is track and field dying?

[nitro]

Some people say that hip hop is dying and i was wondering what you thought about the fact that track and field is dying or is it just me? All year i have gone to meet all over the country and there wasn't the excitement or spirit that i have been accustomed to the past couple years. This year at my state meet in Indiana many other people asked why there wasn't any excitement. There were still the same quality of talent as every other year but no excitement through the crowd. I went to Jr. nationals in Columbus, and i know that the pole vault wasn't on finals day for the running events, but there were so few people there it barely felt like a track meet let alone a national caliber meet. This past weekend i jumped at youth nationals in Charlotte, NC and there was a crowd but there still wasn't a buzz like there was been in years past.

whats everyone else's thoughts or am i just jumping at the wrong meets?

[powerplant42]

Something revolutionary needs to happen within the next two decades, or I feel that we'll be slowly asfixiated out of the sporting world, condemned to a level of world appreciation that professional curling has... There needs to be something fresh added to the mix, not like a new event or anything like that, just something like a better way to broadcast meets...

[VaultPurple]

There is a simple way to make track and field the most popular sport in the United States.... Get rid of football! no it will never happen but when you think of it, the united states would be completly untouchable in sprints if all the fast guys didnt run off and take football scholarships and not run track, or go to NFL. Maybe someone should come up with some strange statistic saying that football provokes anger and is causing early deaths in humans.. maybe it causes cancer?

[nitro]

There is a simple way to make track and field the most popular sport in the United States.... Get rid of football! no it will never happen but when you think of it, the united states would be completly untouchable in sprints if all the fast guys didnt run off and take football scholarships and not run track, or go to NFL. Maybe someone should come up with some strange statistic saying that football provokes anger and is causing early deaths in humans.. maybe it causes cancer?

football pays a lot more than being a sprinter though....

[kev44000]

Nitro I agree at Nike i expected more people. There were more people at our high school state meet.

[rainbowgirl28]

Gas prices are keeping people closer to home and less likely to travel around the country for meets.

[vault3rb0y]

Definitely not the buzz at Nike. How the heck does a 2-mile runner get more cheering every SECOND of his race than the winner in PV does on his winning jump?? I dont care if its a record, i never saw him leave the ground for more than .2 seconds.

It comes down to what people can relate to. If they have ever pole vaulted and they saw it on TV... they would stop and watch. If they never have, they might watch for 1 or 2 jumps, then look for something else because they have no idea what is going on. And if it is on more than once a month they will skip by it completely the next time they see it because they would be sick of it. The same is true for other track and field events. Everyone can relate to the 100m and shot put- who hasnt seen how fast they can run or how far they can throw stuff? And in football, the anticipation of a big hit or a huge catch keeps most males (and many females) attention because many have made those big hits (or been hit) or made that big catch with friends before.

Even in what same say is boring old Golf.... i used to hate the golf channel, whats the big deal about a little ball going in a hole? But go out and make a few good shots, instantly you want to see how good a shot tiger can make. It creates interest.

The only way we are going to get more interest in track and field is to get more people to do it. It starts with club teams and easily available practice facilities to get people hooked. They like it enough, their families become hooked, etc etc. Until then no one wants to see something that they cannot relate to.

[drew]

Very good point.

[VaultPurple]

Pole vault needs to be made as popular by offering it just as much... Every town has little league baseball teams and soccer and football... In the same way for the little kids you could have little league track durring the spring and summer for those that did not want to play Baseball or challange soccer.

I really dont know how you could have generalized teams as even in little league there are about 10 teams with only 15-20 people and you couldnt be sure what events kids wanted to do. Maybe if they districted it by Elementary schools or something. But then you always have to have the issue of a coach that will do more than say... just go run!

and as i write this it becomes more and more apparent why track is not as popular... it is too hard to organize for everyone in the community to participate in. Most states are lucky to have a few good Track Clubs, let alone one in each town. Then there is the whole issue of coaches. you would almost need the same coaches for every team if you wanted to have some for each event, then just have the kids compeate.


Maybe someday....

[CowtownPV]

The only way we are going to get more interest in track and field is to get more people to do it. It starts with club teams and easily available practice facilities to get people hooked. .

We must find a way to shorten meets. If you are a parent and your kid plays soccer, basketball, baseball etc the games are over in an hour or so. Take your kid to a USATF meet and you may be there all day. We have to run meets off better. If the pole vault is supposed to start at 9:00 then it starts at 9:00. Everybody is busy these days and they want to see their kids do sports but time is important to everyone. I could preach all day on things I have seen change in the last 25 years.

[slowest5.50]

TV is not making any more appealing. I tried to watch the coverage last night and after watching 30 minutes they had only ran two race! There are so many things going on during a meet they could cover ,like field events! I mean just think if they filmed each golfer walking from hole to hole or standing waiting for the group in front of them to play. They don’t! They show constant coverage from hole to hole and keep the action going. I have to admit after sitting there for 30 minutes and only seeing two 400 meters races I went to bed……

[rainbowgirl28]

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/wire?sec ... id=3482463