The roll out of this has been markedly poor. I know we have a local Triathlon Congress Rep that engages regionally tied clubs...but I'm not in one locally. However, I do kinda know that this is about. Generically we have to provide greater representation on the USAT Board to international athletes, which is ok. USAT has actually been pretty good in this arena overall.

But even if the membership disapproves, we still have to align the bylaws to the amended laws so a vote will come around again.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

well, funny, i'm a member, i didn't get an email, so i don't have a passcode, and i don't see anything on USAT's website about an election.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Obligatory check spam / promotion / other folder reminder?


(mine goes to my gmail promotion inbox).

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I get like every USAT email...it's like total spam at this point, usually two or three a day now. Got this and I'm like...I kinda know what this is about, but someone tell Rocky and Joel that this isn't how you roll out a vote!

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

.

I saw this thought posted elsewhere...

“ IMPORTANT for USAT Annual Members- PLEASE VOTE ON PROPOSED BYLAWS
If you are an annual USAT Member, you will receive a ballot shortly asking for your vote on certain bylaw changes. Some of these are as a result of requirements of Congress and the USOPC. Some are not. While many of the changes are beneficial, I encourage you to consider a few sections that will dramatically affect the nature of USAT and your participation as a member:
1. The composition of the board with your approval will reduce the number of directors who are elected by you from 6 to 4. There is no compelling rationale for this in my opinion. USAT has always been a membership organization and this change will alter that. Our members are our backbone and pay the bills in the form of their dues, race sanctioning fees, etc. It seems that they should have more than a 1/3 representation on the board.
2. The 4 directors elected by you, our members, will no longer be elected on a regional basis, but nationally based upon candidates placed on the ballot by the Nominating and Governance Committee. While directors do not “represent” the interest of their region as opposed to the interest of USAT as a whole, you would likely be far more familiar with candidates who come from your region. And while board members have a duty to act in the best interest of USAT as a whole, we bring a “regional” voice in terms of how members feel in different parts of our Country.
3. Perhaps one of the most important changes: You will no longer, as members, have a right to vote on any bylaws change. Over the past six years, your right to vote on changes has been limited to just a few sections of the bylaws that effect your membership. You will no longer have that right. So, as example, if a board in future years decides not to have any general directors at all (eliminating the four that would exist should these changes be approved), you would have no say in that.
As a director, I am told that I have a duty to support resolutions passed by the board whether I agree with them or not, however, I believe I have a responsibility to ensure that you are clear on what you are voting for, along with the possible down-side to voting in favor. All I ask is that you seriously consider the above prior to voting. If the proposal is defeated, you will be asked later in the year, to vote on those changes that are required by the USOPC and other sections that would be beneficial, yet preserve the nature of USAT and your membership. But however you feel, please vote!”

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Kiwami Racing Team

After doing some more digging. I voted no out of sheer principle with the roll out of this. From what I understand the board structure does require some change, but not much. In fact we're pretty much already in alignment with the current law, the only thing that needs to happen is an additional International Athlete representation.

This comes off as a complete bait and switch.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

i spoke too fast. i got mine in the email just now. i know how long it takes is to send out a large emailer here at slowtwitch. i can imagine it's likewise with USAT.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

did i read that we are all obligating ourselves to safesport governance? all annual members?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

As a person that eats sports law for a living...the PDF's that they attached to each amendment were found wanting. Seriously didn't tell me what they wanted to change or why. When they're trying to change like 15 things but with only two ballot measures. This wouldn't make it onto a localities ballot without a written opinion from the city attorney. This whole thing is not being done well.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

from USAT's election section, just live on its website. this is among the bylaw changes:

