RE: t-and-f: It's not fair...
Hello to you also Elliott. Elliott is TOTALLY RIGHT, here is a man who Here is a man who knows T F especially in NJ. With his work with the Asbury Park press to the Nationally Ranked Shore AC Track Club Elliott knows what he is talking about. NJ really needs to do something about this problem. NJ has consistently proven year after year that they have some of the best HS athletes in the nation, without a venue where they can shine, the future of T F in NJ is bleak! Bruce -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 3:57 PM To: Berry,Bruce Subject: Re: t-and-f: It's not fair... Hi Bruce::: AND PLEASE TRY TO RELAY THIS MESSAGE TO EVERY NJ TRACK EPRSON YOU CAN THINK OF::: 1. It is more than high time that NJ high schools, as well as colleges and open athletes, had a decent place of their own to conduct indoor track meets each year from December to March... 2. It is truly time for all of us to band together to get something done!! 3. A few suggestions: (a) Refurbish and rebuild an existing building...best candidate perhaps being the Jersey City Armory...and build it up to NY Armory Track Center standards... (b) Work something out with one of the state colleges, preferably one with a strong track program) to get a campus track building builtwith adequate dates set aside annually and guaranteed for the NJ HS program... 4...And this is the idea I feel most strongly about... In all the talk of building a Newark Arena - with our money - for people to pay huge prices to see zillionaire hockey and basketball players cavort, there is no talk of any collateral benefit to real people whose primary interest may not be watching these athletes play their games... I suggest we follow the great example of Prince George's County in Landover, Md. which, in providing land and roads, etc. to the NFL Redskins' for the construction of their magnificent FedEx Stadium, also insisted the Redskins give something back to the real people. And so - as I understand it - the magnificent Prince George's Athletic and Learning Center was built on adjacent land and is now a truly great facility... It has a marvelous 200m indoor track stadium (with seating for several thousand) which is site of Nike Indoor Scholastic meet in March...and many more meets all winter long...and next to the track building are marvelous swimming and gymnastics facilities, etc My bottom line strong feeling:: Before the state of NJ or the city of Newark or the Devils or Nets or YankeeNets or whoever it is...before they get a single cent of public funds, they ought to be made to pledge to give something back and the type of facility I mentioned is the best possible way to do just that... 5...Please let us petition the governor and every major political leader in the state and every member of the NJ Sports and Exposition Authority...demanding that something like this be built NOW As the Newark project discussion continues, it is time now to get this most important word out to those who hold power and make decisions... Track and field involves thousand and thousands of people...we are voters and taxpayers...We need to be heard!!! Sincerely, Elliott Denman West Long Branch, NJ USA..
RE: t-and-f: It's not fair...
It's nice to see how Princeton University gives back to the community. Truly heartwarming isn't it? -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of Berry,Bruce Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 8:57 AM To: Robert Kiessling; [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Track and Field List Subject: RE: t-and-f: It's not fair... This situation is REALLY BAD, but as Bob said this may be the ONE time that the NJSIAA has tried to do something to help the sport and kids. Being a former Gr. IV Head Coach I know the frustrations of trying to get a team ready to compete early then late of the M of C. One solution could be instead of just switching the groups around time wise (Group IV had a 9am start this year but will start at 1pm next year) switch what groups compete on the early dates and who competes on the late dates (i.e. - next year Gr. I IV have relays on the Jan. 18th weekend and indiv. on the Feb. 2nd weekend). Also, I'm sure someone has looked into it, but what about The Peddie School or Lawrencevill Prep School (they have a 200 meter Mondo banked, but I do not know the seating). Finally, someone may need to CONVINCE Princeton officials of the value and importance of athletics in kids lives and hopefully they will soften their position and let the kids play! It stinks but what else can be done? Bruce Berry Akron Track and Field - Assistant Coach -Original Message- From: Robert Kiessling [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Monday, January 20, 2003 6:39 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Track and Field List Subject: Re: t-and-f: It's not fair... Larry: I can tell you, based on inside knowledge, that this situation is not one that the NJSIAA has chosen voluntarily. They and the Winter Track Committee know the whole scenario is unfair. But they have to deal with whatever dates Princeton gives them. Each year those dates are less and less desirable. Years ago, we had a better choice and the setup was State Relay Championships on the first Weekend in February ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - State Individual Championship Meets two weekends later, all on the same weekend ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - and the weekend after that was the Meet of Champions. It was great, but impossible to do now. Because of the number of Athletes and Spectators involved, there is no other place in the State to hold the meet. Princeton almost through out the whole program a few years ago and Boyd Sands and to do a lot of negotiating just to keep us in - and this is while we pay them $1100 an hour. I am now coaching at a Group IV school and am not happy about the situation, but I also know that the powers that be did not DO this to us. They know that no one is happy, but unless a place an be found to run that can also hold a couple of thousand people ( spectators and runners) we are stuck. One of these years Princeton is going to give us dates in December and tell the NJSIAA to take it or leave it. Guess what, we will be having State Meets in December. There just is no choice. The other thing is that is if we are out of Princeton, which can happen, there will be NO State Meets and watch as schools all over the State use that as an excuse to cancel Winter Track. You can complain all that you want, but what everyone needs is another AVAILABLE Site. The 168th Street Armory is out as they are booked every minute during the winter. And remember, it has to be available for two weekends all day Saturday Sunday and another weekend day for half a day, all of this in February. It has to sit a few thousand people and have a 200 meter track. There is no place in New Jersey that can meet the physical requirements not to mention the dates. In South Jersey, we run ALL of our meets in Pennsylvania. I know that even in North Jersey, which does have number of tracks that some conference meets are run at the Armory in New York City ( Out of State). If you can solve all of these problems, you will be the hero in New Jersey among the track people forever. You have no idea how many people have tried to address your concerns every year. But if you have the solution, we are willing to take it. The NJSIAA Committee has said that for years. In South Jersey we have tried to solve our smaller scale problems for years. We have no viable indoor tracks for very large scale competitions. that is the problem. What is the answer unless someone contacts Bill Gates to build and maintain one for us? Bob Kiessling New Jersey High School Track Coach
RE: t-and-f: It's not fair...
