masterstrack.com

I attended an officials clinic this past Sunday afternoon and gained a lot more respect for our T&F officials. I signed up because I have competed in a lot of meets that have very few or no officials for all of the events. I know many of you have been there. If you hadn't helped measure, mark, time, retrieve, and/or kept the results the meets would have been extremely long or not competed at all. You get the point. As part of the clinic the guys showed what they carried in their "meet preparation bags". You know measuring tapes, rule books, water bottles, pens, markers, etc. I asked them how much the Association helps them in obtaining these tools. The answer "zero". How about the official shirts, hats, etc. Answer "zero". How about expenses to the regional or local meets? Again "zero". You get the point. Some of the youth events will actually pay them a set amount and I believe the National Championship will pay some but all others, NADA! The three officials at the clinic even paid for their own gas and donated their time to conduct the clinic. To be an official you have to be a USATF member and then plunk down another $40. I have tremendous respect for our officials and what they give of themselves. I also question the little or no support received from the Association.

Mike T.
M-59 thrower

I hear you Mike. A good friend of mine has officiated for years, working his way up to many national meets. I asked him about the compensation that the USATF gives for these types of meets, and he told me-nothing. I couldn't believe it. High school officials get between $35-$75 for a meet. College officials get the same or more.

I had always thought that part of the entry fee's for USATF events were to pay the officials. I don't see why part of the entry fee couldn't go towards compensating the officials for their hard work.

THANK YOU to all officials!! We couldn't do it without you.