Ah, run!
This group of pages is to assist in our work with USA Triathlon's Age Group Commission. We want a place to store documents relating to projects we're working on with other members of the Age Group Commission and also a place to test some products we're helping with, such as putting questionnaires on the web. We want to make them available for view and comment by USAT members.
Members of the Age Group Commission: Here is a current list of AGC members and their e-mail addresses. Chair is Lee Zohlman, leezee@bodyzen.com.
Major Issue under Discussion: Revising age group ranking systems, implementing expert wave in sanctioned races, implementing expert age group category between Elite and Age Grouper, review Team USA user fee
Goals for 2005: in addition to above mentioned
- Reevaluate the Athlete of the Year program;
- Form, identify, and promote the senior age group task force;
- Continue to develop the Team USA web page and Age Group Commission page;
- Continue to monitor and modify Team USA's travel and uniform packages;
- Develop and improve vehicles for the recognition of age group athletes;
- Reduce the expense of traveling with a bike for USAT members;
- Identify and recruit energetic and effective new AGC members;
- Promote and maintain strong supportive relationships with USAT Commissions (e.g, WC, TDC, RDC);
- Develop the Educational Resource Committee from a grass roots level, targeting the regional level and local clubs.
Race Survey on the Web: We want to get a race survey on the USAT web site that can be filled out and submitted on line or printed out and mailed in. The Race Survey is here on the web site. Please fill it out for your favorite races and submit it. The results are automatically e-mailed to Tim Yount to file and forward to the Race of the Year Selection Committee. If you received, filled out, and sent in a paper copy at a race, you don't need to submit an electronic version -- USAT already has your paper copy.
Aging and Performance: What happens to our performance as we "age up?" We've constructing some tables, based on 10 previous national and world championship winners' times in each of the age groups, to put some numbers to how performance slows as people pass 40 -- and accelerates as younger athletes leave their teens. The Women's Table is done; the Men's Table has also just been posted. We'd appreciate your comments. For a slightly different approach and how age-grading might be applied to results, please see Lew Kidder's work on www.cooltri.com.
Athlete of the Year Awards: How can the selection processes for Athlete of the Year and All-Americans be improved? Brad chairs a committee looking into these two award programs. Rough draft of papers on improving the Athlete of the Year selection process is now posted, as well as designation of All Americans, are posted for comment.
Web Site for Age Groupers: What would age groupers like to see on the USAT web site? We're just beginning a project to put examples of the sorts of materials (pictures, articles, information) age groupers would like to see on www.usatriathlon.org. Please send your ideas and contributions to Lee Zohlman Sue and Brad have been working with the USAT National Office in redesigning the USAT and the Team USA web sites and to add information of interest to USAT members and friends.