Competitions’ Secretary: Report, 2000-2001

Due to the ever-increasing number of students and institutions taking part in our championships each year, it was decided by the executive at last years AGM to create a register of Varsity eligible athletes. The need for such a register was highlighted at the T&F championships in Limerick (2000) when a men’s medal winning relay team had to be disqualified for fielding an ineligible athlete. It was also envisaged that with an athlete register it would be easier to locate athletes during the summer months when the Antrim Triangular Meet takes place.

This year all athletes were required to fill out an IUAA Registration Form and prior to receipt of race numbers each athlete was also required to provide proof of college registration. Athletes who had forgotten their proof of registration were allowed to compete and it was then necessary for them to provide such proof to the Competition Secretary within one week.

Two problems with this system presented themselves (a) Delays at registration and (b) IUAA personnel did not have time to match up the information on the registration forms with the information on the ID cards.

This year it will be necessary for club captains to provide the Competition Secretary with a photocopy of each athletes ID along with their registration forms prior to competition dates. This information will be matched up with names and ID numbers inputted to the IUAA online registration web page and it will allow athletes to simply pick up their numbers on the day of competition without delay and it will also allow the competition secretary to closely scrutinise each athletes eligibility.

The two major championships of 2000/2001 (XC & T&F) were hosted by UCD and TCD respectively. Both championships were run in a model fashion and it is organisation such as this that will provide the blueprint for the running and organisation of future championships. However, the UCD and TCD organising committees where both lucky enough to have among their ranks, personnel who had previous experience in hosting such events. In years to come some institutions will have the honour of hosting such championships for the first time. It will be the continuing role of the competition secretary to liase with such colleges in order to ensure continuity of such high competition standards.

The standard of competition and organisation of said competitions is currently at an all time high, the responsibility is with us all to insure continuity and perhaps look to broadening our horizons to hosting competitions such as Celtic Internationals and Alumni Races.

Ian O’ Sullivan

Hon Competition Secretary IUAA (Oct 2000 – Oct 2001)