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Post by Laura (Lori) on Mar 11, 2013 16:49:56 GMT -8
Here is a pretty thorough summary of USS' current (and past) woes. It includes the recent USOC involvement, the effect that this situation has had on our skaters' performances this year - across the board - and touches on the decades-old problems this organization has had. It also includes the first comments I've seen from Apolo Ohno - which is, pretty much, "No comment". A good one for folks who want to catch up quick - however, you'll miss all of our members' extremely insightful commentary on the previous 18 pages... US short track mired in scandal, poor showingsBy By PAUL NEWBERRY, AP Sports Writer – 1 hour ago www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jAGB97J8EABW3kCoD_roDe3l8Bcw?docId=83100c6161f24862a90e66ca189a3761
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Post by Deleted on Mar 11, 2013 18:49:44 GMT -8
I have been writing this "editorial" over the past few days and debating whether or not to post it. I chatted with some of the members here and others. In light of the above article, I would just like to share:
The way I see it:
The World Cup Season has ended, and World Champs has drawn to a close. It has not been a successful year. Yes, there have been some wins, here and there, but I am not talking about medals. Short track speed skating has been devastated from the inside and the outside. We have two entities governing the sport of speed skating and many of us believe that neither one of those entities, USS and the ST Board of Directors, have worked in the best interests of the skaters, and subsequently not in the best interest of the sport.
Initially skaters had a complaint about being under funded or not funded at all. I don't blame them. When your financial life is based on promised money, and then those funds are not realized in full or in part, yes, you should bring it to the attention of those who hold the purse strings, USS. Then USS should have taken stock of the skaters' financial concerns and acted quickly to resolve those concerns. They did not.
USS did a survey of the skaters. Those results have not been made public, that I know of, but people talk. The fan base is not stupid and I bet we could get really close to the percentage response to each question. I bet we can also guess what the questions were. Like: Rate your overall feeling about the USS support system. It is my belief these surveys gave the the skaters false hope that USS would act in their best interest. What I suspect they got was a song and dance routine using lots of smoke and mirrors and "funding" blame being diverted in every way possible, except where it belongs, USS.
So what is left for the skaters to do? Sadly, they moved forward with their collective personal grievances on numerous concerns. Some skaters joined in some did not. When that part of the grievance did not hit a nerve, the 3rd layer regarding SImon Cho was thrown in the mix. This begins step one in the chasm that is now ST Speed Skating.
As a few people have shared with me, 'we' realize Apolo was not a saint, but he gave this sport a legacy, a legitimacy. He took the sport and elevated it to a relevancy not seen before. I don't think Apolo "planned" that, but it does not matter, it happened. The next generation of skaters had the opportunity to spring-board off of that legacy, and put their own mark of greatness on the sport. The seniors of this group, J.R., Simon Cho, Jeff Simon, and Travis had the opportunity to lead the younger ones waiting in the wings like, Eddy, John Henry, Chris, Cole, Keith and Kyle who would be there too, to watch, to train to improve and become a part of a ST legacy that would have unbelievable depth. After all these years, and all the hours that have been put in by those noted above, one can only ask, "Is this really where you thought you would be a year before Sochi?" I don't think so.
Now we have so many athletes skating under so many names, it makes my head spin. I need a flow chart! If the short track athletes want to be competitive on a world stage, then they have to train like their competitors. Basically, training becomes their job. Show up every day, work hard and be prepared to come back and do it all again the next day. It takes individual commitment, yet it also means that individually you must work together as a team with a coach who knows what the world stage looks like.
Nobody said it would be easy. Nobody said you would like it day-in and day-out. That's just life and it does not matter if it's Short Track Speed Skating or working for UPS. But if you can find a way to give your individual 100% every day, then you become a force with whom to be reckoned. Even if you have an off day, wouldn't it be nice to know your team mates understand and can help find a way to lift you up? Just the other day I saw a UPS truck broken down on the side of the road. Another UPS truck stopped to help him. They were running back and forth, 2 individuals working as a team, to unload one truck and reload into the other! Isn't that what we should do in life, help each other "reload" when the going gets tough?
