Choose Your Organization Wisely

There are certain aspects that every competitor should take into account before choosing an athletic organization to compete with. If we stop and think for a moment on why some of the world’s largest sporting organizations have gained the status that they have, they all share a common structure that have propelled them to success; both in the eyes of the competitor, the media, event promoters and sponsors. Inarguably the gold medal of distinction in this field would belong to the International Olympic Committee, hosting world wide events that are contested by every nation which have allowed them to reach the summit of athletics with representation from a vast array of sporting events. Athletes receive the ultimate distinction by succeeding in their sport; the roar of victory has led many to the vision of fame, fortune, careers and the once in a lifetime opportunity to stand on the stage of victory amongst the world’s best.
The countless hours of training and commitment pouring forth and converging in the largest competitive event in the world draws many hopefuls who have decided to compete for many reasons.

In looking at an event of such magnitude, you need not consider what the allure of competing in such a venue means as motivations can run in many areas. If we break down some of the more obvious motivations, a template is formed in which an aspiring athletic competitor can use to gauge where to focus their attentions when making the decision to compete with a specific federation or organization. It’s all about following in the footsteps of those who have been successful before us. BBC Sport has offered some interesting facts in their countdown to the 2004 Olympic games in Athens:

· 21,500 members of the media are expected to cover the games from Greece
· Some 28 sports will be represented in 35 venues
· More than 10,500 athletes and 3,000 officials from 199 countries will participate
· 4 ½ million copies of printed material have been mailed from Greece to 202 countries

A federation can boast success when an athlete has the ability to reap the rewards of recognition, status (financial, physical and emotional) and all of the offshoots that this paves including publicity, honor and self-gratification. Winners make families, trainers, friends and even nations proud of their athletic achievements.

You would hate to think that months and years of intensive training and sports-specific conditioning would fail to yield you the most advantageous benefits in return. Research and choose a federation wisely as it’s simply not feasible to direct your efforts in areas that will have little regard. Some very large criteria should stand out in basing your decision on choosing your sporting path:

· The organization should utilize strict policies to ensure that competitors are competing against fellow athletes of a similar caliber (drug testing, level of experience (novice, junior, professional or age specific provisions are set in place) to ensure the most competitive venue.
· Several events worldwide should be available to span and seek out talent from around the globe.
· A hierarchy or achievement should be in place so that competitors can progress through the ranks to attain elite levels which offer much of the praise that we spoke earlier of.
· The organization should be able to offer the athlete recognition, ongoing support and avenues for improving through further training, development and education (many organizations will use various forms of media such as internet, training manuals, courses and seminars). This being formed through the broadcast of sporting events and the tracking of these events through mainstream marketing of magazines, newspapers, television and internet.
· Athletes that excel with an organization should be able to attribute parallel gains from their membership due to their success in sport; an increase in income and opportunities through status and recognition.
· The organization should have strong affiliations to corporate sponsorships that reflect the nature of the sport.
· The organization must be able to adequately promote their events for maximum exposure through the most effective means of media.

In addition to these valuable items is the fact that the athlete must be shown a competitive experience that is memorable, enjoyable and worthy of coming back to regardless of their success. Participation must be achieved not only by the competitors but through spectators, sponsors and media to solidify the structure of a sports organization.

In the past seven years, the World Natural Sports Organization has continued to evolve using this template of success in their efforts of taking bodybuilding, fitness, figure competitions, strength events and modeling across the world and into the homes of sporting fans.

In our next segment we will touch on the various aspects of the World Natural Sports Organization as we are sure to strike a tone of interest in Pure Power Mag readers. Start buckling down on the training and stay tuned for your opportunity at FAME.

Daryl Gazey is the Judging Coordinator and Director of Operations for the World Natural Sports Organization (WNSO) and booking/talent director of The FAME Agency (www.thefameagency.com). Daryl has attained an elite level of expertise in the fields of event specialization preparation, fat loss, muscle gain, physical transformation, strength & conditioning and sports nutrition & supplementation, with 20 years of experience in the Industry. You may recognize Daryl from the myriad of media and lecturing appearances he has made over the years, which include TSN, City TV’s Breakfast Television and numerous television/radio interviews.

For more information on the WNSO & their FAME World Event Series, visit www.FAMEworldevents.com or send an email to compete@wnso.com