Indy Revisited
I recently spent three wonderful days in Indianapolis at the USATF, watching young men and women give world-class performances and display first-class behavior. If you wanted to see excellence from athletes, giving every ounce of physical effort in pursuit of excellence, Indy was the place to be.

Who could not have been impressed with California high school sophomore Jordan Hassey, flying around the track and winning the junior 1500 championship in 4:16.98, a time many high school boys would be proud of, or of DeeDee Trotter walking through the stands, signing autographs after she had won a spectacular race in the 400 (49.64), or the emotion on Alan Webb's face after he won the 1500, defeating rival Bernard Lagat, or Olympic Gold Medalist Dan O'Brien's appearance on the track for live interviews with today's champions yesterday's legends. This addition to the meet was not only entertaining but filled in the down time that is common in our sport. We were also treated to the sight of one athlete who had been defeated, helping the winner to her feet after she had fallen, crossing the finish line. We saw the American flag proudly carried around the track on each winner's shoulders during his or her victory lap.

The meet was superbly run by a tremendous cadre of officials, most of whom are volunteers. The public address announcers did a great job, keeping the fans engaged and informed. Most important, the athletes gave supreme efforts and conducted themselves in ways that make anyone proud to be sending them to represent our great country in Osaka, Japan, at the World Championships, and in Sao Paulo, Brazil, at the Pan American Junior Championships.

Despite the high quality of the meet, only 33,540 fans attended all of the sessions. USATF officials appeared to be ecstatic at the figures. If any other sport showcased their best athletes in a similar championship format, would the leaders have been satisfied with those attendance figures? The answer is a resounding, "No." The USATF officials could have promoted the meet at state coaches' clinic in the region, which in Ohio alone would have reached over 1,400 coaches, many of whom would have passed along the information to athletes and others. A prominently located booth at clinics could have been set up, promoting the event with tickets and accommodation information. A mailing could have been sent to every high school coach in neighboring states, encouraging athletes to attend. There is now doubt that many track participants did not know about the meet, or they did not understand that within a relatively short driving distance, they would see a track meet that would nearly mirror the Olympic Trials, in terms of the competitors and quality performances. As a bonus, these potential spectators would have also seen many future Olympians in the USATF Junior Meet that was conducted on the same dates on the same track.

The sport of track and field is not perfect, but for the sports fan who is tired of spoiled, overpaid athletes, our great sport presents a completely different experience. Many of the athletes who competed on that June weekend get little or no compensation. They delay careers, and they make many huge personal sacrifices so that they can pursue their dreams and achieve excellence. Many people do not understand their focus and drive, but our society would be so much better if these positive stories were told and read.

Yours in track,

Rod O'Donnell