FAQs

Important team and competition announcements can be found on the News page of the Athletics NZ website by clicking on the High Performance category.

A selection policy is for a team that Athletics NZ manages whereas a Nomination Criteria is for a team that Athletics NZ puts forward to a partner organisation for consideration. E.g. the NZOC, or PNZ. There are also different requirements for a Policy vs a Criteria.

• Where and when the competition is being held.
• Nomination/Selection Philosophy – Top 16, Top 32, etc.
• Entry Requirements – categories and distances, age requirements, team sizes, etc.
• Qualification Period dates.
• Performance Standards / Entry Standards.
• Due date for submitting your application for selection form.
• Bond – how much, how to pay it, when to pay it by, how it is applied, refunds, etc.
• Compulsory Selection/Nomination Trials – where and when, information on how to apply for dispensation, to who and by when, etc.
• Selection/Nomination Announcement date.
• Non-Selection/Nomination queries and/or appeals process.
• Funding Information – including an estimate of the trip cost.

Selection Policies and Nomination Criteria are always released on the News page of the Athletics NZ website, so it is important to check regularly. We also announce the release of a Selection Policy or Nomination Criteria through our social media channels, so it is helpful to follow Athletics NZ on Facebook, Twitter, & Instagram. You can also sign up to the fortnightly ‘Athletics in Action’ newsletter here to stay in the loop.

An Application for Selection/Nomination Form is required for almost every team and it can be found a number of ways. On the Competitions page of the Athletics NZ website when you click on to the specific competition you are interested in you will see a link to the Application for Selection form which, when clicked, will take you to a registration page. You can also click on the Application for Selection/Nomination Form link within the Selection Policy or Nomination Criteria that will take you through to the registration page, or you can click on the Application for Selection/Nomination Form link that we also add to the Selection Policy/Nomination Criteria announcement article.

Information from previous competitions, including Selection Policies and Nomination Criteria, can be found in the Past Competitions/Results section of the Athletics NZ website. Click on the competition to see more information.

A Long List is a list of athletes who may be eligible for nomination for any Games team that is run by either the NZOC or PNZ. For example, the Commonwealth Games or the Youth Olympic Games.

Applying for the NZOC/PNZ Long List is the same process as submitting an Application for Selection Form in that the link will be  on the Competitions tab of the Athletics NZ website when you click on to the relevant competition (Commonwealth/Olympic/Paralympic Games, etc). The Application for NZOC/PNZ Long List will also be available via a link in the Nomination Criteria as well as the article announcing the release of the Nomination Criteria.

Only available upcoming competitions will show for you to tick when you are submitting an Application for Selection Form or an Application for NZOC/PNZ Long List. If competitions are not showing it means that either the applications have not yet opened, or the deadline has already passed, and applications are closed. Applications open once the Selection Policy or Nomination Criteria have been announced and the Policy/Criteria will include the application closing date.

The competitions calendar provides athletes and coaches with the following information:

• Level of a competition e.g. White (W), Silver (S), or Black (B) Singlet.
• Competition dates and location
• Selection Policy/Nomination Criteria/Statement
• Website link for further information on the Championship/Competition
• Link to Application for Selection Form or Application for NZOC/PNZ Long List

There are three different tiers of teams (Black, Silver, & White Singlet) when competing for Athletics NZ.

Black Singlet Teams compete at competitions such as Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, World Athletics Track & Field Championships (Indoor & Outdoor), Commonwealth Games, World Athletics U20 Championships, World Athletics Para Championships and World Athletics Para Junior Championships.

Silver Singlet Teams compete at competitions such as International Association of Ultrarunners (IAU) World Championships, International University of Sports Federation (FISU) World Championships, World Mountain Running Association (WMRA) World Championships as well as any additional World Athletics Championships outside of the above Black Singlet competitions e.g. World Athletics Cross Country Championships.

White Singlet Teams compete at any other competitions where an athlete or team is being selected to represent Athletics NZ e.g. Oceania Area and Combined Events Championships.

