Andover, Wilson competed in pole vault at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.
Despite Wilson’s proficiency in pole vault, he grew up practicing without a Coach and primarily learned pole-vaulting technique by himself. Now, as a Coach, Wilson uses his expertise to keep his athletes healthy and prioritize their safety.
“Some core values: safety and camaraderie are probably two of the big ones I really like. Having a good sense of having everyone be comfortable and feel like they’re a part of the team, like my own little crew. And then, as far as safety goes, I just like passing on all the knowledge I have. I didn’t have a coach growing up, so I learned a whole lot through trial and error. So, avoiding my own mistakes, at least on the knowledge front, informing them on how to not get hurt or how to not injure themselves and keep themselves healthy for the future is really a big piece for me,” said Wilson.
Bennett Rodgers ‘26 holds the Pole Vault school record, 14 ‘1″, for Indoor Track and Field. Rodgers noted that despite Wilson’s brief stint with the team, spanning only several weeks, he has already shown improvement.
“Our practices have become a lot more structured with him because before, we were just doing our own thing. Now, since he’s here, I practice there longer. We’re doing a lot more which I think is really good. … I can already tell that my form and technique have gotten a lot better. He’s also just really fun to hang out with, and I really like him as a person. He’s a great addition to our team,” said Rodgers.
Wilson, initially practicing without a Coach, seeks to fill that role for his athletes. Wilson explained the reasons he coaches because of his vast experience and connection to pole vault.
“At this point, I guess it’s my passion for the sport [that draws me to coaching]. I’ve been jumping for just about 10 years now, and I’ve gained a whole lot of knowledge, and I feel like I want to be the coach that I wish I had when I was high school age,” said Wilson.
Xavier Moran ’26 highlights the expectations that Coach Wilson has for the team, pushing the group to be better by staying later in practices.
“I think he really wants us to put in the work in our sport. It’s a very small group of people who participate in the sport, but our team is currently the best in the league, and he thinks that as long as everyone puts in a lot of work and practice, we can get even better. So, we tend to stay late after practices—a half hour or even an hour after all the other track and field events are gone. He really wants to instill a strong work ethic in the small team that we have,” said Moran.
Xavier Moran ’26 described how Wilson connects with the team’s pole vaulters seemingly as a teammate.
Moran said, “He’s a very young guy, and so he cracks jokes and jumps alongside us. So, he’s not only a coach, but also he feels like another teammate. He’s working on his own technique in his own jumps while helping us with ours.”
Rodgers corroborated Moran’s statements and noted how Wilson sets up for practice before his athletes arrive.
Rodgers said, “He’s always there before practice setting up the Pole Vault pit which is really nice because it’s annoying to set up. He’s always asking us how our day is and is a good person to hang out with, not just as a Coach.”
Oftentimes, Pole Vault is taught using rigid methods. Wilson, rather, opts to help his athletes foster a conceptual understanding of the event.
“My goal as a coach: share the passion. Instead of coaching like a gymnastics coach, which is very positional—it’s very ‘this is the formula, you have to stick to it’—I’m more so allowing them to do and move in the ways that they want to, but feeding them an understanding of why. So, I try to coach an understanding rather than just coach them how to get higher,” said Wilson.
Before Wilson’s arrival, the team was self-taught in pole vault. According to Xavier Moran ’26, Wilson’s coaching and knowledge have significantly helped the team.
“The whole team was pretty shocked that such a knowledgeable guy joined the crew, because up until this point, most of the team had been self-taught in vault. So, it was a big deal to have someone know more than us in our sport, so that was very helpful,” said Moran.
Both Rodgers, the Indoor Track and Field Pole Vault school record holder, and Hailey Piasecki ‘26 triumphed in the New England Preparatory School Athletic Conference (NEPSAC) Championships. Wilson commented on his confidence in his athletes for later, more significant meets.
“I’m excited for the Phillips Exeter meet. I think our [athletes] have it in the bag with Bennett being the school record holder in the previous one between Phillips Exeter and us. And I think the girls have potential to take it as well. I’d love to see what the pole vault team can do as far as Phillips [Academy’s] squad,” said Wilson.
