Track meets, especially the big Invitationals, take forever. 8am start times for the hammer are not uncommon and the discus sometimes won’t start until 5pm. I’ve been to many meets where the entry lists stretch to 100+ participants for a single event and require 8 flights of 12 competitors, or worse. I’ve even been to track meets where parents were asked to drive their cars onto the field surrounding the sector with their headlights on because the field didn’t have lights. This shouldn’t be happening.
At these meets, there are so many athletes entered, parents and fans (even coaches) have no idea when their athlete will compete. Athletic performance is sometimes compromised by athletes having to wait around all day for their flight and then getting very limited, if any, warm-ups.
This isn’t helping our sport. The status quo kills fan support and compromises performance. Is this what we really want from the meets that are supposed to be highlights of the season?
We all want beginning throwers to have the opportunity to compete, so how can we fix this? Set tougher Qualifying Standards? This seems like a good idea, but for decades, coaches have been blatantly lying about their athletes’ marks in order to get them into these big meets. The whole idea of qualifying standards for entry has caused many a good coach to resort to fudging marks just because he/she thought “this kid is ready to throw a personal record right now, all he needs is a meet…”
Qualifying standards are one of those things that sound great in theory and prove to be useless in application.
In an effort to speed things up, many meets have gone to using markers instead of measuring every throw. This is almost always faster but there are a couple of issues:
1. How do you break a tie?
2. What happens when an incoming implement knocks out a marker?
3. How do you know that the sector lines are laid accurately? (Don’t get me started on the insane argument I got into with an official who was adamant he was going to use markers when there were no sector lines on the field…)
When talking about markers in the field, most people think, “It doesn’t really matter, this isn’t the Olympics” and that’s one point that supports my solution.
My solution eliminates the games played by coaches in regards to fudging qualifying standards, greatly reduces the number of measured attempts, and restores the dignity of the throwing events.
Say it with me…. MINIMUM STANDARD LINES
Instead of creating a “qualifying standard” for entry, every large invitational needs to establish a “minimum standard line” that will be marked clearly in the sector. If a thrower fails to throw past the minimum standard line, that throw is not marked or measured. Instead of being marked “F” for “foul” – mark it “NMS” for non-minimum standard.
As a sport, we need to make the tough call to DEMAND PROFICIENCY in the throws. At an invitational, no one wants to see a 25’ shot put or a 90’ discus throw. It used to be that athletes had to be invited to compete, hence the term, “Invitational.” Most meets currently called “Invitationals” are more accurately “All-Comers Meets.”
Across the USA the throwing events have become a place to dump “the fat, lazy kids” and appear to be a safe harbor for athletes who want to be on the track team but don’t want to run. I’m all for these guys and girls to have a place to train, learn a basic athletic skill, gain self-esteem, etc. And as they gain proficiency, they have every right to be able to compete in dual meets and all-comers meets. But in order to get a mark at an “invitational level” of competition, these athletes need to demonstrate a higher level of proficiency.
It gives athletes something to strive for. Competing at an Invitational needs to be an earned privilege and not just a freebie. Dual meets are freebies. All-Comers meets are freebies. We need to bring some integrity to these Invitationals. Let’s make them mean something and demand proficiency for participation.
I propose these for Minimum Standard Lines at Invitationals:
| Girls HS Discus: 110’ | College/University/Open MW Discus: 145’/130’ |
| Boys HS Discus: 135’ | College/University/Open MW Hammer: 145’/130’ |
| Girls Shot: 33’’ | College/University/Open MW Shot: 50’/40’’ |
| Boys Shot: 46’ | College/University/Open MW Javelin: 170’/140’ |
These marks can be argued up or down but the point is that this is a starting point for rewarding proficiency in the throwing events and making the sport more digestible. If a coach knows ahead of time that a minimum standard line is in effect, very few will enter their 90’ discus thrower. There are plenty of other opportunities for the 25’ shot putters and 90’ discus throwers to compete. I’m just asking to keep them out of the Invitationals and bring some sanity to the sport.
With minimum standard lines, meets move faster, fans are more willing to attend, athletes have a tangible goal, volunteers are easier to recruit, money is saved on entry fees and transportation costs, and the sport is more fun. Let’s make the Invitational level of the sport more meaningful and less about simply participation.
And let’s demand proficiency.