After watching World Champs this weekend, I think our US Skaters may have been given their OWN wake up calls. I don't think FUN FIRST is the motto under which you need to train. Let's try this one: Practice doesn't make Perfect, Perfect Practice does! You will need a coach who will train you hard, but with a fair hand. The skaters need a support network, but so do the coaches. That is something that USS should have been providing all along. Now the challenge is this, forgiving and forgetting? Sometimes when we humble ourselves, amazing things can happen.
Just my respectful comments as a fan. Your thoughts may differ from mine, and I can respect that. In fact, I think the fans here have shown a great deal of respect for one another during this time. I hope it can continue.
But mostly I want these skaters to reunite and remember, they are skating for the United States of America, and not individual glory. That individual "glory" will come when they can proudly stand on the podium, and accept a medal on behalf of their country knowing their individual effort is what made it possible. THEN Jay Leno will also ask you to come on his show to show off your medals to the world!
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Post by mtnme on Mar 12, 2013 20:55:37 GMT -8
There have been so many articles and posts over the last week or two, of which there was so much information, that I needed to have some quiet time to just sit and let it all percolate for a bit before responding. Over the many months of accusations, allegations and negations, much has been discussed about what is going to happen to TEAM USA in speedskating, and specifically in the short track side of the sport. It got me thinking of the specifically unique - and vicarious- situation as Olympic athletes the short track skaters find themselves in. We say 'Team USA' or 'our short track TEAM' needs to band together and be focused if they wish to be contenders for the games in Sochi. But when you really think about it...they are a TEAM in only the loosest of interpretations. It's not a TEAM in the same sense that basketball, baseball, hockey or football is a team- for which there truly is no I in TEAM. Several players all working in tandem to win as a unit, one entity. When the US Basketball TEAM wins, they all win a medal, not an individual. That term of 'team' only applies to short trackers in the relay events. Any other competition, it's one guy/gal against everyone else, including their team mates. In that regard, there is PLENTY of 'I' in TEAM. 3 medals, 3 winners. While the skaters may be friends off the ice, I'm sure they are fierce competitors on it. They may even wish each other well. As in "Hey bro, I hope you make the podium...as long as it's BEHIND ME!!!'. We may call them a 'TEAM', but they are all 'single skaters' for all intents and purposes- and they skate for their own chance at a medal. Nor are they like the single figure skater, who goes out on the ice alone. They skate alone, they practice alone, they are alone. 2 routines, a few minutes performing, and then their fate is in the hands of the judges. Each skater chooses their own coach, where they will train, when and for how long their training sessions will go. They may have their own sponsors, and I'm sure the USFSA has their sponsors as well. NONE of which will demand that a very prominant slew of logos be emblazoned across the chests, backs and thighs of their exhorbitently costly, sequined and beddazzled outfits. (Could you imagine???) As for practice time, Olympic Silver Medalist in Mens Figure Skating, Paul Wylie graduated Harvard while skating. Can you imagine a short track skater controlling his practice sessions to the point of being able to accomplish that, let alone hold down a job? Nope. Doubt it's possible. They're not like a long track skater either, who is racing against the clock more so than racing against each other. No, short track is quite unique. They are single skaters, who are racing against each other. Every time they step on the ice at practice or a competition, they are skating against the enemy. But how do you practice your craft, skating, passing, pivots and such without your enemy on the ice with you? You can work on technique by yourself until you are blue, but without each other on the ice every single day to practice against, I doubt there would be much improvement...or any hope of doing so. That has left the short trackers in a difficult, no win situation. They NEED to be at practice together, so that they can practice skating against each other. Normally, the top skaters would all be on the National Team, all skating together. One coach - of which they have no say. Set times for practice and duration, for which they also have no say. No time for outside jobs, as there is someone else deciding who they will train with, when and for how long. That is until recently, when the skaters themselves split into different factions as they tried to salvage any sort of training program and consistency in the hopes of finding a coaching situation that works for them personally. Now on another note, my understanding is that the short track skaters were dragged by USS kicking and screaming to Salt Lake City and the Oval from Colorado Springs, where they at least were in the training center and had room and board taken care of. Not to negate Apolo's accomplishments, but ya have to wonder if he would have been anywhere near as successful if he had to get a job or stress out about money and basic living accommodations during his entire career. After he gained some fame and some sponsors and could afford to move out on his own, he chose not to. He himself must have recognized the pluses of having room and board taken care of so that he could concentrate all his energy on training. I've heard stories that he valued it so much, that he thanked each and every person at the Colorado Springs facility for what he viewed as their part and contribution in his success at the Olympic