The Coaches
HEAD COACH ROBERT TILLEY
Robert
Tilley is a former Oklahoma high school State Champion with
a high school PR of
156
(4.73). After
graduation, he attended Eastern Oklahoma. State College and became a
three
time All-American with PR of 166 (5.05). After
leaving E.O.S.C. he went on to Wichita State
University were he
posted a life time best jump of 1611 (5.18) while jumping for Tom
Hays, who
is now the current Track coach at Kansas
University. Soon after college, he began
coaching at Green
Valley High School in Henderson, Nevada. Over the past years, he
has
coached 1 State Record
Holder, 4 State Champs, 3 Runner-Ups, 13 top 4 finishers,
and
was named 2003 National High School Coach of the Year. In 1998 he started Pure Sky
vault
camp and in 2005 started Pure Sky Vaulting Club. He is working hard to give kids a
better
understanding of the vault and to share his love of the
sport.
EMAIL COACH TILLEY -
coachtilley@pureskyvaulting.com
ASSISTANT
COACH RUSS KASHKA
Russ Kashka lettered
varsity in both Football and Track & Field at James Monroe high
school
(73-75) in the San Fernando Valley area of Southern
California. Under the
coaching of Dean
Balzarett, he placed 2nd in the
Mid-Valley League Championships with a PR of 13. After
graduation, he
moved to Las Vegas to go into the vending machine business with his
best
friend. Over the years, he has kept up his interest in the
sport of Track & Field and remained
a student of the
vault. He married in 1986 to
his wife Sandy and now has 3 daughters, Renee,
Samantha, &
Emily. He coached his
daughters teams in the Silver State Girls Soccer league
for 8
years before becoming the Volunteer Pole Vault Coach at Coronado High
School in
Henderson.
Since he started coaching at Coronado, over the past 5 years, he
has helped
qualify a vaulter for the State meet every year. He hopes to pass on his passion
and
knowledge of the vault to all the kids he helps coach.
EMAIL COACH KASHKA -
coachkashka@pureskyvaulting.com
ASSISTANT
COACH
KY EDWARDS
Coach Ky is starting his second year coaching at Pure Sky. He is a native
of Texas and spent
three years coaching the vaulters at Hereford High School in
Hereford, TX where he coached
5 Regional Qualifiers and 1 State Qualifier (Blake Yosten-153").
Coach Ky is also entering his
second year coaching at Chaparral High School, in which he is the
vault and distance coach.
In his inaugural season in 2007, the Chap vaulters broke 2 school
records, qualified 5 vaulters
for the Sunrise Regional meet, and had a 3rd place
finish at the State meet (146" Jose Olague).
Coach Ky is preparing to make a comeback and will compete at the
2008 Pole Vault Summit as
well as continue his triathlon training. Ky also has a daughter,
Kylee-5 yrs old, who is the highlight
of his life and he hopes she falls in love with the vault.
EMAIL COACH EDWARDS -
coachedwards@pureskyvaulting.com
