RED text was added after the meeting This document serves as the official 2016 Raw Committee meeting minutes (prepared and submitted by Joe Warpeha)
2016 Raw Committee Meeting Atlanta, GA October 12, 2016
Meeting start time - 7:05pm
Welcome from the Raw Committee Members (current term dates): Matt Gary (2013 2016) Ryan Gleason (2014 2017) Arian Khamesi (2015 2018) Tonya Lambeth (2015 2018) Angela Simons (2013 2016) Joe Warpeha (chair) (2014 2017)
Thank You Josh Rohr (meet director) and his staff: Hope Hunt LaTavia Bowens Samantha Shuler Trey Cunningham Mike Zawilinski Jack Marcus Spotters, loaders, scoring table, registration, etc. USA Powerlifting officials and volunteers 75 state, national, international referees The 1100+ lifters entered this year The Westin Peachtree Plaza and its staff
Thank You Meet Sponsors
USA Powerlifting Membership Current membership as of October 12: 12,646!
USA at 2016 IPF Raw Worlds Team Placings - Women Subjunior: 1 st place Junior: 1 st place Open: 1 st place Master I: 1 st place Master II: 2 nd place Master III: 1 st place Master IV: 1 st place Team Placings - Men Subjunior: 1 st place Junior: 1 st place Open: 1 st place Master I: 1 st place Master II: 1 st place Master III: 1 st place Master IV: 1 st place Team coaches: Sioux-z Hartwig-Gary (Open) Arian Khamesi (Sub-Jr/Jr) Paulie Steinman (Master)
USA at 2016 IPF Raw BP Worlds Team Placings - Women Subjunior: 1 st place Junior: 4 th place Open: 1 st place Master I: 2 nd place Master II: 1 st place Master III: N/A Master IV: 1 st place Team Placings - Men Subjunior: N/A Junior: 8 th place Open: 2 nd place Master I: 2 nd place Master II: 2 nd place Master III: 1 st place Master IV: 1 st place Team coaches: Bill Hennessey Steve Petrencak
USA at 2016 University World Cup Team Placings - Women Northeastern: 1 st place UT (Austin): 2 nd place Rutgers: 5 th place Team Placings - Men Ohio State: 1 st place Rutgers: 13 th place Team coach: Mike Zawilinski
2016 NAPF Championships 14th Annual NAPF North American Regional Powerlifting Championships All of the men s and women s raw teams that were entered earned team first place finishes Coaches Jim Brown Joe Lewis 10th Annual NAPF Pan-American Regional Bench Press Championships Later this month Coach: Bill Helmich
Future IPF Raw Worlds 2017: Minsk, Belarus (June 14-25) 2018: Calgary, Alberta, Canada (June 6-17) 2019: June 16-23; open bids: Kaunas, Lithuania City TBD, Czech Republic Tartu, Estonia Helsingborg, Sweden Minsk, Belarus
Future IPF Raw BP Worlds 2017: Killeen, TX (April 19-22) 2018: Helsinki, Finland (May 14-19) 2019: May (dates TBD); open bids: Tartu, Estonia City TBD, Czech Republic
Future IPF University World Cup 2017: Potchefstroom, South Africa (July 3-9) 2018: City TBD, Czech Republic (July 8-15) 2019: meet to be held in July (dates TBD) location TBD
Future NAPF Championships NAPF Powerlifting Championship 2017: Orlando, FL (July 5-8) NAPF Bench Press Championship 2017: Toronto, Ontario, Canada (November 2-5)
Team Selection Process http://coaching.usapowerlifting.com/
Team Selection Process
Team Selection Process Summary given by Matt Gary Raw Committee member Coaching Committee chair
2017 Raw Worlds: Team Selection Team selection for U.S. national teams Class winners will receive first invites for men s and women s open, junior, sub-junior, M1, M2, M3, and M4 teams Alternate list: rank ordering of lifters by Wilks score (no more than 2 lifters per weight class) Alternate pool only comes from Raw Nationals Note: When comparing lifters of the same weight class, lifter with higher total will be invited Only the 5 highest ranked alternates will be used
2017 Raw BP Worlds: Team Selection Team selection for U.S. national teams Class winners will receive first invites for men s and women s open, junior, sub-junior, M1, M2, M3, and M4 teams Alternate list: rank ordering of lifters by Wilks score (no more than 2 lifters per weight class) Alternate pool comes from BP Nationals, other national meets, NAPF meets, and IPF meets Note: When comparing lifters of the same weight class, lifter with higher total will be invited Only the 5 highest ranked alternates will be used
