SCTCCCA President Dave Lee talks about his roles this week, Saturday's meet and involvement from coaches.
What has 2015 been like for you with planning for the SCTCCCA Bob Jenkins Coaches Classic?
2015 has been busy! Getting married in January was a GREAT way to kick off the new year (and, yes, married life is great!)! But, the new semester starting right before Track Season begins always makes the amount of paper work even worse for ALL coaches. We had the winter meeting for the Coaches Association in January, but only 40-45 coaches showed up, which is really disappointing, since that is where we make all major decisions! Hopefully, more coaches will show up at our summer meeting, in Greenville, in July!
Prepping for Classic has been interesting. More on this later...
What roles do you have this week?
Saturday, I will be the Meet Referee and our Vice Presidents (there is one from each classification) will be our Jury of Appeals. So, if any issues arise, I, along with the officers, will make a ruling as to how the situation will be handled.
I am also in charge of setting up all field event officials/workers. So, I'll be assigning ALL SCHOOLS down that have NOT signed up, yet, to work a field event. If those schools do NOT help with an event, they will not be allowed to compete at Coaches Classic next season.
What do spectators need to know for Saturday?
1. Names will NOT be changed in results if your coach subs in an athlete for the one that is registered!
2. Stay OFF the infield and OUT of flagged areas!
3. Enjoy the meet and cheer loud! We have some great athletes in S.C.!
What challenges have arisen for you?
MANY schools that are signed up to compete have NOT contacted me to work a field event. This is one of the most annoying parts of the meet set-up. MANY coaches don't realize that this meet benefits OUR association and NONE of us make any individual money! They need to step up and volunteer!
Also, MANY coaches need to READ and get their paper work turned in EARLY! I understand that issues arise, but if paper work is done early, then there is time to work things out. Coaches waiting until the last minute make things harder for ALL of us!
What do you hope to see at the meet Saturday?
I'm looking forward to GOOD WEATHER!! With two straight years of rain-outs, I'm excited to actually HAVE the meet!
With so many solid performers in our state, its going to be fun to see how heat sheets line up AND what kind of times/distances/heights we end up seeing!
Looking at the meet, what does it mean to you to coordinate something this large?
Partnering with Coach John Jones and the Spring Valley HS coaching staff has made things a LOT easier for me, personally! They are handling a lot of the meet logistics and have taken a LOT off my plate! This has allowed me to focus a bit more on the State Championship, which I am close to having all officials set up and locked in! Additionally, I've been able to spend time working on improving NEXT year's Cross Country Coaches Classic and State Championship meets, already!
Please explain the major roles schools have with this meet that help with preparation (SV, etc.).
Spring Valley HS is running Classic like its their meet. They are handling all logistics dealing with meet preparation, heat set-up, site set-up, etc.
ALL SCHOOLS must have ONE person (does NOT have to be a coach) that helps with at least ONE field event.
What are coaches responsible for with the helping of the meet Saturday?
Heh, heh. Again, ALL SCHOOLS must have one person help with a field event!
What you are looking to do next year with cross country?
For XC, I've been working on timing issues. My goal is to maximize our opportunities, while maintaining a healthy financial situation for the association. A lot of folks don't realize that the High School League hires our association to run the entire State Championship, but we have to stay within a very small budget. It gets VERY tight, given that we have to cover ALL aspects of the meet!