Games. At first blush it merely looked like USS wanted to have all their players under the same roof. Dig deeper however, and it becomes painfully obvious that USS's decision was made with absolutely no interest or concern as to how these athletes were supposed to support themselves, keep a roof over their heads and food in the 'fridge under these circumstances. Since USS couldn't provide dorms, they bribed the skaters with a little (emphasis on little) living stipend that they reneged on within a few years of the skaters making the move. And I have a question. The Truth mentioned the living stipend going to skaters OTHER than the ones who competed during the Olympics. When we were researching the Rocker Fund, we came to understand that each Olympian gets a stipend from the USOC towards the hope that they would continue their training through the next Olympics, the premise being that they were already a proven entity and therefor worth investing some money back into. The USS living stipend is a separate stipend from the USOC's stipend. According to The Truth, USS chose to nix the living stipend to the Olympic skaters that had already proven themselves in favor of those skaters who hadn't made the team. My question is: Did the USS living stipend come originally from the USOC and was supposed to be given to ALL the athletes who had made the National Team Program whether or not they had made the Olympic team as well, as it was a payment in lieu of no longer having a dorm to call home? If that is the case, USS misappropriated the funds and chose to disemenate the monies against the intent of the USOC, giving housing stipends to some athletes, and denying rightfully owed stipends to others who happened to be the Olympic skaters. Now if the living stipend came directly and independently from USS through their *cough*sputter*laugh* fundraising activities and donations, then that's another matter... And what's with getting rooms for the long track skaters, but leaving the short trackers out in the cold? I for one am sick and tired of the short trackers being treated like USS's b@stard children who they barely tolerate and only put up with so as to get more money from the USOC. Even as just fans, we knew that the majority of any money USS gets and spends on the skaters goes to their long track programs. Yet every short track skater on the Olympic Team in Vancouver came back with a medal, despite all the difficulties. Excuse me, but how well did the long track team fare? *could you speak up a little louder please? I can't hear you...*Funds should be split up equally between the two programs, otherwise, it is painfully clear that USS has no intention of supporting the interests of their short track program or the skaters in it, and those skaters would possibly be better off with their own NGB. And believe me, I understand the full horror of that statement. Oh goodie, now instead of just ONE bloated F.U.B.A.R. entity trying for limited donation dollars and doesn't take care of its athletes, you've got two of them. Yippee... I've included The Truth's post below, because there was SO much to respond to, and he deserved at least an acknowledgement that we heard what he was saying - and understood. Still lots to respond to, but I've already written a small novella here, so I'll leave all of you and 'The Truth' with a note on this little gem of one person at USS reneging on a promise by another who 'conveniently' no longer works there anymore. A small piece of advice. Don't speak to anyone- especially anyone at USS, except through e-mails. EVER! Get it in writing. So and so said this would be covered, and on this date. I don't care if he/she doesn't work here anymore. I've got it in writing that a representative of THIS organization said this would be taken care of. So pony up and take care of it. Let me tell one story. Simon sent the email regarding the medical bill to Bryce. He replied as this "I realize you want a straight yes or no answer and while I will try to best meet your request I’m afraid I don’t see it as quite that simple. As you listed few different items I will address each of them. Medical bills: It my understanding based on confirmation that we paid your medical bills associated with you back in June $1712. I don’t know the exact date of your back surgery but I believe it goes back to late summer 2011 (based on the fact that a previous USS employee, that started in August 2011, may have provided information leading you to think this would be covered)There has now been presented new bills associated with nose surgery which looks to have been done in April/May 2012. By this time you were well aware of the situation with USS and what cost might be required to be covered by yourself as the bills with the back had been well discussed. USS does not hold budget to cover personal medical expenses for athletes. It is simply not something that we can facilitate. You need to be accountable for understanding of your medical coverage. So I would say that no, we would not pay this bill, based on the appeared timing of the procedures. USS Financial Athlete Support: The USOC provides Direct Athlete Support (DAS) of which you receive the highest award currently of $2100/mth. There has been concessions by USS despite our tight financial environment to aid Short Track NRP athletes that do not have USOC DAS. At this time there is no resource that can be allocated for additional support for athletes that already received DAS. Hopefully that will change in the future but under no circumstance at this time (and to my knowledge) would USS make a ‘special case’ for an individual athlete regards to this initiative as you have requested. I’m happy to discuss these further with you Simon, but you seemed to want a straight forward answer and that is what I have tried to provide. Where you see us having a small investment in youself, I would suggest it is actually quite large. With Coaching, Ice, AT support and equipment, Travel to international