The number and type of team management positions available will differ for each team based on several factors including but not limited to team size, event groups, destination, staff availability, etc. Below is a brief overview of the roles associated with our Team Appointments.

Note: All Team Leaders, Operations Managers and Team Coaches are required to be registered with Athletics New Zealand Coach Membership.

Team Leader:

• The Team Leader will have the overall responsibility for the welfare of the team.  Working in coordination with the Operations Manager and team coaches. The Team Leader is responsible for establishing an acceptable team environment to facilitate successful outcomes by team members.
• The Team Leader is also responsible for coordinating the work of the team coaches, medical staff and other team support staff.
• In addition to the duties for which the Team Leader is solely responsible for, there are many elements of team management and administrations that they also must attend to.
• In addition, the team management will need a working understanding of drug testing and media services (if applicable)
• Post-event, the Team Leader will be required to submit a report.

Operations Manager:

• Operations manager refers to the coordination of various operational and administration duties that are required in order for any team to participate successfully. The administrative functions cover a wide variety of areas including event travel logistics, pre‐planning, communications, event issues and so on.
• How well these various functions are managed can have a significant impact on the success of the team.
• Not every team requires an Operations Manager – this is dependent on team size and other variables with regards to the competition.

Team Coaches:

Team Coaches provide key support to athletes before and at a championship or competition and will often be required to advise athletes on technical matters in the absence of a personal coach. Event Coaches will need to liaise with the Team Leader and HP Teams Coordinator to coordinate the following:

• Knowledge of specific coaching, technical and tactical matters relative to the events for which they are responsible
• Providing specific coaching, technical and tactical services for athletes at the competition.
• Assistance with training programs of athletes and any specific coaching requirements by liaising with athlete/coaches when on tour.
• Coordinate with the Team Leader on appropriate team pre‐event planning and competition strategies.
• Take an overview of an athlete’s preparation and ensure coach/athlete planning is carried out to maximize performance.
• The number of Team Coaches allocated to any travelling team will vary from event to event and will be allocated according to the event group break down of athletes travelling.

Medical staff positions such as physios and doctors are not usually advertised for our Travelling teams. Please contact HP Teams Coordinator, Brianna, for more information.

White and Silver singlet Team Management vacancies are advertised on the Competitions page of the Athletics NZ website under the competition that they are available for. If there are no additional staffing requirements for that team, then there will not be a Team Management vacancy link. A statement will be published on the News page of the Athletics NZ website will include a link to further information and so will the Selection Policy or Nomination Criteria for the competition.

We take the appointment of leaders, coaches and support staff for teams that represent Athletics NZ very seriously.

All Team Leaders, Operations Managers and Team Coaches are required to be registered with Athletics New Zealand Coach Membership.

These are some of the qualities we are looking for in team appointments:

• Should be proficient in a range of technical events and knowledge. For example, we may require a coach experienced in Hammer, Shot Put, and Discus at a high level and who can cover other events at times to assist other team coaches. This is why we often wait until the team is selected to appoint the coaches.
• Applicants familiar with high level competitions. The World Championships are elite competitions and require support staff who are accustomed to the requirements of these meetings.
• Applicants who have experience coaching a squad of athletes with a variety of needs, a centre team or experience on development trips to observe how they operate with other coaches and athletes in a team environment.
• Applicants who will work as part of the team. In the past we have found some coaches who have athletes in the team and have subconsciously treated their athlete differently.
• Management and Coaches, who at times can be firm with athletes whose behaviour is sometimes inappropriate.
• We often need a balance of male and female management staff in order to suit the team requirements.

Not every applicant will meet the aforementioned criteria, but this it is what we are aiming for. If the overall applicants for a team position do not meet our needs, we will extend our search and invite others to apply.

The selection panel includes Athletics NZ staff members with experience managing teams, coach development and high performance. The group also confers with the CEO if necessary. The appointments are then approved by the Athletics NZ Board.

If your question is not answered by any of our FAQs, please contact teams@athletics.org.nz .