Courtesy: Jack Weiss

Below is a Resolution I will be submitting to at the USAT Board of Directors meeting, Mar 18-20. Essentially it provides for USAT to end it's affiliation with the USOC as a representative of the Olympic Sport of Triathlon. It by no means relinquishes USAT's hold on the age group segment of the sport.

The reasons for this resolution can be found in the body of the resolution but bottom line, the USOC wishes to remake our Board by reducing the presence of age group representation and eliminating and RD involvement at all. USAT was originally formed by race directors for race directors back in 1980. It's mission to set a standard among member events, obtain low cost insurance for race directors and build a client/membership base.

Those goals remain unchanged today but the USOC chooses to ignore that and is attempting to pressure us to overhaul our Board with individuals who have no knowledge of our sport and to increase pro/elite representation to ensure their continued funding. The elites compose less the 1/2 of 1 percent of the entire 53,000 plus members and the USOC contribution to our annual 5 million plus budget is no more then $750,000.

Enclosed is my resolution which already has the support of at least 4 of 11 Board members.

Please disseminate widely as possible.

Thanks,
Jack Weiss
USAT Treasurer

Resolution for Board Action

Subject: USAT is a membership driven organization that was conceived and organized by concerned Race Directors over a quarter century ago. The premise was to organize and sanction events for safety and consistency, thus encouraging athletes to attend their events and grow the sport. In 2004 there were over 1400 events, 54,000 annual members and 5 plus million-dollar budget. Of those 54,000 less then 300 are professional/elite athletes and less then half that number competes in Olympic style/ITU draft legal events. The budget is less the $750,000.

Background: Around 1980 a number of then prominent Race Directors conceived and formed an organization called Triathlon USA. The concept was to organize races and set a standard of safety and performance that would attract competitors and establish a standard of performance. By creating the federation they were able to purchase event insurance at a fairly low rate thus making sanction affordable and desirable. Over time USA Triathlon changed its name to Tri-Fed USA and then to USA Triathlon. Beginning in 1990 USAT established it's first of 10 Regional Federations. In the late 1990's Triathlon was nominated to be an Olympic Sport in the 2000 Olympics. This was a result of the work by the ITU beginning in 1989 that created "artificial" events that included draft-legal bike racing. These events were limited to "Pro/elite" competitors and not open to age group racing. Most age groupers looked upon "draft-legal" racing negatively. With the establishment of Triathlon as an Olympic Sport and USAT as the National Governing Body (NGB), the USOC began allocating increased funding solely for the maintance and implementation of the elites engaged in ITU and World Cup racing. The purpose: win medals at the Olympics. However since 1999 USAT Age Group membership monies have been used to supplement this elite program with absolutely no tangible benefit being obtained by Age Groupers. The average shortfall each year through 2004 has been $330,000 annually. In addition all the VIK and cash sponsorship developed for the elites goes to the elites sometimes to the detriment of age group sponsorship. Whereas VIK for age group programs have been available to the "pro/elites" at USAT sanctioned events.

In 2004, the USOC was asked to adjudicate the election results held in the fall of 2003 based on lawsuit filed by several members of the Federation. During this same period several other USAT members wrote and circulated a petition to overhaul the present By-Laws. It passed in the spring of 2004. The USOC has now taken a very direct and active hand in the management and operation of USAT. From their perspective as viewed by the USAT Board on several occasions, they have stated in direct communications with the Board they have no interest in the desires or wishes of the nearly 54,000 annual age group members. Their only concern is the welfare of the "Pro/Elites" and the programs and services that will help them obtain gold at the Olympics and on the international scene. Further the USOC believes the inclusion of Race Directors on the Board is a conflict of interest. Considering that USAT was founded by race directors for race directors clearly indicates the USOC's lack of understanding or sensitivity to the unique circumstances that have helped make USAT the thriving Federation it is today. Therefore it leaves us as a Federation to separate ourselves from the USOC and the Olympic program, a program that does NOT reflect the initial goals of this Federation and of those goals now, which is the servicing of it's 54,000 plus age group membership. USOC needs to develop and maintain it's own "specialty" NGB to monitor and manage the Olympic Triathlon Program as they envision it and we as a Federation devote our full resources to promoting and servicing our age group athletes and Race Director Clientele.

Pertinent By-Laws & Regulations: USAT By-Laws, Articles II, III and IV, Section 2, Article V, section O.

Financial Impact: In real funding net gain of $330,000. Cost of subsidizing Olympic Program

Whereas USAT was initially conceived by and for Race Directors to promote and grow the sport of triathlon in the United States; and
Whereas the overwhelming membership consists of age group competitors (54,000); and
Whereas USAT has grown to over 1400 age group events and 54,000 members of which less then 300 are "Pro/Elite"; and
Whereas USAT age group funding has been subsidizing the "Olympic" program for at least 5 years at the tune of $330,000 annually with no tangible benefit and indirectly impacting negatively on many Age Group programs; and
Whereas USAT now has a budget in excess of 5 million dollars and receives less then $750,000 to maintain the elite program,

Now therefore be it resolved that USAT terminate it's relationship with the USOC and the Olympic Program, that USAT will no longer be the NGB for the sport of Olympic Triathlon, that USAT will devote it's full resources to it's principle members, age group athletes and Race Directors, that USAT will henceforth conduct all of it's business separate and distinct from USOC including all of it's owned sponsorship both cash and VIK. That USAT will operate as a single independent entity, responsible only to its own self-interests and that of its membership.

Submitted by Jack Weiss, Treasurer USA Triathlon & Board Member