competitions, Sports Psychology, Technical blade support and strength conditioning, Marketing, Apparel etc... USS has offered a very large investment in yourself Simon. I feel your email possibly confuses what you feel is a lack of support vs conditions. I am not clear what this is meant below. Where you say conditions but then ask for three items that are related to additional resource support." And I replied back as; "1. First of all, Bryce, your official job title is "Sports Consultant". I understand consultant is the job to advise and recommend to improve or resolve something in special area, supporting the management. And I wonder if you are entitled to make a decision like this. I heard that you decide or hold many critical things of USS. Is it on your job description? And what is different from the one of Mark? 2. "By this time you were well aware of the situation with USS and what cost might be required to be covered by yourself as the bills with the back had been well discussed. ". As Simon said, he was told that this medical expense would be covered before he took that surgery. Why do you think he would have known that this medical bill would not be paid by USS? And at the board meeting, I heard USS was working with University of Utah to cover the full medical expense for athletes. It didn't work? USS is still working on it? 3. How much USS save per person by not taking full coverage medical insurance? Do you know USA is the only country that do not provide the full coverage for national team skaters? What do you think of this? 4. "The USOC provides Direct Athlete Support (DAS) of which you receive the highest award currently of $2100/mth. There has been concessions by USS despite our tight financial environment to aid Short Track NRP athletes that do not have USOC DAS." DAS from USOC is totally different source and has different purpose from the living stipend by USS. It is reward that is given to the top athletes not only of USS but also of any other sports, complimenting the hard work and performance. Why this should be related with USS living stipend? And elite skaters are automatically entitled to be in National Team Training Center. Other skaters are picked by USS. Isn't it unfair to provide the stipend to picked skaters, ignoring elite skaters? Not sure but I understand the fund from USOC had been increased when National Short Track Team moved from USOC to Salt Lake City because USS can't provide the dormitory. If this is true, for what USS is spending with that fund? If not, why we should pay to USOC to reside there if ST Team move to USOC? In addition, rooms are provided for Long Track skaters. How come the same athletes, ST skaters, under the same NGB, are refused for that? Bryce, you are a Sports Consultant. Ever you ever seen any World Team Skaters of other countries who is paying for training, such as housing, food, transportation? 5. "With Coaching, Ice, AT support and equipment, Travel to international competitions, Sports Psychology, Technical blade support and strength conditioning, Marketing, Apparel etc... USS has offered a very large investment in yourself Simon." I don't know "Investment" is the right term as a non profit organization, anyway; - Do you think this is a very large investment? - Can you tell me even one country which does not provide those things for National Team? Which country's skaters pay out of their pocket for Coaching, Ice time, Travel to international competition? - AT support and equipment and Technical blade support and strength conditioning? Have USS ever provided the equipment, such as boots, blade? - Apparel? Do skaters have to buy the uniform of US logo for international competition, in principle? - Sports Psychology? Why skaters need it? Skaters are angry at the never ending poor support and treatment, and they are on strike, not joining the National Team. Is it for anger management? - Marketing? How much you added the fund by marketing activity? If you did not get helpful progress, why you keep spending the money on it, making the athletes starving. Please do not say you did not have enough time for it, it has been over two years since you started. 6. "At this time there is no resource that can be allocated for additional support for athletes that already received DAS. " "USS does not hold budget to cover personal medical expenses for athletes." When everybody ask something, always, the answer is "We do not have money. " $4.5M a year is not small? Where is all that money going? How much both of you take the money from USS? Have you ever skipped your payroll check due to short of fund. I heard that, Bryce, you work at the office just few days in a month, spending USS fund for travel. Spending for you has higher priority than the medical expense for injury/surgery and the food for athletes who are working hard and getting medals for USA? I can imagine the money spent for both of you could fully cover the fund for what skaters are angry at now. Am I wrong? Finally, I'd like to see, at the board meeting next month, how much you have spent and are spending for marketing activity including marketing staff cost, especially for "USS Brand Business", and its result. The numbers, not the vague prospect in future, or verbal explanation like "We are almost there." As I said, over two years is not a short time. The reason is that it seems not helpful to the skaters and USS, and rather making worse. And one last thing, I wish you understand what is the main reason of all the problems happening now in USS. Skaters did not ask that requires huge money. They just asked basic things that can remove the shamefulness at the podium, as an athlete of USA, richest country in the world. If you think I am saying because I do not understand the projects, job, work, financial status and situation, in USS, tell me anytime. And I can help you how to resolve all the problems here." I got an reply again on my return email and I replied back again. It is too long. I will post it later.
