scrunners: How has preparation been going for the state meet?
beesley: Good. Cathy Koziel, Terri Marshall and I have been working on it, and the Regional meet since February.
scrunners: Your last year as youth chair, how is that feeling to you?
beesley: Mixture of emotions. Happy in that I can spend time with my family now. They are really tired of hearing I cannot visit or travel with them due to my USATF track commitments. Can't wait to have my house back - every storage area of it has track items put away. Sad in that I will miss working with the wonderful coaches that we have. Pride in that I know what I have helped USATF S.C. and the coaches in it accomplish over the past seven years. We have grown each year. This speaks volumes for the coaches that we have in the state that commit their volunteer time to do this for athletes in their communities.
scrunners: What kind of involvement do you see yourself having following your end as chair role?
beesley: I have took on the volunteer job as Officials Chair this past year. I would like to remain doing this - this is of course is up to the new president that will be elected in August this year. This person appoints all chair positions. I would like to see more officials and get a group of young people started doing this so that they can work along side the great officials that we have now and learn from them. That is the only way to learn all that there is. It amazes me each time that I work with one of them at an event that I am not familiar with - all the little tips that they pass on. I would also stay on as Treasurer or secretary if asked.
scrunners: Have you been in touch with the new youth chair?
beesley: Presently the only person who has said they were willing to take this position on has been Linda Ellis. I have e-mailed her constantly since last year about everything that I have been doing. Sure hope she has saved all those e-mails! haha. At the annual meeting in August the new executive will be elected - note to all - anyone interested all positions are open. It is the final say of the president who becomes chairs of all positions and the chair positions are all open as well at this time. At present I have not heard of anyone else wanting to take the Youth Chair position other than Linda.
scrunners: This year, also holding the regional meet, what kind of other preparations and responsibilities do you have?
beesley: We had to obtain a site and make some improvements to it to accomodate the multis which we hold at Regionals. Always recruiting officials - we will have officials from out of state for this meet as well as our great S.C. officials. Arrange food and housing for the officials. Do all the necessary paperwork that USATF National office requests you to do and in a timely manner. I am not a last minuted type person - I can tend to be overorganized at times, but it has always paid off to be that way. Attend and host the Region Youth Chair meeting at which time we visit the site and go over the schedule of events and other items pertaining to the Youth Chairs' jobs. Contact local hotels and businesses to obtain rooms for the teams attending and to inform businesses that they need to be aware of the influx of business coming and to staff accordingly. Maintain a line of communication with the Booster Club at the event site. Try to organize volunteers to staff the events to help the officials. Basically try to preplan everything you can think of so that all you have to do at the meet is "put out the fires" as we call it as they happen.
scrunners: How will it feel when you leave the track for the last time as the chair?
beesley: To be honest on July 14th when I drive home from Rock Hill in the truck with all the stuff loaded to take home and sort and get ready to put back in a storage unit - I will probably have myself a big huge cry. Probably from relief of getting through a meet as huge as the Regional meet (again) and the fact it is the last one I will plan and will miss working so closely with the athletes, parents of the athletes, coaches and the officials. I would always call my Dad in Canada after every meet as he was always so proud of what I was doing for the athletes. My family has always volunteered and I was brought up that this is just what you do for your community. He was a huge sponsor of many hockey, baseball, soccer and lacrosse teams in Ontario, Canada and ran the hockey associations as well. He knew how much work was involved and the frustrations as well. He passed away two years ago so I will probably have a few tears as I miss him so much and I especially miss him on these occasions.
scrunners: Over the years, what is the number one item you will never forget?
beesley: Last time we hosted Regionals at USC and we had to evacuate all due to a storm. We got everyone out but a few of us stayed to make sure all were out and ended up staying under some tents and the trailer we had rented for declarations. I was in the trailer and had to keep moving stuff around to save it from the rain and then the water started flooding the trailer! My son, Trevor and others were under two other tents and they had to hold onto the tops of them to stop them from blowing away. It was quite the ride under the tent as Trevor will tell you. After the storm it was muck everywhere and we all got to work - most in our barefeet at that point - and got it all tidied up and kept on going with the meet. It was so cool to see how everyone pitched in to sort it out and roll off the high jump areas so that we just kept on rolling. I took great pride in that group of people - they were an awesome group that helped at this meet.
scrunners: Do you have anything you need to pass on those attending for the meets?
beesley: Entries are due in my hands this weekend. We are still looking for volunteers to help at events. Remember that if an event on Saturday has eight or less it will be run as a final which will shorten Sunday's schedule so I would recommend that everyone arrive at least two hours before their event time on the schedule as it stands now. Our relays usually are run as finals on Saturday. I would hate to see anyone miss their event Sunday due to this. Try to have exact change for the gate - speeds things up. Above all - no matter how hot, rainy, cramped, whatever - remember we are there for the athletes and to have patience and pitch in wherever you can see a need for help. It is most appreciated.
scrunners: Any big vacation planned or to travel this summer after the season concludes?
beesley: Not as of yet as I will have used up just about all my vacation time I have to do the two meets. Need to accrue some more and perhaps travel to Canada for longer than a weekend to see my family. I am going to be quite happy for a bit to get around to all the jobs around the house that I have put off and take my time doing them. Might do a few weekend camping trips - my boyfriend and son are after me to try this - I am more of a hotel type girl - haha.