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BC Athletics Officials Committee Newsletter

June 2004

Greetings to all BC Athletics officials. This is the first 2004 newsletter, designed to come to you on a completely unscheduled basis. In other words, several times a year, more or less, when there is important information, if the moon and stars are aligned, that sort of thing. Guest writers are always welcome, just send me an article and I will be glad to pass it on. Something you want shared with other officials? This is your opportunity!

Previously, this column was conceived and expertly written by Valerie Jerome, who has recently retired (temporarily we hope) from officiating. I would like to thank Valerie for her vast expertise and knowledge, which she so generously shared with the athletics community of B.C. and indeed throughout Canada and the international community.

As for me, I volunteered to sit on the 2004 BC Officials committee (a highly contested election therefore ensued, and I was vaulted in by acclimation) and then I missed a meeting. Hmmmm, you can see it coming, can’t you? I was promptly elected to the position of newsletter editor. And here I am.

I can not hope to match Valerie’s footsteps, so please help me with submissions for this newsletter. Additions and corrections are also welcome at any time.

Sue Kydd
kskydd@telus.net
604-530-8224

BCA Officials Committee:

President: Anne Lansdell alansdell@shaw.ca
Members: April Arsene, Carol Cull, John Cull, Sue Kydd, Keith Newell, Al McLeod, Alwilda van Rsywyk, Kathy Terlicher, Sanda Turner, Ina Wallace, Shirley Young
Board of Directors Rep: Diana Hollefreund victrack@islandnet.com

Interprovincial Officiating

During the past winter, several BCA Officials traveled to Indoor Track and Field meets held at the indoor facility at the University Of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon. Ed Baron and Brian Metzner attended the Knights of Columbus Meet, and Sue Kydd went to the Sled Dog Classic. An indoor event is very different from the competitions we host here in our province, and is a real experience, both for officials and athletes. Obviously it never rains or blows, which separates it from our usual days at the track, particularly in the western section of the province. But one thing you may not think about—the sun never sets; the meet goes on well into the evening without pause! So do accept an invitation to attend if you ever have the opportunity, but be prepared for a long day (night??) of competition. The people of Saskatoon are a delightful bunch, and welcomed our BCA Officials with hospitality, friendship and a wonderful experience.

And speaking of indoor facilities...

In an exciting press release this spring, the City of Kamloops announced that they will be opening the first indoor track in our province in the next few years. This will be a joint effort of several levels of government, and the Kamloops T&F Club is playing a major part in the planning of the site. The current track and field areas will be moved over the next few years, and for those of you familiar with the present set-up, the indoor facility will be situated next to the aquatic area.

So officials and athletes in our province will soon have the opportunity to experience the indoor season close to home.

Are you available?

The current season is well underway with events happening in all areas of the province each weekend. BCA Officials play a major role in these meets, bringing a high level of experience, knowledge, understanding of the rules and fair play to each and every event on the track and in the field.

Officials are always needed for meets, especially for championships and national level meets. If you are available for any (or all!) and have not been contacted, please call or email your area coordinator.

Interior: Alwilda van Rsywyk alvan50@shaw.ca
Lower Mainland: Carol Cull johncull@telus.net
 Island: Alice Kubek akubek@shaw.ca

Meets, Meets, and more Meets!

Please check the BCA website for the most up to date information on competitions in our province this summer. Here are a few highlights, so mark your calendars!

Canadian Championships and Olympic Trials: 

July 9-11 Commonwealth Stadium in Victoria

  • Assurance is being given that no official will be in the position of mentoring and being mentored at the same time.
  • There may be a mentor’s clinic on Thursday July 8 if enough officials have arrived by that date.

Canada Games Trials:

July 17-18 Commonwealth Stadium in Victoria

BC Championship Schedule Information:

  • June 19-20 BC Masters Championships will be held during the Langley Pacific Invitational
  • June 26-27 BC Senior and Juvenile Championships will be in Abbotsford
  • June 26 BC Junior Development Pentathlon is scheduled for Nanaimo
  • July 2-4 The BC Junior Championships will be held within the Jack Brow Memorial meet in Kelowna
  • July 23-25 BC Junior Development Championships will be hosted by Kamloops
  • October 23 BC Cross Country Championships for all ages, in White Rock. Hosted by Semiahmoo Sunrunners.

And, while not championships...

  • July 10-11 BC Disability Games, Langley
  • July 15-18 Summer Games, Abbotsford
  • Sept. 1-4 BC Senior Games, Penticton

BC Officials Awards for 2003

Official of the Year Al McLeod
Ralph Coates Award Peter Fejfar
Mary Temple Award Karen Davidson

Congratulations to all.

Officials Incentive Awards

Five years ago BCA began a program to recognize officials for the countless hours spent in the support of athletics in British Columbia. This program, called the Incentive Award program, is based upon the amount of credits earned in a season. A credit is given for each four hour (or part there of) block of time spent volunteering at an athletic event. For any official completing 16 credits or more, an incentive award is presented. Send a photocopy of your signed Officials Meet Record Card to Shirley Young: 604.594.7990 sftfc@direct.ca. Do not send your original card.

