George Mathews is free. After nearly six years as chairman of the USATF Masters Track & Field Committee, George suddenly resigned in the wake of a near-disaster at Charlotte nationals and internal fights over masters finances. “This period of time was pure hell (for me),” George wrote this week. But unchained from office, he now speaks frankly — and wrote in a blog comment last Wednesday: “This is fun being able to say how I feel.” He was just getting started. In reply to an email questionnaire, George argues for a divorce from USA Track & Field and having the masters program get hitched to the National Senior Games Association instead.

But George wrote me:
“Before I answer your questions (about the divorce idea), I should tell you that for all the reasons I couldn’t continue as chair are the real reasons why USA Masters Track & Field should align itself with the National Senior Games.
“The main reason I resigned was because I was worn out from the toils of the job. I left on September 1st because the Masters T&F Committee as well as Bill Roe did not respond to my request for help in the (Masters Committee) treasurer’s hiding and misdirection of funds in 2005. I refuse to lead an organization that doesn’t support me and allows financial activities such as we experienced to go unresolved.
“Another volunteer goes out the door, beaten up, without as much as a thank you for all the years of service given. I deliberately didn’t write this before the election so as not to scare off any candidates. Gary Snyder is absolutely the best choice to continue. I hope he is treated better (than) his last three predecessors.
“2006 was the worst of my 5 1/2 years in the position. As chair, I spent most of my time dealing with the indoor and outdoor championships, the USATF Board of Directors and the annual meeting. Add to that this year were particularly hard preparations (a laborious three-day site visit in May) for the National Weight Pentathlon.
“As we all know, the Charlotte meet has been a nightmare for the two years leading up to the meet. For future reference, the meet organizers want to deal (with) the chair or professional staff. If it’s not in the contract, your chances of making some of the fine points happen are nil. . . .
“The Board of Directors has been dysfunctional with political infighting that at one meeting led (to) physical contact; 99% of the activity is spent on the professional athlete. Youth should have more play because of their size and finance, but they go their own way anyway. I believe it is probably as it should be, but Masters T&F doesn’t need to spend the time on their problems. The drug issues have been particularly time-consuming and negative to the sport in the last couple of years.
“The National office also seems to have some dysfunction, losing key people every month over the past year.
“This was the first time in the last five years that I have had a decent Thanksgiving . . . .This (final) period of time was pure (for) hell me.
“We need to control our own destiny and focus on our business. The National Senior Games focuses on our business. They are Congress’ representative for Senior Sports. They can use the word Olympic for their National Championship. They have the national staff to deal with our specific needs; such as national championship business, membership administration and other services that are required to run Masters Track & Field.
“I support the vision of (the late) Torsten Carlius that the future of Masters Track & Field is in the (Senior) Games format.”
And my Q&A commences:
Masterstrack.com: I understand through the grapevine that Bob Fine is researching independent masters bodies in other countries — to see how they survive outside their own versions of USATF.
Mathews: Bob has been aware of my position on this and does as Bob does, gives opinion. He has interest in the AAU since they are based in Florida, I believe. I see the AAU as more a youth-focused organization that really won’t add a lot of value to Masters T&F needs.
How far along did your own research go?
I have had several conversations with Mark Zeug who was the chairman of the board of the NSGA. He seemed very interested in a relationship.
On April 24th I had an all day meeting with Phil Godfrey, Bill Bankhead and Greg Moore in Baton Rouge to discuss the concept of a relationship.
The concept was that USA Masters Track & Field would operate as an independent subsidiary of NSGA. NSGA would provide administrative services and collaborate on marketing and running the Track & Field part of their organization.
This is just one concept as to how the relationship might work.
They agreed to bring the idea to their Board of Directors.
Has Gary Snyder expressed an interest in what you’ve learned about splitting off from USATF?
I have had a general discussion with him on my activity and views.
What steps would Masters T&F have to take to go it alone?
We would have to gain recognition as the national governing body for US Master Track & Field. I haven’t looked into this, but I know they are many examples around the world where Masters Track & Field is run independently of open and LDR. I think Canada is one example.
Where would meet officials come from, if USATF weren’t the parent body?
We would still use USATF for officials, sanctioning and be part of their rule book.
Would an independent USA Masters body have a problem sending athletes to WMA events?
Not if we become the national governing body for Masters Track & Field.
How much money would we have if we went it alone (as compared with our USATF budget allocation)?
I believe a lot more. Take 8,500 X $30.00 = $255,000, plus any residuals from the bi-annual national championships and other marketing opportunities. After we pay NSGA for their services, I think there will be plenty left for the priorities of the Masters T&F strategic plan that nobody pays any attention to.
How would you go about selling a split from USATF? (How would this be marketed to the grass roots?)
Initially, I believe we would still keep the organization structure that we have; the masters association chairs we have in place to facilitate local meets and regional coordinators to facilitate regional meets. Grass roots is clubs! I have always been a strong advocate of the need for clubs.
What kind of opposition would you expect from Indy to a proposal to split off?
I have mentioned this to Craig (Masback) and Bill (Roe), but I don’t think they thought I was serious. A masters committee could make this happen.
I think we would see more resistance from people who don’t want to rock the boat and feel real comfortable with the status quo. I believe there has been too much adulation of the professional track & field athlete, past and present and too much emphasis on the elite and oldest masters athlete by USATF Masters Track & Field. Some people satisfy their alter ego by being around the elites and professional.
What would be the main advantages to splitting off from USATF?
I discussed above. Focus and finance would be the big ones.
Would USATF Masters T&F require approval from the wider USATF to go it alone, or could the masters simply incorporate on their own and say, “Buh-bye!”?
To be determined!
Have you stockpiled your research on a possible split in way I could post some of it (as PDF or Word documents)?
You have what’s in my brain today. It’s really good to download this information. This should really help guarantee my place in obscurity. Maybe I can become an athlete?
Me again:
I met George Mathews at the 1999 USATF annual convention in Los Angeles, where he supported my proposals for exploiting the Internet to improve masters democracy, marketing and communications. I was disappointed later, after his election as chair, that he didn’t follow through on his sentiments. But maybe USATF was the problem, and not George Mathews.
Today George lives in Idaho, building a new business similar to one he once had in Seattle.
“My new business is Indoff Office Interiors and Business Products, an authorized affiliate of Indoff,” he wrote me. “I’m a dealer like I used to be without the problems of employees. Hard work to get it going. Should keep the wolves away. It could be easy to outlive your savings if you live too long.”
But when it comes to the wolves at the door of masters track, George voices a warning:
“You probably should write about the (threatened) vitality of national championships, with the recent airlines increase in tickets prices. We all have hard choices this year with Boston . . .Maine . . . Louisville . . . . and Riccione.”
Me finally:
Masters track is troubled by much, so bold thinking is in order. New masters chair Gary Snyder should take George’s thoughts seriously and look into breaking with USATF — on the grounds of lack of compatibility and nonsupport.
Stay tuned. The new year may be a historic one.