Without the IAAF there would still be sport, but perhaps there would be no
World Championships .. It seems to me that the "purpose" of
organizations/federations/et al should be in great part to bring the
"individuals" together .. A national federation to bring it's
athletes/coaches/clubs/et al together .. A global body (like IAAF) to bring
the nations together .. And in this sense both the "individuals" and the
"body" are important .. OR at least should be ..
Instead of federations trying to strong arm the individuals .. Or the
individuals trying to exert their sense of strength over the federations, I
would think that BOTH would be best served working in some type of symbiotic
harmony .. And in order to do that they have to at some point be able to sit
at the table together to set up a set of rules/guidelines to determine how
they are going to function .. For example both groups should have viable
representation sitting at the table to determine exactly what the rules will
be to determine a national team .. And then everyone live with the result
(i.e. no politicizing to try to gain individual change) ..
I'm probably over simplifying it .. But seems far to many times that
federations want to dictate while individuals run around crying about under
representation .. I think this happens often because federations/bodies tend
to be run by very old people who are a step or two behind what the
individuals see as progress .. And those "old boy networks" are usually very
hard to break into .. Perhaps there would be the place to start if we think
we need change within the larger/older bodies ..
Guys like Masback, Coe, Moorcroft getting involved in the sport after
retirement I think is the way to take the sport to the next phase .. And to
fix some of the inherent problems that exist within the federations ..
Problem is there aren't enough of them involved .. Carl Lewis should still
be in the sport ..Evelyn Ashford should still be in the sport .. MJ upon
retirement should be in or close to the sport .. Edwin Moses should still be
around .. Successful, intelligent people like these is where the future of
track and field should be ..
Just one rambling opinion ...
Conway Hill
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
----- Original Message -----
From: "David Andersen" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
To: "Randall Northam" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Sent: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 7:20 AM
Subject: Re: t-and-f: RE: Tyranny, revisited
> Development programs are a legitimate activity of an association, but
hardly
> essential. Many athletes find their way to success without the benefit of
an
> association. Individuals, acting in their own best interest (for love of
> the sport, for money, for whatever turns them on) are self-motivated to
> coach, create meets, practice medicine, perform research, and compete.
Since
> when was the presence of a world or national bureaucracy necessary to
> motivate individuals - coaches, athletes - to be their best? It is a
> fallacy to assume that if not for the IAAF we would not have a sport. Do
> you not love this sport? Are you not self-motivated to participate in it?
>
> Wouldn't an organization that runs a professional track and field league
> have a vested interest in promoting the sport at all levels, much like the
> PGA, etc.? Of course. But their promotion and development efforts would
> not be necessary to insure new athletes. Motivated people will show up on
> their doorstep.
>
> What is the driver of a sport, or anything? Individuals, always.
> Individuals will always find a way to do something regardless of the
> presence of an institution.
>
>
> >
> > > Who needs who?
> > If the athletes who earn money and competed in a new competition that
paid
> > more than the Olympics or worlds arrived fully fledged as stars you
would
> > have a point.
> > But who is going to nuture the athlete when he or she starts out? I'm
> > talking pre-college age for those of you who live in the world's
greatest
> > polluter! Who runs the little leagues, the kids' competitions?
> > The IAAF and Federations do many things other than run the top
> competitions
> > for the top athletes. And if they don't make money from those top
> > competitions they can't pay to develop the sport, so the whole thing
would
> > collapse and a
> > >successful professional
> > >track and field league that pays better than they can make now
> > would rapidly go out of business once the present stars had retired.
> > Randall Northam
> >
>
>
