Records czar Pashkin declines interview request
In December 2005, Sandy Pashkin of Eugene, Oregon, was recognized by USA Track and Field as Masters Administrator of the Year, honoring her work on the nationals-overseeing Games Committee and her gig as USATF Masters records chair. (She holds the same title within WMA, having taken over for the legendary Pete Mundle and Canada’s Brian Oxley.) A busy woman, Sandy also sits on the board of directors of the Oregon Track Club and is WMA delegate of the North, Central American and the Caribbean Regional Association of WMA. And her achievements go way back, having won a USATF President’s Award in November 2000.
Sandy was meet director of the 1986 masters nationals and was USA team manager at several world masters meets. She’s the former chair of the Health and Physical Education Department and athletic director at Hunter College Campus Schools in New York City.
Sandy also is recognized as one of the world’s top authorities on meet management — knowing how to slice and dice a schedule so the trains run on time. She was the go-to person at Charlotte nationals, even though she didn’t sit on the Games Committee.
So what’s not to like?
Well, her role as records chair — which gives her near-total power over what becomes a world and American age-group record and what doesn’t — has put her in the spotlight several times this year. And many athletes have ripped her stewardship of the various Records Committees.
But she’s been silent on many issues.
So two weeks ago I e-mailed Sandy, inviting her to take part in one of my series of interviews with major (and minor) figures in masters track. When she didn’t respond, I sent her a note from my work address. When she didn’t respond to that, I wrote some colleagues of hers, asking their help in conveying my invitation.
To these colleagues, I wrote:
“Twelve days ago I sent the note below to Sandy Pashkin, requesting an interview for my Web site, masterstrack.com. She hasn’t replied to this note, or the same note I sent from my work address. I sent it to spashkin@aol.com.
“Perhaps she has been on vacation, or my email was blocked by a spam filter.
“Would you please be so kind as to forward this note to Sandy — and encourage her cooperation?
“Her role as masters records chair is very important, and she has an obligation to help explain her duties and decisions to interested masters athletes around the world.
“Thank you for your attention.â€
That must have helped, since Sandy finally responded.
On Monday (Sept. 25), Sandy wrote:
“Ken,
“My duties, as the USATF Masters Track and Field Committee Record Chair, is defined by the USATF Goverance Manual. Upon receiving a record application form and any accompaying documention, I ‘shall review the form, gather any needed additional information, and make a recommendation regarding the application to the Records Committee.’ The Record Committee then shall make its recommendation to the appropriate Sport Committee who shall have the responsibilty of ratifying records.
“As always, I will continue to answer an athlete’s questions about his or her record application. At Convention, my entire report is available to the Masters Track and Field Committee.â€
Uh, OK.
I wrote her back: “In other words, you are declining an interview?â€
Silly me. Of course she was blowing me off. If it isn’t in her bleepin’ USATF or WMA job description, she doesn’t have to cooperate with a masters muckraker. Of course, Sandy has reason to be upset with me. Over the years I’ve hammered her on this blog and my original site on how she carries out her official obligations.
But I’ve also been critical of WMA President Cesare Beccalli, WMA rival Stan Perkins and USATF Masters T&F Vice Chair Suzy Hess— and each took the time to answer email questionnaires for this site.
So now we’re left wondering why Sandy does what she does — with no accountability to her constituents or oversight by her bosses.
Fortunately, she hasn’t been elected Records-Chair-For-Life. A new masters chair will be elected in a couple months in Indianapolis, and she could be bounced from the records gig then. But only if athletes speak up and speak out.
Rather than rehash her many curious decisions, I invite you to weigh in. Has Sandy done a good job? Let me know. Has she done a poor job? Speak your piece.
Failure to give Sandy proper scrutiny is not an option.
7 Responses
As a meet director who had dealings with both Pete Mundle and Sandy Pashkin when it came to getting records set at meets I ran recognized and ratified, Sandy has been a HUGE improvement. Her guidelines are both clear and reasonable, she responds to requests for information, and she doesn’t lose documents when they are sent to her. She has established a data base of athletes whose birth dates are verified so a birth certificate no longer has to be submitted with each new record sent by the same athlete. If the new Masters Chair elected in Indianapolis decides that she should be “bounced from the records gig” it would be a clear sign that the inmates have taken over the asylum!
I agree with Jerry. Sandy has always responded quickly and courteously to my queries about records. She has also been fast to correct a couple of errors I brought to her attention. I keep the T&F records for my club and that’s difficult enough. I can’t imagine what it would be like to be record-keeper for the USATF and WMA while also performing her other duties. Thank you, Sandy.
Sandy always does a superior job in whatever capacity she has served masters athletes. I have found her to be friendly, polite, competent, and always going beyond the scoop of her duties whether on the games committee, record keeping, and team manager.
No matter what one does, some one will find something to complain about. Right now we have an excellent record keeper. Bouncing her from this position will indeed as Jerry suggests, be clear indication that the loonies are in charge.
I am aware that there were those who criticized Sandy when she was Team Manager for the WAVA/WMA US teams. That has to be the most thankless task around, complaints from those who did not turn up at team meeting, moans from those who thought they should be given preference for whatever, and from those who did not want to wear the required Team singlet. It is not a vacation trip to serve in that capacity.
