Team USA NY (formerly Team Brownstone USA) is a grass roots effort to provide to post-collegiate American distance runners the resources neccessary to reach the world class level. I agree that our results have been less than stellar and I thank Running USA for their patience as we try to get this program off the ground. However, we have provided opportunity to several athletes who have shown remarkable improvement (Monica Hostetler, myself) during their time on the team. Since our designation by Running USA as a Team USA national training center in November 2000, we have supported only 8 athletes. Three of those athletes have qualified for the Olympic Trials in the marathon and two of our athletes have competed in three World Championship competitions. The majority of those who have joined the team have been DIII athletes, like myself, who are long term projects. Our coach John Luther has done a remarkable job with me (32:16 10K PR coming out of college, 59:59 20K PR now) and those who have embraced his system.
Our biggest problem is lack of funding and the inability to guarantee incoming athletes a means to survive financially. We literaly have lost several athletes to other teams simply because they were offered more by another team and we were unable to match their offer. Yes, we have recieved very little from Running USA in terms of financial support but, in their defense, we were never promised and have never asked for their financial support. However, we accepted their invitation to become a training center in 2000 because we believe in the concept, we wanted to be a part of the solution, and we felt the services that we did offer (free physical therapy, coaching, medical network, gym membership, etc) were important elements in any successful runners support system. Obviously, the powers that be at Running USA agreed.
Fundraising was never our strong suit. We assumed that our association with Running USA would open doors at the local level that it has not. I think that Ryan Lampa, etc have experienced the same difficulties on the national level. That is not to say that we have given up. In fact we organized a fundraising program (Miles for Medals) that raised almost $30,000 and has given our team hope for financial security. We submitted a proposal to Team USA to take this progam to the national level to fund all five Team USA training centers. We are awaiting their response.
Currently we offer free coaching, free physical therapy (on a daily basis), free gym membership, shoe and clothing discounts, maassage and accupuncture discounts and athlete management services to any reasonably qualified athlete (30:30, 36:10). In 2001 we offered free housing and $200 living stipend to three athletes. In 2002 we offered free housing to 4 athletes but did not have the funds to offer living stipend. In 2003 we are offering free housing and living stipend to 29:10 34:00 atletes and limited housing stipend and living stipend to 30:00 35:20 athletes (pending acceptance into the program). We are looking to add 3-5 athletes immediately and 3-5 more should the powers that be accept our fundraising proposal and help us to implement the Miles for Medals program on a national level.
I apologize for the length of this post. It is part recruiting pitch, part defense of our efforts. After all, we are just a small group of average guys who just want to see American distance running return to the levels that they were in the 70's and early 80's.
Anyone interested in learning more about Team USA NY should email me at
maggiew@frontiernet.net
or coach John Luther at
jluther@frontiernet.net
.
FYI: Mykotok and Eddy each spent some time in Rochester. I trained with David in NM in preparation for Boston 2001. I did not include these guys in my listing of athletes and accomplishments in paragraph 1.