Coaching & Athletics

Chris Sandoli

Pole-Vaulter. Athlete. Coach. Group Fitness Trainer.

I started my athletic career in high-school discovering the sport of pole-vault. I wasn’t a fast runner, I couldn’t throw far, and I couldn’t run long distances. I was always an odd kid, and went for the unconventional or uncommon route in anything. So naturally I just had to try out the sport where you run with a long pole, plant it into the ground, and launch yourself into the air. Long story short – it was the best thing that happened to me.

Throughout my entire career both in the academic world and athletics, pole-vaulting was a sport teaches you a lot of things. It taught me how to stay disciplined, work with a team, push through and trust the process, and to always stay humble. I’d end up shaping my whole life around this sport in and after college. I never had anything given to me in sports or school, and trust me pole-vault gives you nothing unless you work for it.

I owe a-lot of where I am to my coaches, teammates, and the sport itself. It gave me the confidence as a young kid, goals to constantly work towards, new job opportunities and connections, and introduced me to some life-long friends.

Teaching the pole-vault at the Vermont Track and Field festival

Coaching and Athletic Experience

Group Fitness experience

Today

Since my time has come and gone as a competitive athlete in the pole-vault I continue my athletic career coaching middle-school to college level athletes in the pole-vault. Leveraging all the philosophies I’ve developed as a pole-vaulter which include athletic performance, strength & conditioning, and experiences I learned as an athlete I try to apply to my athletes.

Subsequently I bring many aspects that I learned from track and field over to the group fitness industry and the product development world to lead and coach teams.

These days I still continue to stay active by turning my personal focus to endurance events, prepping for half marathons, marathons and maybe a first triathlon. In my spare time, with all of the knowledge that I learned through my years of training as a pole vaulter I started a website dedicated to the sport.

I will be sharing all of the tips, tricks, tutorials, workouts, and everything else related that I have learned over my 13+ year career, absolutely free. So check it out over on, The Pole-Vault Companion (app is hopefully coming soon!)

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Achievements

Stevens Institute of Technology
– 2x Coaching staff of the year
– 5x Indoor/Outdoor Empire 8 Conference Champions in the pole-vault
– 6x Indoor/Outdoor regional qualifiers in the pole-vault

Manhattan College
Personal Best – 4.60m/15’1ft
College Captain
– 2x Top 3 Finisher in M.A.A.C Championships
– Student Athletic Advisory Committee (S.A.A.C.) – Executive Board Member and Community Service Coordinator
– MAAC All-Academic Team Honoree

New Jersey High School
– 2013 – Outdoor County Champion
– 2012 – Indoor County Champion

Certifications

AAAI/ISMA Certified Personal Trainer

AAAI/ISMA Certified Sports Nutritionist

Red Cross First Aid/CPR/AED Certified

Stay connected

Looking for a pole-vault coach, or maybe for some tips, maybe even just to chat about pole-vault? Feel free to shoot me an email at chris@chrissandoli.net.
I continue to stay in shape through group fitness classes, and most recently becoming an avid runner, competing casually in races from 5k’s all the way to half-marathons. You can check out some of my recent posts over on my blog.

A few personal bests

  • Pole Vault – 4.60m/15’1″
  • 1 Mile – 5:35
  • 5k – 19:25
  • 5 mile – 32:29
  • 10k – 42:39
  • Half Marathon – 1:34:21
    • Pole Vault – 4.60m/15’1″
    • 1 Mile – 5:35
    • 5k – 19:25
    • 5 mile – 32:29
    • 10k – 42:39

Check out some of my recent posts

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