Drug Cheats Lead World Relays Staff

washed up never was wrote:

sadly, the below quoted poster is exactly right, splitting hairs very finely, this means that as long as they were not sanctioned AS COACHES, then they are fine and dandy for coaching positions as far as usatf is concerned. truly sad, really makes me almost consider taking up triathlon, even they don't have it as bad as we do, sheesh.

You misread my post. Mitchell and Cherry didn't get lifetime bans for doping as athletes. They were suspended and could compete after their suspensions were up.

However, for coaches, this is the USATF's ethical standard 2.4:

Never have been sanctioned for an anti‐doping rule violation by the U.S.

Anti‐Doping Agency, World Anti‐Doping Agency, International Olympic

Committee, International Association of Athletics Federations or any

other governing body.

This IS a lifetime ban on coaching for someone who has been sanctioned for an anti-doping rule violation, which includes Mitchell and Cherry.

The USATF violated its own Ethical Standards by appointing two coaches for Team USA who had been sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations. Of course at this point, the USATF ignoring its own rules is almost to be expected.

Somebody needs to alert the USOC and ask them if these are the kinds of coaches they think USATF should be picking for Team USA.

What next? Lance Armstrong coaching the US Olympic cycling team? Coach Marion Jones?

Wow! How do they get picked as coaches for Team USA? Do they have dirty pictures of Max Siegel?

Srsly, how are team coaches picked?

I swear when I saw the list the other day Robert Gary was one of the coaches and has since been dropped. Yes the same Robert Gary who was fired from OSU

http://buckeyextra.dispatch.com/content/stories/2012/05/19/gary-fired-over-financial-reports-records-show.html

As for how coaches are selected. There is a way to apply (forget where on the USATF website they post the application). You apply for a certain team and certain position Then I think at the annual convention a committee goes over the applications and a selection is made.

Took a few minutes to search the USATF site and found this on how the coaches are selected

https://www.usatf.org/groups/Coaches/applications/2014/coaches/TeamCoaches.asp

USA Track & Field is accepting applications for team coaching/competition coordinators positions for the following 2014 National Teams. Applications must be submitted no later than November 1, 2013. Selections will be governed by Regulation 17 of the bylaws of USA Track & Field.

2014 Teams

2014 Five Nations – Glasgow, Scotland – January 2014

2014 World Indoor Championships –– Sopot (Gdansk) Poland – March 7-9

2014 IAAF World Relay Championships –Paradise Island, Nassau, Bahamas – May 25

2014 IAAF World Junior Championships – Eugene, Oregon – July 22-27

2014 NACAC Under 23 – Kamloops, Canada– August 8-10

2014 Thorpe Cup – Germany – Summer 2014 - Date & Location TBD

2014 Americas Combined Events Championships – Ottawa, Canada – Late May or Early June

Contact Sandy Snow at 770-392-1027 for questions concerning the application and selection process.

Selection Process

A pool of candidates meeting the criteria for the 2014 National Team events will be developed from the online applications received by the November 1, 2013 deadline. Please note that individuals eligible for more than one team need only complete one application by simply marking all teams they wish to be considered for. Everyone must complete an application to be considered for a position even if they have submitted a previous application for other years. Please only mark those events for which you are truly interested in serving as a staff member.

The Men’s Track & Field Executive Committee and the Women’s Track & Field Executive Committee will select the proposed list of coaches for the 2014 National Teams at the 2013 Annual Meeting for submission to the CEO for Background Screening and to the Board of Directors for approval. Applicants must meet all the criteria listed below to be eligible to submit an application for a coach’s position for the 2014 National Teams.

Eligibility Criteria

Must be a current member of the USATF Coaches’ Registry

Candidates must submit a completed online application to USATF and must provide a full and accurate disclosure of prior experience in the National Team staff program. The application and all pertinent information must be completed online and submitted to USATF by November 1, 2013.

False representation of national staff experience will immediately disqualify an individual from the pool of candidates.

Be a current collegiate, high school, personal, or club coach

Be available for the entire duration of the event including extra days for training camps and travel

Be in good health and able to withstand the physical rigors of traveling with and working with the Team

Head Coaches must have previous national team experience.

Approval

The individuals nominated by the Men's and Women's Track & Field Executive Committees will be forwarded to the CEO for screening and to the Board of Directors for final approval.

Replacements

In the event that a selected coach is unable to serve, the replacement will be selected per Regulation 17.

Conflict of Interest

Any individual who is being considered for a coach's position and who is involved in the selection process shall recuse himself or herself from any discussion or decision involving selection of that coach's position.

Online Application

The application deadline for 2014 National Team Coaches was November 1, 2013; the application window has closed.

