Few of us could ever imagine high jumping our height, let alone going another half-foot (or more) higher than that. Raise the bar to seven feet, and the track announcer’s voice, normally a baritone, becomes falsetto, and all attention--previously directed at other track events--is immediately siphoned off for the remainder of the high jump competition.
It is awe-inspiring to watch a man (and maybe, someday a woman) go that high. Stand next to a 7’ crossbar and, like the 18’ pole vault, the marathon suddenly becomes more possible. (In which case, at least you’ll be able to finish one…eventually.)
In my case, which is best described as being “gravity prone,” I get a thrill watching a guy like Mike Edwards hurdle my height in warm-ups—I guess I should have looked around before crossing the apron in front of him—then taking his sweats off and going in at well over the height of my office door frame. Awesome.
Edwards is defined by the high jump. He cleared that magical (seven foot) height, twice, while still in high school. His first time was at the Lake Mary Invitational on March 22, 2008 (7 foot even); he then went on to win the 3A District 6 Meet on April 6, 2008 with his high school best, 7’ ¼”, for Poinciana.
After high school he jumped for Alabama, eclipsing that mark too many times to count, competed for the Great Britain Junior National Team, and eventually found himself in the Embry Riddle landing pit, staring up at the blue skies of Daytona...and my face, staring down at him.
Ralph: “Mike, what’s your PR?”
Mike: “7’ 2-1/2” last (2012) indoor season.”
Ralph: “And at this year’s NAIA Indoor Championships you won with yet another seven footer, 7’ 1-3/4” inch. What does that do for your confidence in an event that is all about poise and motivation?”
Mike: “I had my sights set on a PR in Geneva (Ohio, site of the NAIA Indoors). I attempted 7’ 3-3/4” (just under 7-4). Every meet this indoor season I attempted a PR. So I was knocking at the door of 7-4 at every meet.
“Sometimes my adrenaline gets ahead of me. It was emotional; it was my last indoor meet. I knew that going in. But it was a perfect ending, or conclusion, to my final collegiate indoor season.
“I had a few technical issues at getting that height, but getting the title was an accomplishment. Personally, getting a PR would have been great, but getting a national title for the university was just as pleasing. I have plenty of good jumps ahead of me. Now, I’m gearing up for the outdoor season.”
Ralph: “You attended high school in Florida, but you sometimes compete for Great Britain. Are your origins British?”
Mike: “I was born in Manchester, England, in 1990. My mother, sister, and I moved to Kissimmee in 2000. The rest of my family stayed.”
Ralph: “And you competed for Poinciana High School?”
Mike: “Yes. My best jump then was 7’-¼”.”
Ralph: “How tall were you then?”
Mike: “6-6.”
Ralph: “And now?”
Mike: “6-6.”
Ralph: “And how important has the high jumping event become to you?”
Mike: “It is definitely a part of me. When all is said and done, I want to leave my mark, and that’s how I want people to remember me. Basically, I went through some trials and tribulations, but I believe that if you want to be who you are, you have to persevere.
“I went through three universities. It took a lot of self-confidence and motivation from my peers. I had a lot of great mentors over the years, from high school through college. I’ve always surrounded myself with great leaders. Not just athletes, but people in general. They’ve all inspired me in different ways.”
Ralph: “Who was it that first suggested you high jump?”
Mike: “That was my coach at Poinciana, Rusty Gould, in 2006. He was my head coach. It was my first year of competing in track and field. He stuck with me, and was a great influence, not only that year, but at the University of Alabama, and even now. He was a great motivator.”
Ralph: “If there is anything that interferes with the success of a high jumper, what would that be?
Mike: “Self doubt. In my case, it was a fear of failing. I was picturing missing the height.”
Ralph: “How do you overcome that?”
Mike: “You need to visualize yourself clearing that height when you get into that situation again. You need to simplify the problem. Visualizing is a free practice. You’re not using any energy—or breaking a sweat—but when you get into that situation, you get into that thought pattern.”
Ralph: “What are some of the ‘right things’ that you should do when high jumping?”
