2009 Clermont masters nationals called a go, but when?
Rumors have been flying that Clermont would forgo the 2009 masters outdoor nationals — and that Spokane would be willing to host again. So I wrote some enchiladas. The answer came swiftly. “False,” wrote USATF Masters T&F Chairman Gary Snyder. But many questions remain, including the status of the contract between USATF and the local organizing committee in the town near Orlando in central Florida. Another: When will the 2009 meet be held? This is a big deal for those interested in hitting nationals as well as the National Senior Olympics across the country in the San Francisco Bay Area. The Senior Games track meet is Aug. 5-11, 2009. And the world masters meet in Lahti, Finland, is July 28-Aug. 8, 2009.
What sparked the rumors of the National Training Center in Clermont deciding not to host the 2009 nationals?
They apparently trace to mid-July, when a Hawaiian masters athlete wrote to Andy Vince, track and field coordinator of the National Training Center, asking for the meet dates for planning purposes.
Andy replied: “The NTC Director of Operations has not received the ‘bid award letter’ and as such has not reached an agreement contractually with USATF, and until that time, we do not have the event here at the National Training Center in Clermont Florida!”
That led to a flurry of exchanges, including this July 23 note from USATF’s Andy Martin (the grass-roots czar): “The bid award letter is in the hands of the LOC. A formal agreement is being drafted with input from the Masters Track & Field Committee and our Legal and Business Affairs dept. I do not expect the agreement to differ much from the provisions included in the bid application that the LOC submitted.”
About the same time, Andy Vince wrote:
Coincidently the NTC Director of Operations received cc: copy of the bid award letter today. As the bid was submitted by the Central Florida Sports Commission we await to receive from them details of the final contract from USATF for discussion and approval. As we are currently focused on delivering the NCCWMA in one month’s time our focus is understandably on that event, but as soon as we receive contractual details from USATF, the NTC will endeavor with our partners from the Central Florida Sports Commission to progress matters in regard to the 2009 USA Masters Track & Field Championships.
So details of the 2009 masters nationals may have to wait until completion of the WMA regional championships there at the end of this month.
As a courtesy to potential entrants, however, the NTC should expedite a decision and dissemination of the dates of 2009 nationals.
12 Responses
I agree, an expeditious call on the dates needs to be made, not only for those trying to plan their competetive season but also for Meet Directors trying to plan their meets. I am ready to pull the trigger on the 2nd Annual Western States Masters T&F Invite/Sacramento Senior Games but cannot move forth until I know when Nationals will be held. Maddening!!
As of today, 8/16, USATF shows the 2009 meet in Clermont. No dates yet, though.
Tentative dates for the 2009 Nationals were given during the Athletes Meeting in Spokane as July 9-12. Those same dates also appear on the “Forum” section of this website in response to a query there. They are also the dates that were announced at last year’s convention.
Regarding the lack of a contract, that has been the case right up to almost the week of the meet in the past. If I’m not mistaken there was a Masters National Championship held without a contract ever being signed by USATF. This is one of the dirty little secrets of how USATF has operated for years and in the end has never really mattered. It’s true there’s a new team in the legal office in Indy, so maybe the contracts will be done sooner in the future, but that has never stopped people from counting on dates. In fact it has never been an issue in the past and needn’t be now as far as I know.
Jerry Bookin-Weiner
One of these days an LOC is going to back out since they don’t have a contract. The dates won’t mean much then. This is a business situation and needs to dealt with as such.
The bid ward letter should go out immediately after award at the the annual meeting, followed by a contract in no less than 30 days and returned in 30 days.
I have had locs argue a contract for many months. The contract protects both parties.
With all the money we contribute to USATF isn’t someone getting tired of being at the bottom of the list for these services from this professional athletes organization? We are taken care of according to how we stand in the organization.
It’s not that hard to hire an attorney to perform these services.
You know where I’m going!
George
I guess what bothers people (and what helps to fuel the rumors) is the fact that no one has ever listed the actual dates for this meet on the 2009 schedule (USATF Web site). The dates for the 2010 meet (Sacramento) have been listed for months, but not the dates for the 2009 meet. I am convinced that July 9, 2009, is the opening day for the Clermont meet, but this means that a championship that is now just 10 months and 23 days away is still not being listed.
Appearances count, and the failure to list gives the implication, however unwarranted it may be, that our 2009 outdoor championships are just not that important. You don’t think the 2009 USA Youth Outdoors would not be listed at this late date? Of course they are, and they are in the magnificent stadium of Eastern Michigan University in Ypsilanti. Huge stadium, the track looks beautiful, etc. (on the Internet). Oh, I guess I am dreaming …a central location, a city (Ypsilanti) that in July 2008 had just one day with a temperature of 90+, a college campus, etc.
This comes back to our critical problem. As I understand it, there were only two bidders for 2009 (one from California and one from Florida), and the one from Florida won. I assume (and very much suspect it is true) that large, centrally located universities in the Midwest such as Univ of Michigan, Eastern Michigan U., Univ of Wisconsin, University of Illinois, etc. have no interest in masters. And yet Eastern Michigan wanted the USA Youth championship. Oh, well.
The USATF Masters Track and Field Committee recently decided on the dates to conduct the USA Outdoor Championships which are July 9-12 2009. The LOC in Clermont has a committment letter from the USATF National Office confirming the meet and dates. Contract to follow soon.
Gary Snyder
USATF Master T&F Chair
garysnyder@att.net
Thank you, Gary.
Thanks, everyone. We will commit to travel plans based on the meet at Clermont from July 9 to 12, 2009. Hope to see you there and at Stanford for Sr. Olympics. Meanwhile,let me know if you will be in Hawaii and want to visit, work out or compete.
Aloha, Jack Karbens
Thanks for communicating the final dates for 2009 nationals. Sounds like there will be some issues to be worked out not the least of which are transportation, lodging, and dealing with high humidity and temps. However, those are a ways off but having the dates to put down on the calendar is helpful if not a necessity at this point.
Website and dates for next year’s Nats:
http://www.usatf.org/events/2009/USAMastersOutdoorTFChampionships/
And for those who may be competing at both the USATF National Club Championships and the Masters Championships it’s important that they NOT be scheduled for the same weekend!
I have an airport shuttle service in Clermont fl
I have good references from the masters august 2008 and the Fairfeild Inn
please call if you need a ride to or from airport michele 352-536-3401
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