USATF CEO Max Siegel reflected on his decade at the helm of the organization while speaking yesterday at the '22 SBJ Brand Innovation Summit in Chicago. Siegel said, “One of the goals that I had when I got there was to really kind of take a look at the mission of the organization and have an alignment where we would embrace our athletes. We would figure out exactly what they needed to train and perform.” He aimed to “put together a team of professionals that made our athletes as proud of us on the business side as we were of them on the field of play.” On achieving those goals, Siegel said, “We've been able to bring in new commercial sponsorship. We've been able to implement programs. And having the most successful athletic performance at the last Olympic games and World Championships is really a testament to the team and their support and the areas of sports science and medicine and our commercial partners that really make it all happen.”
ACCESS TO LEADERSHIP: Former U.S. Olympian Jackie Joyner-Kersee brought up how much Siegel inviting her to USATF's national office meant to her. Joyner-Kersee said, “I had never been invited to the national office. You know, as an athlete, you are only supposed to compete. You're not supposed to understand the business side of it, but Max has come in and brought in not only myself, but a lot of the alum." She praised his leadership style, adding, “I think with [his] wealth of knowledge and the people [he has] brought in have helped hopefully to bring on partners who will continue to support not only our sport, but our athletes.” Former U.S. Olympian Chaunte Lowe first met Siegel at the ’12 London Games, and Lowe said she was “shocked” by the fact that Siegel was in the Olympic village. Lowe said, “Traditionally there was a huge brick wall put in place. There was the leadership over here, the athlete and talent over here. And it was an unspoken rule that you don't really cross those lines." She also told a story about being diagnosed with breast cancer, and how Siegel and current Prefontaine Classic Meet Dir John Capriotti helped her throughout her treatment. Lowe: “That’s the power of seeing your athletes as people and having value versus just being a commodity.”
PITCHING SPONSORS: On why brands should partner with USATF or the Prefontaine Classic, Capriotti said if he could only have one asset in the world for his marketing plans, it would be the uniforms on USATF at the Olympics. Capriotti: “It’s a great platform to tell athlete stories, to tell product stories and to engage with consumers around the world." Siegel added, “Partnering with USA Track and Field offers a few things. One, everything you can think about in a traditional sense of partnership, you know, whether it's television and social media, brand ambassadors, consumer engagement, we have all of those things. I think that we add a lot more authenticity and activation ability to the brands because of our programs.” Siegel: “The beauty of the diversity of the sport and the ability to impact people on a human level really gives another element and more texture to that partnership than I've seen in many other areas.”
