USA Track & Field Foundation 2010, a year in review

INDIANAPOLIS - USA Track & Field Foundation Chairman Bob Griefeld and Executive Director Tom Jackovic wish to thank all of the generous donors and supporters, as well as all other groups and individuals for helping to make 2010 a very successful and fruitful year for the USATF Foundation.

A special thank you goes out to the Foundation’s Board of Directors for both their financial support and exhaustive efforts to ensure that a record number of youth clubs & emerging elite athletes received financial and other needed assistance this past year.

In 2010, a record number of grants were given to Youth Clubs in support of the athletic, educational, social & character development of its young members. Grants totaling over $79,000 were dispersed to 53 Youth Clubs. Additionally, special grants were given to T.C. Howe High School of Indianapolis, IN ($2000), to replace equipment that was lost due to fire and to the USATF Youth Hammer Throw Development Program ($7500 per year/4 years), spearheaded by the late Harold Connolly.

Elite Athlete Development Grants in the amount of $184,000 were given to 46 athletes in support of their dreams to represent the United States at a World Championships or Olympic Games.

Of special note this past year were the performances & accolades of two elite athlete grant recipients, Kara Patterson (‘10 grant) and David Oliver (’07, ’08 grants). Kara, a 2008 Olympian, set a new American record in the javelin throw and was a Jesse Owens Award finalist. David, a bronze medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, set a new American record in the 110 meter hurdles (undefeated in 15 outdoor finals) and was winner of the Jesse Owens Award.

Additional highlights from 2010:

• An expanded Elite Athlete Career Development & Job Program: (1) With the goal of offering our athletes the strongest post-competitive career preparation program of any professional sport in America, 26 athletes are working with career mentors – highly successful people in business and other professions – to plan for future post-competitive careers; (2) With over 30 major corporations & groups participating, job interviews have been arranged for 40 athletes, with at least 20 jobs being offered that are flexible to athletes’ training & racing schedules.  

• USATF Foundation funded an international competition trip for 9 elite distance runners and a coach during the summer, enabling these athletes to experience international competition and garner critical experience.

• Foundation Directors Nicholas Sparks and Dan McClory, along with Olympic Champion Billy Mills, and You’re On Athletic coaches Gary Bastien and Mark Gardner, helped coordinate and bring a track & field day to children of migrant farm workers in Manchester, Michigan. In addition to training and competing in a track & field meet, the program also included a school lesson plan on the Olympics and the life-story of Billy Mills, 10,000 meter gold medalist at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. Signed copies of a book (Lessons of a Lakota) co-authored by Sparks and Mills were donated as a study guide.

• In July, Mark and Lori James & Frias Holding Company made an initial gift of $200,000 to the USATF Foundation to seed the John W. James Endowment. The endowment will be used to fund elite grants for men and women track athletes in the throwing events and to promote and highlight the throwing events at major competitions. The Foundation expects to issue its initial John W. James grant in early 2011.

• The Foundation continued its support of elite Distance Training Centers via the USA Distance Project, helping to bring American distance runners back to the top levels of international competition. Looking towards the 2011 World Championships and 2012 Olympic Games in London, American male & female runners will be contending for medals at distances ranging from 800 to 10,000 meters, and the marathon.

• The USATF Foundation welcomed four new members to its Board of Directors; Mike Kitson (CEO, Utilimaster Corp.), Mike Matte (President & Owner, Marathon CEO Leadership), Louis Carr (President of Media Sales, BET) and James Broadhurst (Chairman, Eat’n Park Hospitality Group).

The USATF Foundation once again would like to thank all its fans and supporters and we look forward to having an even greater impact in 2011.

The USATF Foundation provides a means to attract and guide funds to new and innovative track & field programs with an emphasis on providing opportunities for youth athletes, emerging elite athletes, distance training centers and anti-doping education. The Foundation depends upon donations from its Board of Directors and from generous fans of track & field. 

For more information or to contribute to the USA Track & Field Foundation, visit www.usatffoundation.org.