ZONE 6 REPORT TO THE AGM 2005
January 21, 2005
Zone 6 clubs held 7 meets in 2004. The results from these meets (Island Series) are combined and tabulated to recognize and reward outstanding performances at the end of the season. Attendance at these meets was a little below that of last year. The drop was small but significant. The only real statistical description of this change was gained by using the number of athletes (JD through Junior) who qualified for the run/jump/throw component of the Series. This year there were ten less athletes (172 instead of 182) who competed at the required minimum of four meets.
Possible reasons: Athletics losing ground to other "more forceful" sports, travel expenses incurred travelling to distant ports (Powell River) and conflicts with mainland schedules.
Club membership is in a state of flux (probably normal for the sport) with some clubs shrinking and others expanding. Two clubs, Nanaimo and Peninsula are now reaping the rewards of their groundbreaking YOUNG KIDS programs-noticeable increases in the number of young athletes in their clubs. Clubs struggling to thrive share a common trait, loss of or a chronic lack of qualified coaches and motivated executives.
The VIAA, the guiding body of Zone 6, is working to address the above concerns. We will be trying a one-day meet format this season to deal with the overnight expense problem. Over the winter Tony Dickson has been presenting Level I training to Island coaches and Event-specific clinics were given last spring and are planned for this spring as well. As well, following the international meet in Victoria this summer, Comox Valley Cougars brought five senior javelin throwers to the North Island and held a five-day clinic utilizing their expertise.
The result of these and other ongoing initiatives was very evident this past summer, with Zone 6 placing a close second at the Summer Games and with the six Zone 6 members on the 15 year old BC Team bringing home 10 medals from the Legions.
Vancouver Island Cross Country Series
Quietly and under the radar, Brian Foan and his associates are in the process of again holding seven sanctioned Cross-Country Events this season. These events are well organized, well attended and are sanctioned.
The VIAA welcomes the addition of Peter Ogilvie to the BCA Staff. We share his concerns as they pertain to retention of competitive Juveniles and Juniors within our system. Towards this end, VIAA has constituted a new body (True Gold Athletics) whose sole purpose is to provide training for and to facilitate attendance at competitions for those older athletes requiring sophisticated training regimes. Coaches Tony Dickson and Graham Morfitt will present and discuss the goals of this group during the AGM.
As we begin to see the benefits reaped from the YOUNG KIDS program sponsored by Brian Foan and Tom Dingle, VIAA will work to provide this opportunity to more kids throughout our zone.
We also feel that the time is ripe to constructively approach the school system to present the opportunities inherent in our sport and to offer programs that may benefit development of athletes in other sports; thereby indirectly but intentionally showing our sport in a good light.
As has been stated in the past, we should (and hopefully, this year will) work to help the Island road running organizations realize the benefits associated with affiliation with BCA.