Mike: “Coming in at the right height is important. This season I came in at the highest of my career. In my opening meet, at Jimmy Carnes,”—on January 26th, where he is officially listed as finishing in second, but oddly no one is listed as first—“I came in at 7’1”. My ankle was bothering me. It was sore that week before in training, and I didn’t want to take too many jumps. I thought I would either make the height, or not. I made it on the third jump. It really helped my confidence…knowing I could come in at that height, especially on a bad ankle. I wasn’t looking to be undefeated, but it gave me self confidence and created momentum.”
Ralph: “You made that one, last jump to clear 7’1”? What was the key?”
Mike: “My coach, Gary Ellington—Juke--kept me ‘in the moment.’ When I got into a stressful situation he kept me ‘in the zone.’
“In my second meet (this year)—the Clemson Invitational—I won with 2.18 meters (7’2”). I cleared it on my third attempt. It wasn’t stressful, but there was pressure. (Still) I was enjoying myself.
“I was really close on those (first two) jumps, and it was important to have him—Ellington-- there to help me make my adjustments. For example, I was taking off too close; I wasn’t giving myself enough room. Because of my adrenaline, I was coming in with too much speed. So he backed me off.”
Ralph: “Coming in to your last collegiate season, what kind of plan did you have?”
Mike: “I want to fine tune, and perfect what I’m doing. Go out there, have fun, be consistent, set some records and personal bests, and go from there.”
Ralph: “With so little time in actual competition, the high jump is certainly different than, say, a sprint or distance race. You spend a lot of time waiting around, and there must be a lot to think of. With a three jump, ‘do or die’ format, there is no doubt an element of pressure involved.”
Mike: “I was competing in pressure situations all season. So when I got to the Nationals this year, I knew that if I got close, I’d be the one to win.
“I’m very confident of how my training is going, and I see myself clearing ‘bigger’ bars, higher bars, in the future. I want to credit a lot (of that) to the coaches here at Embry-Riddle. From day one they allowed me to find myself, and make a mark for the team. When I compete, it’s not only for me, but also for the team. I had only one year here, but I knew that getting the National Championship would do it.”
Ralph: “Besides the innate pressure, there are probably other, unrecognized ‘hurdles’ in the event. The time of the jump—in some meets you probably have to wait longer than others—probably affects your concentration, and it is a mental sport, as well as a physical one. Some approaches are probably longer than others. You jump indoors and out. In the latter case, wind, rain and the viability of the apron probably all affect your approach, takeoff and landing. How do you adjust to all these variables?”
Mike: “I’ve performed under many different conditions. Outdoors, you never know what you are going to get; rain for example. We have spikes on the front and heel of our shoe, so the design is for different conditions. Even if it’s cold, you learn to deal with it. (But) if I’m feeling good, I’m ready to jump.”
Ralph: “After all has been said and done, will you consider coaching?”
Mike: “During my time at Alabama, I would coach a high jump athlete, from time to time, on weekends. At the time, he was jumping 6-6. I gave him a few pointers. I do want to say I helped, but he was very self-motivated and maybe saw me as a possible mentor—someone who could help. Helping him was a positive experience for me.
“He—Courtland Wells—ended up doing very well, clearing seven foot. A lot of the credit should go to his (high school) coaches.”
Note: Courtland, who graduated from Northridge High School, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama in 2011, now competes for Southern Mississippi University. That 7’ high jump, which he accomplished in his senior year at the Central-Falcon Invitational, remains his best.
Ralph: “Can you offer any advice that might help the development of future high jumpers who follow you through the high school and college experiences?”
Mike: “With the takeoff, a lot of it has to do with the approach. One of my teammates in England said that when you have a good approach, the jump is 90% complete. A lot of the takeoff is working on your flexibility and mobility. High jumping is, like my National coach says, an acrobatic event, so you have to work on those movements.
“My message would be to have fun, but that would come natural. You have to be self-confident and want to be able to succeed. If you are battling a particular height—let’s say the six foot barrier, or no matter what level—the first thing is confronting the issue. In order to be able to solve a problem, you have to be able to find out what the problem is, and analyze it. You need to simplify it. You have to visualize yourself being successful, and repeat it over and over. (In other words) not focus on your doubt.
“(Success in high jumping) is a lot of technical things: doing the right things at the right time. If you’re positive, and have a lot of positive energy—visualize yourself as being successful—you’re going to have fun and achieve success.”
In other words, be like Mike.
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