Each member of the World Selection Committee has an important thing to contribute and every individual member is aware of what they are looking for and how to go about achieving that. The World Selection Committee is made up of five members who meet each month for a meeting regardless of where the Olympic Games are to be held. These five members are Dr. Robert J. Abbru, dean R. Taggert, Joseph P. Ziemba and John E. Doyle. Each of them has a different area of expertise and they have all chosen different teams for the Olympic Games. This is how the World Selection Committee makes their decisions.
Dr. Robert J. Abbru is a professor at the University of California, Los Angeles studying the relationship between physical education and sport. He has also been involved in Olympic committees as a consultant for many years. His work at UCLA has helped him become familiar with the work of the World Selection Committee. In addition to serving on the organizing committee, Dr. Abbru serves on the boards of several companies involved in the Olympic Games in his role as an athletic director.
Dean Taggert is a member of the American Olympic committee, serving as the chairmanship, planning and coordinating committee. He has also served on the coordinating committee of the 1996 Olympics. John E. Doyle is a former athlete on the United States Olympic committee, serving as the coordinating committee chair. He was responsible for selecting the women’s singles’ and doubles’ team, as well as the other athletes and coaches.
The World Selection Committee meets at least three times each year. At these meetings, there is a short list of twenty to thirty athletes who have been identified as being the best in their sport that can be considered for the position of national Olympic team chairmanship. The committee meets once a month in Washington, D.C. between July and August, and again in September. Between these two meetings, there are changes in the short list, and one or more coaches are replaced.
After making the short list, the World Selection Committee identifies the best six to seven coaches for the position of national team chairmanship. Once the names of the potential candidates are narrowed down, a second round of voting occurs where each candidate is asked to submit a letter of recommendation for consideration. Members of the selection committee will visit the homes of the potential candidates to evaluate the qualifications. Then, the names of the final six are announced at a conference call. From the conference call, the World Selection Committee will narrow the field down again, and announce the names of the final six candidates in the next few weeks.
As mentioned earlier, the World Selection Committee maintains a short list of possible Olympic candidates to be considered for the job of national Olympic coach. Then, the selection committee makes the official decision, based on the information that they have reviewed. Each candidate must pass a medical evaluation and a performance analysis. The selection committee takes into consideration previous performances and achievements, in addition to knowledge of the necessary skills and qualities to be a good coach. The World Selection Committee is careful not to include any specific criteria so that every candidate may be considered. Every possible candidate is reviewed, and the best coaches are hired.