Masters News and Muse

Here's what GeezerJock ran (along with a photo I took at Charlotte):

The gospel according to Mathews

By Sean Callahan

Since his resignation last year as chair of USA Track & Field's Masters Committee, George Mathews has become increasingly outspoken about the state of Masters sports

George Mathews loves track and field. He has been a part of the sport since he was a shot putter and discus thrower at St. Agnes Catholic High School in Rockville Center, N.Y. He earned a track scholarship to St. John's University, but like so many athletes he stopped competing after graduation. "I took 23 years off as a thrower," he says. He became a road runner, running up to 10 miles a day. After seeing the hammer throw at the Goodwill Games in Seattle in 1990, he was inspired to start throwing again.

He met fellow thrower Ken Weinbel and became deeply involved in Masters track. In addition to many national medals, Mathews won the world championship in the weight throw and was second in the weight pentathlon in 2005. He succeeded his friend Weinbel as chair of the Masters Track and Field Committee in 2000. Last year he resigned before his second four-year term ended, initially saying that he needed more time to launch a new business.

But that was not the only reason he wanted out. Lately, Mathews has been speaking out on, among other things, why Masters track should consider leaving USA Track and Field and align itself with the National Senior Games Association.

GJ: You've started a new business furniture franchise in Idaho, is that correct?

George Mathews: Yes, I'm semi-retired. I had retired completely when I sold my business in Seattle in 2001. I tried to live in Southern California, but that didn't work. I realized that there's a double-edged sword of health. Can you afford to live that long?

Will you outlive your retirement savings? I have a daughter who lives in Idaho, so we moved to Hayden Lake, near Coeur d'Alene. It's really a beautiful place. About 18 miles away I bought 10 acres near Spirit Lake. I have built outdoor and indoor facilities where throwers can train. It's called George's Hammer Haven. I've created my field of dreams.

Why did you quit as chair of the Masters committee?

I really had to resign because of some financial impropriety (funds being moved from one budget item to another without Masters committee approval) by other people that I could not rectify. That's really what it was. I couldn't continue under those circumstances.

I took this issue to the extended committee to ferret out what was going on, and they didn't see any big problem with it. To me that's not how a business should work. I just couldn't run the organization if this was the kind of activity that was going on. I just felt it was time. I got to a certain point where I felt there's only so much you can do, and I was a little bit burned out from the whole thing.

In the wake of leaving as Masters chair, you've gone on the record saying that Masters track and field should leave USA Track and Field and become part of the National Senior Games Association. Why?

The big thing is the focus on senior athletes is number one at NSGA. USA Track and Field is focused on professional athletes. We (the Masters athletes) are a stepchild. I feel sorry for people coming into the job (Masters chair).

So much of what I learned I learned on the job. There's so much to it. They need to get to the point where they can pay someone to do it. To put up with what you have to put up with is asking way too much of a volunteer. Masters track doesn't fit in anywhere. I'd sit in on the board meetings, and it (the Olympic program) is all they would talk about.

The turning point for me was about a year and a half ago when I was at a board meeting, and it was the first time they ever used the word "professional athlete." I almost dropped on the floor. In retrospect I'd been around the program a long time and should have been prepared for that, but to me it was very harsh. I was an AAU amateur.

The word "amateur" meant a lot to me. I know that they have to do this for the elite athletes to survive, but that's not us. That's not Masters. We're a different animal. We have 8,500 athletes paying $30 a piece, and we were getting $34,000 a year. That's a pittance to run the organization. Whereas if you got involved with the National Senior Games, and you use the infrastructure they already have in place, you could use the rest of the money to achieve the strategic plan (for Masters track and field).

The strategy (of building a grassroots organization through local and regional competition) is languishing right now. We're not as focused as we could be on the grassroots level. We need to be working on and developing what this is all about, which is developing safe competition for athletes. That's what we exist for.

You're for drug testing at U.S. Masters meets. Why?

It's a matter of balance. It's being done in Europe. They're doing it in Germany and they're doing it in Finland. We need to do it here so athletes are prepared when they do compete overseas. At the same time, there hasn't been enough research to really decide what's right and what's wrong with some of these drugs that have to be taken just for life extension.

I think the biggest one is testosterone and that's a major deal. As you get older testosterone production decreases naturally, for some people more than others. So if that's what nature going to do, is it natural to be able to add it back? I guess the issue is, are you just adding (testosterone) back to what the average person would be? Can I say I have this thing called diabetes and this causes my testosterone to be depleted? Do I have this right to use that to fight this disease and still compete?

These are really big questions. I don't think there's any question that people are out there, probably a very small number, that are using performance-enhancing supplements. The youth are being tested. The professionals are being tested. Why leave out the Masters or senior athletes when every one else is being tested?