I hope this finds all of you ready to roll for the start of our 2018 track and field season! As I write this we are only 50 days away from the start of the Drake Relays and 72 days away from the state track and field meet. I really appreciate having the opportunity to serve as your 1st Vice President after serving the last year and a half as the 2nd VP. The best way to learn in our field of work is from the best and there’s no doubt that the track & field as well as the cross country coaches across Iowa more than fit that definition!
We are very excited about the future of the IATC. There are a lot of moving parts and many roles that get filled by dozens of volunteers each and every year. One of our main goals each year is to increase membership by improving membership benefits. In the near future we are hoping to send each school an invoice to electronically pay for IATC dues (streamlining to $50 for all schools in 2018-2019) at the beginning of the school year. We hope that this process will improve efficiency in our association as well as helping districts to get their membership due paid.
Rob Hamman has done an outstanding job in designing and taking care of our IATC website. There are so many tools for coaches to use and utilize. Please be sure that you check out the “Looking for Meets” section for schools looking for extra teams. Check out the “Academic All State Nomination Form” section to nominate student-athletes who are seniors, have a GPA above 3.8, have an ACT score of 28 or higher, and qualify for the state track & field meet. As our outdoor season rolls around, be sure to check out the “Power Rankings” section for all classes and conferences. If you have ideas to help improve our website please do not hesitate to shoot them my way!
There are a few things later in the track and field season that you will want to put on your schedule as we know this is an extremely hectic time of year. The first events are the Mike Henderson Junior High State Track and Field Meets. These will be held on Saturday, May 5th. The JH girls meet will be held at Ankeny Stadium (Northview Middle School) and the boys meet will be held at Ames High School. We greatly appreciate these programs stepping up and hosting these meets and all of the work that they entail. The link with more information on these meets can be found on our IATC website under Track & Field/Middle School/Mike Henderson Meets or by clicking HERE.
Another event that the IATC provides for our student athletes is the State Pentathlon for both boys and girls in grades 7th-12th. This will be held on Monday, May 21st at Central College in Pella. The third and final event to mark on your calendars is the IATC Senior Spotlight Meet that will be held on June 8th and 9th at the University of Dubuque. We are working diligently to improve the nomination and communication process of this great event. Nominations will open on March 26th and close on May 22nd. Look for more information about the Senior Spotlight Meet and the State Pentathlon soon!
In closing I’d like to wish all of you a season of great weather, infinite highlights, and unforgettable memories made with your teams. Best of luck to you all!
