Photo: NACAC Cross Country Championships, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, Feb 2019 IN THIS ISSUE – MARCH 2019 President Message 2 General Secretary Message 6 NACAC Development Manager Report 8 Women Commission Report 10 NACAC Cross Country Championships, Trinidad and Tobago 12 Jamaican High School Athletes are Outshining their Seniors 15 New CADICA Executive Board 17 APA Congress 2019 18 Athletics Calendar 2019 19 NACAC AA Sponsors 20 NACAC NEWSLETTER – MARCH 2019 Page 1 of 19 Víctor López As I mentioned to you in our last communication athlete’s results, woman participation and in the last 2018 Newsletter, the 2019 year overall leadership in Athletics. already started as busy as we predicted, and I am First of all, I want to stress the important fact afraid it will get even worse. The great amount that we have a representation from everyone, of of championships, competitions, meetings, our members in all our championships and, as development activities and Congresses that we much as possible, enter athletes in the large have this year will keep all of us extremely busy. number of Invitational Meets and Area Permit Therefore, I would like to concentrate my writing Meetings. The reason is simple, the participation this time in our NACAC AA responsibilities and of your athletes in all the championships and commitments that we have in making sure that competitions from now on is part of the world our Member Federations and teams make ranking system that will be used for qualifying for themselves present in all these different Area the Tokyo Olympics. Definitely, if you do not events. Many of our members are hosting compete in these events you will not get championships, competitions and development valuable points for placing in these competitions, activities that we must support and be for your performances in your event and points represented in each and every one of these for just competing in the meetings. All those activities. points will be added and used to rank your athletes and the top ranked athletes will be the Besides this, we have three important one who will be qualifying or will be invited to Congresses where our active participation is a the Olympic Games and to the future World must and where we assure the world that we Championships. have the best Area and Hemisphere as far as NACAC NEWSLETTER – MARCH 2019 Page 2 of 19 This is a simple explanation of the world ranking international sport organization. Therefore, it is system, but we would like to encourage you to imperative that you, as a leader, become familiar look for the full explanation of the system on the and understand how the IAAF will be selecting its IAAF webpage in order to have all the facts and leaders who will become the members of the the details of the system. You can find the Executive Board, the Council and the document under the world ranking system site in representatives in the overall power and the IAAF page. Please take this very seriously and decision-making structure of our organization. become familiar with the system and it is a fact Due to space constrictions, I cannot go into that, if you do not compete you will not be details in this communication but, I advise you ranked and who knows, you will miss the that if you are committed and serious about your Olympic Games for neglecting this. involvement in our sport and as a leader, you must read and understand the new Constitution The new system above is something that we will of the IAAF and all the different documents have to live with, and it is the responsibility of which will govern our sport from now on. our Member Federations to inform our athletes, coaches and athlete’s representatives to make Among these documents and statutes and sure that they plan their year of competitions bylaws there are the Code of Conduct and Ethics, taking in consideration their participation in all the Athletics Integrity Unit and the Vetting these competitions. Process regulations which are already in place and that you must observe and comply with. The objective behind the world rankings is to These are serious and very significant bylaws make sure that our athletes not only achieve top that we must comply with and will determine if performances but that he or she compete head you or any IAAF official is eligible to be a member to head with other athletes in area of the IAAF Family at any level to represent our championships, area permit meetings and sport. The objective and aims behind these strict national championships. Therefore, just running, requirements are to guarantee democracy, jumping and throwing in any competition and gender equity and equality, integrity, fair play, obtaining a top mark will not assure you transparency and lack of corruption. In other qualifying for the WC and or the OG, but you words, we want to guarantee that clean, must participate in high level competitions to get honorable individuals and true leaders are valuable points for the world rankings. representing our thousands of athletes, coaches, From the competition field I want to address the officials and volunteers who practice our sport other important, if not the most important day in and day out. Therefore, if you do not meet aspect in our sport this 2019 year. As you all these qualities and values, I advise you not to try know and in case you do not know by not reading to run or become involved as an official or a and keeping on with the important changes that leader in our sport. our parent organization, the IAAF, has in place The new IAAF, under the leadership of Sebastian after the approval of the new Constitution and a Coe, is committed to make sure that we avoid at new restructure of our Governance system. A all cost, the scandals and the wrong doings that system that we understand is the most brought great damages to our beloved sport. innovated and vanguard Constitution of any NACAC NEWSLETTER – MARCH 2019 Page 3 of 19 Therefore, think before and be very careful we would like to encourage all our leaders to about your intentions of running for office or for come to Queretaro and have a unique any commission in the IAAF or any of our experience besides taking part in probably our Continental Areas or National Federations, if you most important Congress in the history of our do not think you are eligible for these posts. beloved NACAC AA organization. As I mentioned above, we have three very Then in August 8, 2019 in Lima, Peru, during the important Congresses that will determine the Pan Am Games, we will be holding the development of Athletics at the world, Association of Pan American Athletics – APA continental and hemisphere level. We could be Congress. The merging of the hemisphere IAAF as successful as possible if we are smart enough areas, NACAC and CONSUDATLE, has been and elect the right individuals to lead us for office extremely important for the development at the in these different governing bodies. Continental level and the results of all the championships, cups and events that we have The first of these General Assembly or Congress done under the APA flag, all have been very is the NACAC AA Congress to be held in successful from the performances point of view Queretaro, Mexico on July 1-2, 2019. The reason and the results of our athletes. Besides, we have that we are having our most important Assembly great support from Pan Am Sports (PASO) and of our Athletics Family in the city of Queretaro, their involvement and collaboration and Mexico is because the Mexican Federation was contribution to our sport is genuine and visible. able to convince the State of Queretaro Government to host the NACAC U18 and U23 Finally, in September 25-26, 2019 in Doha, Qatar Championships. In combining the Congress with we will be having the IAAF Congress where there the championships, we can guarantee that the will be elections for a new IAAF Executive Council whole NACAC Family will attend the events and under a new Constitution and restructure of the even more important is that the LOC is covering governance of our parent organization. the room and board of your first delegate to the It is very important that some of our top leaders Congress from June 30 to July 3, 2019. submit his or her nomination to run for a Plus, they will be covering the cost of the position in the IAAF Executive Council. We have simultaneous translation, local transportation, to make sure that we get six to seven members social events and providing great camaraderie elected in the new Executive Council including and hospitality to all our delegates. More one-woman Vice President and hopefully NACAC information will be available in our General having the biggest woman leadership in the Secretary’s message and in the LOC webpage. IAAF, the Congress vote for our woman that is Regarding the city of Queretaro, I do not have running for the Vice president position. At least enough words to describe to you the qualities we have to make sure that we keep the five and characteristics of this amazing city. The fact positions that we have right now in the IAAF is that it is the most modern and vibrant Council, including three women out of five that economy in Mexico and a city that combines the we have in the Council right now. history where the Mexican Revolution started and the most modern infrastructure.