Rob Thomas to Anselm’s group: Zip your lips (and keyboard)
A perpetual argument in masters track is how to bring about change — from within the “system” or via pressure from without. (I’ve tried both tacks.) The late Bob Fine would constantly demand that I “shut up!” and let the leadership handle masters issues in its own time and way. Now world champion sprinter Robert Thomas is channeling Robert Fine with a note he sent to Anselm LeBourne’s group. Today Robert wrote: “I want everyone to STOP RIGHT NOW and let the process work itself out. I asked to take the lead on this and I AM DOING JUST THAT. Let me do what you have asked me to do.”
Here is Robert’s complete note:
I want everyone to STOP RIGHT NOW and let the process work itself out. I asked to take the lead on this and I AM DOING JUST THAT. Let me do what you have asked me to do. When there is something to report you will be the first to know.
You are going to blow this way out of proportion and we will get nothing like we have in the past. PLEASE STOP and let me try and do what you have asked me to do.
I have read people insulting Stephanie for what they consider email etiquette. The university that she graduated from. This is all inappropriate and does not help our cause. So if you are wanting me to continue in our cause then allow me the time to get it done. Change does not always come as quickly as one would like.
Anselm replied thusly:
Rob, I think it will be very helpful to many of us for you to define what exactly do you want us to stop? Does that mean we should abandon our advocacy group? Thanks.
My take?
USATF is a member-based nonprofit, and we have every right, in any forum, to voice our stands. We talk smack and make demands as a First Amendment right, and leaders who take offense are just betraying their utter ignorance of our real system. It’s called democracy. It starts with a gripe.
Smack can be rude and indelicate, of course. It reflects on the smacker. But the smackee should be mature enough to realize this and not throw the baby out with the bathwater.
So continue posting your comments.
To Rob and others worried about the tone of this discussion, three words:
Deal with it.
7 Responses
To those who seek change.
Decide what you really want. Change? Or to feel good by blowing off steam and vent your pent up frustrations?
If what you want is change, work within the system or start a new organization and see how many follow you?
If you want to blow off steam and and vent your frustrations, keep it up and see how much change you get.
You’ve been told. By people who support what your purportedly want and are seeking results.
If you decide to keep it up, don’t be surprised when nothing happens.
To quote Sgt. Hulka as played by Warren Oates in the movie “Stripes”, “lighten up, Francis!” Or Ken, as the case may be here.
From within, from without, quietly, noisily, politely or rudely, whichever way it comes we’re going to take on whatever we have the resources to accomplish on behalf of masters athletes, regardless of how it happens out in the blogosphere.
I don’t speak for Robert any more than he for me, but I will say he’s a brave man to step into the middle of this as a guy who just wants to improve things. It seems strange to ridicule him for that.
I don’t understand what can come from insulting the people that you are asking for help from. I have not spoken to Stephanie or Mike since my return from the Associations Meeting in Des Moines so I don’t know there thoughts on what is being said on the blog or through the numerous emails. I can only speak about what I don’t like about the tone of the emails.
My original thoughts on this was to find ways to reduce the cost of athletes attending the world champhionships and therefore allow more athletes to participate in such an event and somehow it’s turned into a bitching match about everything that is wrong with Masters track and field. We will not be able to tackle every issue that is wrong with USATF nor am I going to try.
I welcome any positive comments or suggestion. I just don’t see how insulting the very people that you are asking to help you has any merit.
Before we ever got to Finland I had a casual conversation with Mike about some of these same issue, because it was a concern of mine, but it wasnt just for me. It was for all masters athletes. We all know that the system in it’s current form is not the best. So as athletes what positive suggestion can we make to help improve it.
Anselm emailed me and tells me that I have not been a masters athlete long enough to know of all the promises that they were told by past Masters committee. I would say to that, that should have been taking up with those past committees. How can we blame the current staff of USATF for past masters committees failures. Also do you realize that the Masters committee is made up of volunteers not staff at the National office. So maybe the committees of the past never thought the issue were important enough to move forward. I’m not sure because according to Anselm I haven’t been a masters athlete long enough to know, but I was good enough for the group of athletes that were in Finland to represent you in Indianapolis in our quest to reduce our expenses as well as other associated benefits.
I do know that the current administration at the National Office is made up of individuals that when I have had a problem. I can either email or stop by the office and get my question anwsered and that is more than I can say about some of the past.
So for those of you that think that insulting the very people that we are asking for help is beneficial then by all means continue. If you feel like your personal issues with USATF are bigger than the masters communities issue than by all means then continue. Make sure in the end that you let us all know how that works out for you, because from were I’m sitting we are going to get the exact thing we have gotten for years in the past if we keep this form of communication up. NOTHING.
Just some thoughts from a friend of US masters athletes.
I believe that forming a group to work together for a change in masters track is a positive step forward, and I hope you keep up with this positive energy in coming months/years. Changes require some time, often very long, but you can make it happen. Don’t get distracted by the negatives. Make sure to focus on the real issues when you discuss. Trust your rep, let him do his part, be patient and see what happens. You won’t get everything with one shot but don’t give up. You are already making a progress, so keep building on it.
Go Team USA! 🙂
We have seen it all before. A polite complaint is submitted. Nothing happens – no apparent response and for a long time. Feeling ignored and thereby insulted, the complainant then escalates the complaint, making it public, perhaps putting it in the public domain.
Then the athletics officer plays the ‘volunteer card.’ He translates the complaint to criticism or even insult – “I am doing this in my free time. You have no right to criticise and insult me.”
Then comes Catch 22 – “You have placed the matter in the public domain, I will not answer because you might place my response in the public domain.” So the complainant is wrong-footed as a whiner, gets no response to his complaint and is further aggrieved. And the original problem remains.
To those who say “Do not complain in public,” I would first point to the obligation of anybody, official or friend, to answer a communication in reasonable time.
To those who argue one should instead use the ‘system,’ I would ask ‘what system?’ – even in the year 2009 there are WMA-affiliated federations that have no grievance and disciplinary procedures.
And finally to all the authoritarians, and unfortunately they are well represented on this thread, I would point to all our right – athletes and athletes officials alike – to Freedom of Speech. And that is most important. Right?
I was part of the grievant group from the Colorado Association alleging a variety of acts by the officers of the Association which were contrary to the by- laws of the Colorado Association regarding the financial affairs of the association and regarding the conduct and operation of the meetings and the affairs of the association.
Over 2 1/2 years later, on March 14, 2008, a Decision of the NABR Panel was handed down to the Colorado Association. The most disheartening result was that in the end, USATF National didn’t have the power to enforce the Decision of the NABR Panel.
Once you file a grievance there will be much behind the door politicking. You will become labeled as a ‘complainer’. Some will even say that the grievance itself blemishes the spirit of the sport.
I wish this group the best in their efforts to improve and develop the sport of masters track and field.
Exactly. In 2007 for airing my grievance against the BMAF Team Manager on this forum, I was suspended without hearing or appeal for “Bringing the Sport into Disrepute.”
Leave a Reply