INDIANAPOLIS - Veteran coaches Bob Larsen and Beverly Kearney have accepted invitations from USA Track & Field President/Chair Stephanie Hightower to co-chair USATF's newly formed Coaches Registry Task Force.
Larsen, the co-founder of the Olympic development training group Mammoth Track Club in California and former head coach at UCLA, and Kearney, the coach of several NCAA championship teams and the Head Track Coach at the University of Texas, Austin, will lead a group of 12 additional coaches and athletes comprising the Task Force.
"We are excited about the participation of these very accomplished coaches and athletes who are offering their expertise and counsel to ensure we have the best Coaches Registry Program within the Olympic Movement," said Hightower.
USATF's groundbreaking Coaches Registry, which was unveiled on May 18, 2010, acknowledges coaches who represent the profession's highest standards. The Task Force will begin work immediately to further define components of the Registered Coach Program, and will make recommendations to the Board of Directors in December at USATF's Annual Meeting in Virginia Beach, Va.
Being a USATF Registered Coach provides a designation to coaches around the country that will identify them as among the most ethical and respected in their field, and will carry with it certain rights and privileges not available to those who are not registered coaches. Background screenings and acceptance of a Code of Ethics are critical components of the Coaches Registry. There are currently more than 900 coaches who have joined the Coaches Registry to date.
The USATF Coaches Registry was originally conceived by the Coaches Advisory Committee to set standards for coaches affiliated with USATF. It includes a four-pronged process, which has created a registry of coaches who have demonstrated the ethics, honesty and trustworthiness necessary for endorsement by the national governing body of the sport.
The USATF Board of Directors, consistent with its efforts to foster a culture of ethical, transparent, and accountable behavior throughout the organization, directed the USATF National Office to work with the pertinent committees to develop and implement the Coaches Registry. The centerpiece of this program is a comprehensive Code of Conduct for Registered Coaches.
The Task Force will develop recommendations for the USATF Board of Directors' consideration and potential implementation regarding the Coaches Registry in the following areas: enforcement, appeals process, reinstatement and defining a standard of competency for an applying individual. Members of the Task Force include:
Coaches
Bob Larsen, co-chair, former UCLA head coach, co-founder of Mammoth Track Club
Beverly Kearney, co-chair, Head Coach, University of Texas women's team
Curtis Frye, Head Coach, University of South Carolina
Ralph Lindeman, Head Coach, Air Force Academy, Chair of the Coaches Advisory Committee
Connie Price Smith, Olympian, international coach, Head Coach, Southern Illinois University
Alberto Salazar, professional coach, Nike
John Turek, USATF Developmental Coordinator for Multi-Events, long time Texas high school coach
Rubin Carter, youth club coach, member of the Youth Division Council
Brett Halter, international coach, Head Coach, University of Missouri
Athletes
Chanute Lowe, Olympic high jumper, American record holder
Anna Willard-Pierce, world class middle distance runner
Khadevis Robinson, Olympic athlete
Allen Johnson, recently retired Olympic gold medalist and world champion hurdler
Jon Drummond, international coach, and Chair of the Athlete's Advisory Committee
For more information on the USATF Coaches Registry, or to begin the application process, visit the coaches section of USATF.org.
About USA Track & Field
USA Track & Field (USATF) is the National Governing Body for track and field, long-distance running and race walking in the United States. USATF encompasses the world's oldest organized sports, some of the most-watched events of Olympic broadcasts, the #1 high school and junior high school participatory sport and more than 30 million adult runners in the United States.
For more information on USATF, visit USATF.org.
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