Track Chair Nomination Name: John Knowles Club Attachment: Sacramento Speed Factory PAUSATF Member Since: 2009 Nomination: Track Chair Where John Stands? I stand before you as a father of a Pacific Association athlete, current track coach, and former Pacific Association track and field competitor. My earliest encounters with the Pacific Association occurred in 1992 when I competed as a child. I still hold fond memories of those experiences. Currently my role with the association has changed to father and track coach, and my perspective of the association has shifted as well. While I believe there are many things that we do well as an Association, there are definitely some things that we can do better. For example, our Association has some of the most dedicated and hardest working volunteers in all of USATF. On the other hand, we are not perfect and could stand to be more organized. At any given meet a number of events may be canceled the day of the meet due to a lack of organization. I feel this is a disservice to our athletes because they are not being afforded the opportunities to compete in their chosen events. It is my belief that through consistent organization the current generation of athletes, coaches and parents will look back at their time with the Pacific Association as fondly as I do. Year in and year out, there are scheduled Association meets that fail to meet our expectations of success. Organization ensures time and resources (i.e. man power) are used efficiently and effectively to obtain a desired outcome. I believe a successful meet should not be determined by a clubs/organizations ability to simply execute a meet, but by the level of competition and unique favor the hosting club/organization presents. As Track Chair it will be my mission to bring organization, accountability and assistance to the Association as a whole. Many of you have been involved in Track and Field for years, and you have vast amounts of knowledge and/or ideas to contribute. I believe that with organization, accountability, and your help our Association can set the standard for all associations and ultimately provide a more positive experience for the athletes and families of the Pacific Association. ...and this is where I stand!