2017 University World Cup: Team Selection Summary given by Zac Cooper Collegiate Committee chair Qualifying (3 teams each for men and women) Top 2 raw teams at Collegiate Nationals Top equipped team at Collegiate Nationals Changes due to USA Powerlifting s implementation of registered testing pool Teams need to declare interest and identify all athletes Some latitude has been proposed on process and this will be voted on by Collegiate Committee at a later time
USA Powerlifting at the 2017 Arnold Information on USA Powerlifting Arnold website http://arnold.usapowerlifting.com USA Powerlifting (not NAPF in 2017) Raw Challenge Criteria (Wilks score achieved at 2016 Raw Nationals): Women: 405; Men: 440 First 70 paid entries NAPF Pro American Two flights of raw lifters Automatic invites to U.S. lifters 2016 Raw Nationals open class winners 2016 member of IPF Raw Worlds open team NAPF Pro Raw Bench Press By invite only
USA Powerlifting at the 2017 Arnold Important dates Entry opening dates Raw Challenge: October 30 at 10pm EST 2016 Raw Challenge roster filled in 7 minutes Post-meeting note: 2017 Raw Challenge roster filled in 4 minutes Registration delayed until November 9 (system crashed on October 30) Arnold Pro Event: November 30 Athlete Locator Form (ALF) 4 th quarter: right after entry submission 1 st quarter: December 15 Membership purchase: January 1 Athlete bio: January 15 Weight class changes: February 20
The Arnold: Important Notes World records Current IPF rule: World records can only be set at IPF or NAPF sanctioned meets From the USA Powerlifting Arnold website: The IPF is proposing to eliminate World Records at Non- World or Regionals. If it passes, this will effect World Records at the Arnold. From the USA Powerlifting Arnold website: Event format and/or number of athletes per event may change at the Arnold Organizers request.
Anti-Doping TUEs, athlete responsibilities, resources, etc. Summary given by Cathy Marksteiner Out-of-Meet Testing (OMT) Committee chair
Anti-Doping - General USA Powerlifting follows WADA/IOC standards WADA/IOC banned Russia due to positive drug tests In-meet tests (IMT): at least 10% of lifters competing in a meet Out-of-meet tests (OMT): no-notice testing USA Powerlifting members held to IMT and OMT standards set by WADA Lifters chosen for IMTs/OMTs are not chosen randomly, they are selected based on several factors Some over-the-counter medications contain prohibited substances
Anti-Doping - ALFs Athlete Locator Forms (ALF): completion and submission required for athletes on national teams Athlete must identify where they will be during a 60-minute window every day (i.e., when they will be available for no-notice testing) Three (3) whereabouts failures result in suspension Whereabout failure means athlete was not where he or she said they would be during the identified 60- minute window
Anti-Doping ALFs (con t) Athletes requesting reinstatement must submit ALF six (6) months in advance of reinstatement date An ALF is required for athletes competing in international competition (i.e., IPF events, NAPF events including Arnold events) The ALF must be maintained for 1 year post-meet
Anti-Doping - TUEs Therapeutic Use Exemptions (TUEs) are required for 5 categories of drugs/medications Athletes who have a documented medical need and who have been prescribed a medication that is on the prohibited list may apply for a TUE Applying for a TUE does not guarantee one will be granted (TUE is not rubber-stamped )
Anti-Doping TUEs (stimulants) Kris Hunt, MD (TUE Committee Chair) was in attendance at the meeting and added the following about certain stimulants Stimulant medications for ADHD (i.e., Adderall, Ritalin) likely will require significant substantiation by the prescribing physician to justify the medical necessity of the medication
Anti-Doping TUEs (con t) The TUE process is not an overnight process General turnaround time is 6 weeks A TUE is needed for both USA Powerlifting and international events (IPF, NAPF) USA Powerlifting and IPF require different TUE forms and processes Generally, the processes are similar USA Powerlifting is more stringent than IPF Keep copy of TUE whenever going to compete
