Sunday, August 13, 2006
PanAm Part 2..........
Ok, so where'd I leave off? I think it was about the time I somehow became the facilities coordinator for the entire event (without ever being asked or volunteering for said position).
So, being from the host country I somehow assume the duty of talking to the PG facility and relaying the information to the committee members. At this point in time I had no contact info for any of the committee members, and just sort of had to wander around and talk to one if I just so happend to see him/her. Eventually I managed to get the emails of two important people and communicated with them, as they were the only two who seemed to be communicating with me.
I managed to secure a decent time and date and cost for the PG facility and effectively (or so I thought) relayed that info on to the proper (or so I thought) individuals. This was on Thursday, and we were supposed to go to the PG facility on Friday evening. I was pretty sure that my part of this deal was over at this point in time. I'd used up countless minutes on MY cell phone, and taken time away from the athletes (the whole reason I was there in the first place) in order to accomplish this feat. So Thursday went out without issue and Friday came.
Friday started off quite well actually (weather wise), and had the proper authorities planned it, events could have been held in the morning. Nonetheless, I roll in at 10 as usual to find nothing going on but basketball. I get a call from PG asking to verify the time and events to be held for the evening. Well, I didn't know these details, so I went to find someone who did. Apparently PG had been getting calls from officials asking, what seemed to be, strange questions about locations, events, and whatnot. Come to find out that these questions were not at all strange because, in fact, they were precisely what the committee had told them. At this point in time I felt that I was basically back to square one with the facilities management issue. At some point in time there was a discussion (without myself) that the time might be changed to acommodate daylight. This started a snowball effect of ineffective communication, confusion, and eventually a cancellation from PG for lack of consistency and short term notice. This is where I signed off. Someone actually asked me to call PG back and ask someone else if we could use the facility. I flat out said "no." Again, I think the madness is over. The heat emergency was over so it didn't matter any more. Once the evening hours came it would be suitable for the kids to compete outside and we didn't need an indoor facility. Well, this wasn't good enough for some people. The other ATC and myself received a lecture (and extensive attitude) from a track coach who shall not be named. Let me just say, that if I knew ASL as well I everyone thinks I do that I would probably no longer be employed by GU and I certainly wouldn't have worked the last two days of PanAm. Good thing for everyone involved that when this unnamed person signed to me "don't get that attitude with me," it went right over my head. Had I understood I would've promptly given him a sign of my own, turned, and walked away. Anyway, that didn't happen so we stood there and took all the crap he was dishing out. I'll never forget his primary point..... I shouldn't have been communicating with the two people who communicated with me. According to him, I should have communicated only with him, even though he never once communicated with me. Apparently, in his mind, he was the only person worth notifying and the other committee members were not to be consulted..........on anything...........even though they consulted with me........on many things. Laughable at best. I found out a few hours later what had been said when the other ATC asked me what I thought when the coach said that to me. Nice huh? Anyway, the blam was laid on us (me and the other ATC) for the facilities issue, the weather, the communication issues, the whole nine yards. I'll remind you at this point that I am an athletic trainer. A medical professional who deals not in matters of facilities management, event planning, acts of God, or miracles alltogether. When athletes get hurt, I fix them, or help them to get fixed, or whatever needs to be done in the way of dealing with their injury. Yet, all our faults, and we're terrible people to boot. Good thing I can laugh about this. I laughed about it then (it was so easy considering the source) and I laugh about it now. Unfortunately, the other ATC was not laughing and truly felt bad. I told him repeatedly that in no way shape or form should he feel bad and that the coach is a complete and total imbicile. We told the committee that they were free to hold all events outside starting that evening and continuing all day Saturday. This is where I'll leave off for now. The actual story of the events is definitely a blog of its own.
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