I have been wondering more and more what value I’m getting from USAT for my $39. Don’t get me wrong… I believe there needs to be a governing body and am in support of our sport and any entity that can help it. However, $39?? Before becoming a member, I was paying the $9 single race fee. $9 to an organization for 1 race?? Seems a bit excessive to me. Can someone tell me what value the average age group triathlete is getting for this fee? I went to their website and it seemed like a bit of spin job if you ask me. This sport is expensive enough that we don’t need another entity sucking more cash out of us.
That’s nothing try 60 for a USA cycling one, and that’s just for road or mountain, if you want to race both, It’s another 30 more.
Are you saying it would be better without them? No rules, no insurance. No this or that?
I think for the money they do a great job. Not perfect, but what in life is.
Dave
I agree and dropped my membership when the largest race director in the area went with another insurance provider. At that point it was completely useless to me.
let’s say you lived in a very rural area, and you and a bunch of your neighbors established a food co-op. you could either pay for the food as you bought it, plus 5%, or you could pay $39 per year and not pay the 5% bump. if you decided on the annual pay method, then that makes you a member of the co-op, you are an equal share owner of it, and you are part of the process when it came time to decide what the store would carry, what hours it would be open, etc. alternatively, instead of you being queried every time such a decision had to be made, you and a group of your closest neighbors appointed a board member to represent you in front of your co-op.
that’s what USAT is. be a member or don’t, as it suits you, but just remember that if it goes away because of the apathy of you and your neighbors, you’re going to have to drive a long way to eat, and/or spend a lot of your time hungry.
And just who is being insuraned? (not the folks paying the money). Lots of rules, but no enforcement. This is just another layer of cost to the athlete. Tim
Dan:
Thanks for the well reasoned response. Certainly answered the value question. Also appreciated is the no “knee jerk” reaction that I don’t “want this or that”. It was an honest, simple question regarding USAT.
Out of continued curiosity though, can a “member” see the financials of the “co-op” or is it closed? In general, people think business make more money than they really do, but it would be interesting to see how my club, co-op, organization, etc. allocates funds.
Thanks!
it was not always the case that you could see the financials. but it is now. a few years back a couple of us started a member petition and it was carried by the membership, and part of the bylaw changes that petition required was an added bylaw entitled “sunshine policy.” since then, financials have been published on the website. admittedly, it is not easy to find, but you’ll find the financials here.
“…what value I’m getting from USAT for my $39.”
there’s a lot really. and that’s coming from someone who has had his share of disagreements with a few of the folks at HQ.
the absolute bottom line is that it is the only governing body for the sport. you are either in the mix, or watching from the outside. that’s not to say i won’t do non-sanctioned races since i do. but that is a viewpoint that changed after one of those forementioned disagreements.
heck…i pay the State of Michigan $20 bucks for an annual pass to get into the state parks and rec areas. doesn’t mean i like everything they do with the parks. but if we all stopped paying to the one controlling entity, most of those parks would be would be gone. another angle on Dan’s analogy.
there are a growing number of race management outfits doing business outside the USAT umbrella and doing it without problems. i’d offer that most would rather be a part of the big picture but due to a variety of circumstances either went on their own, or were shown the direction. the vast majority of RD’s and supporting organizations want and need what USAT has to offer in order to keep their events secure. many are one a year shots which raise funds for non-profits and don’t want the hassle of securing insurance and all on their own and like the USAT umbrella which certainly offers a degree of visibility and acceptance.
now do you personally get $39 worth of value from that annual card? dunno. or are you able to look at the rest of the picture and see the value to the sport…along with yourself. that can be a tough one sometimes.
Thank you for that link. As one of the little guys who has kicked in to the almost 6 million dollar pot of last year, all I can say is that I’ve seen nothing but spin and fluff for my contribution. Tim
Mon Dieu! We’re STILL having this discussion? I thought it went away like neon running shorts, Oakley Triggers & DH bars. If you race several times a year and the events are USAT sanctioned the annual membership fee pays for itself. If you use the hotel discounts the membership pays for itself. Look at the benefits available IF you choose to use them: http://usatriathlon.org/MultiSport101/JoinUSAT/Benefits.aspx USAT sanctioning, at least, provides another set of eyes to review race directors. When officials are requested/assigned an additional review is possible (see Lake Geneva tri).
If you’re a WRAM (World Revolves Around Me) & there MUST be something in it for you then you’re also missing the “greater good” notion of $5 annual fees for kids, junior development programs, elite development programs & sending athletes to the Pan Am Games & Olympics, just to name a few. USAT is one of the more liberal, in terms of membership requirements, compared to other NGBs. You can race non-sanctioned races without penalty. You can buy a one-day. You don’t have to be a part of club to join (something that other NSOs require in other countries). No one forces you to become an annual member.
Additionally, you’re probably too young to remember what sport was like pre-Stevens act when the AAU ruled ALL non-scholastic and non-collegiate sports. No AAU annual membership. No compete. Athletes had no voice. No real rights. While USAT is far from perfect, & has had more than it’s fair share of growing pains, we
Ultimately, this is a Marketing 101 decison: Satisfaction = Benefits - Costs. If your satisfaction isn’t being reached for $39 a year then you are free to participate in the large number of non-sanctioned events which operate in the US.
It’s a membership fee into a NGB. It’s realy no different than any other NGB. They all charge you to be a member and they all do about the same thing, which has been stated already. Does the average age gouper see everything it does, probably not. But i can tell you from experience USAT is one of the better functioning NGBs for the average age grouper. There are several that take your money, and then everything they can to pretend you’re not there. I pay 90 a year to USAC and they screw with everyone, age grouper and pro a like. It’s one of those things you don’t notice all they do when they are there, but if they weren’t you’d wish they were.
Thanks for the link… I look forward to decyphering the accounting b.s. on a long plane ride to Oregon.