Be like Trish and Wayne: Press your pride in masters track
Wayne Bennett is 69, lives in Texas and runs the 100 in the mid-13s. Patricia Porter is 43, lives in New Mexico and high jumps in the high-5s. What do they have in common (besides making my M50 marks look pathetic)? They are telling their track stories online. (Click on their names to see their sites.) They also are part of a trend toward self-disclosure has implications for masters track.
Despite the efforts of Bob Weiner, chair of the USATF Masters T&F Media Committee, to spread the word, too many people still don’t know about our extensive circuit of meets and championship events. At USC this summer, I met a newbie master who said he’d only just recently learned of our niche.
Y’all probably have your own stories to tell.
Bob Weiner has prepared a news release in advance of the Charlotte nationals, hoping for both local and national coverage. (USATF will post it soon. Stay tuned.) This is a great start. But word-of-mouth and word-of-Web are crucial, too.
For the past three or four nationals, Bob and his subcommittee have encouraged masters competing in the meet to call their hometown papers and let ’em know of their track and field accomplishments. They’ve even lent cell phones to make the contacts. (Here’s a copy of what to say on the phone.)
But just as important is advance work — contacting your hometown paper and letting them know that you’re entered in nationals. (This has an added benefit: If your local paper prints that you’re going, they’d better print how you did!)
You don’t have to launch a Web site to spread the word. You can email your local Sports Editor or TV outlet. Remember: Seniors are sexy, and age-group competition is being accepted on a wide scale.
And local athletes are news for local outlets.
Person by person, we can show our pride. Market by market, we can expose people to masters.
Just do it.
Like Bullet Bennett:
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2 Responses
Wayne,
Read your story and wanted to tell you that it was a pleasure to do so! You are a great competitor. All of us guy’s who are getting ready to turn 70 are looking forward to have you set up a meet in Texas with you of course on the 4×100 team to challenge the W.R. The 4×200 and 4×400 are also going to be contested next year. Will talk to you about it @ the Nationals.
See you next week. Once again your story was very, very, enjoyable to read. That 100 @ Orono was a terrific race. I still see you flying past the field with 20 meters to go & the joy on your face directly after the finish. Keep up the excellent work both on and off the track. Rich Rizzo
Wayne, enjoyed the Bio/History,hope to see you next year, still recovering from surgrey.Good running !
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