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When
brave Lycra-clad skiers leap into the air at breathtaking speeds
at the XIX Winter Games in Salt Lake City in February 2002, Alan
will feel the thrill of victory. As the technical expert in the
ski jumping and Nordic combined events for the Salt Lake Organizing
Committee, Alan worked with architects and engineers to oversee
the construction of "K-120," the newest and greatest ski jump in
the world. At 343 vertical feet, K-120 is the equivalent to 50 stories
high and will propel skiers into a 62 mile-per-hour free-fall.
In
addition to ensuring that K-120 is just right for jumping, Alan
hopes to provide the best possible training advantage to the U.S.
team as it goes for gold. "In this job," he says, "you get to work
with real pros at the top of their field, and that's an awful lot
of fun."
Alan
also sources, prices, and researches the best equipment to install
on the jump, including all the gizmos that measure speed and distance
and the grooming devices manufactured to his specifications to ensure
that the hill is in perfect condition for every spectacular jump.
In
addition to being a technical expert, an Olympic sports manager
is surrogate parent, psychologist, travel agent, tutor, best friend,
and worst enemy to a group of amazingly talented and motivated teenagers.
Think vast quantities of cortisone rub. Think trying to nurture
the best-toned athletes in the world - egos and all. It isn't always
minty-fresh moments.
"If
you put on an event of a certain caliber, there are specific things
you have to know: what kind of hotels athletes and coaches can and
can't stay in, what the prize money has to be, what kind of day
money goes to each of the individuals, and so on," he says. "You
have to have been around the block and have a fair amount of experience
with planning and budgeting."
Traveling
to other competition sites is a big part of the job. Alan acts as
tour guide, bringing key people from his organizing committee to
sites in Europe and Asia. There, he introduces them to people doing
similar jobs for World Cup or World Championship events.
With
the endless excursions, teams get used to sleeping in airports on
top of a mountain of ski bags, equipment, and luggage. One time
Alan was whisked off the streets of a small Italian village by the
secret police, who had noticed that he was being followed. And then
there was the bomb threat in the Swedish hotel. The whole team was
evacuated by the Secret Service and hidden in a disco, where they
were treated to free drinks and 24/7 armed guards.
Alan
has been a competitive skier since he was a teenager, and a coach
for 18 years. As a coach, Alan has been driven by the idea of his
team winning a medal in ski jumping or Nordic combined for the United
States - a feat accomplished only once, in 1938, by Norwegian immigrant
Anders Haugen. "You never forget those actual Olympic moments,"
says Alan, "And if your guys win, you're over the moon." In 2002,
regardless of who goes home with the gold, Alan will be a winner.
So
if you aim for the highest peaks of performance and you don't mind
seeing your breath while you work, think of a career as a winter
sports coach...and dream on!
-
Linda Jenkins, Salary.com Contributor
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