To the Members of ITCCCA:
It is with excitement that the officers of ITCCCA announce a change in the annual ITCCCA clinic held each year in January. In 2017, the clinic will be held at the Westin Hotel in Lombard.
The change is one that will allow for a number of improvements to be made to the clinic, chief among them, the ability to host more sessions over two days, Friday, January 13 and Saturday, January 14. This will allow attendees more opportunities to see the line up of speakers for the 2017 clinic. A desire for increased attendance also led to the decision to move to a hotel; the Westin will offer on-site hotel rooms for attendees or speakers wishing to stay overnight and/or bring their families with them to the conference. Additionally, the Westin is accessible by a number of major expressways and highways, allowing for those of you traveling longer distances easier access to the clinic and parking. Given the parking and weather challenges many of you have faced in previous years, we feel that the Westin’s ample parking will vastly improve your ability to make it to the clinic on time.
Another benefit to moving to a hotel is the ability to properly honor Hall of Fame inductees in a setting that befits their dedication and service to the sports of cross country and track and field. A luncheon for those wishing to attend the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be offered for an additional cost to the price of attending the clinic.
While this change may be welcomed by many of you, we realize that there may still be some concerns about making the move to a new location. The fieldhouse space at Oak Park High School has allowed for some speakers to host “learn by doing” sessions, and this will not be possible at the Westin. However, we are confident that speakers will be able to adjust their presentations and utilize videos as a means of demonstrating various exercises or drills. Additionally, many of you may fear a major price increase in the clinic; please know that this will not be occurring, For $80 a person, attendees will have increased opportunities to see speakers over the course of two days. While there will be no luncheon served for all attendees, there will be a social on Friday night, sponsored by First to the Finish, and the Hall of Fame luncheon that will cost an additional $20 per person on Saturday. The Friday night social will continue to recognize the ITCCCA award winners and bring the coaching community together in a relaxed atmosphere. Those of you looking for places to eat breakfast, lunch, or dinner will find ample restaurant options located close to the Westin.
Please note that First to the Finish has signed on to be an official sponsor of the clinic, which helps to keep the costs of the clinic and social at an extremely reasonable price. We would ask that you explore their services and wares as you make orders in the future so that they continue to support our endeavors.
We truly appreciate the work and effort put into the clinic from Oak Park over the years. While we acknowledge that change can be difficult, we believe that this change in location will help to build ITCCCA into a true coaching community in the state of Illinois. We are working to create a stellar line up of speakers and look forward to sharing the wealth of knowledge from coaches in and out of Illinois.
Thank you-
Mark Tacchi
ITCCCA President