Section 5.4. Membership SafeSport and Anti-Doping Obligations. As a condition of membership in USA Triathlon and a condition for participation in any competition or event sanctioned by USA Triathlon or its member organizations, each USA Triathlon member and each athlete, coach, trainer, agent, athlete support personnel, medical or para-medical personnel, team staff, official and other person who participates in USA Triathlon or USA Triathlon events(whether or not a USA Triathlon member), agrees to comply with and be bound by the safe sport rules, policies and procedures of the U.S. Center for SafeSport and to submit, without reservation or condition, to the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport for the resolution of any alleged violations of those rules, policies and procedures, as may be amended from time to time, to the extent the alleged violation falls within the jurisdiction of the U.S. Center for SafeSport. Each USA Triathlon member and each athlete, coach, trainer, agent, athlete support personnel, medical personnel, team staff, official and other person who participates in USA Triathlon or USA Triathlon events (whether or not a USA Triathlon member) also agrees to comply with and be bound by the athlete safety rules, policies and procedures of USA Triathlon, and to submit, without reservation or condition, to the jurisdiction of USA Triathlon for the resolution of any alleged violations of the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s rules or of USA Triathlon’s rules that do not fall within the U.S. Center for SafeSport’s exclusive jurisdiction and over which the U.S. Centerfor SafeSport declinesto exercise discretionary jurisdiction. To the extent any USA Triathlon rule is inconsistent with the rules of the U.S. Center for SafeSport, such rule is hereby superseded. It is the duty of all Athletes, Athlete Support Personnel and other Persons(as those terms are defined in the World-Anti Doping Code), by virtue of their participation in the Olympic, Paralympic, Pan American, Parapan American or Youth Olympic Games, participation in an Event or Competition organized or sanctioned by an NGB, Paralympic Sport Organization or High Performance Management Organization, participation on a national team, utilization of a USOPC Training Center, receipt of benefits from the USOPC or USA Triathlon, inclusion in the Registered Testing Pool, or otherwise subject to the World AntiDoping Code to comply with all anti-doping rules of WADA, World Triathlon, the USOPC, and of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), including the USADA Protocol for Olympic and Paralympic Movement Testing (USADA Protocol) and all other policies and rules adopted by WADA, World Triathlon and USADA. If it is determined that an Athlete, Athlete Support Personnel, or other Person may have committed a doping violation, the individual agreesto submit to the results management authority and processes of USADA, including arbitration under the USADA Protocol, or to the results management authority of World Triathlon, if applicable or referred by USADA. In addition, Athletes agree to submit to drug testing by USA Triathlon, World Triathlon and/or USADA or their designees at any time and understand that the use of methods or substances prohibited by the applicable anti-doping rules make them subject to penalties including, but not limited to, disqualification and suspension.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

here is the election page. you'll see "new revised bylaw sections" and you'll see another download which is "

• Situation overview and rationale for the recommended bylaw changes - Board of Directors & Elections

there isn't a damned thing in that "rationale" that mentions safesport governance on all annual members. you are a FOOL if you vote for that.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I swear this has come up before on this board and it creates some serious issues. Although I get the spirit of making every member a mandatory reporter, that seems very CYA-esque!

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

this isn't making just every member a mandatory reporter. this is making every member a covered individual. you cannot be a safesport covered individual without taking the training. USAT intends to make everyone a covered individual despite almost none of us taking the training.

this is madness.

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

Yeah I don't know what the head shed thinks they're doing, but, this ain't it.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

I agree this is madness. I voted NO and NO.

Indeed. It’s a no for me, dawg.

I saw no link or description for what safe sport was, just that somebody is asking USAT to require it.

here is what i wrote about 2 years ago. there has been subsequent legislation about safesport, the "empowering olyimpic, paralympic, and amateur athletes act of 2020," passed in october of last year. USAT is going to try to say (i suspect) that these bylaw changes are simply coming into conformity with federal law. that it must do so.

however, in the preamble of that act, the entire narrative is about larry nassar. this isn't us. well, it's "us" when it's a triathlon coach coaching a team of minors. but it doesn't describe the bulk of our sport.

what i need is:

1. an actual legal opinion about whether the federation is forced to consider us all covered individuals.
2. if so, what is safesport doing to make sure the system is not abused, as it has been, in the context of adult-on-adult interactions.
3. how are the federation going to equip its members for this new jurisdiction, if in fact we're subject to it?

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Dan Empfield
aka Slowman

I don't know of any other NGB that is making their entire membership base mandatory reporters. I'm a member of another and only Coaches, Referees, and Administrators are mandatory reporters at the club level.

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Washed up footy player turned Triathlete.

Yes, I remember you wrote about it.

Now very few of my friends know anything about it and will likely be looking to me for an opinion. Since there isn't a description in the ballot material, they will have to go digging for info.

It would be nice if USAT would have provided a link for further reading so we'd know why they think it's important.

PLEASE get this in front of of people at USAT to get a better explanation and understanding. Safesport I always thought was there to *protect* minors because of the power exchange between coach and minor. Adult v adult is just a whole different interaction that I think is going to cause a ton of unintended consequences. Sure it's only going to be the crazies that are issues or very oddity stories, I just think it now is going to open a can of worms that once opened has consequences beyond the real scope of "safesport" needs/is.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

I never got a ballot despite being a member for decades. Any idea what's up and how to rectify that?

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Kiwami Racing Team

Check all your email in boxes- spam, promotion, etc. I get all my usat stuff either in promotion box of inbox. I use gmail not sure what email service you have.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Checked all.....nothing there. Thanks.

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Kiwami Racing Team