USAWA

by Al Myers

At the IAWA Worlds last weekend I conducted my first IAWA World Council Meeting as the IAWA President.  It was a well attended meeting – possibly one of the largest attended ever.  I took roll call and counted 28 members in attendance.  This report is not intended to be the official minutes of the meeting.  Frank Allen is the IAWA General Secretary and with that title comes the duty of keeping the official meeting minutes.  If I receive the official minutes from him I will also run them on the USAWA website.

The IAWA Vice President’s (up to 2 from each member nation) were confirmed: United States – Denny Habecker and Chad Ullom, UK – Steve Gardner and George Dick, Australia – Peter Phillips and Robin Lucocious, and New Zealand – Cliff Harvey.  The only VP’s not in attendance at the meeting were Chad Ullom, Robin Lucocious, and Cliff Harvey.  The IAWA Technical Committee was confirmed: Dennis Mitchell (chairman-USA), Denny Habecker (USA), Al Myers (USA), Steve Gardner (UK), Steve Sherwood (UK), and Peter Phillips (Australia).  It was unfortunate that Dennis Mitchell could not be in attendance.  Dennis NEVER misses a World Meeting,  but had to this time since he has just recently had a knee replaced and could not fly.  No one on the technical committee had anything to report on so there were no technical reports.   During new business, Peter Phillips from Australia presented a new lift to be considered by the membership. It is an overhand deadlift using what is called a “Phillips Grip” – a grip in which the bar is held be the end of the fingers only, and can not touch the palm or thumb. The Australians had contested this lift in a local meet and felt it was well received.  Akele then presented a dumbbell lift in which a db is pressed overhead, and then a squat is performed holding the dumbbell overhead. After some discussion, it was agreed that these lifts need to be presented to the IAWA technical committee first for review, and then when proper rules are written be presented next year at the World Meeting for a vote and possible acceptance.  I addressed this at the meeting, and I want to here as well on the proper way I feel new lifts should be presented in IAWA.  First, I think both of these presented lifts sound good, but need more review first before being accepted as a new lift. Once accepted as an official lift, there is no going back so we need to be diligent in making sure that new lifts are “good lifts” – meaning they have well written rules in hand first before being voted on and accepted.  The problem is that a process for this (lift proposals) is not outlined anywhere in IAWA.  I feel  this protocol should be the proper procedure for this: 1. When a lifter has an idea for a lift, he provides a good description and written rules for the lift to the IAWA Technical Committee first during the year, 2. The Technical Committee evaluates the lift, makes recommendations on the rules of the lift with possible changes or adding more technical detail, and then take a vote on whether the lift should be proposed to the membership for vote, 3. The proposed lift, with a well written rule in hand, is presented to the membership for vote, 4. The lift AS IS either passes or fails, and no changes are made once presented.  If it fails for some reason, it should be “taken back” to the Technical Committee for re-evaluation and possible changes to be proposed the following year.   By having a process like this in place, it provides adequate time for a thorough evaluation before a lift is presented and accepted.  Also, what is the point of the Technical Committee if they are not really in charge of addressing technical issues like new proposed lifts?

Other new business included a proposal from me that we OFFICIALLY have an IAWA World Postal Meet.  We have been having World Postal Meets (in some form) every year, but never under official direction of the IAWA.  Everyone was in agreement on this and during the discussion a couple of other items were added to my motion as amendments.  First – the IAWA World Postal Meet could be conducted using one official (instead of the three required in IAWA), and Second – it  would contain the first days lifts of that year’s  World Championships, and Third – it would be conducted in the month of August which is a couple of months in advance of Worlds.  Having it as this time would allow the lifters who are training for the Worlds to easily be able to “work in” these postal lifts for the World Postal Meet, plus add incentive to others to attend Worlds since they have already done half of the World Meet lifts in preparing for the World Postal.  Steve Gardner agreed to promote the World Postal Meet next year, but only wanted to commit to one year on it at this time.

The lifts that were submitted by Frank Ciavattone, the promoter of the 2014 IAWA Worlds, were voted on and passed as submitted.  The lifts will be: Day 1- Cheat Curl, Pullover and Press, and the 1 Arm Deadlift.  Day 2 – 1 Arm Clean and Jerk, Continental Clean and Jerk, and the Ciavattone Grip Deadlift.  The date was set as September 27th & 28th in Norwood (close to Boston). 

Proposal were made and accepted for upcoming  years IAWA Events. These bids were accepted:

2014 Gold Cup – Burton, England Promoter – Steve Gardner
2015 Worlds – Glasgow, Scotland  . 
2015 Gold Cup – Perth, Australia
2016 Worlds – Auckland, New Zealand Promoter – Cliff Harvey
2016 Gold Cup – Abilene, Kansas Promoter – Al Myers

Overall it was a very productive IAWA Annual Meeting.  The meeting lasted less than 2 hours and a lot was decided upon. I feel very good about the future of IAWA!!!