Tomorrows Olympians….. How Does USATF Nurture Them Today?

 

Runners  Take Your Mark….. Tomorrows Olympians 

Peter Thamel of the New York Times wrote an article entitled “Leaders From All Levels Agree to Focus on Youth Game”  It’s about the  youth basketball scene and how in recent past the decline in USA Basketball’s performances at the international level. Just not playing over the past few years as good as they had been expected, and what at all levels of Basketball youth through the pros should do to support better performances. He writes:

 ”As a result, a working group was assigned to identify needs in the sport from the youth level on up. The discussions between Amateur Athletic Union, high school, college, professional and USA Basketball coaches and officials were also meant to address issues beyond the quality of play.”

“The prevailing thought is that the United States’ struggles at the top levels of basketball can be traced to its lack of organization at the lower levels. It is the focus of this group to try to make youth basketball teams more cohesive on the court and to make basketball more of an entryway into a better life off the court”.  Read More here

 

What About Track & Field ?

 Even though the article was on basketball the core issues are exactly the same more attention needs to be paid to our youth track athletes by USATF as they are the heirs of a great legacy that needs a lot of nurturing to provide more support and success in the future.  One only had to watch the 2008  Olympic trials and Olympic Games to know we are not quite doing Track  the way it should be done. Our problems may be a few at the youth level but clearly it’s a Top Down Job in T&F’s  case that needs some real attention.

 

 A few question I would ask if I had a chance as a parent of a track athlete are:

1. How do you identify and nurture systematically the talent that is coming up  over the next few years?

2. How  does  this differ, if any from previous years ?

3. What can I do as a parent to help enrich this experience?

4. What mechanism does USATF have  (if any) for athletes that have financial hardships( practically all newly graduated athletes) to continue to develop their elite talent ie: coaching,housing,health care benefits etc.

 5. Why should any parent promote and encourage a youth athlete over many years when to most it appears there is no national grass roots support for elite athletes uniformly?

6. What is USATF doing to create an image that is positive and progressive in 2008 for Track and Field in the furture?

7.How many potential track athletes have we lost just in the last 3 years due to lack of support after a stellar college career ?

8. How can the public be educated about track and make it more public friendly, so as not to be the sport we  have come to be , a somewhat elitist sport?

9. How does USATF plan on nurturing it’s youth  divisional segment more positively to help enhance it’s elite segment in the future?

10. Can I as a parent expect change in the next 5 years for the positive?

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If you want to get involved and learn things of interest pertaing to youth athletes in track  and Field ,think about registering for the USATF Annual meeting which will be held in Reno, Nevada, December 3 - 7, 2008. (note :must be a USATF member)

This is where Track & Field’s most influencial get to together in an effort to allow all voices of U.S. T&F be heard on the topics that mean the most to us.

For more information go to USATF   Read more on the sign of the times

 

Until Next time,

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3. So What’s The Difference?
4. 24th Annual L.A.Jets Invitational Day 2 Wrap Up And Results
5. How To Win Gold