Anyone here ever had a chance to throw the javelin?
- Thread starter Mr. Potter
- Start date
My coach suggested that I'd be an excellent javelin catcher.
Serious inquiry?? On this site?? On a Sunday?? You should know better!
Beat me to it, Marshall.
I tell people I lettered all 4 years in HS and college being a javelin catcher.
Yes. Almost tore my right ear off. First and last time I ever tried.
Our PE teacher in elementary school was the high school track coach. One year, (6th grade maybe?) he brought the javelin and had us throw it. I ran up to the line with it flopping around, went to release it, and fell flat on my face with the javelin impaled in the ground about two inches in front of my foot. One and only time in my life.
More prestigious than being captain of the shadow boxing team.
I tried javelin in HS track, wasn't in the top 2-3 on our squad, so didn't throw in a meet. I was a mediocre shot putter and discus thrower, so those were the events I embarrassed myself in during meets.
I probably liked javelin best of the 3, but our #1 guy was really good, and I would not have scored any points in a meet anyway.
I probably liked javelin best of the 3, but our #1 guy was really good, and I would not have scored any points in a meet anyway.
I could have written this post almost word-for-word about my HS track career.
Tried it once and hit my head. There's a certain art to it. It's different than throwing a baseball or football.
Had a HS friend that had an uncle who taught him to throw from a young age. I don’t think he played any other sports, but he got to go to Poland for the US Junior Olympics and a free ride to Bucknell out of the javelin.
Former shot putter and discus man and banned from throwing the javelin because I broke two trying to throw them! I did finish third in one meet as a replacement high jumper!
More versatile in T&F than I ever was!Former shot putter and discus man and banned from throwing the javelin because I broke two trying to throw them! I did finish third in one meet as a replacement high jumper!
We did not have a track team in high school as our school did not have enough kids that wanted to do it. But we had a track and field unit as part of our PE class so we got To try any of the standard track and field events. My PE teacher knew I had the best arm in the school so on the first day in front of the entire class, she asked me To throw the javelin and see what I could do. she had everyone stand about 20 yards behind me and then as I took off to throw it, I drilled myself in the back of the head with it and it wobbled out at about a 30° angle to the right. She used this as her safety demonstration and intro into why no one would be on the field when someone was throwing.
Javelin was banned from our school because about 10 years earlier the throwers would throw it back and forth to each other in practice so they didn't have to walk to get it. The league we were in didn't have it either. However, my senior year, we were in our last year in the league before switching to a new league. We had a meet against a team from the new league and the javelin event was included. Took a few practice throws and then got to compete, I came in 2nd. I usually competed in long jump and triple jump. Never got to throw a javelin again and never really gave it any further thought until you asked the question.
I was on the track team in High School. My brother and best friend threw the shot put and discuss. I was hanging around with the "weight" guys and attempted to throw the shot put, the discuss and the javelin. with the javelin I ran up to line and was careful to keep the point up and in front of my head. When I got to the line I attempted my throw. By instinct I threw it like a baseball, not the best technique. The javelin when about 20 feet total including the run on the ground. The guys laughed and pointed out I would get a 0. The point has to break the ground to count as a throw.
Another funny story was we were short coaches and the school got the French teaches to help out. He was downrange and not paying attention when someone threw the Javelin. It landed close by the French Teacher and he quickly got behind the throwers from that moment on.
Even more fun was the Hammer. For safety reason this was done with a baseball backstop to contain all the funny throws. The guys would spin around and let fly. Many hit the backstop. The coaches were careful to keep everyone behind the backstop. Many of the teams we competed against did not have the hammer event. Not sure how this was scored. But a few schools did and this was always a fun event to watch.
Another funny story was we were short coaches and the school got the French teaches to help out. He was downrange and not paying attention when someone threw the Javelin. It landed close by the French Teacher and he quickly got behind the throwers from that moment on.
Even more fun was the Hammer. For safety reason this was done with a baseball backstop to contain all the funny throws. The guys would spin around and let fly. Many hit the backstop. The coaches were careful to keep everyone behind the backstop. Many of the teams we competed against did not have the hammer event. Not sure how this was scored. But a few schools did and this was always a fun event to watch.
Like many others here I tried it in several high school preseasons, but it never felt right for my shoulder, and I couldn’t get it to go very far, so each year I ended up sticking to the discus.
Many natural concerns about javelin and hammer safety…ironically, my sister, who was a runner, took an errant discus throw from a young teammate to her face when jogging by the back of the circle while warming up. No lasting damage, but she looked and felt rough for a while!
Many natural concerns about javelin and hammer safety…ironically, my sister, who was a runner, took an errant discus throw from a young teammate to her face when jogging by the back of the circle while warming up. No lasting damage, but she looked and felt rough for a while!
Always fancied myself someone who might do well in that event.
Shalom.. Out ran a Javelina in Argentina in 1960 does that count ?
I threw a little in high school but wasn’t very good because I had impaired vision. I didn’t win any meets but I kept the crowd alert.
Was my high school's best thrower junior and senior years. Threw for two years in college but developed tendonitis in my throwing shoulder and elbow and had to give it up. I loved it.
On one occasion my junior year, I was warming up with a senior who came to practice stoned. At one point, he reached out and caught my throw to him out of mid-air. Our coach saw it and went absolutely ballistic! It was a really stupid thing to do, but I must admit he made a damn good catch!
On one occasion my junior year, I was warming up with a senior who came to practice stoned. At one point, he reached out and caught my throw to him out of mid-air. Our coach saw it and went absolutely ballistic! It was a really stupid thing to do, but I must admit he made a damn good catch!
In baseball you’ve heard of the unwritten rule of never throwing the ball in from the outfield after the third out of an inning? Good rule. I’m playing infield in a high school gym-class game and the gym teacher made the third out in center field, throws the ball towards the pitchers mound 120 or so feet away, a high, arching throw, showing off his arm, as one does, and I’m running off the field with my back to him. Everyone’s yelling fore and I’m obliviously running off the field and the ball and my head are converging towards each other like a Cauchy sequence. The throw came within a whisker of beaning me, it would have been an ugly scene most likely. That’s the story of my life, close calls left and right, survived them all. Carry on with your javelin stories, fascinating.
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