The 1978 Ted Stevens’ Amateur Sports Act charted the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), which in turn charted a national governing body (NGB) for each Olympic Sport. This Act also requires that active athletes comprise a minimum of 20% voting power on any board or committee within the NGB. Due to this federal requirement, the Athletes’ Advisory Committee (AAC) was established.
USATF AAC Mission Statement:
To communicate the interests, protect and further the rights and privileges of USA Track & Field athletes.
The Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) collaborates with the sport committees of USA Track & Field (USATF) and encourages the direction and decision-making of the USATF national office. The athletes the AAC represents are defined in Section 3 of our Operating Regulations. In short, they are:
- International Athletes, defined as any athlete who has represented the United States in international competition held under the jurisdiction of Athletics (not including World Youth or World Masters events) within the preceding 10 years OR who has, in the preceding 24 months, placed in the top half of national open championships events the AAC has specifically designated.
- Or, Active Athletes, defined as any individual who is actively engaged in Athletics or who is an International Athlete.
We will achieve our mission by emphasizing the following core values:
- Professionalism
- Integrity
- Transparency
- Timeliness
- Commitment to Excellence
To learn more:
- AAC Leadership Team
- AAC Strategic Goals for 2019
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Latest News and Information
- Contact the AAC
Letter from the AAC Chair
It is a great honor to serve as your Athletes Advisory Committee (AAC) Chair. The purpose of AAC is to communicate the interest and protect the rights of the athletes, in collaboration with USATF. It is my hope that you will use our committee as a resource throughout your career. Our leadership team is here to assist you; even if we do not have an answer, we will find someone who does.
I’ve truly enjoyed my time being involved with AAC. Even though change is a slow and arduous process, you can see the tangible outcomes, which makes it all worth it. My career started at the bottom; I know what it’s like to struggle and grind for years with nothing more than a dream, untapped ability, and no knowledge of potential resources. For this reason, it is the goal of my leadership team to ensure you are equipped with the support needed to achieve your goals, which was not the case when I started.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact anyone on our leadership team. We are all here to serve you.
Go Team USA!
Jeff Porter, Ph.D.
