Re: t-and-f: Junior qualifying

[DANIEL DEYO]

Title: Re: t-and-f: Junior qualifying

Ritz & Webb both chose the National Scholastic Meet over the Junior Nationals, amongst other national caliber athletes. T&FN didn't even print results of the USATF Youth Nationals.  Weren't the results available, or did National Scholastic take precedence? How many coaches know that USATF conducts 3 National Championships for youth?  The Junior Nationals for all Juniors over 14 yrs old based upon performance to qualify; Youth Nationals for age divisions qualifying by performance; & Junior Olympics based upon qualifying through Association & Regional meets.  Add to that the AAU Junior Olympics qualifying through Association & Regional meets.  Then you have the Hershey Games qualifying to a "National Championship" based upon State & Regional meets.  Add in the Golen West & National Scholastic Meets & you have 7 "National Championship" meets outdoors.  Indoors, you have 2 High School National Championships.  Are there any USATF or AAU Indoor Nationals? Throw on top of that the apathy of high school coaches (not all, but enough); strong allegiances to one Association or another; coaches &/or athletes choosing a national meet for monetary reasons (cost of housing & travel); Associations (AAU & USATF) not sharing info with the coaches (again, not all, but enough); & a choice of 7 national caliber summers championships. Plus school administrations getting involved in coaching decisions.  Telling coaches & athletes they will be punished for competing in "outside" competitions.  My school board just recently decided only on-staff teachers should be coaching the athletes.  That left me out, because I teach at another school.  It also leaves out a custodian on staff that has been coaching for about 15-20 years & competed for 25 years himself, because he's not a teacher (even though he is working on a Master's Degree in engineering). Several schools in our area were still advertising for coaches through March, a few weeks into the season.   Dan Deyo formerly University Liggett School Grosse Pointe Woods, MI Now independent in search of a coaching position