The people I admire most are those with principles. Those that back up their principles with proper conviction transcend to near hero status.
I accepted appointment to the USATF Coaches Advisory Committee in early 2014. Participated in some email chains but found I had bitten off more than I was ready to chew. Missed the 2014 annual meeting and then missed again in 2015. At the start of this month I contacted Skip Stolley, my committee chair, and let him know that I was not making contributions that met my expectations of service. Respectfully asked to be replaced by someone that had the time and vigor for the committee’s vision. Skip, full understanding and appreciative, accepted my resignation.
That’s the correct way to handle USATF business.
You’ve got to know what USATF business is though.
It is with very mixed emotions that I tell you Peter Falcon has “stepped down” as our Nebraska Association LDR Chair. As I told him, he was thrown under the bus by those that had no good intentions for the program. And they left him hanging there. Peter was “instilled” as Chair despite not being present at the 2014 association meeting, a move orchestrated to make sure I was not elected- good political machinations to be sure. Except that Peter knew nothing of the program, the amount of time and effort and work necessary to carry out the position. He then missed our 2015 meeting working a Sunday afternoon shift at Peak Performance. I’m good with that, priorities and all.
The LDR Program is my priority.
I served, with Peter’s approval, as his proxy for our meeting last September. And used that opportunity to address severe shortcomings in our program. First order of business was to create our Rules & Responsibilities subcommittee. Regular readers know the amount of good work we have accomplished in less than 30 days. The very first document detailed the minimum expectations of the position. The second was our association champs bid application. The third, getting our 2015 Grand Prix properly scored and paid out, but the results listed yesterday are unofficial. Peter and Hayley Sutter decided, incorrectly, that Stacy Shaw (the 2014 LDR Masters Grand Prix winner!) was not eligible to be scored in the Leprechaun Chase or Lincoln Marathon. I’ve told them this is unacceptable. Their position is that she didn’t see their request for declarations on facebook. The point is not that if it was or wasn’t, or where it was or wasn’t posted, the point is that making that requirement in the first place is against our mission of membership services. Period. The cry that the work is oppressive rings hollow with one who has done it for years. With prize money on the line, more on this I’m sure….
Our Rules and Responsibilities subcommittee carried out a search for a suitable replacement to fill the rest of Peter’s term which ends this September. We are happy to report that Logan Watley has stepped up and will coordinate the rest of this term’s efforts. And bona fide, non shenanigan elections will be conducted in September. I’ll be there everyone. So if you really care, do study up, cross your t’s, dot your i’s, show up and make a difference. I hope you learned your lesson!
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