Right.

Actually the coaches kiss the backside lobby at various events and the national convention and position themselves to be selected. If you look at past rosters its a little one sided to friends of the executive staff. It is the rare occasion that the well deserving hard working dedicated coach who does not play the game gets selected.

The job really has little to do with coaching. Its really an on the road administrative position that the truth be known few head coaches are prepared for as that type of paper work and chasing down of stuff is done by assistants on their college teams.

Only real coaching comes on relay teams assembly which in itself is fraught with politics and egos.

Athletes have their personal coaches that travel on their own dime to be at the event with their athlete.

And with USATF not really announcing that these jobs are open or how to apply only those few who know the process apply and keep getting selected

So I guess from this, to be chosen as a coach there's no requirement that you meet the requirements of the USATF Code of Conduct that were quoted earlier in the thread, which include not having violated anti-doping regulations?

If not having a doping violation isn't a requirement to be a national team coach, it sure as hell should be. Am I missing something?

To be a USATF registered coach you have to agree to the Code of Conduct-http://www.usatf.org/Resources-for---/Coaches/Coaches-Registry/Registered-Coaches-Program.aspxThe Code of Conduct says-

In being faithful to the principle of responsible coaching, coaches must: ...

2.4

Never have been sanctioned for an anti‐doping rule violation by the U.S.

Anti‐Doping Agency, World Anti‐Doping Agency, International Olympic

Committee, International Association of Athletics Federations or any

other governing body.

Dennis Mitchell and Damu Cherry have both been sanctioned for an anti-doping violation-

Dennis Mitchell and Damu Cherry are both listed on the USATF list of registered coaches-

How does any of that make logical sense?

Don't worry Canada treats all its drug cheats (except Ben Johson) the same way. They become staff and nationally supported coaches. This track and field business is so hypocritical.

I'm glad somebody mentioned that. Most of Canada's fastest sprinters are coached, supported by, or in some way associated with convicted drug cheats. They also like to spend long stretches of training camp time on tropical islands that are also associated with doping. Whether or not any of them are on anything, the only thing more suspicious than what they're doing would be to officially make Ben Johnson the head sprint coach.

Does Canada have any rules to keep drug cheats from coaching Canadian national teams? This sounds like an area where the IAAF or WADA should have a rule to keep doper coaches out of the sport if the national organizations aren't going to.

Looks like a new career possibility just opened up for Lance Armstrong.

Bump

So what is the email for the USATF to complain/ask about why they are hired when it is a clear violation of the USATF rules. Although by now it should be clear that the USATF does not really care about its own rules.

email wrote:

So what is the email for the USATF to complain/ask about why they are hired when it is a clear violation of the USATF rules. Although by now it should be clear that the USATF does not really care about its own rules.

Having convicted dopers picked to coach Team USA seems like a huge scandal to me, but AFAIK this thread is the only place it has ever been mentioned. The press doesn't care, the athletes don't care, and the USATF establishment doesn't care.

So USATF will just stonewall this just like it stonewalls everything else.

When the USATF leadership feels like it is accountable to no one except Nike that's what you get.

Your post isn't even logical. You point out that no one (beyond this thread) cares about this. Then you go on to say that USATF feels like it is accountable to no one, when the reality is, on this issue, there's no one even asking to see their accounts. Your conclusion would only make sense if there were a lot of folks, the press, athletes, etc, making waves about this issue and those people were being ignored.

I asked much earlier in this thread, has anyone contacted USATF, or are they just whining on LRC. I got a dollar says not one person here has contacted USATF about this.

Wtfunny wrote:I asked much earlier in this thread, has anyone contacted USATF, or are they just whining on LRC. I got a dollar says not one person here has contacted USATF about this.

USATF: Hello, USATF.

CALLER: Hi, I'm calling to complain that USATF appointed two drug cheats as coaches for Team USA.

USATF: Is this Mr. Phil Knight?

CALLER: No.

USATF: Do you work for Mr. Knight?

CALLER: No.

USATF: F--- off. We'll do whatever we feel like.

(click)

So, you're saying I get to keep my dollar?

I told you once already wrote:

Wtfunny wrote:I asked much earlier in this thread, has anyone contacted USATF, or are they just whining on LRC. I got a dollar says not one person here has contacted USATF about this.

USATF: Hello, USATF.

CALLER: Hi, I'm calling to complain that USATF appointed two drug cheats as coaches for Team USA.

USATF: Is this Mr. Phil Knight?

CALLER: No.

USATF: Do you work for Mr. Knight?

CALLER: No.

USATF: F--- off. We'll do whatever we feel like.

(click)