Damn The Required Perks..........

[einnod23]

I have said it before, and I'll say it again: This sport CANNOT survive in this country if it's NCAAs/Nationals/trials are in one or two places every year.

1) Take your championships on tour (ala Final Four)
2) Put it in a major city (Yes, I had a thead on this before). I understand and appreciate Eugene's history, but.........

and most important......

3) So what if the sport doesn't have a warmup track, automatic long jump rakes or luxury boxes. Take this sport on tour, build popularity, and maybe you will get more tracks built around the US with those amenities.

[tafnut]

Jacksonville, FL fits the bill in all three factors - bring it on!

[26mi235]

Jacksonville, FL fits the bill in all three factors - bring it on!

Yes, but you would have to have the distance events early, and not early in the morning, but early in the spring.

[MJR]

One of the problems (a big one) with moving the meet around is that it absolutely must be held on and IAAF approved facility. If it is held somewhere with any substandard equipment or other things, performances will not be accepted by the IAAF for the Championship we are trying to select for.

[gh]

The biggest problem with moving the meet around, I suspect, would be finding competent people willing to stage it. It's not like this is a pre-packaged event that USATF just plops down in your back yard and runs for you and all you need to do is provide a track. It requires hundreds of committed volunteers and a local organizing committee willing to put in hundreds and hundreds of hours for no recompense. And if you're not going to lose your shirt, you'd better be guaranteed of some healthy ticket sales and/or major local sponsorship.

People aren't exactly beating the doors down in Indy demanding a shot at the meet for the three years out of four that it's not an OT.

[gh]

One of the problems (a big one) with moving the meet around is that it absolutely must be held on and IAAF approved facility. If it is held somewhere with any substandard equipment or other things, performances will not be accepted by the IAAF for the Championship we are trying to select for.

Hmm... I've never heard that before. Doesn't quite make sense, in that many people who make the team don't get their Q-marks at the selection meet, but at some other site, and there are only a small handful of "IAAF-approved" facilities in this country. Given what it costs to bring a facility up to snuff, there won't be very many that meet the criteria.

[bad hammy]

One of the problems (a big one) with moving the meet around is that it absolutely must be held on and IAAF approved facility. If it is held somewhere with any substandard equipment or other things, performances will not be accepted by the IAAF for the Championship we are trying to select for.

So which US facilites are IAAF certified??

[gh]

As far as I know, Icahn was the first (just last year), and as far as I know Eugene and Stanford followed. This certification is required before you can be part of the IAAF Circuit.

[bad hammy]

As far as I know, Icahn was the first (just last year), and as far as I know Eugene and Stanford followed. This certification is required before you can be part of the IAAF Circuit.

That kind of narrows down the field. If MJDs post were correct, how did Sacto and others get in the running?

[gh]

It's possible Sacto was also certified later. But my point remains that I've never heard of the IAAF placing any conditions on the facility for getting qualifying marks. Doesn't mean it isn't a condition; I just don't know about it.

[polevaultpower]

It's possible Sacto was also certified later. But my point remains that I've never heard of the IAAF placing any conditions on the facility for getting qualifying marks. Doesn't mean it isn't a condition; I just don't know about it.

I heard New York was the only IAAF certified track in the country.

I know Sac State hasn't been certified, their PV runways would never pass.

[lonewolf49]

By what authority does the IAAF dictate to a country how they select their teams as long as they are certified to have met the required standard?
I am skeptical that every third world country has a state of the art track facility..

[einnod23]

I can understand an IAAF requirement that US facilities have:
1) a 400 meter track
2) a drug station
3) auto timers

......but I don't see anything else. Why would the federation require (or care about)....
1) a warmup track
2) luxury boxes
3) an automatic long jump rake
since it has no effect on the performances of the athletes?????

[huh?]

One of the problems (a big one) with moving the meet around is that it absolutely must be held on and IAAF approved facility. If it is held somewhere with any substandard equipment or other things, performances will not be accepted by the IAAF for the Championship we are trying to select for.

Where did you get that goofy idea? I'm pretty sure it ain't so. Obviously, the track has to measure 400m properly, the long jump can't be downhill, etc. But gh has never heard of an IAAF track certification requirement, and I think that's 'cuz there is none.

[MJR]

Just screwing w/ y'all to see who would bite....... :twisted:

GH's first reply is the real reason. Meets like this are a bitch to host and it takes a well organized militia to get it done. The amount of $ and logistical needs to make a Nationals or OT happen is just too overwhelming for most groups around the country to do without screwing it up royally.