Posted: October 27, 2005

Athletics Managers mark successful first year

The Association of Athletics Managers (AAM) held its annual meeting in Marbella, Spain over three (3) days ending on 26 October, 2005.

The AAM, which was established in 2004 to help develop and grow Athletics and the Athletics community through improved individual and group representation, had many successes in its first full year of operation. Its achievements include communications and negotiations on issues such as travel, payments, doping, and anti-doping with the IAAF and European meeting organizers that had a positive impact on athletes participating in competitions throughout the world.

AAM athletes had great success during the 2005 athletics season in road, track and cross country. AAM successes at the IAAF World Cross-Country, World Half Marathon, European Indoors and Outdoor World Championships were further highlighted by an outstanding haul of 28 Gold Medals won in Helsinki.

AAM’s goals are to continue to improve all levels of athletic business for the benefit of athletes competing on an international level. Along those lines, the AAM at its meetings discussed ways to further its relationships with all relevant associations, which include the IAAF, EAA, and National Federations, thus improving the future of Athletics worldwide.

The AAM has agreed that the following issues are a major concern for the future of our sport and must be addressed by its members as well as all governing bodies as soon as practical.

• Identify additional ways to promote sponsorship in Athletics.
• Work to improve the out-of-competition testing procedures with which athletes are required to comply for anti-doping.
• Improve the availability and accessibility of athletes to the media.
• Establish additional guidelines to improve and police the professionalism of agents/managers.
• Create new heroes for the future of Athletics.

Visit the AAM website at www.athleticsmanagers.com