I hope the cross-country season is off to a great start for all of you. I am looking forward to seeing what this year brings for all of us.
I want to encourage all of you to get your memberships current with the IATC. This enables Cross Country and Track & Field coaches and their athletes to be eligible for post-season awards. We have made some updates to the website and you will now be able to pay on-line. Memberships have changed. $50 for an entire coaching staff, $25 Individual Membership and for those that are retired and want a lifetime membership – $100.
Congratulations to Coach Mike Parker from West High School in Iowa City. Mike was named the 2018 National High School Coach of the Year for Girls Track & Field. This is an incredible honor and we are proud that Coach Parker, his staff and West High School have represented the state of Iowa on a national level.
In my last letter I wrote about all of the member benefits that we are adding for our coaches. Coaching Education is important to me and should be for all of us. We plan to not only renew our newly found relationships and agreements but continue to build on those. We plan to renew our partnerships with the USTFCCCA, Trackwired and the Glazier Clinics. This year we are pursuing an agreement with the folks at Altis and the organization that supports us annually – Championship Productions.
I can’t take credit for this one. Ben Duea our Secretary/Treasurer and Head Track & Field Coach of the Ames High School boys’ and girls’ program came to me with the idea of doing a podcast. I didn’t even hesitate. Yes. We just launched our first episode and had Mike Parker, Mike Jay and the founder of the IATC Bill Bergan on the first episode. We will be recognizing coaches, athletes and add other cross country and track & field related information like strength and conditioning, injury prevention and sports nutrition.
Lastly, we are working with both the IGHSAU and the IAHSAA on some state cross country meet and state track & field meet “enhancements” and “experiences.” I am hoping that in the very near future, we will be announcing some of those.
Best of Luck and Health to all of you and your teams this season,
Tim O’Neill
IATC President
Davenport Assumption High School
Boys and Girls Head Cross Country and Track & Field Coach
