Mark Anderson

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR'S COLUMN:
HIGH HOPES FOR THE AFLWA

The Arena Football League Writers Association is just beginning, but we have grand visions of what our organization can become.

To reach those goals, we need your help. Only through strong membership can the AFLWA truly reach its potential. Without you, we will be mediocre at best.

But with you, we can become as strong as some of the more established sports journalism associations, such as the Football Writers Association of America and the United States Basketball Writers Association. That idea may sound too idealistic to you, but with your help, we can make such a goal a reality by trying to find ways to be unique and truly stand out from those groups.

The most powerful such organization is the Baseball Writers Association of America, which votes on the Hall of Fame and other major honors. It is a truly exclusive group that is not easy to join.

While we would love to eventually reach the BBWAA's level, I don't want the AFLWA to ever become that exclusive. My hope is to see our association meet the needs of everyone from print reporters to ArenaFan writers to broadcasters to public relations directors. Only by understanding the issues that confront each one of us can we truly establish the work environment best suited for everyone.

So just because you are not a newspaper reporter doesn't mean you can't join the AFLWA. We also welcome those involved in coverage of af2, including that league's public relations directors.

We already have a liaison for the ArenaFan writers, and we also would like to set up similar positions for broadcasters and public relations directors.

What can the AFLWA do for you? Plenty.

We will be your voice whenever issues come up that need to be addressed immediately. If you are a reporter having trouble with access to post-game interviews, you can contact us. If you are public relations director having trouble with a reporter who asks players for autographs, you can contact us.

However, we are not simply a place to go to with problems. We want to a positive force that helps each segment involved in covering the league. If you carry an AFLWA membership card, we want you to stand out as someone who is taken serious about his or her job.

• Access to the monthly newsletter. This month's issue is available to everyone, but the rest will be for members only.

• Access to the Web site. The site is new and isn't where it will eventually will be with information on teams that won't be found elsewhere and with a message board to share ideas and comments along with many other features.

• Preseason and year-end voting. Members already have been able to take advantage of voting for the preseason All-AFL Team and ranking the top eight teams. After the season, members also will be able to vote for the All-AFL Team and other top league awards. We also plan to eventually establish our own awards.

Those are just a few benefits, and we are working on others as well. We want and need you, and the stronger we are, the stronger you will be.

Mark Anderson is the executive director of the AFLWA. He also cover the Gladiators for the Las Vegas Review-Journal.