Rich Harrington wrote: It's nice to see how Princeton University gives back to the community. Truly heartwarming isn't it? Well, you have to remember that Jadwin Gym isn't just a track - it's also Princeton's home venue for Basketball: Home games on Saturdays: 2/1 (men) 2/8 (women) 2/15(men) 2/22(women) 3/8 (men) Varsity Track 1/25 Princeton Relays 2/8 Penn State/Penn Triangular Meet (Women's) So, it's already got a pretty crowded schedule. I think that in the past, the Women's team used to play up in Dillon Gym, which alleviated some of that schedule crunch, though I'm not sure when the switch occurred. Phil Larry: I can tell you, based on inside knowledge, that this situation is not one that the NJSIAA has chosen voluntarily. They and the Winter Track Committee know the whole scenario is unfair. But they have to deal with whatever dates Princeton gives them. Each year those dates are less and less desirable. Years ago, we had a better choice and the setup was State Relay Championships on the first Weekend in February ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - State Individual Championship Meets two weekends later, all on the same weekend ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - and the weekend after that was the Meet of Champions.
RE: t-and-f: It's not fair...
I seem recall running there on Sundays and weeknights at Jadwin when I was in H.S., though my memory could be getting foggy 15 years later. -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Tuesday, January 21, 2003 12:15 PM To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: RE: t-and-f: It's not fair... Rich Harrington wrote: It's nice to see how Princeton University gives back to the community. Truly heartwarming isn't it? Well, you have to remember that Jadwin Gym isn't just a track - it's also Princeton's home venue for Basketball: Home games on Saturdays: 2/1 (men) 2/8 (women) 2/15(men) 2/22(women) 3/8 (men) Varsity Track 1/25 Princeton Relays 2/8 Penn State/Penn Triangular Meet (Women's) So, it's already got a pretty crowded schedule. I think that in the past, the Women's team used to play up in Dillon Gym, which alleviated some of that schedule crunch, though I'm not sure when the switch occurred. Phil Larry: I can tell you, based on inside knowledge, that this situation is not one that the NJSIAA has chosen voluntarily. They and the Winter Track Committee know the whole scenario is unfair. But they have to deal with whatever dates Princeton gives them. Each year those dates are less and less desirable. Years ago, we had a better choice and the setup was State Relay Championships on the first Weekend in February ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - State Individual Championship Meets two weekends later, all on the same weekend ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - and the weekend after that was the Meet of Champions.
Re: t-and-f: It's not fair...
Larry: I can tell you, based on inside knowledge, that this situation is not one that the NJSIAA has chosen voluntarily. They and the Winter Track Committee know the whole scenario is unfair. But they have to deal with whatever dates Princeton gives them. Each year those dates are less and less desirable. Years ago, we had a better choice and the setup was State Relay Championships on the first Weekend in February ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - State Individual Championship Meets two weekends later, all on the same weekend ( Two Groups Saturday, Two Groups Sunday) - and the weekend after that was the Meet of Champions. It was great, but impossible to do now. Because of the number of Athletes and Spectators involved, there is no other place in the State to hold the meet. Princeton almost through out the whole program a few years ago and Boyd Sands and to do a lot of negotiating just to keep us in - and this is while we pay them $1100 an hour. I am now coaching at a Group IV school and am not happy about the situation, but I also know that the powers that be did not DO this to us. They know that no one is happy, but unless a place an be found to run that can also hold a couple of thousand people ( spectators and runners) we are stuck. One of these years Princeton is going to give us dates in December and tell the NJSIAA to take it or leave it. Guess what, we will be having State Meets in December. There just is no choice. The other thing is that is if we are out of Princeton, which can happen, there will be NO State Meets and watch as schools all over the State use that as an excuse to cancel Winter Track. You can complain all that you want, but what everyone needs is another AVAILABLE Site. The 168th Street Armory is out as they are booked every minute during the winter. And remember, it has to be available for two weekends all day Saturday Sunday and another weekend day for half a day, all of this in February. It has to sit a few thousand people and have a 200 meter track. There is no place in New Jersey that can meet the physical requirements not to mention the dates. In South Jersey, we run ALL of our meets in Pennsylvania. I know that even in North Jersey, which does have number of tracks that some conference meets are run at the Armory in New York City ( Out of State). If you can solve all of these problems, you will be the hero in New Jersey among the track people forever. You have no idea how many people have tried to address your concerns every year. But if you have the solution, we are willing to take it. The NJSIAA Committee has said that for years. In South Jersey we have tried to solve our smaller scale problems for years. We have no viable indoor tracks for very large scale competitions. that is the problem. What is the answer unless someone contacts Bill Gates to build and maintain one for us? Bob Kiessling New Jersey High School Track Coach
