From November 29 through December 3, 2000 Heather Lightfoot and I had the opportunity to attend the USA Track and Field Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This was my second time attending the USATF annual conference and Heather's first. It was a very nice experience especially having our own elite athlete with me. I think the attendees at the conference really felt the presence of USA Deaf Track and Field this time around. People are more familiar with us since we have opened the door ajar slightly after our successful exhibit meet at the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team Trials in Sacramento, CA last summer. 

Heather and I was able to attend various of committee meetings. I attended Women Long Distance committee meetings, Women Development committee meeting, Safety meeting, Coaches certification seminar, and Athletes for the Disabled committee meetings. 

Unlike last year, this year's conference's main focus was the election of new USATF Board members. A lot of time was spent listening to the candidates, meeting them, and going to the election. It was funny because the election occurred around the same time when the infamous recount issue was going on in Florida. We could not believe how easy it was to vote with a very simple voting machine. Kudos to USATF! USATF's new Executive Board Members are: 

Bill Roe - President 
Dee Jensen - Vice President 
Darlene Hickman - Secretary 
Ed Koch - Treasurer 
Lynn Cannon - Rep on USOC Board 

Also Craig Masback, the USATF CEO had his contract extended so he will continue working with USATF for the next 5 years. 

It was also a "down time" for USATF since both the Olympics and Paralympics event was wrapped up a month before. Unlike last year's conference when the Olympics was the highlight of the conference. A few highlights came out of the conference: 

National Track and Field Hall of Fame: They are relocating from Indianapolis to the 168th Street Armory in New York City. They were showing pictures of the new Hall of Fame and I was very impressed and its a "must see" place to visit if you are ever in the New York City area. 

SoBe Sports Beverage: They have become one of the major sponsor on a 4 year deal with USATF. 

2000 Athletes of the Year recipients: Olympic gold medallists Stacy Dragila (Pole Vaulter) and Angelo Taylor (400 hurdles) have been named the recipients of the Jesse Owens Awards for 2000. 

Pole Vaulting Pit: There have been concerns about the numerous of reported pole vault accidents. The safety committee are reviewing the possibility of upsizing the standard landing pit. More information will be forthcoming after final review of USATF Safety Committee. 

Coaching Certification School: I spoke with the people of the Coaching Certification program and they were very supportive in enhancing our coaches' certification levels. Interpreters will be 100% provided and that was a big difference with the attitude they had few years back. After this DWG, USADTF will work hard on enhancing our coaches in the nation and ensure that they take advantage of the USATF coaching schools. 

Committee on Athletics for the Disabled: I had provided an overview of USADTF and DWG and the funding needs we have for the upcoming DWG. I am currently working on some possible donations from USATF, we will let you know if any good news come our way. 

Next year's Annual Conference will be in Memphis Tennessee. We are hoping to bring a bigger crowd and making more impact with USATF! 
 

I joined Tiffany Granfors for the 22nd Annual USATF Meetings in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  It took place from November 30 through December 3rd.  USATF had workshops, informative presentations, meetings, and an expo floor lined up with track gear. We stayed at the Hyatt which was about 100 meters from the convention center where the meetings were held. Tiffany and I went to meetings for the committee for disabled athletes (blind, Paralympics, wheelchair, Special Olympics, and ourselves). I saw presentations on sport psychology, sports science and medicine, cultural exchange, athletes advisory, long distance running, and went to 2 awards banquet and one awards buffet.  It wasn’t only about meetings, it was about exposure.  It was a great feeling to be around people who shared a common interest in track and field. 

The convention brought in many people from all over the country, Tiffany and I met Bill Roe who was the founder and editor of Northwest Runner magazine.   He later went on to be elected the new USATF president.  I met Bonnie Edmonson who was one of the earliest people to throw the women's hammer (unfortunately there was a gap during an assembly where we didn't have an interpreter).  She gave me a 60-minute hammer introduction and instruction video for women and asked me to be in touch.  I looked behind me in a meeting and and recognized Jearl Miles-Clark.  Barbara Chambers, the chair of the Disabled Athletes Committee, knew a bit of sign language herself and she was fun to be with.  There were elite athletes and athletes on the rise.  I met a hammer throwing guy, after telling him what my World Record in the hammer throw was, I told him that I’d still like to throw 200 feet someday.  “Me, too!” he agreed. 

During the last night of the meetings was a huge and attractive awards banquet that showed the class and glamour in Track and Field.  They gave out different awards including the Athletes of the Year.  They were Stacy Dragila, women's pole vault and Angelo Taylor, men's 400 hurdles.  (He was in lane one at Sydney and still he won by .03!)  Then inducted was the Class of 2000 Hall of Famers.  The HOFers were Arnie Robinson, long jump; Bill Dellinger, athlete and coach at U of Oregon; Chandra Cheeseborough, a sprinter; and Maren Seidler, shot put.  There were brief bio videotapes on each athlete, they individually came on stage to talk, and presented something of theirs to leave with USATF.  For example, Maren Seidler gave them her first shot put. 

Tiffany introduced me to Maren Seidler before the last banquet.  I was too shy for my own good, it was really exciting to meet her, she's a real 'people person'!  I told her that I was going to throw at DWG in Rome this summer.  She's really tall!  During her heydays she was #1 in the US 11 times, went to 4 Olympic Games, a total of 22 international competitions and was the first American woman to go over 60 feet.  Her best performance was 62' 7-3/4".  I got autographs from the Athletes of the Year and the Hall of Famers.  Stacy Dragila looked like just one of us, hardly can believe she can send herself over 15 feet in the air! 

I left with good feelings, I met a lot of people and learned the track and field community is friendly and supportive.