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Post by Joyce on Mar 13, 2013 8:42:02 GMT -8
USS has been on a collision course since forever. The wake-up call belongs to USS, not the athletes who have done all in their power to change things and continue to train hard despite everything collapsing around them. This is a failed business - and the present Board and staff have not the skills or organizational abilities to rectify any of it. They are in over their heads. I know it is unfair to condemn all the employees for the sins of others, but on the whole - it is a disastrously failed business. If experts came in and did an analytical review of the business model and personnel performance, they would likely terminate all ( except maybe the Zamboni driver, but I'm not too sure about that). Without even getting into their spending priorities, USS is in debt for spending $$ it never had ( "we didn't get the $300,000 in sponsorship $$ we were hoping for") - this line of thinking is a shortcut to insolvency and shows fiscal irresponsibility.
Unfortunately it will take a lot of time and drastic measures to undo the damage, and most cannot be undone. It is too late. Sending the skaters out of the OTC to SLC made me cringe at the time, and now I know it was with good reason. The exchange of room&board, medical support, and other amenities for the use of an ice rink ( granted it has the safety pads) and organizational consolidation of 2 sports has hurt both sports and not helped. The building of the Oval in the SLC "boonies" ( chosen because they were given the land for free) was very short term thinking - it would have helped the sport to build a rink connected to a large university and develop a relationship with collegiate sports and their support structure. Ice is expensive - and maintaining elite ice is expensive, but developing community and commercial use of the rink would have offset costs instead of eating into general funds. But then again, the Oval is in the "boonies".
I share with others that the Spring Board meeting will be more of the same and will probably make matters worse ( don't get me started on that whole "branding" scheme that just ended up with an ugly design with no meaning). The problems should have been addressed last summer and ongoing. Now the end of season is near and nothing is in place for the athletes except uncertainty. Was not one issue ironed out in all this time!! USOC is now all about Sochi promo's and US venue candidates for Olys post 2018 - so I don't know how much attention they will pay to straightening out USS in this busy calendar year.
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Post by thetruth on Mar 13, 2013 23:27:17 GMT -8
mtnme, you well said. To clarify your question, let me post the final email I sent to to Mark. This shows clearly how Mark see the skaters. Bold letters are Mark answered to me. I put my argument under it. We can see that skater are just machine in his view.
Later, I will add more to explain about the living stipend, medical matters, and how the skaters of other countries are treated. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OK, you may not want to get anymore comments from me. I know you would be busy now for board meeting. So I don't expect your response. I just write hoping you understand correctly. After this, I won't send anymore except in case I have to. Just read this. Sorry, Mark.
4) Yes, this is true that some concessions were made at the demands of the athletes to offer a small stipend to athletes that join the ST NRP. We do try to listen to the athletes and accommodate their needs where and when possible, despite the perceptions of some.
As for the USOC DAS, and any living stipend offered by USS. The USOC DAS is NOT A REWARD for elite athletes. It is a stipend provided by the USOC to assist athletes training toward the next Olympic Games. There is a program called Operation Gold that does in fact reward athletes for international performances at certain agreed upon competitions. The value of this reward is agreed upon in the USS High Performance Plan and supported by the USOC. As for the USOC DAS that your son receives, I believe it totals over $24K annually. I have had staff working for USS that don't make that much, and while we of course would like to provide more, at this time we cannot. We believe such an amount, along with the provided coaching, ice, support services, travel, competition fees, training and competitive clothing, and other items USS provides, it is enough to assist an elite athlete in achieving their goals. USS receives more than most sports, and the entire amount of USOC DAS is given directly to the athletes. We can certainly consider carving it up in different ways and means, but be assured the athletes receive all of it. In the next season, we expect to include the athletes in the process of how we determine the amounts for different levels of performers.
