Photo by Jake Olson: Team Hoot's Shawn Francis sets up to teach participants during Tuesday's opening session of his Team Hoot Pole Vault Camp at Bob Bonk Track and Field.

FAIRMONT – Team Hoot has made its way to Fairmont.

Shawn Francis, the owner of Team Hoot Pole Vault, turned Bob Bonk Track into the latest of many pole vault camps he runs across the country, giving interested individuals a chance to enhance multiple aspects of the sport.

This week’s festivities take place from Tuesday, June 23, to Thursday, June 25. Over the three days of training, Francis is expected to focus on technical and speed developments of the pole vault routine, as well as highlighting the psychological aspects that come with participation. But, overall, his goal is for individuals to take away something positive from the experience.

“It’s like full speed chess,” Francis said in reference to pole vaulting. “You have less than a second from when you leave the ground before you are back in the pit, with all of these different things you are trying to accomplish at the same time. …I’m blown away by how many people drove so far to be here, and I hope I can give them more than they expect. They can go home with their bucket full.”

Francis’ strong credibility is one of the few reasons athletes from South Carolina, Illinois and even Canada decided to sign up. It’s what he’s done for the sport that’s generated his name among some of the more sought-after coaches.

After competing and coaching at the Division I level at North Dakota State University, Francis later took his career to the professional stage. His big highlight came later in 2014, when he earned second place at the USA Track and Field Championships with a lifetime personal record of 18′ 2.5″.

He continued to expand his Team Hoot brand over the years. His once-YouTube vlog series slowly evolved into an educational tool for other athletes. Pretty soon, Francis started running camps, providing online coaching programs and even wrote a book called The Pole Vault Toolbox.

“It’s just a community for people to be themselves. Pole vaulters are already whacky and unique as it is,” Francis said jokingly. “When we’re together, it doesn’t feel weird, but when we are apart, you sometimes start to feel like, ‘Why am I the one running with a stick and jumping over another stick?'”

“Just having a place where everyone can come is cool. It’s really cool to see what it’s kind of become.”

This is what got the attention of Fairmont High School pole vault coach Crystal Hanson. Hanson said her effort to learn more about the sport led her to Francis’ brand, where she instantly got hooked, like many others, due to the expansive content and educational benefits.

“As pole vault coaches, we are always trying to learn and understand how things are put together. We’re always looking for more information, trying to understand different drills and cues,” Hanson said. “I’ve been following Shawn for a long time. He’s got great content, is entertaining and explains things really well.”

Hanson connected with Francis this past November in hopes of not just bringing the tools she’s learned to her own program’s facility, but to add to the Vault the Plaza competition she was planning for the downtown area.

“It started with the grant we received to put the Street Vault on, which is happening this Saturday,” Hanson said. “But just part of that whole experience, I thought it would be great to run a camp leading up to that. Having a chance to learn some new skills, work on some technical things and put it right to a street meet.”

After a few months of setting things up, the camp date was made official around February, with sign-ups opening later in March.

Registration availability closed in a handful of weeks following its announcement. The original slot of 30 participants eventually grew to 40 by the start of May, with Francis wanting to expand his services after seeing the size of the original waitlist.

The Camp Hoot structure is set up for two sessions over the three days. 20 individuals will practice in each session, with times from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fairmont’s two pole vault pit setup has been ideal for giving every participant ample repetition to train and learn.

“It’s a testament to how well Shawn is liked,” Hanson said. “He’s done great things for the pole vault community. He’s taught us coaches so much and inspired the kids. …I think we all could benefit. Learn from a different perspective, with someone else saying it in a different way and using new techniques. I think we all need that in lots of things.”