Job Description for AAC Representatives
“To communicate the interests and protect the rights of athletes, in cooperative support of the USOC achieving its mission” — Athletes’ Advisory Council Mission Statement
Athletes’ Advisory Council representatives and alternates are elected to 4-year terms by fellow athletes within their respective National Governing Body (NGB), Paralympic Sport Organization (PSO), or High Performance Management Organization (HPMO). The next term of the AAC begins on January 1, 2017.
During a term, an AAC representative is expected to attend all AAC meetings that he or she reasonably can. The AAC conducts 3 meetings a year, generally in January, May, and September. Including travel, meetings most often require a Friday-Sunday time commitment. All necessary expenses for travel, lodging, and food are covered. A representative may be replaced by his or her alternate if the representative fails to attend 3 consecutive AAC meetings for any reason or at least half of scheduled AAC meetings in any two year period during the quadrennium.
A representative’s primary objective is to help uphold the AAC’s mission as stated above. To do so, representatives will find it helpful to pay attention to all AAC communication, as well as volunteer for and actively engage in occasional task forces, committees, and working groups. Such work often occurs outside of regular AAC meetings via email and teleconference. Representatives will find gaining familiarity with various AAC, USOC, and NGB governing documents imperative to fulfilling their role.
Furthermore, AAC representatives should expect to be actively engaged with their NGB/PSO/HPMO in such ways as maintaining open lines of communication with the executive director, sitting on the governing body’s Board of Directors, and being involved in the development of the High Performance Plan and the selection procedures for major championship events. Critically, effective representatives will establish open lines of communication with their NGB’s athlete pool, both to disseminate information from the AAC to athletes and to receive athlete issues and concerns to be taken to the AAC.
Individuals wishing to pursue election to the AAC will find much more information about the AAC and a more detailed “Roles and Responsibilities for AAC Reps” document on the AAC website at www.usathlete.org You can also access the AAC website via the USOC website under Athletes > Athlete Resources.