I can’t find about the DAS, so I am not sure firmly (This could be clarified by USOC). But I disagree with you regarding DAS. Reward or award is based on performance or contribution with different amount, to motivate to work hard. On the other hand, stipend is given to the athletes who is qualified in some criteria, mostly equally. For example, for the money given to the top ranked skaters in American Cup or US Championship, we don't call it stipend to assist training. And the living stipend to NRP skaters, that is stopped since you started to work for USS, was given equally to the elite skaters. DAS is given by the performance at the world competition, in order to motivate. DAS amount varies by the performance, it is not equally given to all. Because DAS is not given at one time, we may say it is mixed of reward and stipend, meaning compensation for the sweat and support for the training. However, even if we say it as stipend, it has totally different purpose. Living stipend is money that is provided because USS does not provide the facility and food to reside. If USS provides it, USS has no reason to give that money. Top skaters used get $3,000 a month ($2,000 form USOC + $1,000 from USS for all NRP skaters) before you came ($1,000 is not enough to live individually actually). It is because both fund have different purpose. On the other hand, even though DAS is to support for training, it is not to support to reside. It is to support for traveling, purchasing equipment, etc. It has totally different purpose. If you still say DAS includes living stipend, how can you explain for the DAS that is given to the athletes of other sports who are training in USOC training camp? Because you, as an Executive Director who should try best to support skaters, sophisticate like this, even if skaters have stood over two years without complaint, elite skaters got mad eventually.
With regard to monies that may have changed when the team moved to SLC, I cannot comment. I know of know arrangement for living expense that the USOC promised or provided. If USS promised something, than I am sorry for that, but I know of no such agreement, and even if there was, we could not meet that obligation financially at this time.
You are at the better position to know that . I understand that living stipend was promised money when ST world team moved from USOC to Salt Lake City because USS has no facility for them to reside. I doubt USOC provides the facility and food to reside by making agreement with individual athlete. According to your saying, it looks like USS does not have to give living stipend even though USS has fund. Point is that this is basic thing and no other country does not provide this for national team skaters. You should have tried other project, such as "Brand Business" you are doing, after you fulfilled this basic thing. Skaters didn't say about it for long time because they understood USS has not enough fund. But they have seen much money has been going to other place endlessly. This is the main reason of their grievance.
As per your question about the LT Team, programs can request funds to spend on many different items they feel will help performance. Those on the LT Team being provided a place to stay is not with the intention of covering housing expense. This is an altitude protocol that some athletes are partaking in. Those who do not, are not payed an equivalent amount for housing. If ST wanted to do an altitude house, they could, but they'd likely have to spend some other portion of their budget in a different way to do so. That is their prerogative. The question of how ST wishes to allocate the funds they have is best answered by Head Coach/ST Program Director Jae Su Chun.
Altitude matter is for all sports, not only LT. That’s why US Olympic Training Camp is in Colorado Springs. Eventually you drive your obligation to ST staffs. ST team skipped 1 - 2 times out of 7 world competitions due to the financial problem or to save the fund, during last two seasons. LT have never skipped the total 11 world competitions. And LT team has the room to spend the fund for housing and ST doesn’t. It means there is something wrong seriously with the budget allocation from the beginning. This is not the thing you push the blame to Jaesu or ST staffs. Jaesu and other ST staffs didn't use the fund personally or uselessly. My personal idea of best allocation of budget is to divide the category into, LT, ST, and Common. Common may includes living stipend, medical, apparel, or others that should be evenly provided. After then, divide the rest into LT and ST depending on their specific peculiarities. I don't know if this is already working like that. This is just my idea. Anyway, there must be unbalance with the budget allocation.
Your final question was posed to Bryce about other countries and what athletes pay for. Having worked in another country however, I can assure you that athletes, even top ones, pay for such items, just as American athletes do.
