Three Jobs I'd Create at USATF

Team USA just wrapped up an impressive World Championships in Berlin over this past weekend and much of the credit should be given to the USATF staff. They do a great job at managing the U.S. athletes at the championship events, as well as all the resources they've provided over the past year for the athletes.

With the World Championships now over, and an absence of an international championship until 2011, the time is ripe for USATF to really try to expand the sport and shift gears towards a new vision. As USATF moves forward, you can bet they are going to shift job roles for present employees and perhaps even create some new jobs.

Well, here are three jobs I think USATF should create over the next year, all of which will help the sport greatly (which I'll explain):

1. Road Racing Guru - The one area of the sport that needs organization and offers the greatest amount of growth potential for USATF is road racing. USATF claims they help/promote/control road racing in the U.S., but if they didn't offer insurance to races, honestly, no one would care about road race sanctioning by the company. USATF needs to work hand in hand with races, not only helping some races better organize themselves, but finding a way to bridge the gap between the professional side of the sport and the recreational side of the sport. Hiring someone to start building that bridge would be a huge step in the right direction.

2. Specialty Shop Coordinator - The NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL all have partnership agreements with major retail chains, selling their league merchandise to fans around the nation. The sport of track and field doesn't necessarily have such agreements, but they should, and they shouldn't focus on the traditional route of big box stores.

Running specialty stores are the central point for many running communities. People stop by their local stores not only for shoes and apparel, but to inquire about injuries, running clubs, training tips, races and much more. Personally, I feel USATF can stand to gain a great deal by establishing a stronger connection with running specialty stores.

USATF, working with the specialty shops, can establish training programs, help promote the sport at a higher level, while hopefully educating people about the benefits of USATF, as well as selling USATF gear and memberships. I worked running specialty for three years and never once heard from someone at USATF or USATF Illinois. Perhaps it's time for USATF to reach out to these community leaders and build relationships with them. It only seems like a natural step.

3. Youth Running Organizer - Football, baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, the list goes on and on. These are all sports that have amazing youth programs in the U.S. They are grabbing kids early on, teaching them fundamentals, educating them on the sport, and creating lifelong fans. Track and field doesn't have this, or at least not a very strong youth program.

Youth running and youth track and field can have a much stronger presence in the U.S., but someone needs to be the guiding force. I know USATF allocates a lot of this attention to the state associations, but a national youth running organizer would be a great addition. Not only could the youth running organizer help build up community T&F and running programs, but they could create small circuits of competition in urban hubs, as well as create fun and easy ways for youth athletes to follow the sport.

Furthermore, I'd love to see a national cross country week and a national track and field week be promoted to all elementary and middle schools in the U.S., using our sport twice a year to enhance kids' fitness, introducing them to our sports and hopefully creating more adult involvement at the youth levels. A youth running organizer could certainly accomplish all of this.