The U.S.A. Track and Field (USATF) annual meeting officially begins tonight in Reno, Nevada. The meeting takes place at the close of an especially tumultuous year for the organization. In January of 2008, the beginning of an all-important Olympic year, CEO Craig Masback resigned to take a position with Nike.

Masback had overseen an impressive organizational turnaround in his tenure with USATF, dating back to the late-90s when the organization was struggling to stay afloat financially and competitively. At the 2007 World Championships in Osaka, Japan, the U.S. track team's 26 medals equaled the highest ever for a world championship. All signs pointed to the team's continued success in Beijing the following summer. Masback's departure seemed to come just before the perfect stage to showcase his organizational turnaround.

The U.S. team performed well in Beijing, by almost any standard except their own. Jamaica's emergence in the sprints, combined with embarrassing relay disqualifications in the Men's and Women's 4x100m hurt the team's public image. Injuries hampered medal-favorites Bernard Lagat and Tyson Gay.

Now USATF is an organization in flux. The organization chose former Major League Soccer Commissioner Doug Logan to replace Masback. High Performance Department Chair Brooks Johnson resigned after the Beijing Olympics. Privately, many felt the reason was Logan's announcement of a High Performance Audit panel after the highly publicized failure of the relays. Johnson, who coaches several athletes who compete for other countries, has said publicly it was out of a conflict of interest. At this year's annual meeting, members will hold an election for a new USATF President.

Logan has also called for considerable organizational restructuring. His High Performance Audit panel plans to evaluate virtually the entire High Performance Division, which oversees National Team preparation and performance and the development of elite athletes. Also on the docket are ambitious proposals to amend USATF's Board of Directors which will, in Logan's words, "[Restructure] how we govern ourselves and how we do business." Among the proposals is one that will reduce the Board's size by over half its membership, from 32 to 15. 

This week's Annual meeting will go a long way to determining the future the sport of track and field in this country, and certainly its governing body. According to Adam Jacobs, Editor-in-Chief of Thefinalsprint.com*, change is desperately needed. Jacobs has released a seven-part series titled "Dysfunction Run Amuck: USA Track & Field and the Need for Change." Jacobs conducted extensive interviews with members of USATF and the running community before releasing his findings that chronicle a history of infighting, financial mismanagement, race-baiting and bureaucratic intractability--all originating from the Board of Directors. 

One of the central figures in Jacobs' series is John Chaplin. Chaplin is the longtime chair of the Men's Track and Field Committee in the High Performance Division. Chaplin was recently in the news for his role in the controversy surrounding athlete entries in the 2008 Olympic Trials this past summer.

In his excellent piece for Running Times, Scott Douglas chronicled the story of several provisionally qualified athletes who appealed for a spot on the starting line in the respective events. Each had a strong case, whether it was the fact that slower athletes were added to the field already, or that other athletes had announced their intentions to withdraw. Across the board they were denied entry. Several snubbed runners threatened legal action, but dropped their case, fearing reprisal from their sport's governing body. 

At the center of this controversy was John Chaplin. Chaplin, in his position as Chairman served as last word for most of these controversial decisions. Speaking with Douglas, who presumably identified himself as a reporter, Chaplin made no apologies.

"The Olympic trials are not a goddamn All-Comers meet," going on to say, "Those clowns in the bottom half of the 10,000 have no chance in god's green earth of making the Olympic team."

Douglas's piece also made it clear that there had been several similar controversies at previous Olympic Trials, each over the arbitrary appeals process with Chaplin at the center of the storm. 

Chaplin has a long history with the sport. He was a successful cross country and track and field coach at Washington State University from 1968 to1994. In his time there, his teams won the 1977 NCAA Indoor Track and Field title, as well as four runner-up titles. He was also the Men's 2000 Olympic Team head coach. He coached multiple All-Americans and Olympians, but his most accomplished athlete was the enigmatic Henry Rono. 

Rono had a meteoric career. In the summer of 1978, he set world records at four different distances (3,000m, steeplechase, 5,000m and 10,000m). He was the best runner in the world--some say the best ever--but his career was derailed by Olympic boycotts (1976 and 1980) and alcoholism. He won several NCAA titles for Chaplin, but in his autobiography, Rono paints a complicated picture of their relationship.

Rono had trouble adjusting to life in the United States. According to his autobiography, he turned to drinking in part to deal with the difficult transition and pressure that came with his sudden success. He was ill-equipped to handle his financial affairs and burgeoning career, and accused Chaplin of being extremely manipulative. He feels Chaplin took advantage of him, working with meet promoters and Kenyan Athletic reps without Rono's knowledge. Rono goes so far as to say Chaplin encouraged his drinking, handing him money after workouts and telling him to "Go have fun for a while before you go to bed." 

Despite this relationship, Rono never transfered away from WSU (though he threatened to) and remained at WSU with Chaplin after graduating. This certainly mutes Rono's criticisms, but his description of Chaplin remains consistent, in that he was manipulative and selfish in his dealings with Rono and his otherworldly talent.

The sport of track and field has made considerable strides in recent years. There was a time when having the Olympic B-standard in an event such as the 5,000m (13:28) would almost guarantee you a spot on the Olympic team. Now it wouldn't even put you among the Top-15 in the U.S (2007-8). Across nearly all events, in both genders, our athletes are getting more competitive. This is certainly reflected in the performance lists, if not the medal-count. They're taking advantage of post-collegiate opportunities that weren't available before. The coaching is better. The training theory is smarter.   

Chaplin has had a long and distinguished career. His record at Washington State and as a sought-after meet referee and official speaks for itself. However, USATF needs to carefully consider the message it wants to send these athletes and their supporters at the beginning of this new Olympic cycle. Whether in terms of participation, performance, national attention or finances, the sport has undergone tremendous growth. All signs point to that growth continuing, but given the state of the sport's governing body,  the question becomes: will it be with the support of USATF or in spite of it?

It begs the question whether John Chaplin and his decidedly authoritarian tendencies serve the best interests of the sport.

The trials give athletes an incredible experience and opportunity. They serve as a showcase for top athletes but also as preparation for young talent with potential to improve. Countless athletes have extended their careers in the face of financial difficulties, injuries, and a host of other factors. They do it for that chance to compete for a spot on the Olympic team. 

Entry into the trials is no small issue, nor is it the only issue with Chaplin, as many have pointed out. He has been abrasive and dismissive. His rulings have been rash and inconsistent. Perhaps, then, when USATF convenes to discuss and evaluate its organizational structure, it should give special consideration to Chaplin's seat. And if it's true that Chaplin has "no patience for distance runners anymore," as he told Scott Douglas, why, then, should we track athletes and supporters have any more patience with him?