This is very serious difference of recognition. It is true that some top athletes pay for their training cost, and someone spends huge amount. Are you comparing them to our skaters? Some sports of those athletes’ have specific characteristics inevitably for them to do that. Figure skating is good example. And if the athletes have no financial difficulty or have good sponsors, they can do. I have read on the newspaper, Sun Yang, Chinese swimmer, two gold medalist at the London Olympics, spent $2M for training. It is not he, Chinese NGB(Government) paid for it. They do have many reasons doing it, such as to train with better coach, environment, or facility. However, there is no country which national team skaters spend their own money for training due to the reason that their own NGB does not provide it. None that I know of. And the reality here in USA is that world team ST skaters spend the money out of their or parents' pocket for their living at the training camp.
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*** ST staffs saved $30K - $50K by skipping the world competitions. Later, they found that it was disappeared. I heard that Mark used it for other expenses that has nothing to do with ST.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2013 19:04:47 GMT -8
...misappropriated funds ...failed busines ...ladies, you nailed it....now let's keep hammering.
FOLLOW THE MONEY....
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 8:20:43 GMT -8
Joyce, in re-reading your comments above, you are right. The season is over, and it seems nothing has been resolved. We are now waiting on the ISU's investigation. Unless the media stays connected to this story, I assume we will not be hearing much from ISU until they have made a final report.
If you are interested in communicating with the ISU Disciplinarian Committee I found this email address via the web:
Volker Waldeck, Committee Chair volker@waldeck.com
and its members: Egbert Schmid Austria Susan Petricevic New Zealand Fred Benjamin USA Allan Böhm Slovakia
I would assume Fred Benjamin would recuse himself from the ISU investigation since he also sits on the Officials Committee for US Speed Skating. I would assume all of the Board Members are "in the loop" regarding the events that have led up to the ISU investigation.
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Post by Joyce on Mar 19, 2013 12:28:36 GMT -8
Gasp - I was actually addressing USS tardiness in responding to the 50 page Grievance submitted last August. I am sure the the skaters' atty is keeping on top of this - but just how long is the legal response time? How long will it take for the audit requested? This lack of a timely resolution and response on certain key issues will only serve to aggravate an already critical situation. I know there was a meeting scheduled in Feb that was inconvenient for responders - but the process is really being dragged out
I think the ISU action is still scheduled for April. I would lower your expectations for Fred Benjamin - he is the one who approached a group of fans (me included) with the famous "Why are you all here? Apolo's not skating anymore, he's trying to be a movie star!" He continued his discourse - which only went further downhill and reached rock bottom in record time.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 14:33:12 GMT -8
WOW...on the Fred Benjamin story. But it does not surprise. It is that tone, and that arrogance that destroys the sport. Isn't Fred also a president of a local skate club somewhere? Not for sure on that one! Why is this dragging out? I have no idea. But here's my thoughts, for what it's worth... USS now has 20/20 vision and is sorely regretting not paying attention to the common thread for all skaters -- funding. It's that simple. Take care of them financially, and they might be able to overlook many things. The other common thread -- the support network breaking down from trainers to nutritionist. This too was a rallying point for all the skaters. Is today's news about the new Board President a silent message from the ISU? Have they messaged USOC and told them to clean house and get USS under control? Has ISU given USOC and thus USS a time frame to clean house and unify the skaters before Sochi? Would not surprise me one bit. Ultimately, I do want USS held accountable for swinging the wrecking ball to-and-fro. Surely somewhere, someday, someone will file another grievance that will force USS and others to swear under oath regarding their actions and/or lack of actions that has resulted in this mess! Regarding the audit request. If that was done under a Freedom of Information Act request, isn't there a 10-day window in which to respond with the information and/or a letter stating why that information cannot be released within 10 days? USS is chartered in Missouri. Do Missouri laws apply regarding a FOIA?
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Post by Joyce on Mar 19, 2013 15:20:20 GMT -8
Gasp - I believe Fred Benjamin was a former President of the USS Board of Directors, besides the present USOC(?)/ISU positions he now holds. He still attends some of the Oval Comps as a starter. Certainly appears that he is a major player in USS politics.
