USOC to USATF: Change Now!
Track visionaries have been saying it for years: the sport of track & field is stale and requires massive change to elevate its status to that of other professional sports. Those who voiced such opinions, pleading for change, ran up against brick walls. Then proceeded to bang their heads against said brick walls. Years of banging resulted in severe apathy - track is track; it is what it is. Except among a select few who kept the movement alive and inspired the next generation. So here we are today, witnessing a perfect storm of BALCO, the internet, world-class U.S. performances, a second running boom, and the chronic underperformance of our governing bodies. Finally someone has taken notice.
In a stern letter from Jim Scherr, USOC chief executive, to Bill Roe, USATF President and our guest on The Toni & Matt Show #13, track’s governing body was given an ultimatum: change your structure or else risk sanctions and possible decertification. USATF has until June 24 to submit a plan. If the USOC chooses decertification, it will actually take over USATF until a new federation can be formed. Although rare, it has happened in modern pentathlon, team handball, and taekwondo. (click “read full article” for the rest of this story)
“The tone of the letter is a reflection of just how seriously we take this,” USOC spokesman Darryl Seibel said.
At the heart of the USOC complaint was the structure of the USATF board, which consists of 32 members, most of whom are beholden to a special interest. For example, one board member represents race-walking, one represents road running, one represents men’s track, and so on. Hello? Toni has been saying this since 1994 when he penned his “Rocky Roads” report, and at every opportunity since.
“We are going to be responding to the USOC,” USATF spokswoman Jill Geer said. “We are actively working on a proposal to restructure the board, and the USOC will be receiving that in advance of their deadline.”
But is it asking too much of the CEO-less organization? On previous episodes of The Toni & Matt Show, both Roe and Cathy Griffin, who heads the search for USATF’s next CEO, said that the organization hopes to find a new CEO before the U.S. Olympic Trials, which start June 26 in Eugene, Oregon. In other words, they have ten days to submit a massive restructuring plan and twelve days to announce a new CEO.
Although I applaud USOC for putting pressure on USATF, I question the timing. According to a USA Today article, “USATF had suggested that the reorganization issue be set aside for a time because the federation is so involved in the Olympic trials and the Beijing Olympics. But U.S. Olympic Committee officials had been discussing reorganization with the track federation “for several years,” Seibel said.”
Several years!?!? That implies at least more than two. So what has USATF been doing to address USOC’s concerns since at least 2005? And does this better explain the timing of Craig Masback’s departure for Nike?
“We have had with the USOC a series of meetings and exchanges, both in person meetings and correspondence back and forth, in an effort to come up with a plan that serves the needs of our sport,” Geer said. “Obviously, we have a lot of different constituencies.”
It’s hard to read through the lines, but it appears that USATF did not take seriously the USOC demands, and is now forced to take action at the same time it’s undergoing a nationwide search for its next leader. Considering these are two very important milestones for USATF - finding the next CEO and streamlining an inefficient organization - I hate to see them rush. I hope the USOC agrees.
“We’re certainly interested in making certain they have a strong, capable CEO in place,” Seibel said. “This is one of the most visible sports and national governing bodies in our Olympic program. The reorganization and reform effort will ultimately lead to an even stronger national governing body, that will in turn strengthen the sport in our country.”
Regardless of the outcome, it’s a step forward for those who have yearned for change in what we all consider the world’s greatest sport. It’s probably too early to celebrate, but when the market opens Monday morning I’ll be placing a large buy order on cheap champagne futures. And bags of ice.
Read the full USA Today article here.
Last 5 posts by Matt Taylor- The Toni & Matt Show #17 - Vin Lananna - July 9th, 2008
- LetsRun.com Eugene '08 - June 30th, 2008
- The Toni & Matt Show #16 - June 17th, 2008
- The Toni & Matt Show #15 - June 11th, 2008
- Toni & Matt at the Running Film Festival - June 11th, 2008
June 14th, 2008 at 2:20 pm |
We have before us an important opportunity. I urge everyone to e-mail USOC Chief Executive Officer Jim Scherr jim.scherr@usoc.org - the first Olympic athlete to lead the USOC - to congratulate him for finally addressing the critical need to reform and restructure USATF.