That she chooses not to be interviewed for this blog is her call, and Ken, you can say whatever you like about that. On the basis of your past criticism of Northwest Event Management, Barbara and Tom, and Sandy as well, why should she set her self up for an interview. And given that you claim that she is “blowing you off”, that is a bit like expecting Bill Clinton to agree to an interview again with Fox’s Chris Wallace.
Move on Ken, Sandy is one of the really competent people working to improve masters track and field management and record keeping. Save your negative criticism for those who deserve it – plenty of candidates around for that
I respect Sandy and appreciate the difficulty of her job as USA/WMA Records Chair. I can also appreciate her reluctance to be assaulted with questions that might seem annoying to her and/or a distraction from her many responsibilities. However, as chair of a masters committee myself (rankings), I try my best to answer every question that comes my way, even if it occasionally leads to tedious conversations or debate about how I do my job.
Having said that, with all due respect, I have a problem when Sandy chooses to not answer questions related to records. Here are two emails I have sent to her, which she has chosen not to answer.
These questions relate to a declaration Sandy made earlier this year that WMA was eliminating the 4x800m relay and possibly other events from its masters records. I would still like to know the anwers to these questions. Her lack of response leaves us totally in the dark as to what records WMA may or may not eliminate next year.
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June 2, 2006
Hi Sandy-
I am forwarding to you a note from Ton Peters, who is a widely respected masters statistician from the Netherlands. My question to him was whether the Netherlands, and other countries he was familiar with, have masters competitions in the 4×800 relay. His message reveals that both the Netherlands and Belgium have continued activity in this event as well as the 4×1500 relay. As you know, the Netherlands currently holds several of the current masters 4x800m world records.
I believe we should move forward to add the 4x1500m relay to the list WMA maintains as world records. I ask that you put forward a motion to that effect at the WMA records committee meeting next year in Riccione. Ton is just one international athlete, but I believe that masters distance runners from all over the world would support and appreciate the addition of 4x1500m to the WMA records list.
Please comment on whether you agree or not.
-Dave
———————
May 25, 2006
Hi Sandy-
I read your article in the June National Masters News and still found the following questions left unanswered. They pertain to the future fate of masters records. Could you please answer them for me?
A. As Chair, will you personally advocate the elimination of any/all of the following from WMA record keeping?
1) Mile
2) 3000m
3) 4x800m
B. If so, will you state the specific criteria by which events, in her your view, should be removed? If the criteria has to do with how often these events are contested outside the USA, could she state what frequency would meet that criteria?
C. Will the records committee recomendation go before the Council or before the General Assembly in Riconne?
Thank you.
-Dave
Simply stated Dave Clingan is one of the BEST things that has happened to Masters Track and Field…he works VERY hard for all of us. He is fair and does not seem to “take sides”. He really is an asset to ALL of us. Pashkin NOT responding to his emails is yet another indication of SIGNIFICANT problems in the record keeping department. How does one blow Dave Clingan off??? She has chosen NOT to respond to Ed Gonera and myself on several occassions but Dave Clingan too?? She is better than Mundle??? What does THAT mean????? Mundle became a joke…ive talked to people in the “know” (dont worry i wont mention your names) who considered him an embaressment but did not know how to “deal with him”ie> get rid of him!!. At ONE time he did do a pretty good job (so they tell me)but those days are long gone. I dont have to “pretend” or be “politically correct”. Paskin responds to who SHE WANTS TO RESPOND TO…clearly that has been proven….this is both a shame and a disgrace. Hey folks ever think ill get another record ratified?? Ha ha ha…big deal. I have already been cheated out of a few of them. Pashkin is doing an incredibly horrible job. A person who is capable of blowing off a serious committed guy like Dave Clingan is a DANGER to all of us athletes….
The few times I’ve had contact with Sandy regarding records, she’s seemed okay. So it’s mind boggling that she’d just shine on Dave Clingan of all people. (And why would we stop keeping records of relays we run at Nationals?)
I agree with you Fran, that Dave’s such an asset to Masters track, not only as a great runner, record holder himself, record keeper but he’s such a reasonable, personable, diplomatic guy, and so committed to, and given so much to, this sport. Who’s not gonna listen to and respond to him? I mean if he can’t get a response, whaddya have to do?
Now, Frank, you on the other hand, you’re this incredibly dedicated, fast, all out, passionate, in yer face kinda guy, on and off the track. You rattle our cages, shake up the system, all for the good of this sport you and I love. I appreciate what you do for track, yet I can see that out’ta context, some might think that you’re just complaining. But I know you’re talking from longtime personal experience. You, Ed Gonera, and Sprint Force America have been left out’ta the record books a few times for the 4×200, 4×400 and Sprint Medley, M50 World and American records. You ran the times, submitted the proper paperwork, more than once, followed the rules, yet you still didn’t get credit for the records or a reason why they’re still not ratified.
So what do we hav’ta do to get her to respond? This doesn’t seem an unreasonable request. I’m not out to get Sandy but just to get her to do her job and earn that administrator of the year. Any ideas?
From now on I will use Ms Harada and Woos name to receive any querys from Ms Pashkin. Thanks for the info
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