The World Selection Committee consists of ten members, which consist of an Australian delegate, a delegate from Bahamas and an alternate member from Canada. The committee makes the ultimate decision on athletes who will represent their nation in international events. Each year the committee sends out bi-annual evaluations to the competing nations. These evaluations cover the athletic achievements and skills of all athletes in the respective sports, in the summer as well as in the winter. After the testing period the countries send their athletes for evaluation.
This past year, six different women from the Massachusetts area competed in the worlds indoor track and field championships. Three of these women qualified for the Olympic team. hurdler Ali Williams from Cambridge, Massachusetts won the event in a dramatic fashion, while javelin and pole vault specialists Laurel Carpenter from Medford, Massachusetts and NEC graduate student Gabrielle Dougherney from Framingham, MA defeated reigning Olympic champions from Russia, China and Japan during the championships. It was a great year for these talented athletes, but it also served as a lesson for those in the National Association of Professional Women in sportsmanship and management.
The World Selection Committee consists of an executive coach from Massachusetts and two full-time members from the Massachusetts collegiate community. Executive Coach Carol Dierkes came from the track and field scene as a player and later coached at both the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth and Weber State University. She brings her experience to the executive coach role. Executive Coach Carol is extremely involved with the athletic program as well as the overall development of the athletes and their coaches. She oversees the entire year’s practices, including off-season and spring breaks.
Carol and her assistant coaches have a detailed plan of what to do to improve the women’s volleyball team this year and get connected with the audience and fans that support the sport at the University of Massachusetts. This year marks the 20th season of the women’s game in Boston. This is a monumental achievement for any sport at any level and Carol is excited about the prospects for this team and its ability to be ranked highly in the rankings. She sees great things in the future for all involved with the team.
One of the things the committee is excited about is the fact that the team is not relying on one player to carry the load. The five starters along with many of the contributors are very experienced. They are not going to rely on a new recruit with no experience to carry them. The committee is especially excited about newcomer Denzel Holmes, who is an exceptional rebounder and score caller.
So, as you can see the WQC is very pleased with the performance of their teams this year. They want to see continued growth and success from the players and coaches and want to get connected with the audience and fans of the game. If you are a young basketball player or an attendee of a WQC game, I encourage you to go over the team’s list and be introduced to the players and coaches. Find out who they are, what their accomplishments have been, and how much you can help them. You never know how much passion they have and it could be a perfect opportunity for you to get connected with the team and become part of their organization.