He is also famous for having "won" the raffle held during Olympic Trials in Marquette for that free trip to the Vancouver Olys back in 2009/2010. There was obviously none of the usual restrictions of a normal raffle - as in anyone associated with said agency not permitted to participate. A lot of us wasted time filling out those entry forms!! LOL!!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 19, 2013 19:26:34 GMT -8
This is the most amazing group of "good old boys" I have ever seen.
Guess good old Fred joined his fellow "networkers" sitting in those primo seats at the Olys, while the skaters' family and friends were spread across the upper level and up into the nosebleed section.
I hope Mike Plant has been away from this despotic group of people long enough, that he will bring an honest, open and forthright mien to the Board of Directors.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 22, 2013 8:47:14 GMT -8
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Post by mtnme on Mar 22, 2013 23:40:43 GMT -8
Actually gasp, the USS power players are not called 'networkers'. According to Eva's book, the skaters call them 'woodworkers'. Because they all come out of the freaking woodwork when there are some freebies and all expense paid trips to be weasiled out.
And Joyce is right about that whole Oly winning Benjamin thing. I thought it was highly suspicious when HIS name came up as the winner of the raffle. What other organization in the world would have even had the brass cajones to do something that would so obviously smack of impropriety? USS has gotten away with so much garbage for so long they don't even bother to TRY to look like they're on the up and up. Smug much?
As for Plant being untainted, call me a cynic, but I doubt it. This whole organization seems to operate under the viewpoint of "This is how it was when I was coming up in the ranks, and now it's MY turn on the gravy train. Skaters, we USS power brokers have always gotten our goodies off of your backs. That's how we've always done it, and that's how it's gonna stay. Suck it up buttercup, it ain't gonna change".
For which I'll reply: 'Yeah, well, we also used to stone people to death, enslave minorities and disallow women the right to vote...among many other injustices that we no longer tolerate. How 'bout you ditch your outdated notion of the good ol' days for self entitled good ol' boys and join the rest of us in the 21st century?'
Welcome to the New World Order.
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Post by Joyce on Mar 24, 2013 6:01:39 GMT -8
I share your cynicism Michelle. USOC/IOC inclusion in one's resume does cast shadows and doubts. The practices of USOC would make the behavior of USS pale in comparison. I think the hope is that Mr. Plants' time spent with the Atlanta Braves provided a toxic cleanse and he will bring some organizational skills and labor management to the USS. Also hoping that the media spotlight and fan exposure will have a chilling effect on some of the more obvious ethical/legal concerns. Reality dictates that we will probably see baby steps, but at least it will be the beginning of change. I am hoping the April Spring meeting will bring about more board members stepping down, necessary for any real positive changes.
It is dismaying to see that Fred Benjamin is still a member of the USS Board of Directors. He is an advocate of "improving" SST by making it a "betting/gambling" sport so that the skaters "can make some money" before they "retire". His remarks actually sickened me when I heard him.
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Post by osaycanusoc on Mar 24, 2013 14:37:41 GMT -8
Joyce,
Could you elaborate on this betting/gambling comment? That would be terrible - all we would need to truly seal the fate of this sport and send it to the graveyard would be for even the potential appearance of impropriety through race fixing! That would taint it something terrible in addition to the NGB malfeasance and abuse, directors abuses, coaching abuses, and sexual abuses and would likely be the death of it. And what a great environment to pull it off - highly underpaid/underfunded athletes with a grudge already against the powers that be, being approached by unsavory types would be highly likely to fall victim to their temptations. Even the well paid pros in other sports get tempted, so do the young NCAA athletes in a well-regulated environment...could you imagine the free for all in speedskating with a poorly regulated and poorly funded environment?
I recall that back in 2002-03 or so that Andy Gabel was pushing hard to have a US Championships and maybe a World Cup in Las Vegas... Thought it was ridiculous then to even consider it. I thought then Andy totally had the wrong image and mindset for promoting the sport and was mainly looking for ways to simply reap personal benefits from such a direction. I had no idea that any other supposedly ethical and sane directors could possibly be for it too. Had no idea Freddie B. entertained this as well. It just smacks of potential abuses! Can anyone say "Black Sox scandal?" Not a healthy combo when you mix Chicago, sports, gambling, the mob, and lawyers all together - history says so!
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