The awards are as follows:

Year 1 BCA Officials Nametag
Year 2 BCA Officials golf shirt
Year 3 BCA Officials vest
Year 4 BCA Bag
Year 5 TBA

If you have not received an incentive award in the past, and have the appropriate amount of credits, you can be awarded retroactively, just contact Shirley. Please remember, she does a lot of things well, but she is NOT a mind reader! It is up to you to apply!

BC Officials Annual General Meeting

Saturday November 20, 2004 in Abbotsford. Please mark your calendar and plan to attend.

Requests for Officials Upgrading

Upgrading is also based partly upon the above described system of experience credits. Anyone requesting upgrading for level 4 or 5 needs to inform the BCA Officials committee before the Officials AGM in the fall. This request has to go through the National Officials Committee of Canada and they want that info early to be able to get some things arranged.

All requests for upgrading should go to our provincial coordinator, Kathy Terlicher, kdterlicher@shaw.ca and please note she does not read minds either.

Long Term Service

The National Officials Committee of Canada has initiated a long term service award, presenting pins for 25 years of service and then every additional 5 year increment. Please send your starting year to Kathy Terlicher so you can be registered for this incentive plan from the NOC.

Thank you to Sprott Shaw Community College

A heartfelt thanks to Sprott Shaw Community College (since 1903!!) as the sponsor of the screening on the officials bags in 2003. Sprott Shaw funded the screening to put B.C. Athletics logo on each bag. Officials look very official arriving at meets with their new clothing and gear.

Miracle Mile Golden Anniversary

2004 is the 50th anniversary of the Miracle Mile race which took place at Empire Stadium in Vancouver. This was the first occasion that the four minute mile record was shattered by both Roger Bannister and John Landy, a feat that many of that era predicted would never happen.

The BCA Officials group is pleased to congratulate two current officials (and members of our committee) who were officials for this monumental occasion in 1954. This province has been fortunate to have these two individuals share their expertise on a consistent basis. They have mentored, encouraged, supported, and volunteered over the many years, and our sport has been all the better because of these two inspirational individuals.

Anne Lansdell and Alwilda van Rsywyk have both been recognized by the National Officials Committee for their participation as officials at the Miracle Mile Meet. A commemorative clock was presented to Anne at the NOC meeting, and to Alwilda at a gathering of officials at her home on the weekend of the Kamloops Centennial. Congratulations and thank you to Anne and Alwilda.

More from the Harry Jerome International Meet on July 1

Both Bannister and Landy were invited, but are unable to attend. However the runner who came fourth in that miracle mile race (race of the century as it was billed back in 1954) will be in attendance. His name is Victor Milligan and he represented Northern Ireland back then ... lives in Florida now ... we have 3 mile legends coming: John Walker and Peter Snell of New Zealand and American record holder Steve Scott.

Snell is a triple Olympic gold medallist and former mile world record holder. Walker, gold medallist in the 1,500 metres at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, became the first runner to run 100 sub-four-minute miles. America's Scott, a silver medallist at the 1983 world track and field championships, is renowned as the Master of the Mile after running the sub-four-minute-mile on 136 occasions.

The 2004 Season: Odds and Ends

  • Officials are reminded that copies of the "Little Red Book" of IAAF rules are available from the BCA office. As well, there was an insert last year of rule updates. This insert has been updated once again, and is available on the BCA Website for downloading.
  • Rules must be applied equally, no matter the age of the athlete or the level of competition. No exceptions!
  • Midget athletes (ages 14-15) can not set midget records if they compete with older age groups. Midgets are not to "run up" if there is a correct age group provided for them.
  • Thanks to Shirley Young for the modified copy of the current Top Ten statistics for our JD competitors (PDF, 51 KB). Shirley has provided me with the #1 and #10 for each event and age group. Officials can print this data and take it to meets for the occasions when you need this information and it is not provided by the host club on the heat sheets. (You will need the free Adobe Acrobat Reader to open the PDF file.)
  • Be sure that you have sent your membership form in to BCA to be registered as an official. You will not be covered by the group insurance policy if you are not a current BCA member.
  • If you have any expense claims, please send them to BCA within 30 days.
  • The Decathlon at the Jack Brow Memorial meet has been moved to start Friday morning, July 2.

In conclusion...

There is currently a rumour circulating throughout the T&F community and I would like to quell this bit of gossip. Although finances are always tight, and will probably continue to be so, the BCA Officials Committee is NOT planning a "calendar girls" type of fundraiser now or in the future. Although this type of activity might have been profitable, many members of the committee were not willing to stand behind a javelin, a clipboard, or even a couple of discus.

I hope this is not a tremendous disappointment to the many people who phoned asking when the calendar would be available, but perhaps another section of BCA would like to take on this endeavour. JD committee? Racewalk? Throws? Office staff? Endless possibilities.

And if you believe this, I have some Langley swampland that might be of interest.

SK

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