international coaching staffs [split]

[Marlow]

* Create a transparent, criteria-based Team Staff selection system...

Have that, it's called the trials and based on the Olympic setup. Nothing better then the practice being like the real event to prepare for the Olympics.

I'm guessing you missed the word, 'Staff', yes?

[Jnathletics]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

* Create a transparent, criteria-based Team Staff selection system...

Have that, it's called the trials and based on the Olympic setup. Nothing better then the practice being like the real event to prepare for the Olympics.

I'm guessing you missed the word, 'Staff', yes?

Yes, I did. Sorry. ops:

What kind of criteria could be used for that? Coach with most qualified athletes? Coach with most previous medal winners? I guess no new coaches should apply?

[Marlow]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

What kind of criteria could be used for that? Coach with most qualified athletes? Coach with most previous medal winners? I guess no new coaches should apply?

I have no idea what 'smoke-filled-backroom-committee' shenanigans go on to pick the staff, but it certainly appears to be purely 'political'. I'd love to see a 'transparent', criteria-driven process.

[polevaultpower]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

What kind of criteria could be used for that? Coach with most qualified athletes? Coach with most previous medal winners? I guess no new coaches should apply?

I have no idea what 'smoke-filled-backroom-committee' shenanigans go on to pick the staff, but it certainly appears to be purely 'political'. I'd love to see a 'transparent', criteria-driven process.

It sounds like they want to move toward more paid staff who always make the trips and less volunteer coaches who are different every time and seem to not be benefitting the athletes much (unless they are their own athletes).

Some of the things they said make sense. The athletes become more familiar and comfortable with the staff when they see them trip after trip. The staff is more cohesive with less turnover. They are also more competent because they have more familiarity with what is going on (no more forgetting to pick up the bib numbers!).

If you think about it, USATF doesn't need to be paying to send along a bunch of coaches who aren't going to be doing much coaching. They need a bunch of competent managers which is often a different set of skills.

[cladthin]

Could be it was addressed and I simply missed it but another improvement to the way USATF does business should be better, more timely processing of applications for coaches to get visas and access to practice tracks, competition venues for major championships, etc.

It's pretty sad when a coach, as disclosed in a recent Vince Anderson audio interview, has to have another coach pass him credentials through a fence so that he(guy on the outside) can gain access to working with his athlete. Why such access for an athlete and their individual coach is not better facilitated, I just don't understand. It's crazy that this sport, at times, makes it all but impossible for the coaches to be able to provide feedback/guidance to their athletes at some facilities.

On a related note, how many other sports have to to have their coaches 20-30m or more away from their athlete while attempting to shout out instructions/make corrections?

[gh]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

What kind of criteria could be used for that? Coach with most qualified athletes? Coach with most previous medal winners? I guess no new coaches should apply?

I have no idea what 'smoke-filled-backroom-committee' shenanigans go on to pick the staff, but it certainly appears to be purely 'political'. I'd love to see a 'transparent', criteria-driven process.

It sounds like they want to move toward more paid staff who always make the trips and less volunteer coaches who are different every time and seem to not be benefitting the athletes much (unless they are their own athletes).

Some of the things they said make sense. The athletes become more familiar and comfortable with the staff when they see them trip after trip. The staff is more cohesive with less turnover. They are also more competent because they have more familiarity with what is going on (no more forgetting to pick up the bib numbers!).

If you think about it, USATF doesn't need to be paying to send along a bunch of coaches who aren't going to be doing much coaching. They need a bunch of competent managers which is often a different set of skills.

One problem with this is that USATF is a volunteer organization that relies on good soldiers to do most of the work for free. Positions on international teams have always served as a good (low-cost) carrot.

If most of the doors to these positions--which are admittedly largely ceremonial, and have been for decades--are closed, are removing motivation for the good soldiers to remain so?

[Marlow]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

If most of the doors to these positions--which are admittedly largely ceremonial, and have been for decades--are closed, are removing motivation for the good soldiers to remain so?

Why would you assume they will be closed? Can't the criteria be such that good soldiers ARE rewarded? As Obama says, we just need more transparent, objective criteria. The criteria can be whatever we want them to be, but that does NOT include just belonging to the Good Ol' Boy (Gal) Network. Cronyism is out.

[gh]

No, you yourself said there would be less turnover. That's a closing of doors.

[MJR]

The intent here is to stop Chaplin (& Brooks) from naming his buddies (& self) to future team staffs.

[gh]

I have no problem with that. Note that this comment is what I was responding to:

<<It sounds like they want to move toward more paid staff who always make the trips and less volunteer coaches who are different every time and seem to not be benefitting the athletes much (unless they are their own athletes).

Some of the things they said make sense. The athletes become more familiar and comfortable with the staff when they see them trip after trip. The staff is more cohesive with less turnover. They are also more competent because they have more familiarity with what is going on (no more forgetting to pick up the bib numbers!). >>

I was suggesting that having a "professional" coaching staff with little/no turnover is harmful to the morale of the volunteer organization as a whole.

[MJR]

I was suggesting that having a "professional" coaching staff with little/no turnover is harmful to the morale of the volunteer organization as a whole.

I agree, in general. Note, they're only referring to the WC & OG (probably also PanAms - now retitled Americas) for this. I expect that smaller trips will still have mostly volunteer staffing (RW, Multis, Ultras) for the forseeable future.

[TrackCEO]

After listening to the USATF teleconference -- amused by Mel Rosen's avuncular slapdown of the U.S. relay system since he was in charge -- I couldn't help but wonder:

Where is Brooks?

Brooks Johnson hasn't posted a reaction on his blog:
http://blog.spikesandflats.com/

I'd be interested in Brooks' reply to Rosen or this note in Amy Shipley's story in The Washington Post:

The USATF's five-year-old National Relay Program, which has involved various relay-team training camps and been led by Coach Brooks Johnson, received the heaviest criticism. The dropped batons at the Olympics were the most recent in a history of errors among U.S. relay-team members; seven U.S. relay teams have been disqualified at major events for bobbles, lane infractions or doping violations since the program began.

BJ, pipe in here!

K E N

[Barto]

Re: USATF Task Force report is hard-hitting

One problem with this is that USATF is a volunteer organization that relies on good soldiers to do most of the work for free. Positions on international teams have always served as a good (low-cost) carrot.

If most of the doors to these positions--which are admittedly largely ceremonial, and have been for decades--are closed, are removing motivation for the good soldiers to remain so?

The problem with this approach is that the rest of the world does not operate this way. They expect the national team coaches to be the ones who assist the athletes at international competitions. This is what leads to US athletes not having the proper support during the competition while every other country's athletes have a qualified coach in place.

As to the issue of morale within a volunteer organization, I don't see it. Those who cry about their lack of recognition can find another organization to infest.