Login required to started new threads
Login required to post replies
I think this might have been lightly touched upon in some of the USAT threads but it still baffles me that a single organization exists to represent both the 50 US Pro Triathletes and the 100,000 US Amateur Triathletes. I think we should look at what they have done in Swimming with USA Swimming representing the Olympians and Future Olympians, and US Masters Swimming representing what is essentially the equivalent of the 100,000 Amateur triathletes.
Don't get me wrong here, I am all for developing Olympic caliber athletes, especially juniors and U23's but it seems like a massive conflict of interest that the organization thats SOLE PURPOSE is to get 6 Athletes to the Olympic games every 4 years is representing the rest of us day in and day out.
Couldn't an Amateur USAT exist exclusively from the current USAT and work together where appropriate? We could still donate a percentage of our revenue to the development of Olympic athletes, but that wouldn't be the sole purpose.
Has this already been discussed? I know the World Championships qualification is an issue, but I think USMS has jurisdiction over that for amateurs and I don't see why we couldn't have the same system in Triathlon.
"The more you sweat today, the less you bleed tomorrow"
How would that benefit age-group athletes? Elite athletes damn near OWN USAT along with the race directors, and almost all of the money to run USAT comes from the age-group athletes. Take them (age-groupers) out and you have a handful of pros and a few hundred elites. Where would the pros and elites get their money? Also, the numbers in swimming are about double USAT's numbers, at least. USAS (which isn't run much better than USAT) has, what, about 120,000 members? No clue how many USMS members there are but I would guess there are more of them than age group triathletes.
This might be an interesting idea if it had more flesh on its bones.
-Robert
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank
"Where would the pros and elites get their money? "
They can get jobs.
customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.
My vote for "Post of the Year" so far
I like the idea. But you need to remember that there are craploads of young swimmers in USS clubs that pay dues to USS. Thereby supplementing the money the organization receives from the USOC.
If we separate out, I'm not sure that the elite programs could get by on USOC money alone. Heretofore we (age groupers) have acted as the money source for the elites.
But all this is speculation, since we aven't seen financials published and if the bylaws get changed we never will.
Its not an entirely bad idea, but the ITU (international) determines who gets to pick the worlds team, and they pick USAT. So spilting off would mean no worlds unless you still belong to USAT. Also, we dont know the budgets. A good deal of money comes in because of OLY athletes. Are we sure that the amatures provide more $$ than the elites?
Styrrell
"Are we sure that the amatures provide more $$ than the elites? "
To the races or too USAT? The amatures buy the euipment, magazines, coaches, suplements, visit the websites and pay the coaches. The USAT could go away but the amatuers would still be around.
customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.
Actually, i meant to the organization. Everyone assumes that the amatuers bring in more $$ than the pros. We don't know because we have yet to see the books, but a lot of money comes in from the USOC and from sponsers for the oly games.
Ultimately we don't need the usat, at least in MI you can race a fair amount in non USAT races. But we do give up national rankings and worlds if we do it.
Styrrell
We would give up ranking that is true and I don't thank USAT should go away but all the reading I've been doing here and else where it seems that the USAT doesn't realize they are the expendable ones. Not a lot of us are going to the worlds or the olympics so maybe they should look beyond the money and at who keeps them in buisness.
customerjon @gmail.com is where information happens.
The elites in USA Swimming are supported by butt-loads of 18 & under age-group swimmers. I would imagine the number of age groupers in USA swimming dwarfs the number of masters swimmers. Take away the masters athletes in USAT and there is NOBODY to support the elites. Therefore, we are stuck with them.
50,000 1 year licenses @ $45 = $2,250,000
150,000 single day permits @ $9 = $1,350,000
I have no idea how much money USAT gets from the USOC but my gut tells me it's not close to 3.6 mil. I agree that we need an avenue to get into the world championships, but US Masters Swimming provides this for swimmers so why can't we have a similar set-up.
Here's a question for Lew or Dan or someone in the know: What % of USAT money and resources is dedicated to Pro Athletes and what's left over for amateurs? We'll have a better idea if they abide by the sunshine policy but until then we don't know.
"The more you sweat today, the less you bleed tomorrow"
Ummm.... your question is a good one, but where did the $45 come from? Are you referring to the $30 annual cost of a USAT membership?
The difference is in how the worlds team is picked for swimming vs tri. In swimming USMS is recognized as "the authority". In tri USAT is "the authority". In order to change that we would have to get ITU to recognize the new group rather than USAT. That is highly unlikely to happen, even with ITU not liking USAT. In actuallity it would be more likely to get ITU to completely do away with USAT and recognize the new groupa s the authority for pros, oly, amateurs, everything - but lots of luck.
Styrrell