Crisis on the horizon for Meath athletics

Meath athletics is heading for a major crisis with the real possibility that there will be no officially organised competitions for 2018.

 

The annual meeting of Meath AAI will take place on Wednesday 6th December at Claremont Stadium, Navan at 8pm and at the moment only one club has submitted nominations for the new committee.

 

To make matters worse, the nominations are for individuals who currently hold positions and many of the out-going officers are anxious to take a break and recharge the batteries.

 

The matter is a major concern for out-going chairperson Maggie Higgins who has contacted all 18 Meath clubs to highlight the problems that need to be addressed urgently.

 

“We have received nominations from one club, but only for some existing board officers,” commented chairperson Maggie Higgins.

 

“Considering we have three vital positions that need to be filled, this is quite a worrying and urgent matter. 

 

“Unfortunately, the existing officers do not have the time to dedicate to their positions for another term. 

 

“The positions of chairman, vice-chair and competition secretary are majorroles on the board and if left vacant it will have serious consequences for Meath athletics up to the point that there will be no competitions in 2018,” she added.

 

The seriousness of the situation is reflected in a proposal from the chair that would make it compulsory for each club to provide one delegate who cannot be a Co Board officer. 

 

Competitions would be divided into three categories, track and field championships, cross-country and road and track and field league and schools with six of the new delegates allocated to each category.

 

The proposal goes further and suggests a type of job-sharing arrangement for the positions of chair and vice-chair with the positions swapped after six months, thus providing the vice-chair with some helpful experience before taking over that role for the second half of the year.

 

“When you consider the success of the cross-country relays two weeks ago and the co-operation and willingness there was from the clubs to help it is a shame we can't extend that to the running of the Co Board,” added the chairperson.

 

“If clubs and people don't step forward, all of the work done in the past will be wasted.

 

“At best there will be no competitions next year and we are looking at what could be the end of organised athletics in Meath,” she concluded