Anti-Doping RTP Registered Testing Pool (RTP) recently instituted by USA Powerlifting due to recent drug test failures due to prescription medications More information found here: http://www.usapowerlifting.com/registered-testing-pool-rtp/ Consequences to organization of three (3) positive tests in a one-year period: 10,000 Euro monetary fine Possible suspension of USA Powerlifting from international competition Negative effect on USA Powerlifting s drug-free reputation
International Competition Lifters representing USA Powerlifting Lifters responsibilities Roles of team head coaches Coach-athlete relationship Summary given by Angela Simons Previous national team head coach Secretary, USA Powerlifting
International Competition Athlete responsibilities when on a national team: Meet the deadlines and comply with requests ALF, IPF whereabouts, contracts, team fees Athlete is responsible for communicating with team head coach Injuries, problems making weight, etc. Coaches need to be in the loop with regard to training
International Competition (con t) Athletes earned their position on the team as an individual but need to realize that they are now part of a team Team goals may supersede individual goals Coaches need lots of information on lifters in order to comply with IPF information requirements It helps and is very appreciated when lifters stay (after they are done competing) to help the team
Recent Rule/Policy Changes IPF-approved equipment at Raw Nationals Knee sleeve assistance Cannot use any method (including long socks) to help pull on sleeves
Raw Nationals: Past and Present
2016 Raw Nationals Total number of lifters entered Preliminary: 1180 Final: 1063
Raw Nationals: Future? Ideal size of Raw Nationals is a current topic of much discussion (with many opinions) How big should it be? Very large meet with wide range of lifters? Small meet with only the best of the best? Something in-between? Pros and cons of large and small meets? How do regional meets factor in the equation?
Qualifying Totals (QTs) Topic has been debated since the beginning Has the tipping point been reached with 1100+ lifters? New open QTs were not enough to decrease the size of Raw Nationals QTs approved at last year s meeting for masters and teen/juniors were voted down by the EC Many QT proposals have been suggested
QT Proposal From Raw Committee Pass the remainder of the QT proposal from last year that was voted down by the EC Applies to master and teen/junior lifters
Raw Lifter Classifications (kg) Women 43 47 52 57 63 72 84 84+ Elite (top 2.5%) 275 310 333 358 381 406 439 478 Master (top 5%) 263 296 317 341 362 385 416 452 Class 1 (top 15%) 241 269 287 307 325 345 372 402 Class 2 (top 25%) 228 253 269 287 303 321 345 373 Class 3 (top 50%) 203 223 236 250 263 277 296 317 Class 4 (top 75%) 178 193 202 213 222 232 246 262 Class 5 (top 90%) 156 166 172 179 185 192 202 212 Men 53 59 66 74 83 93 105 120 120+ Elite (top 2.5%) 455 519 566 615 665 714 764 817 875 Master (top 5%) 431 492 537 584 632 679 727 777 833 Class 1 (top 15%) 384 440 481 524 568 612 655 702 753 Class 2 (top 25%) 355 409 448 488 530 571 613 657 705 Class 3 (top 50%) 303 351 386 422 459 496 533 573 616 Class 4 (top 75%) 251 293 324 356 389 421 454 489 527 Class 5 (top 90%) 204 241 268 296 325 354 382 413 447
QT Proposal From Raw Committee QTs Open: Class 1 (top 15%) [already in effect] M1 and Jr: Class 2 (top 25%) [current proposal] M2 and T3: Class 3 (top 50%) [current proposal] T2: Class 4 (top 75%) [current proposal] T1: Class 5 (top 90%) [current proposal] M3 and M4/M4+: any total [already in effect]
QT Proposal From Raw Committee Raw Committee proposes to put these QTs into effect in January, 2017 and have them apply for the 2017 Raw Nationals and beyond Due to time constraints, proposal will require Executive Committee approval to put into place without NGB approval
Effects of Proposed QTs on Lifters Entered in 2016 Raw Nationals Female T1 T2 T3 JR M1 M2 Entered 12 20 35 105 57 34 Make QT 10 15 26 65 36 19 Cut 2 (17%) 5 (25%) 9 (26%) 40 (38%) 21 (37%) 15 (44%) Male T1 T2 T3 JR M1 M2 Entered 6 41 71 213 64 47 Make QT 6 38 59 158 42 32 Cut 0 (0%) 3 (7%) 12 (17%) 55 (26%) 22 (34%) 15 (32%) Data analysis courtesy of Joe Marksteiner