It is also time to urge that the separate and distinct sport of Road Running be allowed to govern itself, and no longer fall under the aegis of USATF, whose name alone disqualifies it from taking Road Running’s best interest into account.
Part of what has hampered USATF since its inception in 1979 is exactly this fragmentation of its mandate. There are too many disparate agendas competing for limited resources. Since Road Running was lumped in with track, field, race walking, youth, masters, etc. by the Amateur Sports Act of 1978, we have grown geometrically. The time to manage the design of our own future has long since passed.
This current reform now forced upon USATF just as it approaches its quadrennial Olympic Trials and searches for its next executive director only shows how far astray the sport has been allowed to drift, and how urgently Mr. Scherr and the USOC understand the need for change.
Road Running should be freed to rise or fall on its own merits and under its own leadership. Let Mr. Scherr know where you stand. While you are at it, congratulate him on his recent induction into the Colorado Springs Sports Hall of Fame.
June 14th, 2008 at 2:34 pm |
Look no further than our sister only-visible-every-four-years sport, swimming, for a great example of how splitting up the constituencies may allow the NGB to focus on its job but won’t necessarily lead to greater visibility. USA Swimming doesn’t deal with Synchro or Diving (both on the program at FINA World Championships, however) and masters is largely handled by USMS. (In swimming, Masters starts at 18, but is organizationally if not competitively a completely different sport!)
Some of the various sub-units of the swimming organizational map are much lighter-weight than the corresponding running units, though the total organization is much harder to figure out and may be bigger than the sum of USATF + RRCA + whoever else. None of them, however, have solved the problem of how to get people to pay attention during the three years between Olympic years.
June 14th, 2008 at 3:50 pm |
No way this is not the first time USOC has written letters to USATF. When a story comes out in USA Today 2 weeks before from the Olympic Trials, the statment is clear > Enough is enough.
June 17th, 2008 at 10:02 am |
I have never understood why road racing, cross country, and the ever-popular race walking were housed under the auspices of USA Track & Field. All governing bodies seem to be organized under umbrella of sports that compete at the Olympic Games level. My solution: create USA MARATHON to be the home for road racing. The marathon is the only road racing event that is competed at the Olympic Games. It would streamline the entire sport and give track and field a true opportunity to define itself from the ground up.
I agree with the analogy of USA SWIMMING. Their developmental program is the model for track & field. It starts with summer youth leagues that feed the local or regional USA clubs. The clubs feed the college scene and the Olympic and National class teams. It’s a pure vertical system that works. Yes, the sport is not visible outside the Olympics on traditional media but…….their stars are well known in the public and sports world. Michael Phelps and Natalie Couglin have much more name recognition in the USA than Alan Webb and Jeremy Wariner. They won a ton of gold medals for one, but corporate America has embraced them outside the traditional swim goggle and suit companies.
Let’s be dramatic and seize the moment USATF!
June 18th, 2008 at 8:11 pm |
First, I applaud this website for raising the important and provocative questions about our sport.
Re: “Change Now” - I fully understand the attraction to the idea of establishing separate governance and focus to road running (apart from the USATF). But I think this idea emanates from the current lack of confidence in the USATF…and is not the ideal model.
The overlaps and synergy potential between ‘road running’ and ‘track’ seem too compelling to forfeit:
> common athlete development issues at all pre-professional and professional levels (same athletes, same coaches, common training center needs, etc.)
> common fan engagement opportunities
> potential combined clout with sponsors, TV, and in the sports marketing arenas
The business world presents us with clear models that could be applied here. For example, the Proctor & Gamble’s and General Electric’s have a single, independent governing board, and an enterprise level strategic plan…but also have a diverse set of well-defined and focused business units and product lines. Road running, distance track races, sprints, jumps, youth, masters, etc. are our “product lines”.