QT Proposal Discussion
QT Discussion Alternative QT proposals were made by Curt St. Romain and Mike Zawilinski Johnny Graham mentioned that low QTs allow lifters with little or no experience to get to nationals Sioux-z Hartwig-Gary indicates that new lifters for whom Raw Nationals is their second-ever contest do not know the rules and are ill-prepared for the meet Extreme QT proposal would hurt the next few Raw Nationals meet directors who bid on a meet with certain expectations in terms of numbers Contracts have already been signed
QT Discussion (con t) Joe Warpeha states that the current QT proposal moves things in the right direction but is not too extreme The topic of regionals is brought up and the question is asked: If anyone (or most) can go to nationals (via low or nonexistent QTs), why would anyone go to regionals? Regionals in 2016 had lower-than-expected attendance and growing these meets is an organizational priority Erin Ribic tells the group that she thinks regionals will grow organically
QT Proposal The Vote Proposal submitted by Raw Committee is passed (37 in favor and 1 opposed) Post-meeting note: The recommendation of the Raw Committee regarding the QT proposal was forwarded to the Executive Committee who approved the new QTs effective January 1, 2017 The QTs (new QTs for teens, juniors, M1s, and M2s) in effect for 2017 Raw Nationals can be found here: http://www.usapowerlifting.com/lifterscorner/qualifying-totals/
Future Raw Nationals 2017: Orlando, FL (October 11-15) meet director: Robert Keller 2018: Spokane, WA (October 12-14, 2018) meet directors: Danna Snow and Erin Ribic 2019: Bid to be awarded in 2017
Raw Rankings Summary given by Arian Khamesi Raw Committee member Junior/Subjunior Raw National Team Coach The raw rankings (see next two slides) were developed to recognize lifters achievements and to market raw lifting
Raw Rankings
Raw Rankings
High School and Collegiates In 2016, a raw division is offered for the first time in both Collegiate Nationals and High School Nationals Zac Cooper states that the addition of raw lifting to Collegiate Nationals was a success 2016 Collegiate Nationals had a total of 620 lifters between raw and equipped competitors
Elections Two positions on the Raw Committee Terms are three years in length Expectations of committee members Nominations received: Matt Gary (incumbent) [elected] Dominic Sirianni [elected] Jennifer Thompson Chris Aydin John Downing Vote required
Regional System
Regional System Summary given by Paulie Steinman Regional Committee chair Member, Executive Committee First regional meets rolled out in fall, 2016 Meets will move to July and August starting in 2017 Low numbers in 2016 may be due, in part, to timing of regionals right after Raw Nationals
Regional System (con t) Goal is for there to be a natural progression in the various levels of competition within USA Powerlifting Local State Regional National States are being asked to move state championships to first six months of the year to facilitate regional system
Regional System (con t) Bids for 2017 currently being solicited Some have already been awarded Northwest, Southwest, Midwest Deadline for other regions: November 15, 2016 Regional Committee will ask that National Office not grant any sanctions for local meets within a time window of two weeks before to two weeks after a regional meet (i.e., 1-month blackout period) in that particular region
Items from the floor? None
Adjourn Thank you for attending and for your continued support of USA Powerlifting Please feel free to contact any of the Raw Committee members with questions, concerns, and suggestions
Adjourn Meeting adjourned at 9:26pm A total of 64 members were in attendance at some point during the course of the meeting
Thank You Thank you to Joe Marksteiner for keeping detailed notes of the meeting Thank you to Anna White for running the meeting sign-in, confirming current membership status of attendees, and distributing voting cards
Good Luck And Safe Lifting To All Competitors!