I think we’re all in agreement that we need a USATF that achieves the same level of focus on each of our sport’s “product lines”, and is led by a strategic independent board. We also need a USATF that embraces the diverse voices and talents throughout our sport (e.g. NYRR’s expertise in road racing).
Maybe the priority opportunity in front of us to create this kind of USATF…before we take steps that might fragment and dilute our sport’s ultimate potential.
June 19th, 2008 at 9:26 am |
Exactly the kind of dialogue and insight we hoped to generate. Well stated.
June 28th, 2008 at 3:03 pm |
Thank you for stimulating this dialogue… I am increasingly dismayed of late with the current state of the sport. I agree with Toni in that the sport needs to split up and become more focused. Hearing the budgets of the other amateur organizations is mind-boggling. How did that happen? I think to many people in the track world have had their heads in the sand for too long. It is time to change. The old guard needs to go. They have been protecting their “assets” for too long. The same old people will produce the same old results and change won’t happen until there is fresh blood in the mix. The Drug issues and public perception of the sport need to be dealt with. Hopefully, the board will pick a CEO that is willing to make the changes. More importantly though, the board has to let the CEO run USATF not the board run the CEO. There are to many waring factions and personal interest involved and that has to stop.
You need a leader who can bring everyone to the table, listen to them, and then make changes for the betterment of the sport-without board interference.
You guys keep fighting for the sport. Remember - Change is good and good change is even better. I am going to do all I can and hopefully I’ll get a call from Kathy Griffin!
July 3rd, 2008 at 2:01 pm |
Wouldn’t it be grand if this latest dust-up were to lead to some REAL change in the running world…like a new NGB to govern road racing? Like most of the other folks who’ve responded here, I’ve also been saying for years that it made no sense for USATF to be the governing body for the sport of competing on the roads. I attended the convention when the name change occurred, from TAC to USATF and I remember thinking: “What’s wrong with this picture? United States of American Track & Field…where the hell does road running fit in?” Clearly, road running never has. USATF pays mere lip service to supporting the sport of road racing, we’re like the ugly stepchild that keeps clamoring for attention. When Meb and Deena won their medals in the marathon, Masback didn’t even mention them during his first comment to the press; went on and on about the track athletes instead. The arrogance exhibited by the “old guard” and total disregard for the road racing community is so blatant that it defies comprehension. Back when I was race director of the Army Ten-Miler I got in touch with one of the officials conducting a coaching certification that was planned for nearby in Virginia Beach. He told me that I wasn’t qualified and that they “had enough coaches, they didn’t need anymore.” After attending three USATF conventions I quit going because I felt that the organization wasn’t doing anything to address the issues and concerns I had as a race director. As I wrote on the Road Race Management message board a few weeks ago, USATF has never been willing (or able?) to set any clearly defined policies, rules or regulations for our sport. If they can’t even agree on the start list for the 10,000 at the Trials, should we really expect them to address any issues that affect road racing? Unfortunately it’s clear that the answer is a definitive “NO!” Lets not let this opportunity slip away…what do we have to do to get Congress to establish a new, separate NGB for road racing? If the USOC does decertify USATF, what does that mean for the road racing community…what happens then? Who do we have to lobby to make sure our voices are heard? As Barack Obama says: “Our time is now!” Tell me who I can call, who I can write…and I’l do it. After being involved in this wonderful sport for 27 years, for the first time I feel that maybe something positive is going to happen. We can make the changes, LETS DO IT!
July 28th, 2008 at 8:21 pm |
Hi Matt,
Thank you for stopping by PreraceJitters.com and letting me know that Chasing Bolt launched today. Can you please contact me at:trackevangelist@preracejitters.com about your project?
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Jay Hicks
Editor
PreraceJitters.com
http://www.preracejitters.com
October 27th, 2009 at 8:20 pm |
Thankyou runnerville.com and I am really pleased to view this exactly what I was looking for …
I shall be very pleased to become a regular!